Black Dog (Subtitled) (12A)

Eddie Peng is a directionless ex-con who teams up with an unwanted mutt in Guan Hu’s warm-hearted, uplifting drama.

Lang (Eddie Peng) is a changed man since coming out of prison. You’d never guess that he was once a beloved entertainer who played rock music and rode motorcycles in the local circus. But when he returns to his small hometown in China’s Gobi Desert, there’s nothing waiting for him except bad vibes. His father is drinking himself to death, his neighbours resent him for his perceived crimes, and his town is overrun with rabid dogs. It’s with one of these wild animals that Lang strikes up an unlikely companionship.

The film is, at its heart, a tale of redemption of a man who finds himself on the periphery of society, and a dog who finds himself feared and misunderstood. But it’s also a story that draws from Chinese mythology.

Achieving a delicate balance between drama and deadpan comedy, Guan’s approach gives the scenes of violence or tragedy a certain antic, Buster Keaton quality, which is enhanced by both Peng’s expressive performance, and that of his adorable canine co-star.