Review of Lawn Dogs (1997) by Ian M — 28 Jan 2012

I think Gilliam might have taken a bit of influence from "Lawn Dogs" when he wrote "Tideland".

What we have here is a bizzare message driven fairy tale that's self-aware enough to acknowledge the inherent sensitivity of its subject matter, but it doesn't cave into conservative conclusions about how such a relationship ought to be portrayed.

At heart, "Lawn Dogs" is about trust, not the death of innocence or the festering political correctness all around us that sees danger in every unconventional relationship. It does touch on the subject of sexual abuse, but it doesn't come at it from the angle you'd suspect...and that's the whole point, isn't it? Sexual abuse, for the most part, usually visits as someone you've known well enough to trust completely. The climax is an unexpected treat and its moral resolution arrives just in the nick of time.

The film is carried through excellent lead performances, Sam Rockwell and the impressive young Mischa Barton. Sumptuously photographed and written with great intelligence by Naomi Wallace, it dares to be erotic, provoking, unconventional and incisive.