Dog On Trial

Bluesky

Kodi (Cosmos) is in trouble. He has bitten two women, which means that, according to French law, he should be ‘destroyed’. His human, Dariuch (François Damiens), is homeless and ungroomed and lacking in social skills; he’s desperate to save him but inadvertently makes the worst possible impression on everyone. He has no idea where to turn for help – until he hears about soft-hearted young lawyer Avril Lucciani (Laetitia Dosch), who has gained a reputation for taking on hopeless cases. When he leaves Kodi alone with her for a moment, the dog pleads his own case.

In a US film with this opening, it would be clear how the story would go. It might well be very enjoyable, but, well, you’ve seen that before. This film is based on real events and its director takes a very different approach. Be warned : there are parts of it that will break your heart. It does, however, have salient things to say about human/animal relations, and it provides great roles to its stars.

Dog On Trial’s success is, in fact, partly down to Kodi’s triumph at Cannes 2024, from which he took home the Palm Dog. As there are really only two major sets of acting awards for dogs out there – that and the Fidos – this means considerably more than a human getting such a prize, and it’s well earned. Cosmos is far from a simple character. He is, in fact, guilty of both the crimes of which he has been accused, and there is no indication that he intends to mend his ways – but as Avril points out, a human guilty of similar offences would not be killed. Alternatives are available that would keep him from harming anyone.

Beginning by arguing that the term ‘destroyed’ is inappropriate because a dog is an individual, not an object, Avril, spending more and more time with her client, is forced to accept that he’s not the same as a human either. As she comes to recognise and understand his wild streak, she also begins to acknowledge the wildness within herself, and to resist the way that she has been socialised into meek compliance, something which has significant implications for her future career.

Though Kodi steals every scene he’s in, there’s also some good acting work from the humans, and the characters are pleasingly three-dimensional. Avril’s past cases continue to haunt her and she has an awkward friendship with the 12-year-old metaller next door (Tom Fiszelson), who makes no secret of his crush on her as she tries to make sure that he’s not being beaten by his alcoholic dad. Over time, she also takes a shine to the trainer (Jean-Pascal Zadi) charged with caring for Cosmos.

Alongside the drama and romance, there is plentiful comedy here, often targeting the staples of the courtroom drama. Kodi has a gift for comic timing and a wonderful deadpan delivery. It is, of course, Cosmos’ relationship with Avril that’s really at the heart of the film, and that gives it its magic, as well as highlighting ethical issues in the justice system with far wider-reaching implications.

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