Take a bow-wow: Naughty poodle scoops Cannes prize
Bruno the white standard poodle was awarded the Palm Dog prize
CANNES, France, May 26, 2017 (AFP) - A misbehaving giant poodle scooped top prize for a canine performance at the Cannes film festival Friday, despite what organisers lamented as a "pawcity of dog roles" this year.
Bruno the white standard poodle, who does serious injury to Dustin Hoffman s character in the new Netflix movie "The Meyerowitz Stories", was awarded the Palm Dog prize -- the spoof answer to Cannes most coveted award for humans, the Palme d Or.
Bruno was not present for the ceremony in the glitzy French resort. His prize was collected by Cosmo, a fellow standard poodle and Cannes resident, who wagged his tail enthusiastically but declined to comment.
Organiser Toby Rose noted it had been a strong year for other species at the world s biggest film festival, notably the giant genetically-modified pig that plays a central role in "Okja", the other Netflix movie in the competition which stars Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Doggy roles were thinner on the ground, however.
But "as ever, man s best friend came through and the dog star-turns abounded," the British writer told the audience at a pun-laden ceremony in Cannes.
British film critic Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian newspaper praised the independent spirit that poodles like Bruno can display despite the breed s reputation for being overly obedient.
Dog s biting performance
"Dogs were capable this year of going over to the dark side," said Bradshaw, who noted that along with the ill consequences of Bruno s antics in "The Meyerowitz Stories", Alsatians also provide "a dark and brooding presence in Michael Haneke s Happy End , having taken a bite out of someone s leg."
Runner-up prize went to Lupo, a large black dog who features in French film "Ava", in which he enjoys a scene riding happily on the back of a motorbike between two humans.
Police dogs protecting the festival, which attracts tens of thousands of people including the world s A-listers, also got a special mention at the ceremony. This year s festival is taking place under unprecedented tight security, 10 months after a truck attack in nearby Nice that killed 86 people.
Three sniffer dogs were brought out for a round of applause and a box of treats after their comrades helped search a theatre at the main Palais des Festivals venue over the weekend during a security alert.
The Palm Dog awards have been running for 17 years -- or 119 years in dog terms.
