“Caramelo” is a boy-and-his-dog-tale that’s as adorable as it is sentimental and predictable.
Writer-direector Diego Freitas serves up a near perfectly executed São Paulo story of a mischievous stray, a young chef and the ways they connect when one of them gets sick.
There isn’t much that’s surprising here, from the mayhem the dog causes when he sneaks into the restaurant, to the haughty food critic who must be pleased to the sous chef who gets promoted and turns staples of Brazilian working class eats into haute cuisine.
Even that first piercing headache that Pedro (Rafael Vitti at his most engaging) suffers feels pre-ordained and re-fried. Lucky for Pedro he’s taken in the dog that helped him land this job. And headaches or not, that makes this the perfect time to meet that cute dog rescuer/trainer Camila (Arianne Botelho).
“Dogs fit in EVERYone’s lives!”
But the star here is a version of every street stray you’ve seen in Central or South America, a big-eyed brown beauty named Amendoim, which is “Peanuts” in Portuguese. He romps through scenes, vocalizes on cue and turns on the charm after every apartment-trashing, food-stealing/scene stealing frolic.
Director Freitas, who plays a waiter in the film, wisely puts the cute pooch in the hands of his actors — literally — and captures one random but wholly relatable bit of dog behavior after another that adds to the film’s charm.
Camila’s bestie and co-owner of their Best Friend Haven rescue shelter and obedience school is played by Noemia Oliveira, who is holding and sharing a little food with the caramel colored dog whom Pedro and the dog decide should be called “Caramelo” when the dog just lunges to get that extra bite that was intended for the human holding him.
Yes, the dog senses something wrong with his new master and yes, he helps save the day when the plot requires it. But the star’s charm and scene after scene that any dog lover will recognize is what sells this simple, sweet-spirited movie.
“Dogs are a blessing from the Lord,” a little old lady counsels Pedro, in Portuguese with English subtitles.
“The world could be ending, but they’d be living it up,” Camila marvels.
The performances are affecting (Bruno Vinícius stands out as Pedro’s new chemo-buddy), the sentiment understandable and the food looks delicious.
But nobody and nothing upstages the dog here. Amendoim never lets us forget that this may be their world, but it revolves around him. Which is as it should be.
Rating: TV-14, animal peril, profanity
Cast: Rafael Vitti, Amendoim, Ademara, Arianne Botelho,
Noemia Oliveira, Kelzy Icard and Bruno Vinícius
Credits: Scripted and directed by Diego Freitas, with co-writers Rod Azevedo and Carolina Castro. A Netflix release.
Running time: 1:41
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