Beauty and the Dogs

"Beauty and the Dogs" confronts issues rarely addressed so frankly - at least in this part of the world - with a story that is both powerful and important.

Alas, this tale of a young rape victim further brutalized by officialdom never lives up to its potential.

As Mariam careens between hospitals and police stations, facing bureaucratic indifference and misogyny, the movie's fever pitch begins to feel at odds with its artistry.

While the message is unfortunately obscured by a muddled lack of clarity, her characters repeatedly tell Mariam that she must fight for her rights. And that seems a noble message for a cinematically bold, and often thrilling, real-world horror story.