Sunday, November 6, 2011

Bullhead (2011)

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)
Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)


Genre: Drama
Director: Michael R. Roskam
Starring: Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy, Barbara Sarafian
Language: Dutch, French
Duration: 124 min.
Rating: 8.1  

Summary:
The young Limburg cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille is approached by an unscrupulous veterinarian to make a shady deal with a notorious West-Flemish beef trader. But the assassination of a federal policeman, and an unexpected confrontation with a mysterious secret from Jacky's past, set in motion a chain of events with farreaching consequences.



Bullhead is the debut feature film by Belgian director Michaël R. Roskam.  It premiered in the Panorama section of the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival.  It has also been selected as Belgium's official entry to the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Belgian academy might just have made the right choice by snubbing the Dardenne brothers' Cannes Grand Prix winner The Kid With a Bike, and selecting this intricate, dark and gloomy crime drama with moments of teeth clenching violence and one seriously intense performance from Matthias Schoenaerts.

The film is centered on Jacky Vanmarsenille (Schoenaerts, who remarkably put on 60 pounds of muscle for the role) a rancher involved with the illegal Flemish cattle hormone trade, who struggles to confront his troubled past and current demons, while keeping the family business afloat.  When a police investigator is found murdered, things start to get extremely heated for Jacky and everyone around him, despite his innocence.

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Schoenaerts is outstanding here, as a brooding mountain of a man with a tortured soul who in many ways parallels the bulls that he breeds.  Even with very little dialog, he manages to quietly express Jacky's physical and emotional states in a truly powerful manner.  His character is a complex and intriguing one, and Roskam's screenplay perfectly develops his painful story, revealing all the answers in stylish and frankly unforgettable fashion.  I can't help but draw comparisons to some of Nicolas Winding Refn's recent films, to me Jacky feels very much like a cross between the lead characters from Bronson and Drive.  Also there are sudden displays of brutal violence, including coincidentally a superb scene in an elevator.

The film's look and feel is very dark and dreary, achieved by some excellent cinematography that make the most of locations consisting predominately of dim interiors and grey Belgian skies; and an effective score used at just the right moments.  There are a couple of missteps however, where it seems Roskam could not decide whether he wanted to make a character study or a crime thriller and as a result there are several plotlines which are only partially explored and an underused secondary character.  There's also a strange comedic scene involving two stereotypical French speaking Walloon mechanics that feels out of place with the tone of the rest of the film.  Though I admit there could be some social or cultural relevance to it that I failed to observe.

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Still the strengths of Bullhead far outweigh its weaknesses, for what is overall a very impressive debut from a clearly talented director and a haunting display of acting that I will not soon forget.  Michaël R. Roskam is immediately going on my list of names to watch out for.

Bonjour Tristesse

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

Bullhead • Rundskop (2011)

7 comments:

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I'm glad it got nominated, but I don't think it will win.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Yes the main character is amazing.  One of the most memorable performances I've seen in some time.

Guest said...

It is a great film, even when you know it is based on a true story in Belgian history. Just watch out for the oscars!

Witsender said...

Great review! It's a dark and violent movie... but riveting. (Unlike in North America, European film-makers have a way of  engaging you without you feeling quite so transparently manipulated!) This story and also the psychological aspects developed skillfully to build tension. Main character is superb. The film stuck to my ribs in a way  that hasn't happened in awhile.

NeverTooEarlyMP said...

Nice review. I saw the trailer for this one online and wasn't that impressed with it, but your review makes me think that I might be underestimating it. 

Hoi-Ming Ng said...

Haha I got that Bronson feel from this one too!

d_4 said...

The plot alone isn't enough to get me going, but the entire piece really intrigues me. Definitely wanna give this one a shot.

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