Fantasia 2011: BULLHEAD Review
Set in the shadowy underworld of agricultural and illegal hormone trading, Bullhead introduces a significant new talent in Belgian writer-director Michael Roskam. It is a morally complex, constantly surprising picture, one that constantly changes shapes just as you think you've got it figured out, one that nimbly treads the line between arthouse drama and gripping thriller to create something quite unique. And while it could arguably stand to be slightly more focused than it is Bullhead is a movie that will not be easily forgotten.
Matthias Schoenaerts anchors the picture with an absolutely riveting performance as Jacky Vanmarsenille, a young man with a troubled past who pumps himself as full of illegal hormones as he does the cattle on his family's farm. Jacky is a brute of a man, an alarmingly physical presence seemingly always teetering on the edge of a violent outburst thanks to the vials of testosterone coursing through his system.
On the larger scale of things the Vanmarsenille farm is a small player in the overall scheme of hormone trading but they have the opportunity to move up when a ruthless larger scale provider needs a new source after police bring down his largest supplier. It's a chance to make some easy money but one with large risks. The cop in charge of bringing down this new client has turned up dead and the man sent to negotiate terms with the Vanmarsenille's has ties to Jacky's tragic past. And though Jacky wants nothing to do with it, it may be too late to stop the wheels that have already begun turning.
Laid out that way it seems quite clear what sort of film Bullhead is. and, on one level, a gritty crime thriller is exactly what the film delivers. But there is another level as well, one that delivers a far more satisfying reward. And that level is anchored in Jacky himself.
Schoenaerts - who underwent a physical transformation every bit as dramatic as Tom Hardy's in Bronson for this film - delivers an astounding, mesmerizing performance as Jacky and it is Jacky who fills the core of the film. We meet his as a brute but as we begin to understand Jacky's history and the forces that are driving him, he becomes something entirely different. He becomes a damaged little boy drastically overcompensating for past events completely out of his control. Jacky Vanmarsenille is one of the most complex, most compelling characters put on screen in recent years and Schoenaerts delivers him to the screen in a performance that should make him a major international star in the years to come. Though the film as a whole is somewhat over-plotted and the structure bulkier than it needs to be Schoenaerts is a positively magnetic force in it from start to finish.
Beautifully shot and flawlessly performed, Bullhead is a strong, compelling debut feature from Michael Roskam. Remember the name for you will surely be hearing more from him in the future.
Matthias Schoenaerts anchors the picture with an absolutely riveting performance as Jacky Vanmarsenille, a young man with a troubled past who pumps himself as full of illegal hormones as he does the cattle on his family's farm. Jacky is a brute of a man, an alarmingly physical presence seemingly always teetering on the edge of a violent outburst thanks to the vials of testosterone coursing through his system.
On the larger scale of things the Vanmarsenille farm is a small player in the overall scheme of hormone trading but they have the opportunity to move up when a ruthless larger scale provider needs a new source after police bring down his largest supplier. It's a chance to make some easy money but one with large risks. The cop in charge of bringing down this new client has turned up dead and the man sent to negotiate terms with the Vanmarsenille's has ties to Jacky's tragic past. And though Jacky wants nothing to do with it, it may be too late to stop the wheels that have already begun turning.
Laid out that way it seems quite clear what sort of film Bullhead is. and, on one level, a gritty crime thriller is exactly what the film delivers. But there is another level as well, one that delivers a far more satisfying reward. And that level is anchored in Jacky himself.
Schoenaerts - who underwent a physical transformation every bit as dramatic as Tom Hardy's in Bronson for this film - delivers an astounding, mesmerizing performance as Jacky and it is Jacky who fills the core of the film. We meet his as a brute but as we begin to understand Jacky's history and the forces that are driving him, he becomes something entirely different. He becomes a damaged little boy drastically overcompensating for past events completely out of his control. Jacky Vanmarsenille is one of the most complex, most compelling characters put on screen in recent years and Schoenaerts delivers him to the screen in a performance that should make him a major international star in the years to come. Though the film as a whole is somewhat over-plotted and the structure bulkier than it needs to be Schoenaerts is a positively magnetic force in it from start to finish.
Beautifully shot and flawlessly performed, Bullhead is a strong, compelling debut feature from Michael Roskam. Remember the name for you will surely be hearing more from him in the future.
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