Film Review: Bullhead

Director: Michael R. Roskam

A 2011 Belgian drama which was recognized for bringing Matthias Schoenaerts to prominence for his dark and pained portrayal of Jacky. Following this he went on to star in Rust and Bone with Marion Cotillaird which helped solidify his status. It debuted at the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film but didn't win.

The film follows Jacky Vanmasenille (Schoenaerts) who is a farmer whose approached by a notorious Flemish beef trader with a dodgy deal regarding drug enhanced cattle but the death of a policeman investigating the crimes changes everything. We then see flashbacks to Jacky's past which help us to understand why he is like he is now and sets the story for what is to happen in the future.

Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts)

Matthias Schoenaerts is truly excellent as the steroid induced Jacky with a troubled past, I wasn't that impressed with his performance in Rust and Bone playing a similar role but here he carries himself like he's in constant pain and discomfort. He looks uncomfortable inside the body that the steroids and the incident in the past have given him, almost like he's still fighting for justice to satisfy his past but going about it all in the wrong manner.

The pacing of the film is uneven which means your interest levels fluctuate, the flashbacks in the early part of the film work reasonably well but the latter half of the film seems to indulge itself in stories and conversations that are irrelevant. The main plot feels like something from a Coen brothers movie but without the dark humour and more of the melodrama. But for the most part its more a portrayal of deeply troubled man and how that affects everything he does rather than what goes on around him.

2/4 Uneven plot saved by stand out lead performance