paul2001sw-1 There's a clever idea at the heart of 'Bullhead': in a story about the trade in illegal cattle hormones, the central character is, as a result of a painful childhood incident, himself dependent on exogenous testosterone. This is one of a number of Belgian films that paint a very harsh picture of the country: grey, gloomy, run-down, divided and rotten to the core: the focus of agribusiness (and its mechanical approach to life, and death) is unusual and makes for a distinctive subject. However, it's hard to warm to the pumped-up protagonist, and if there is a message here it's all negative: stay away from other people, don't live in Belgium, and perhaps even don't eat meat.

Red_Identity I did expect better. Now, I haven't seen The Drop, but all of the hype for it certainly made me aware of the director and so I decided to give this a go. I think Matthias Schoenarts is fantastic, he holds a lot of intensity and he does so much in the quiet role, with not much in terms of dialogue but really gets deeper into his psychology, really making his internal feelings and thoughts. That's mighty high praise, and I think that he does so much more than is needed, since I do find the script to be the biggest problem. It's decent enough, but there's not much meat in it. The visual style here is evident and it's pretty effective though, making for a slick watch.

thealefmagnus It can be difficult to write this film a review without spoiling it for you, audiences, as major events in the movie and its effects linger throughout the film. At first, the flick may come across as a crime-centered thriller with a lead too-fitting for the role of a cattle farmer. As the story unfolds, you realize the crime plot is no more than a tool to explore the character of hothead, Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts). Who is he and how did he get involved in this illegal hormone boosting cattle trade? It all begins to unravel when Jacky meets Diederik who was part of the meeting with the hormone mafia. The two has never seen each other for 20 years. The initially tough "Bullhead" as many would call Jacky, begins to break his exterior in front of the lens.We are then introduced to his life-altering past with his childhood friend, Diederik (Jeroen Perceval). As kids, they were always together. It was also the time when their fathers introduced them to the business of hormone-boosting cattle. While their fathers are dealing with the higher ups in the mafia, the two meet the psychologically-challenged Bruno and his sister, Lucia (Jeanne Dandoy). Jacky develops a crush toward Lucia and convinces Diederik to help him pursue the girl. It was then the pair accidentally snooped around Bruno and his gang until they were chased into the open field. What happened to Jacky is something every male would never want to happen for themselves.Suddenly, the viewer understands the lead's excessive use of steroids. It could be to make up for what he has lost. The damaging event has left Jacky an insecure, 30 something buff man who is lonely and struggling to accept what has happened to him. The return of Diederik and Lucia in his life is only the beginning of his agony as he tries to pursue the girl he liked as a kid. Interlaced with the hormone mafia deal is the death of a police officer which connects the Vanmarsenille's because of Jacky's brother buying tires from two French Walloons.Bullhead is more than a crime drama but an in-depth character exploration on a subject not many movies have touched. It also weaves perfectly the question of sexuality and the importance of masculinity in a man. The contrast between Jacky and Diederik who happens to be gay as an adult, holds a strong message at its best. There is no doubt that the film received an Oscar nomination under the foreign language category because of Matthias Schoenaerts' captivating performance and director Michaël R. Roskam's choice of shots and magnetic storytelling. Schoenaerts is definitely an actor you will see more of in the coming years.Dubbed as a dark and powerful cinematic experience, Bullhead will pierce right into your heart. You will find yourself rooting for the character despite his obvious flaws and dangerous persona.The Belgian film, Bullhead (Rundskop) takes you on an unexpected emotional journey of a misunderstood beast so strong on the surface yet only an innocent child searching for a chance to undo some things that happened in his life.writelikesundance.wordpress.com

secondtake Bullhead (2011)A tough, sometimes horrifyingly violent, but ultimately moving tale about a man caught up in a world of crime and violence. And it began in childhood, which is revealed in some key, difficult flashbacks. All of it is set in Belgium, and is multi-lingual (French and Dutch), and it has a European kind of gangster crime world that is quite different than the Hollywood way of depicting American versions of the same.These are all strong reasons to watch it. I found myself confused by the many characters because part of the style is to offer a series of different situations, all related, and have the viewer put it together. While this is a million times better than movies that explain too much, there were many times that I was just watching and waiting to see how it would make sense later.And the acting is so wonderful, and the general style of filming so beautiful without being distracting, you can really get absorbed even without knowing the details of the plot. The leading man in particular is a steroidal, muscled up guy who plays a brute, but who is deeply troubled inside due to a childhood incident. While you never quite are on his side, you come to feel for his situation. The various thugs around him are not always so sympathetic, but all of them are regular guys at heart, and you generally see them as people, not as criminal stereotypes.In this way, the movie is a little like "The Killing" (a mid-fifties Kubrick film) or "Reservoir Dogs" (the 1990s Tarantino film). While you don't follow a heist step by step, you do get to see the characters behind the crimes as more important than the crimes. There is even a bit of comic relief in "Bullhead" with the pair of car mechanics who bumble just enough to make you laugh.A great film? Not really, but it has elements that point that way. I think many people will totally love it, the way it's made, the aura of easy realism. Some might find the central childhood trauma a bit excessive (it's really brutal and a bit over the top, but yet believable), and others might see the complicated relationships between criminals, innocents, and cops a bit too fuzzy. But it all has total purpose, and if you give it time it will justify itself, right up to the tense ending.