 from writer/director Louise Courvoisier and co-writer Théo Abadie is a typical coming-of-age film){kind=link}
Coming-of-age films often center characters facing unexpected/unplanned changes in life and follow how they adapt and change/grow because of them. Holy Cow (Vingt Dieux) from writer/director Louise Courvoisier and co-writer Théo Abadie (with the aid of creative consultant Marcia Romano) is a typical coming-of-age film, one set in the agricultural Franche-Comté region of France centering on 18-year-old Totone (Clément Favreau) who the film does a great job of introducing. You understand this character and how he views the world and how those in his sphere view him very quickly in this opening tracking shot of what appears to be a state fair where he turns out to be a patron waiting for the man we are following walking through scenes of livestock and fair activity with a fresh keg to tap for the waiting patrons – particularly Totone – who it is clear has already had more than enough but shows no signs of wanting to stop and after he gets his drink, celebrates by doing a jig that involves him stripping for the gathered crowd that includes children. He goes to a girl’s home and claims to be usually able to perform sexually, but the film makes it clear his first love is the drink, not the girls, so we are not primed to believe him.
He’s also a hot head, when he does attempt to make contact with that girl again, she’s with another guy, the other guy makes a very passing slight at him, and smashes a glass on his head leading to a drunken dirt bike ride. However, he does not end up injured – he does discover his father’s crashed vehicle though.
With his father dead Totone now has to work and take care of his sister, he can no longer spend his time drinking away his life. He goes to get a job – and his chickens come home to roost, in that he’s working for the family where one of the sons he just hit with glass. They give him a beating to welcome him, but he needs the work so even though they make it clear he’s not welcome he does it. Their sister, who he didn’t notice before his father died, is nicer to him. In that, she shows him what he’s supposed to do, though she’s still annoyed by his initial incompetence – he realizes she’s a girl, and finds her attractive.
But this job was just a tease for the main plot because Totone can’t keep the peace with the sons forever and eventually attacks one of them in front of their father. But before he does, he hears that the Comté cheese they are making can win a prize of up to $30,000. Totone, with no job prospect, gathers his mates and his sister with the plan of stealing the necessary ingredients so they can make Comté cheese and win the prize. Anyone that knows anything about cheese, knows it’s not just the initial making of the cheese, but aging that makes winning cheese (much like wine). So, you watch knowing his heist is a fool’s errand.
SPOILERS AHEAD
And the film doesn’t do what other films are oft to do where they go into a world of fantasy fulfillment where Totone would not only finish his cheese, but get it into, and win the competition, thus getting him out of his financial woes. No, Holy Cow, allowed Totone the success of completing the cheese, but he had to learn he was never going to be able to enter it into the contest, and even if they had allowed him to, his cheese wouldn’t have won because it would have been too fresh… not aged.
However, Totone himself was aged by the end of the film. He had a maturity to him that he didn’t have at the beginning. He was more selfless. You are left with a sense he’s going to find a way to take care of his sister, and it started with him asking people questions, and accepting their help.
Holy Cow premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.
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