Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By OpenMind
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Blu-ray
Every once in a while, if a person keeps their eyes and ears open, they might hear about a movie that's off the beaten path in terms of mass appeal, genre, and relative "safeness". If a person is very lucky, this film will be a bona fide masterpiece. That's the case with "Bullhead".
My love affair with this film was almost over before it had begun; I had to twist my brother's arm to see it. I'm glad he finally capitulated, and as it turns out, so is he.
The film takes place in Belgium. Jacky farms cattle. He also happens to inject them with steroids to make them mature faster and larger for a bigger profit, an illegal practice with which the farm's consultant veterinarian, Sam, is complicit. Sam has links to the...um..."Belgian cattle underworld" who are interested in dealing with Jacky. The nascent relationship between De Kuyper (the bovine don) and Jacky is complicated by two factors: 1) the recent murder of a policeman who was investigating the criminal elements of the beef trade (with the result that the police are now even more vigilant and determined to crack the case as ever) and 2) the reemergence of an old acquaintance of Jacky's: Diederik, who now works with De Kuyper and is a stoolie for the local police. Diederik and Jacky were childhood friends, but their relationship changed after Diederik witnessed an atrocity suffered by Jacky--an atrocity about which Diederik did nothing at the time and said nothing afterwards when questions were asked.
The actor who portrays Jacky, Matthias Schoenaerts, is incredible. Jacky is a...well...bull of a man who should have no problems with self-confidence, let alone speaking his mind and having his decisions respected. It's clear that the trauma suffered by Jacky as a child, though, and his adaptation to it have left him a damaged, fearful, and angry man. His facial expressions and movements, which reveal uncertainty and furtiveness, belie the otherwise apparent strength and aplomb that one assumes from his monstrous physique. Schoenaerts is completely believable as this vulnerable, somewhat simple man whose sole interest is providing for his family. That is, until, circumstances conspire, reopen old wounds, and stoke the embers of Jacky's resentment and hurt. Will this powder keg of a man finally explode after trying to deny his inadequacies and desire for vengeance for so long?
There's nothing gratuitously graphic, horrific, or offensive about this film, but it still manages to push the audience well outside their comfort zone, challenging conceptions of "normal" childhood, agrarian life, loyalty, gender/sexual roles, and humanity. There's a surprising amount of humour as well, mostly of a culture-clash nature, which serves to lighten the tenor a little bit and prevents the film from being too brooding and depressing. The rest of the cast--Jeroen Perceval in particular (who plays Diederik)--do a fine job as well.
My only strike against it is that the ending is somewhat weak, although it still plausibly follows from the rest of the film and doesn't diminish its excellence.
This was Belgium's entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the Oscars, but lost to "A Separation"--a less original and compelling film--which only provides further proof of the fallacy inherent in depending on the Academy Awards to inform one's decision about which movie to watch--as though any were needed.
My love affair with this film was almost over before it had begun; I had to twist my brother's arm to see it. I'm glad he finally capitulated, and as it turns out, so is he.
The film takes place in Belgium. Jacky farms cattle. He also happens to inject them with steroids to make them mature faster and larger for a bigger profit, an illegal practice with which the farm's consultant veterinarian, Sam, is complicit. Sam has links to the...um..."Belgian cattle underworld" who are interested in dealing with Jacky. The nascent relationship between De Kuyper (the bovine don) and Jacky is complicated by two factors: 1) the recent murder of a policeman who was investigating the criminal elements of the beef trade (with the result that the police are now even more vigilant and determined to crack the case as ever) and 2) the reemergence of an old acquaintance of Jacky's: Diederik, who now works with De Kuyper and is a stoolie for the local police. Diederik and Jacky were childhood friends, but their relationship changed after Diederik witnessed an atrocity suffered by Jacky--an atrocity about which Diederik did nothing at the time and said nothing afterwards when questions were asked.
The actor who portrays Jacky, Matthias Schoenaerts, is incredible. Jacky is a...well...bull of a man who should have no problems with self-confidence, let alone speaking his mind and having his decisions respected. It's clear that the trauma suffered by Jacky as a child, though, and his adaptation to it have left him a damaged, fearful, and angry man. His facial expressions and movements, which reveal uncertainty and furtiveness, belie the otherwise apparent strength and aplomb that one assumes from his monstrous physique. Schoenaerts is completely believable as this vulnerable, somewhat simple man whose sole interest is providing for his family. That is, until, circumstances conspire, reopen old wounds, and stoke the embers of Jacky's resentment and hurt. Will this powder keg of a man finally explode after trying to deny his inadequacies and desire for vengeance for so long?
There's nothing gratuitously graphic, horrific, or offensive about this film, but it still manages to push the audience well outside their comfort zone, challenging conceptions of "normal" childhood, agrarian life, loyalty, gender/sexual roles, and humanity. There's a surprising amount of humour as well, mostly of a culture-clash nature, which serves to lighten the tenor a little bit and prevents the film from being too brooding and depressing. The rest of the cast--Jeroen Perceval in particular (who plays Diederik)--do a fine job as well.
My only strike against it is that the ending is somewhat weak, although it still plausibly follows from the rest of the film and doesn't diminish its excellence.
This was Belgium's entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the Oscars, but lost to "A Separation"--a less original and compelling film--which only provides further proof of the fallacy inherent in depending on the Academy Awards to inform one's decision about which movie to watch--as though any were needed.
By Alain Vezina
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Thank you Amazon Ca, I could discover a good belgian film with a great actor. He is playing with Marion Cotillard in Dust and Bone. The Director Michael Mann loved this film very much...
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars
30 reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intense and powerful
Feb 18 2012
By C. Sawin
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD
Bullhead is the story of Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts) a cattle farmer. He along with his business partners inject their cows with steroids and hormones to achieve the results they desire. The problem is the only thing Jacky injects more than his cows is himself as he's got some sort of chemical compound coursing through his veins at all times. Things begin to go south when Jacky makes a deal to distribute his cows to a well-known yet crooked meat trader. A federal agent is killed amongst their negotiations as Jacky is dragged into the investigation and his disturbing past comes bubbling to the surface.
Matthias Schoenaerts' performance is the first thing that will win you over. The reason why he shoots up so frequently along with what he injects himself with has this really breathtaking explanation. Schoenaerts has a short fuse the entire film and you never know when he's going to explode. That's the beauty of his performance. He's so dangerous yet you can't help but feel sympathy for the guy. Schoenaerts is a ferocious powerhouse that chews you up and spits you out like the most devastating hurricane imaginable.
Bullhead features some incredibly impressive cinematography. Belgium has never looked so beautiful. Those shots of the sky and the clouds that populate every inch of it and those lush moments of taking in the countryside speak volumes. Something as simple as grass blowing in the wind is made to look like this grand accomplishment thanks to how the film was shot. It was interesting to see characters that were out of frame become out of focus and or blurred in some way; whether they were approaching somebody in frame or walking away. It was a masterful touch.
The Belgian drama has a unique sense of perspective, as well. The dizzying staircase sequence near the end of the film is the best example. It kind of goes hand in hand with the cinematography though; a brilliant looking film is even better with distinguishing shots. Speaking of unique, the entire film is one of the more original experiences to grace the silver screen in quite some time. Bullhead does draw comparisons to films like Drive and even Bronson, but the mafia and mobster kind of storyline is presented in this rough, grainy, meaty, and intense package that hasn't been done before. Bronson is actually a really great comparison. Matthias Schoenaerts put on 59 pounds of muscle for Bullhead and Tom Hardy put on 42 pounds of muscle for Bronson. While the two films are almost nothing alike when it comes to their storylines, they're extremely similar at their core.
Bullhead is an extremely intense piece of cinema that includes a fairly bloody and hard hitting elevator sequence that rivals that infamous scene from Drive. With an incredible performance from Matthias Schoenaerts, gorgeous camera work, and a huge injection of originality, Bullhead should not be missed by anyone especially those who are looking for something different when it comes to movies. This comes highly recommended for those who enjoyed Animal Kingdom, A Prophet, Drive, and/or Bronson.
Matthias Schoenaerts' performance is the first thing that will win you over. The reason why he shoots up so frequently along with what he injects himself with has this really breathtaking explanation. Schoenaerts has a short fuse the entire film and you never know when he's going to explode. That's the beauty of his performance. He's so dangerous yet you can't help but feel sympathy for the guy. Schoenaerts is a ferocious powerhouse that chews you up and spits you out like the most devastating hurricane imaginable.
Bullhead features some incredibly impressive cinematography. Belgium has never looked so beautiful. Those shots of the sky and the clouds that populate every inch of it and those lush moments of taking in the countryside speak volumes. Something as simple as grass blowing in the wind is made to look like this grand accomplishment thanks to how the film was shot. It was interesting to see characters that were out of frame become out of focus and or blurred in some way; whether they were approaching somebody in frame or walking away. It was a masterful touch.
The Belgian drama has a unique sense of perspective, as well. The dizzying staircase sequence near the end of the film is the best example. It kind of goes hand in hand with the cinematography though; a brilliant looking film is even better with distinguishing shots. Speaking of unique, the entire film is one of the more original experiences to grace the silver screen in quite some time. Bullhead does draw comparisons to films like Drive and even Bronson, but the mafia and mobster kind of storyline is presented in this rough, grainy, meaty, and intense package that hasn't been done before. Bronson is actually a really great comparison. Matthias Schoenaerts put on 59 pounds of muscle for Bullhead and Tom Hardy put on 42 pounds of muscle for Bronson. While the two films are almost nothing alike when it comes to their storylines, they're extremely similar at their core.
Bullhead is an extremely intense piece of cinema that includes a fairly bloody and hard hitting elevator sequence that rivals that infamous scene from Drive. With an incredible performance from Matthias Schoenaerts, gorgeous camera work, and a huge injection of originality, Bullhead should not be missed by anyone especially those who are looking for something different when it comes to movies. This comes highly recommended for those who enjoyed Animal Kingdom, A Prophet, Drive, and/or Bronson.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gritty and intense Belgian drama
Feb 26 2012
By Paul Allaer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD
"Bullhead" (2011 release from Belgium; 128 min.) brings the story of Jacky Vanmarsenille who raises cattle on his family farm in Flanders, Belgium (close to the language border with French-speaking Wallonia). The movie begins with Jacky becoming involved with the so-called "hormone maffia". Soon thereafter we get a second parallel story line into the movie, which starts off with some traumatic events for Jacky taking place 20 years ago when he was 12-13 years old and which cause Jacky to have trouble developing relationships with women. The first hour of the movie edvelops rather slowly, developing the characters and bringing context to the overall movie, but it sets the stage for a very intense second hour of the movie, in which it all comes together. I wish I could say more of the plot line but it really would spoil some of the surprises in the movie, so you'll just have to trust me when I say that you will be at the edge of your seat as the movie goes down to its conclusion.
Several thoughts and comments: (1) Matthias Schoenaerts does an incredible job in the title role of the movie. A very physical presence and performance. (2) Even though this is a "Flemish" movie, about one-third of the movie actually takes place in and around French-speaking Liege. I mention this as the contrast between Flanders and Wallonia is an important element of the movie. (3) This movie is not for the faint of heart: there are a number of violent and bloody scenes thoughout the movie. (4) If you can handle the violence and brutality, you are in for a treat as this movie is very well done, showing once again that you don't need $250 million (the reported budget of the upcoming Disney movie "John Carter") to produce an engaging and entertaining (if rough and tough) movie.
Last but not least, I am a native Belgian (although now a long-time resident of the US) and I couldn't help but feel some pride to see that a "little" country like Belgium can produce such a quality movie once in a while. The movie is nominated for Best Foreign Film Oscar, and I guess I'll find out later tonight if it won. No, this movie is not for everyone, but if you do like foreign and indie movies, I can assure you that you'll appreciate and enjoy "Bullhead". Highly recommended!
Several thoughts and comments: (1) Matthias Schoenaerts does an incredible job in the title role of the movie. A very physical presence and performance. (2) Even though this is a "Flemish" movie, about one-third of the movie actually takes place in and around French-speaking Liege. I mention this as the contrast between Flanders and Wallonia is an important element of the movie. (3) This movie is not for the faint of heart: there are a number of violent and bloody scenes thoughout the movie. (4) If you can handle the violence and brutality, you are in for a treat as this movie is very well done, showing once again that you don't need $250 million (the reported budget of the upcoming Disney movie "John Carter") to produce an engaging and entertaining (if rough and tough) movie.
Last but not least, I am a native Belgian (although now a long-time resident of the US) and I couldn't help but feel some pride to see that a "little" country like Belgium can produce such a quality movie once in a while. The movie is nominated for Best Foreign Film Oscar, and I guess I'll find out later tonight if it won. No, this movie is not for everyone, but if you do like foreign and indie movies, I can assure you that you'll appreciate and enjoy "Bullhead". Highly recommended!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best movies of the past decade!
Jun 20 2012
By Vlitch Godunov
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Blu-ray
'Bullhead' is one of those films that you will either love or hate. Not to do with the acting, perhaps to do with the subtitles, but moreover to do with the fact that it is a long, dark, foreign indie film that doesn't stray too far from the path of cow farming and the mafia that can sometimes go with that.
But, to miss out on viewing this masterpiece, to not witness what has to be one of the most incredible, passionately heartbreaking, violently stoic movies of the past decade is to have let something breathtaking avoid your gaze.
The film opens with a spoken warning that, basically, things long since buried have a way to still come back and bite you in the ass! Our lead actor, a domineering brute of a cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille (played by a pumped-up-for-the-role Mattias Schoenaerts) is hooked on all manner of drugs. Why, we don't know quite yet, but nevertheless he is a force to be reckoned with - for others and himself. It turns out he is using Androstederm to fatten his cows. It fattens the animals in 8 weeks, not 10 weeks and after injected half an hour later is out of their system. It also adds 10% fat to their body weight! Jacky also uses it in small doses.
It turns out that in Belgium there is such a thing as the Hormone Mafia Underworld, which deals in such acts as this with other farmers. But why is Jacky so angry when he makes all this money, well, that is shown in a 20 year flashback to being a young boy; and the cruel, painful victim of a mentally-challenged older boy. An act that went unpunished at the time, it changed Jacky's life forever and put him instantly on the path of self-destruction.
Having taken growth hormones since being a little boy, we see how he views women, sex, gives out beatings and keeps injecting himself day in day out. His harrowing ordeal back all those years ago is hard, so very tough to watch (as a man), but suddenly explains everything as we progress.
His young friend at the time, Dieterick is now a distant adult friend of his, but out of nowhere he finds out that when he goes to do a new cow drugging deal, there is his old friend - worryingly involved in the whole thing. Now he's taking more, just to get by. Such high profile drugs as Sustanon, Mestanolone and Methyltestosterone which is making him think less and act more (hence the title of the film).
There are brutal scenes of a nightclub beating, a REAL cow gets cut open and has her calf removed (you simply couldn't fake that, for as the knife cuts the cow moans and flinches), and soon Jacky is visiting the long-lost never-had woman he could have had in his life. And so, as we get to the finale of this incredible film, Jacky is ploughed on as many drugs as he can inject and digest and takes on the world in one last stand.
The director, in the special features behind-the-scenes tells the young boy who plays the Young Dieterick in the flim that Jacky's spirit will come back and inherit the body of him in 'Bullhead 2.' The boy never flinches and says, "I'll still be playing the role, yes?" To which the director sarcastically responds with, Yes, ... but ten years from now!" We can only hope. We can only hope.
But, to miss out on viewing this masterpiece, to not witness what has to be one of the most incredible, passionately heartbreaking, violently stoic movies of the past decade is to have let something breathtaking avoid your gaze.
The film opens with a spoken warning that, basically, things long since buried have a way to still come back and bite you in the ass! Our lead actor, a domineering brute of a cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille (played by a pumped-up-for-the-role Mattias Schoenaerts) is hooked on all manner of drugs. Why, we don't know quite yet, but nevertheless he is a force to be reckoned with - for others and himself. It turns out he is using Androstederm to fatten his cows. It fattens the animals in 8 weeks, not 10 weeks and after injected half an hour later is out of their system. It also adds 10% fat to their body weight! Jacky also uses it in small doses.
It turns out that in Belgium there is such a thing as the Hormone Mafia Underworld, which deals in such acts as this with other farmers. But why is Jacky so angry when he makes all this money, well, that is shown in a 20 year flashback to being a young boy; and the cruel, painful victim of a mentally-challenged older boy. An act that went unpunished at the time, it changed Jacky's life forever and put him instantly on the path of self-destruction.
Having taken growth hormones since being a little boy, we see how he views women, sex, gives out beatings and keeps injecting himself day in day out. His harrowing ordeal back all those years ago is hard, so very tough to watch (as a man), but suddenly explains everything as we progress.
His young friend at the time, Dieterick is now a distant adult friend of his, but out of nowhere he finds out that when he goes to do a new cow drugging deal, there is his old friend - worryingly involved in the whole thing. Now he's taking more, just to get by. Such high profile drugs as Sustanon, Mestanolone and Methyltestosterone which is making him think less and act more (hence the title of the film).
There are brutal scenes of a nightclub beating, a REAL cow gets cut open and has her calf removed (you simply couldn't fake that, for as the knife cuts the cow moans and flinches), and soon Jacky is visiting the long-lost never-had woman he could have had in his life. And so, as we get to the finale of this incredible film, Jacky is ploughed on as many drugs as he can inject and digest and takes on the world in one last stand.
The director, in the special features behind-the-scenes tells the young boy who plays the Young Dieterick in the flim that Jacky's spirit will come back and inherit the body of him in 'Bullhead 2.' The boy never flinches and says, "I'll still be playing the role, yes?" To which the director sarcastically responds with, Yes, ... but ten years from now!" We can only hope. We can only hope.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 30 reviews
3.9 out of 5 stars
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
