Peaux de vaches
overview
The film (and the acting) is superbly done, but the story is intense. I like it for its' dark, thick, "Cul du Sac" psychology but it is certainly not for everyone for that very reason. Set in isolated, rural France makes this film all the more desperate.
The film is about strenuous relationships, loyalty - and despair. It is about accepting hardships without really understanding them. It is also about pity and how it is to be distinguished from love and admiration. I've seen many French films with the same intensity and I'm guessing that it will be mostly the French who will enjoy this film.
The acting is superb in this film – if you're in the right state of mind and don't loose your concentration. Jean-François Stevenin ALWAYS impresses me. He doesn't disappoint me here either. For general audiences, however, I'd recommend his performance in "Deux Lions au Soleil" which is much more easily palatable than "Peux de Vaches".
Despite the fact that I like "Peux de Vaches", I have difficulties recommending it to anyone other than French audiences and perhaps someone with a morose demeanor.