Holy Cow

Luna Garret and Clément Faveau

Louise Courvoisier's Holy Cow is a promising feature debut from the young French director. The French title for the film is Vingt Dieux or "twenty gods" which is a common French exclamation akin to "good heavens". The phrase derives from the more blasphemous "vain dieu" or vain god. Darn, as it were, instead of damn. The title Holy Cow points to the film's setting which is in Jura, a rural region of France near the Swiss border, which is the main dairy producing area in the country. The film focuses on two siblings, the young Claire (Luna Garret) and 18 year old Totone (Clément Faveau) who are left to fend for themselves after the sudden death of their father. The film is chiefly a coming of age drama about Totone coming to terms with his newfound responsibilities.

The film presents a warm portrait of the youth of the region, though it implies that they have few outlets for entertainment after a hard day's work on the farm. One of the few dark notes of the film is the prevalence of alcoholism displayed in the region. That said, the film's tone is somewhat naive. There are no social services to be found to help or nettle Totone. The only hint at the daily struggle to survive is a brief scene of Claire and Totone dumpster diving. The film's narrative is chiefly taken by two strands. The first is Totone's desire to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a maker of artisanal cheese. Totone's clumsy attempts at learning his craft are somewhat comical, but he finds mentors to further his education about fromage.  

The other strain of the narrative concerns Totone's sentimental education. Totone falls in love with Marie-Lise (Maïwene Barthelemy), the no-nonsense daughter of the owner of a large dairy. Marie-Lise is a fount of practical knowledge and she gives Totone lessons in a wide range of subjects, from how to birth a calf to the finer points of cunnilingus. The whole cast is terrific, but it is Ms. Barthelemy who makes the most indelible impression. What impressed me the most about Holy Cow was Ms. Courvoisier's skill at pacing individual sequences. The film never drags or lags, but moves along in a spritely and engaging manner. It reminded me of Breaking Away, but Holy Cow is a superior film to that one about a rural community and a young man's coming of age.