Arnold's film shows that directors are keeping this old cinema tradition alive.
Sometimes, the most thrilling thing is watching the rich and powerful get what's coming to them, and the film has characters with flaws that make us root for them and even care about them.
The film starts with a prologue that sets a darkly funny tone.
We meet Brun (Jean-Louis Coulloc’h), a gamekeeper who kills a landowner who has been feeding the boars too much, causing them to get out of control. Flash forward to meet Fulda (Alexis Manent), a cop who's been assigned to look into the growing conflict between hunters and farmers. Tensions have gotten even worse with new hunters coming in to kill the wild boars, which seem to be getting bigger. There's talk of a conspiracy where the town's political leaders are fattening up the livestock so wealthy clients can hunt more easily, which upsets the old hunters who've done this for years.
As more boars die and end up on lawns, Fulda is tasked with finding out if Brun has returned.
He finds an unlikely ally in a psychologist named Stéphane (Ella Rumpf). The two realize they might be the only people in town not working for someone with money and power.
"Everytime" won the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes.
The film has a unique, quirky sense of humor, with characters who speak in a realistic way but also deliver lines that play with the film's more absurd style. A hunter seriously says, "I won't be putting condoms on [the boars]" when overpopulation is discussed. In another scene, Fulda's partner criticizes Brun for his violence, saying, "He gutted a man!" to which Fulda replies, "Sure, but with respect." These characters often act as if they know exactly what movie they're in and seem just as entertained by their lines as we are.
It's worth watching for the dynamic between Rumpf and Manent.
She's the competent, nervous shrink, and he's the well-meaning but clumsy buffoon. There's obvious sexual tension between them, but they're also bonded by a shared sense of justice and a desire to do the right thing, even if they look silly doing it. In a town that cares a lot about appearances, they're the ones willing to give up ego and reputation for peace, making their story both compelling and funny whenever their noble intentions clash with the violent world around them.
The stories are very human-centered (one would love to see more boars in the film), but the cinematographer, Noé Bach, always uses visuals to challenge the pride the characters show.
Bach uses wide shots to show how small humans are in the world around them, and he also frames the animals like humans, with close-ups that show the details of their faces.
The film reminds us that no matter how much humans try to control the land or use their weapons and machines, the animals have been around longer and will ultimately win.
Arnold's film becomes more than just a mystery—it's also a reflection on the complicated relationship humans have with nature, and how capitalism not only breaks relationships between people but also changes how we see the world in a way that can't be undone.
It's amusing to think that as the plot gets more complicated and Fulda and Stéphane get pulled into more ridiculous situations, Arnold is intentionally showing scenes of the boars going about their lives, completely unaffected by all the drama.
We make things too complicated in our pursuit of more, forgetting the value of simple, contented grazing.
"Too Many Beasts (L’Espèce explosive)" won the Europa Cinema Label at the festival, and it's easy to see why.
The award comes with the promise of more theatrical support. This is a film that's both a comedy and a drama, with enough wacky humor to attract the arthouse crowd and mainstream themes and stories that appeal to a wider audience.
Arnold has made a film that's easy to love because of its charming cast and compelling story.
In short, this is a film that's very easy to enjoy.
