Bullhead

I'm very critical, i almost never give out scores above 8. this movie is based on true events, superb performance of lead character; well done, in a realistic way such as only European movies can (as in contrast to American movies) whether you are from Belgium or not, its a good movie.

it depicts a look in the Belgian hormone mafia scene, around the the time when they murdered a federal veterinary inspector.

beware, there are shocking scenes in the movie. and i do mean shocking, not your everyday kind of scenes.

highly recommended.

especially if you understand dutch or have some knowledge of the Low Countries.

This is without doubt one of the best European films I've ever seen.

First of all this was a brilliant performance by Mattias Schoenaerts, his character being a man tormented by a childhood trauma that makes him withdrawn and only really relating to the animals on his farm, even through his silence you can feel the agony he goes through because of this being such a good performance by him.

Having lived on farms it is also refreshing to see a good crime film based on the countryside underworld and for it to be accurate as well to various themes of this film.

One of the only downsides to this film is that the flashbacks that occur are scattered about and can cause some confusion if your not paying full attention to the film.

However overall a great watch and it is not a surprise to see it got nominated for best foreign film of the year.

A must see - 9/10

I made an account solely for this movie, a true tragic, mesmerizing Movie. It really is a must see. I think it has a very high change being nominated for the Oscars as best foreign movie and maybe even winning it. Another reviewer posted something about silence moments in this movie but really, even without saying much, you can feel the pain and tragedy the main characters went through. Brilliant performance by Matthias Schoenaerts and , amongst others, Frank Lammers.

I do think however the spoken language might be a bit of a barrier for non-Flemish/dutch speakers because I feel that a lot of the words and sentences spoken here add to the drama; translation tends to loose that drama. (I can give a few examples but that would be a spoiler) I predict that this movie will be remade/re shot in English (pity) for a broader audience.

10/10 for me

I found this film remarkable for its ability to stir feelings of sympathy for a kind of character who seems utterly brutish and unredeemable. Jacky is a brute, the kind of man who all too often resorts to abominable acts of violence when he's aroused. And yet, thanks to the portrait of Jacky drawn by the director and by the actor, we cannot help but feel great sorrow for him. Yes, Jacky does terrible, terrible things over the course of the film, but by the end I was sobbing for him. Maybe it's simply "tout comprendre, c'est tout pardonner", but whatever that emotion was I felt at the film's end it was something that revealed to me (and one would hope to all who see this film) a terrifying and redemptive bond of common humanity.

The kind of movie that hits you in the face. Once you learn the dark childhood-story of the main character, you learn to understand the movie more and more. The images are intense. Actor Matthias Schoenaerts makes an incredible impression.

This movie doesn't use explosions, 3D or other tricks to make you watch. But the powerhouse performances and typical Belgium scenery do.

The movie is set in the hormones and veterinarian mob. But the true story at the heart is one of revenge and the impossibility of love. Enter a raw, but true world. An brilliant Belgium movie. It deserves an Oscar.

PS: For Dutch or French viewers some scenes are actually funny because or the stereotypes and linguistic jokes.