The very last film I saw at MIFF this year was director Emma Benestan's “Animale”; I was extremely tired and burnt out, and also more than a little disappointed by the turn out for this film, as it was symbolic that the festival was over. I was not sure how my concentration levels would go watching “Animale” but was immediately hooked by the world of bull running, and mesmerised by the lead actress who I thought was sensational. As much as I was enjoying the film, I started to question why in fact I had booked a ticket for it as it was about bull running, and the world surrounding it, which is something I have no interest in. I then remembered that “Animale” was in the “Night Shift” section of the MIFF programme which is dedicated to horror films or dark genre films. Once I remembered that, I realised that the film was soon going to turn in a different direction which it ultimately did, thankfully though, the same great quality continued.
I thought Emma Benestan did a fantastic job with “Animale” because not only does the story deal with a world I care little about, it also includes a potentially silly twist at the end of it, but I still found myself totally engaged from start to finish. There are a number of reasons for this with the first being the stunning location of Camargue, France where the story takes place and the gorgeous cinematography from Ruben Impens who makes the country vistas shine. This is a beautifully photographed film, both in the sun drenched day scenes to the more creepy, fog covered nights. Benestan makes the world of bull running so accessible to those, like myself, who know nothing about it. From the training, to the dangers, to the camaraderie between each of the runners (as well as the competitiveness) the world depicted felt real and lived in. This is largely thanks to the roster of characters she has littered her film with, who all feel like genuine people, fully rounded with positives and flaws each. The connections between them all feel, again, real as like in reality some people are drawn together and get on great, while others may have a frosty relationship but are still able to work together. All the characters in “Animale” create a believable community, and one that feels like they have a shared past of a considerable amount of time together. The main reason why I was drawn to “Animale” and so fully engaged is the main character Nejma, and the actress Oulaya Amamra who plays her, who are both stunning! Where did Oulaya Amamra come from? She is truly outstanding in the role of Nejma, giving her character such depth and feeling as she enters a male dominated world. Amamra does a truly extraordinary job of straddling the line with Nejma by making her “one of the boys” while never losing her femininity. She gives her a determination that she wants to succeed at bull running and not just be a novelty act to be admired. She wants to beat the boys at what they are good at, and she will work harder than anyone to do it, knowing she has to beat a lot more than the bull to be successful in this world. I particularly liked the scene of her first bull run, when she doesn't do great, but is so pumped to have just been out there and done it. From all her nerves before she steps in to the ring, to the rush of adrenaline from being amongst it all with the crowd cheering her on. She knows she can improve, but she finally has a run under her belt, and the men respect her for that, so they all go out to celebrate with copious amounts of alcohol and drugs.
As great as the bull running and farming scenes are, the film was always going to change in tone with it being in the “Night Shift” section of the festival, and soon after that party scene, it does just that, as a rogue bull starts terrorising the area. “Animale” gets much darker in tone, and pictorially as from here on out, most of the scenes take place during the night. What is interesting though is that the locals cannot understand why this rogue bull is attacking, as it is unlike the animal's usual behaviour, nor can they figure out which farm the bull has come from, so they need to go from farm to farm to see which one is missing so they can destroy the bull. This leads to another scene where Oulaya Amamra gets to showcase her sensational acting, when the farmers corner the bull they assume is the rogue one. It happens to be Thunder, Nejma's favourite bull, and she knows that Thunder is not the bull they are looking for, because the blood on his face that the others think is proof, Nejma knows is from a wound he received in a bull run she was a part of that has re-opened. However, the locals do not listen to her and Thunder is destroyed, and the devastation Amamra portrays in her character is just heartbreaking; the pain she feels from seeing this innocent bull being slayed hurts to watch.
As I've already ruined for you (sorry), Thunder is not the rogue bull and so the killings keep on happening, but interestingly all of the victims are friends of Nejma, which is curious and gives rise to the opinion that something else may be going on here. Now, being a lifelong horror fan, I must admit that I worked out exactly what was happening, and why, pretty early on, to the point that I also knew exactly how “Animale” would end (which it did), and yet I didn't see that as a negative, because the journey to get to that point was so well done. As hinted above, yes, there is a potentially silly resolution but I loved how director Emma Benestan knew when to lean into this absurdity and also just how far to go with it so she doesn't lose her audience by the madness, and at the same time making it believable, at least within the world of the film. I think she succeeds wonderfully well at achieving this balance, but I am sure opinions may vary on this, due to how far an audience member is willing to go with the film.
The violence is sparse, but quite intense and bloody when it does happen, as a body being gored by a bull is quite full on, and Benestan doesn't shy away from that, but she also doesn't feel the need to linger on the damage inflicted for any length of time. The one aspect of the film that I wasn't a fan of was the real life branding of the calves. I would have preferred it to be implied rather than seeing a calf react in pain as it is burnt by a metallic object. I think there are two (maybe there is three) of them in the film, and each of them made me feel incredibly uneasy. I guess this is the reality of the world being depicted in “Animale”, and being true to that world maybe Benestan felt she had to show how it really is, but it rubbed me the wrong way and I am sure animal lovers watching “Animale” will probably feel the same.
Overall, I was very impressed by Emma Benestan's “Animale” and especially loved the brilliance of her lead actor Oulaya Amamra who plays Nejma, a woman trying to break into a world dominated by men. The community Benestan creates feels real and lived in, as do the relationships between all the characters. Later on, when the film focuses more on genre elements, Benestan continues to excel in telling her story, infusing it will tension, atmosphere and fear. She also expertly handles a tricky and potentially silly twist at the end, by knowing when to lean into the absurdity of it and when to pull back. It was a shame that my screening was so sparsely attended, as I feel that “Animale” and the quality of the film making within deserved more. I was really glad I saw it, and it was an excellent way to finish my MIFF experience for 2024.
3.5 Stars.
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