Rundskop (2011)

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1. 

   dombrewer

   This Belgian drama has had a long delay reaching British cinemas - perhaps the success of Audiard's "Rust and Bone" which also starred Matthias Schoenaerts finally prompted a wider release - either way it was a treat to finally see this acclaimed film on the big screen.
   Schoenaerts plays Jacky Vanmarsenille a Flemish cattle farmer caught up in an illegal hormonal steroid scam and the murder of an investigating policeman, the events of which bring to the surface some very dark events of his past. His performance is exceptional, bristling with barely contained pain and confusion; Jacky's hulking frame, frequently visually compared to the bulls his rears and sells, covering up the scars of a very lost, very lonely man.
   The film is expertly shot with terrific atmosphere and menace, variously in the bleak Belgian fields and farmlands, as well a particularly good scene in a neon lit nightclub. Once the tangles of the plot begin to unravel and parts of the back story begin to fall into place it's hard not to be totally gripped by this very unusual, unsettling tale. Where it slightly falls down is partly in the unrelenting gloom of the story, which gets quite hard to take at times, partly in that some of the supporting performances fall short and that some of aspects of the plot seem overblown for the sake of the character study.
   It's really a film to watch to admire Schoenaerts career-making performance, which will stay firmly lodged in your mind, but probably not one for an enjoyable, or even a repeat, viewing. 11 years 1 month ago
2. 

   Romeika

   I thought SHAME was depressing, until I saw this feature. This film feels like a punch in the stomach, it is extremely raw and expectedly tragic. 12 years ago
3. 

   Metalmidget

   Very well acted! Such movie makes me proud being Belgian! 12 years 1 month ago

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