I'm here to see Papa Sanou

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Top 50 Movies of 2020...

#48 : Seules Les Bêtes (Only The Animals)

This is an ingenious, witty thriller from the French director Dominik Moll (Harry, He’s Here to Help), one involving interconnected stories of six disparate people and stretching from the south of France to Ivory Coast.

Another film I'd never even heard of, let alone watched, but I'm not going to argue with something described as "an ingenious, witty thriller" so I was looking forward to watching it.

And it immediately grabs you with a most excellent beginning - a man riding a bike whilst giving a goat a piggy-back.  And I've no idea where we are (Ivory Coast, I find out later), but it's hot.  And then suddenly we're somewhere else (with Alice somewhere in France apparently) and it's snowing - I'm going to have to pay attention here, aren't I?

Having said that, it then all stays in one place for the next 15 minutes so you start to get lulled into a false sense of security - but then we switch to Joseph's point of view and the dog magically comes back to life.  Hold on a goddam minute - this is all timey-wimey as well?!?  Uh-oh, there's some VERY odd behaviour going on as well.  Woah, this was not where I saw this film going at all - I wonder how much of it I'm actually going to be able to describe?!?  Nope, can't mention that.  Or that.  And I definitely can't mention THAT - which I totally didn't see coming at all.  But it features a very cool sinkhole, which I can mention - a fine spot of location scouting indeed.

And then we're somewhere else warmer in France with Marion (who we've not seen before) - but Marion's having sex with someone we have seen before (it's a French film - so of course they're having sex).  And it's interesting, because you know it's not going to end well from what you've already seen in the film - but you've got no idea exactly how it's not going to end well.  And you also know it's not worth you trying to guess, because they're waaaaay ahead of you on this.  So, cue more tears after a messy break-up, but the snow's started so you know we're about to catch up with the beginning of the film.  Oh yes, it's confusing alright - and then it gets weirder still.  If they don't tie all these strands together in an acceptable manner, there's going to be trouble, I can tell you (they've still got plenty of time though - we're only halfway through).

So now we look to be back with the man who we last saw giving a goat a piggy-back and he now has a particularly ugly car - and he's spent a lot of money to make it that ugly.  Ah, actually there's quite a neat link there back to previous characters and it makes something a bit clearer - I mean, it's a hugely unbelievable coincidence, but it's quite a clever hugely unbelievable coincidence.  And then the film takes a surprisingly tender turn - it's got everything in it!  But you can just tell that isn't going to end well either.  

And then, oh my - that is one CLEVER scene which suddenly ties it all together!  And it gives you a very nasty "oh dear - I now know how she ends up dead" feeling (don't worry, that's no spoiler because she was dead at the beginning of the film!).  And that's pretty much how it does happen and you think you've got it all worked out in your head - and then you realise there are still 10 minutes left for one final rug-pull.  And boy, is it a doozie - you get distracted by the rug-pull you're expecting and so you're blindsided by the one you aren't.

Now, obviously 95% of this film is utter nonsense - but it's very well acted, skilfully plotted and extremely engaging nonsense.  I don't know any of the actors, but they all play their part in the ensemble admirably with no one person attracting too much attention.  And, I don't know if it's clear from the nonsense I've typed above (which I fully realise doesn't explain what's going on at all, but that's for the best if you ever get to watch it) but I REALLY enjoyed it - I think it's one of the best films I've seen in ages.  It reminded me of Memento or Amores Perros, where you don't really know what's going on but you're enjoying the ride anyway and really hoping they'll explain things in the end - which they do (to a varying extent depending upon the film), whilst drip feeding you enough information to keep you engaged throughout the film.

At the time of writing, the film is available on Netflix and I can thoroughly recommend checking it out.

#49 - Welcome to the late 70s
#47 - Not convinced by this one