Review: Bestiaire (2012)

[David N. Butterworth]

BESTIAIRE (2012)
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2016 David N. Butterworth

*** (out of ****)

Billing itself as "a zoo two steps away from Montreal," Parc Safari in
Hemmingford, Quebec serves as the mise en scene for Denis Cote's elegant,
wordless contemplation of man's fascination with--and indirect dependence
on--animals. There's also something trippy going on in "Bestiaire" (from
the Medieval Latin word *bestiary*, a collection of moralized fables about
actual or mythical animals), something about the observer and the observed,
but if you don't want to play that particular head game you can appreciate
instead the director's intimate visual sensibility--almost every shot is
exquisitely framed. Caged and semi-free-range animals pace, lounge, and
stand around looking beastly, whether it's the frenetic stripes of penned
zebras clamoring for freedom or the nonchalant scrutiny of a bull staring
us down. An all-too-brief taxidermy sequence early in the film's second
half shifts the focus somewhat, but is equally fascinating. Neither
documentary nor video essay, "Bestiaire" is more like a coffee table book
thumbed through on film. Cote simply sets up his static camera, quietly
backs away, and lets his subjects do the talking as the seasons come and
go. The inherent power of this artful screen exercise, however, is that it
forces us regard these creatures as much more than dumb beasts. If you're
truly curious about where to find fantastic beasts, try "Bestiaire."

--
David N. Butterworth
rec.arts.movies.reviews
butterwo...@gmail.com