M, 92 minutes
4 Stars
Review by © Jane Freebury
Before his world abruptly changes, the young man at the heart of this story set in rural France is a typical 18-year-old. Mussing up his hair in the mirror, checking out the attractive talent with his best mates, and always one to take on a dare. He was without a care in the world until the evening at a village fair when his drunken father drove off, crashing his car along the way home on a quiet country road.
What begins for Totone (Clement Faveau) and his single-parent dad in a haze of alcohol and cigarettes on a long, hot day at the fairground, ends in low-lit confusion and loss. A distinctive feature of this film, winner of the youth prize for best first feature in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, is its naturalism. If we feel empathy for the film’s characters, plain-speaking country folks, it is because of their honesty, commitment or underlying good nature.
Authenticity from the terroir of comté cheese
The film’s title derives from the expression ‘twenty gods’, that translates to ‘holy cow’ and certainly conveys a sense of the preposterous. It isn’t the only colourful phrase that can be heard along with other local idiom. Something may be lost in translation here but it seems to underline the authenticity of this lovely film set among dairy farms in the region near the Swiss alps, known as the Jura. It is, famously, the home of comté cheese.
The fatal car accident leaves Totone and his little sister alone to fend for themselves. This is difficult to imagine here, but at 18 years of age, Totone is indeed an adult. And the siblings have a home, after all, the family farm. Totone doesn’t have much idea about how to manage it, but an awareness of the potential to make a good living gradually dawns on him.
As the filmmaker grew up on a farm like Totone’s, Holy Cow is informed by first-hand experience. The Jura is home for the filmmaker, writer-director Louise Courvoisier, and many of the other creatives involved. She brings an authentic sensibility for language and gesture along with a distinctive eye for the cinematic.
Lead actor, Faveau, contributes an interesting mix of vulnerability and aggression to his character, on the brink of manhood. He works on a poultry farm in real life.
Other members of the cast are locals and first-time actors, while the musical score is a family affair. The beautiful original music that complements the landscapes and the life dramas played out in its foreground, was composed and performed by members of the Courvoisier family. With the vibrant exception of the Jimmie Rodgers song ‘Kisses Sweeter Than Wine’, heard over a montage of happy snaps of Totone and friends. The romantic sequence features Marie-Lise (Maiwene Barthelemy), the surly, independent young woman running a neighbouring farm, who becomes his lover.
Outlandish ambition has its place in this generous coming-of-age tale
Their relationship doesn’t begin at all well. Totone makes out with her while scheming with his mates about how to steal her produce. Marie-Lise sends him packing when she realises the ruse, though there may be something between them still.
A round slab of the semi-hard cheese delicacy could win its producer a prize of between 20,000 and 30,000 euros. After fisticuffs with other local lads gets Totone sacked from his cleaning job on a neighbouring farm, he makes it his mission to master making the nutty and complex flavours of comte cheese. Even little sister Claire, played by Luna Garret, looking wise beyond her years, knew he would get fired, but she is there for him when it matters.
The narrative is book-ended with country fairs, events where the locals proudly display their wares and gather for a good time. Into the evening, young people can meet and even find matter-of-fact sex. It’s all rather random. The closing attraction is a stock car race in which Jean-Yves (Mathis Bernard), Totone’s recently estranged best friend, is participating with his clapped-out vehicle, ready to perform flips and outlast the competition. At least he has his beloved car back.
Like the race of battered warriors of the road, the youthful mishaps and mistakes get generous treatment in this lovely film. Was it outlandish ambition that brought Totone down to earth? Not in this distinctive and often joyous coming-of-age drama from the depths of rural France.
Published in the Canberra Times on 25 July 2025, and by Rotten Tomatoes
Clement Faveau as Totone in Holy Cow. Featured image courtesy Limelight Distribution