JACKY CAILLOU: The Tradition Of French Film Greatness Continues

I have a very important question to ask: Has there ever been a bad French film? From The 400 Blows and the French New Wave onward, we now have Jacky Caillou to add to an ever-growing list of masterpieces. The movie isn’t what I was expecting at all, in the best of ways. It doesn’t tip its hand early — at first, it has you believing you’re watching yet another sweet film about a boy, Jacky (Thomas Parigi), who maybe is a little bit shy and a little bit awkward, but there is so much more here.

The film begins with our introduction to Jacky’s grandmother, Gisèle Caillou, played by the ever-adorable Edwige Blondiau, as they’re making their way around their local town on their way to a farm. Gisèle has to speak to the farmer about a problem he’s been having with his sheep. A wolf has been coming in the night and liberating lambs at its leisure, and the sad farmer proclaims that because of this, his sheep are depressed. Jacky and Gisèle make their way into the barn where, after some hocus-pocus with her hands, Granny declares that the sheep are feeling fine.

Then we are introduced to Elsa (Lou Lampros), a girl about Jacky’s age, whom Gisèle is helping with a strange white growth on her back. Again she uses her hands to administer her brand of healing, and Elsa tells her she can feel it getting better. Gisèle attempts to get Jacky to try the same technique, and he claims he doesn’t feel anything. That night is filled with Jacky drinking way too much and stumbling into the house early the next morning. Gisèle leaves to run errands, and that’s the last time we see her.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Directed by Lucas Delangle and shot by Mathieu Gaudet, this film has some of the most beautifully composed shots of my recent memory. The movie is a Bob Ross painting to look at — it’s stunning. This film is an indie at heart, but with the budget Delangle had, he creates an expensive-looking film just by picking beautiful locations and framing every scene like a postcard. The use of static shots was always helpful in showing exactly what was needed to be seen, and as with any film like this, the slow camera pushes into rooms forces us to pay attention. Nothing is ever shown by accident; every choice is very deliberate, and the film benefits from that. Nothing is lost in the frame.

The cast, lead by Parigi, is fantastic. It’s a pleasure to see everyone take such pride in this story. Parigi perfectly plays the shy loner kid trying to come into his own. The people of the town all know him and root for him, but other than his friends, he wants to be left alone. I could feel his longing for peace. His journey from wanting solidarity to coming into his ability to heal is beautiful. Lou Lampros is equally impressive, delivering a performance that expresses her worries and her fears about what’s happening to her, though she never gives away the larger horrors at play.

Jacky Caillou has a very typical score (by Clément Decaudin) for a French indie film, highlighted by beautiful accordion music. The melodies and swells fit every scene with a perfection I haven’t witnessed since the last John Williams composition. It’s emotion in eighth notes and really sets the tone. It forces us to feel what it wants us to at will.

And Then Comes The Shocking Twist (Spoilers Ahead)

I haven’t had a movie surprise me the way this one did in a very long time. I did not see the shift in narrative coming — I really thought this was just a typical fun indie movie until they completely pulled the rug out from under my feet. At the midpoint, this film goes from the happy tale of a boy just trying to find his place in the world after the death of his grandmother to a horror movie. A werewolf movie to be exact. It turns out that the wolf that has been stealing the sheep is actually Elsa all along and Jacky has been trying to keep her symptoms at bay, even if he wasn’t sure what exactly he was doing. The change comes quickly, and once the truth is revealed, we stay with that suspense and horror for the duration of the film.

After the events that we had just seen, the ending is a bit of a sweet sendoff. I wasn’t really sure how they would wrap up the story in any kind of satisfactory way, but looking back I don’t know how else it could have gone. Of course, they put a happy little bow on it and leave us wanting just a tiny bit more. The shift in tone is a shock to the system and a welcome surprise in a movie that felt like it only had one way to go. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Conclusion:

Jacky Caillou is a once-in-a-generation type of movie. It deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. Hopping back up on my soapbox (it says “indie champion” across the bottom) — I’m begging you to seek out this film, whether it be in a select theater or on VOD. Not every movie has to cost $200 million to make and gross $1 billion at the box office to be a movie that is worthy of your time. Every year, countless films go unnoticed because of this, and honestly it’s a shame.

This is definitely one of the best films of the year so far, with one of the better twists or reveals that I’ve ever seen. I really enjoyed this movie taking us on an unexpected ride; it doesn’t happen very often that a piece of art can fool you all the way until it’s ready to pull back the curtain. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Jacky Caillou is in select theaters and on VOD.

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