ONLY THE ANIMALS/SEULS LES BETES

France, 2019, 117 minutes, Colour.
Denis Menochet, Laue Calamy, Damien Bonnard, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Guy Roger 'Bibisse' N' Drin.
Directed by Dominik Moll.

Quite an enigmatic title! Applying to the characters? Applying to human behaviour?

Whatever the meaning of the title, this is a murder mystery thriller with more than one twist.

In fact, while the main settings are in France, there is a prologue set in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. A young man carrying a goat on his shoulders, going along a corridor, requesting to see a character called Papa Sanou. And then, suddenly, we are in France for more than an hour’s running time – and forgetting all about Ivory Coast.

The film is structured in three sections, each named after a woman. The first is Alice, the wife of a farmer, Michel, working in insurance, unfaithful to her husband, especially with a neighbour, Joseph, who suffers mental illness problems. So far, so ordinary. However, there is news of the disappearance of a woman and a fear that she is murdered. Each of the characters introduced in this section have some connection to the woman, some serious, some tenuous.

And then there is quite a change of attention. The second section is Marion. She is a young woman who works in a diner and is attracted to one of the customers, a mixture of charm and seduction, and they begin an intense sexual relationship. In fact, the older woman is Evelyne, who, we know, will be murdered. And so the puzzle increases. What has Marion to do with Evelyne’s death? Direct? Indirect?

For the third section, Armandine, we are suddenly back in Ivory Coast, remembering the opening, wondering how on earth this is all connected with Evelyne, her death, and the other characters we have met.

Actually, this part of the plot is quite intriguing, an introduction to African scamming by computer, setting up false accounts, setting up false identities, entangling unwitting middle-aged men, setting up infatuations and – of course, getting as much money out of them as they can. The central character here is Armand, who has envied celebrities who have made money with the help of Papa Sanou, believing that there is some kind of supernatural power behind their activity.

The bad temptation for a reviewer stage is to indulge in some spoilers – but, it is best to advise audiences to go and see the film, be surprised at the connections and twists, and the discovery of the unexpected murderer.

This reviewer, however, has some difficulties with the last 10 minutes of the film – it is probably too much. It might have ended 10 minutes earlier with a freeze frame, enigmatic, leaving the audience to puzzle over what has happened and what will happen. However, the option is made, to go for full explanations, which is satisfying for those who really want to know what does happen. More than might have been expected! And, to cap it all off, with the various ins and outs, the final two minutes offer another unanticipated twist to the plot!

1. The title? Enigmatic? As applied to the characters? Human behaviour?

2. The French settings, the town, the farms, the countryside, the mountains? Homes, hotels, caravans? The contrast with Ivory Coast, the streets of Abidjan, homes, sheds, police? The musical score?

3. A murder mystery, with twists? The opening in Abidjan, the focus on Rolex, the young men watching, his aplomb, carrying the animal for sacrifice, the corridors, going to see Papa Sanou? Then the dropping of the African scenes (and the audience forgetting)?

4. The structure of the film, the women’s names for each of the three sections?

5. The focus on Alice, her insurance work, travel, the interview with Joseph, his mental condition, passivity, the sexual encounter? Her alienation from her husband, cooking, his keeping the accounts? The story of the dead woman? The mystery, the police investigation?

6. The focus on Joseph, alone, work on the farm, dealings with Alice, his hearing the voices? Sexual passivity? The bond with his dog? Finding the dead body, his reaction, not telling the police, especially with the visit of the police and interrogation, going back for the body, taking into it to his barn, hiding it in the hay? Shooting the dog? His keeping the body company? His imagining the woman coming to life and responding to him? The increasing pressure, the visits of Alice, his taking the body, throwing it down the ravine, his throwing himself after it?

7. The transition to Marion? Her working the diner, age, manner? The encounter with Evelyne? Serving a meal, the attraction, the touch of seduction? The sexual encounters and her intensity? Her being besotted with Evelyne? Evelyne’s response? Evelyne and her talk about her husband? Evelyne going home, Marion tracking her down, hitchhiking (and the irony of the glimpse of Michel driving the car and driving off)? At Evelyne’s house, Evelyne’s surprise? The continued sexual attraction? Evelyne not wanting her to stay the night, money for the hotel, too expensive, her going to the caravan?

8. The quarrel with Evelyne, her visit to the caravan, wanting to break the relationship, the impact on Marion, desperate? Her finding the money at the envelope at the door (and the irony of discovering later who left it)? Michel looking in the window, his confronting her, the violence?

9. The transition to Armandine? Back to Ivory Coast, the young men, their friendships, idle, yet with their computers, gathering together, the financial schemes? Armand and his looking through the women, his choice of images, videos? His making contact with Michel?

10. The audience looking at the scam in operation through the eyes of Armand, the computer, his messages and texts, the photos, the sexual video, leading Michel on, the scenario of going to Ivory Coast, needing the money, further demands on money, his debt to Papa Sanou? 4000 year is? His splurging all the money, clothes, the club, drinking, entertainment, giving the money away? His being in debt?

11. The effect on Michel, the secret correspondence, the infatuation, keeping it secret from Alice? Repetition of the earlier scenes? The psychological effect? Giving away the money? The continued appeals? His glimpse of Marion when she asked for the lift? Assuming that this was Armandine? The correspondence, Armand’s continued bewilderment, Michel leaving the money at the caravan, looking at the window, seeing Evelyne slapping Marion?

12. His pursuing Evelyne, the car, his attack, strangling her, carrying the body to the woods? The audience surprise at discovering Evelyne’s murderer?

13. His return to Marion, the confrontation? His disillusionment?

14. Armand, the police, his arrest, the scam? The police phoning Michel? His shock? His decision to go to Ivory Coast? Arrival, in the town, the quick tracking down of Armand, the confrontation, recognition? Michel’s disillusionment – and living with the murder?

15. Armand, his relationship with his girlfriend, her being the mistress of the visiting Frenchman, their son? His gift to her? Her returning it? Her going to France to live?

16. The credibility of the final twist that her destination was to the house and to Alice’s father?