Film Review - Deerskin (2019)

Over two years on from its world premiere at Cannes in the Directors’ Fortnight section in 2019, Quentin Dupieux and his French comedy horror film Deerskin (Le Daim) at last arrive in the UK…and deer, oh deer!

Starring the multi-award-winning Jean Dujardin and Portrait of a Lady on Fire sensation, Adèle Haenel, Dupieux‘s film follows Georges (Dujardin), a man who travels to a remote village, accepting he has entered a midlife crisis after becoming a recent divorcee. Upon his travels, Georges obtains a 100% deerskin jacket that he very quickly becomes infatuated with.

For anybody who is aware of Quentin Dupieux and his prior works such as Rubber and Wrong Cops – or that of his bombastic, glitchy, sample-heavy French house music as the Mr. Oizo moniker – will know that both his films and music are an acquired taste. As a filmmaker, his niche brand of absurdism and surrealism often blur the lines between craptacular and ingenious. Deerskin is no exception to the rule.

Looking oddly indistinguishable to Dupieux himself, the film opens up with the similarly big silver-bearded Dujardin beginning his road trip in a more urban ; a concrete jungle. And after abruptly attempting to flush his jacket down the toilet of a nearby service station, right off the bat, Deerskin feels enigmatic and at the same time vapid. It has a very imive aesthetic. Morbidly coloured with pale whites and greys as well as icy-cold blues. What little colour there is to be seen in each scene, those colours don’t pop. They’re dulled and washed out by a clinical tones. There’s an immediate establishment of joylessness within the narrative. When will the eventual multigenre mash-up of horror and comedy it claims to boast appear?

Comparatively, Dupieux being the writer, director, cinematographer and editor quadruple threat, showcases his filmmaking ability through his use (or lack) of colours and palettes. So too in the unique and unusual camerawork and different camera shots he uses just in the opening 10 to 20 minutes. The framing of each shot is meticulously crafted. And for those who’re aware of his prior filmography, it will quickly become clear who the man behind this project is. His eye for detail is completely authentic to his own.

After acquiring the fringed, clinky-clanky deerskin jacket for an extortionate amount of money, Georges arrives at the titchy village in the French mountain range where the comedy is suitably amped up after swearing blind to himself and his newfound love to be the only man in the world to wear a jacket. The bizarre gags and deadpan jest from Dujardin are delivered with such precision and finesse that you’re able to bask in the madness of it all, smiling ear-to-ear for almost the entirety of the runtime.

The horror of Deerskin is somewhat middling, much like it was in Rubber. There are never any moments of genuine suspense or terror throughout the runtime, even among Georges fanatical crusade to rid the world of all of its jackets with the exception of his. The off the wall narrative and comedy outweigh what room there is for an adrenaline-inducing thrill. I can only assume this is intentional from Dupieux to let the more comedic side of the film run wild. Irregardless, there’s a proficient delivery of gratuity in these scanty moments that perfectly attain its audience cackling at its outlandishness and simultaneously wincing in its grotesque.

Without divulging too much into the plot and story of Deerskin, the wit and humour of Dupieux’s film is so dry you’ll need a cool, refreshing beverage for your mind, body and soul. You’re either going to love it or hate it. There is no in between nor a middle ground. It’s very much like Marmite. That being said, going off his typical standard, this is likely Quentin‘s most accessible film to-date – but still idiosyncratic. Much like what Yorgos Lanthimos has achieved with his films in the last six years, Quentin too is branching out into near-uncharted territory to appeal to a much more mainstream audience – bringing the kooky to the unkooky.

Much like a film from fellow absurdist filmmaker Lanthimos or titan surrealist David Lynch, there are textured undertones to Deerskin beneath the surface. But you will need to dig deep amidst the lunacy to fully understand and appreciate the richness behind these themes. You cannot appreciate or properly understand this film at face value. The blend of horror and comedy are multifaceted.

For example, the clinky-clanky, various-pocketed jacket Georges dons for the vast majority of his on-screen time after he’s spent a small fortune on it, almost feels as if it is its own character within the film. It has some sort of super power that makes Georges feel better about himself, in the wake of his marriage failing. Something as simple as a jacket can make a man who’s marriage is in tatters appear nonchalant. His self-esteem is rejuvenated by material goods. And when you pause for a second to think about the weight of that sentiment, it is both touching and also quite sad. It is wonderful to see a man earnestly put his troubles behind him so swiftly, but also begs the question of just how superficial and materialistic Georges seemingly is.

Deerskin is a complex exercise in character study; non-linear. Georges is a man who left is lover, travelled to a faraway town, became a “filmmaker” overnight and also became an professional snatcher of jackets. He speaks to his lifeless jacket as if it is a living, breathing entity; an integral part of his life. It begs the question, who is running the show, Georges or the jacket? Does the jacket have genuine super powers we – the audience are not fully aware of? Watching Georges speak to himself from the perspective of the jacket is where the comedy of Dupieux‘s film and Dujardin shine at their brightest. The seamless transitions back and forth of Georges and the jacket in conversation right down to the quick, choppy camera cuts will arouse nervously chucklesome. You would be remiss to not laugh out loud in hysterics!

If you enjoy films that don’t take themselves too seriously but are still exceptionally executed in every technical way conceivable, this is a must-see! Deerskin offers unique, innovative escapism for 77 minutes of your time you straightforwardly won’t find anywhere else but within a Quentin Dupieux body of work.

Now you must forgive me as I need to go and dig a large hole in my back garden and bury my jackets, as I swear to never wear a jacket as long as I live.