You know the feeling when you put on a favourite piece of clothing? You stand taller, ready to face anything the day brings. Dark comedy movie Deerskin, takes this love of clothing several steps further. What would you do to acquire a key piece of clothing?
Deerskin, tells the story of Georges (Jean Dujardin) who we first see dispatching an old corduroy jacket down a petrol station toilet. He’s on his way to a small town in the middle of nowhere to purchase a new jacket, one made of deerskin. There, along with the jacket the past owner gifts him an old video camera.
Soon the 100% Italian made jacket has Georges under it’s spell, literally. The jacket is in charge and it’s not long before Georges decides he wants to be the only person wearing a jacket.
Life seems good, until Georges realises he has a problem with his credit card. Masquerading as a film maker he enlists the help of Denise (Adele Haenel) a barmaid at the hotel he’s staying at.
Denise has dreams of turning her basic editing knowledge into bigger things, and backs Georges financially. She is also happy to meet his request that she never wear a jacket. And so begins a series of increasingly troublesome events, all captured on film, as the pair set out to fulfil Georges dream.
To the strains of a single music note, we watch on as the pair build up a bank of footage for Denise to edit. Along the way Georges’s collection of deerskin clothing increases.
Deerskin is a short dark comedy film within a film, that explores the outer skins we all wear to make us feel better about ourselves. Dujardin’s blank expression adds the perfect touch of unease to his character, which is balanced by Haenel’s naive enthusiasm.
As I watched the action come to its conclusion I pondered:
- The single music note throughout the movie adds so much to underpin the mounting action;
- The movie gives new meaning to the word fetish;
- It also makes Midsomer Murder look like a pleasant place to stay;
- Thank god none of Carrie Bradshaw’s shoes had the same idea, it would have been carnage.
More information at Luna Cinemas.
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