MISTER V.

When trainer Luigi Lucatelli buys the high-strung, unbroken Mister V. at an auction, Luigis brother, Lucas, a scientist studying the movement of horses, is perplexed by the purchase until he realizes Luigi is working a scam bankrolled by smarmy Belgian breeder Moigne. Having driven the price up at the auction with Moignes help, Luigi plans an «accident» to befall Mister V. so he can claim the full auction price back on insurance, pay off Moigne and take a cut for himself. But unfortunately, evil-tempered Mister V. kicks him in the head, killing him. Lucas takes a leave of absence from the agricultural institute he works at to help out his newly widowed sister-in-law, Cécile, for whom hes always carried a torch.
After the weird, intriguing shot of cantering horse flesh over the opening credits, Mister V. settles into being a more naturalistic exercise, but one still heightened by surreal touches extreme close-ups of horse and human eyes, disorienting crane shots, etc. Deleuzes clear-eyed investigation of the awkward, inexplicable bond between man and animal eschews anthropomorphism while still respectfully conveying an animals intelligence and emotional range. (Leslie Felperin)