Louise Courvoisier’s Début Feature “Holy Cow” is Deliciously Sweet

Clément Faveau as Totone in "Holy Cow". Photo: Laurent le Crabe.

In her debut feature, French filmmaker Louise Courvoisier pulls together a lovable cast of first-time actors for a coming-of-age story that is often heartfelt but never cheesy. Against the backdrop of the French countryside, 18-year-old Totone (Clément Faveau) is forced to grow up overnight after his father, a single parent, dies suddenly in a drunken car wreck.

Used to hanging out late and partying with his best friends Jean-Yves (Mathis Bernard) and Francis (Dimitry Baudry), Totone must find a way to make a living and be a parent to his young sister Claire (Luna Garret). After getting fired from a janitor gig at a dairy farm, Totone hatches a plan to win a 30,000 EUR cash prize in a Comté cheese-making contest. Jean-Yves, Francis, and Claire step in to help Totone with his dream.

On paper, “Holy Cow” reads like a typical narrative about the challenges of growing up. But there’s a grittiness to the actors’ performances that makes it all feel real. Clément Faveau’s Totone is charming, but never the ideal protagonist. He struggles to care for his younger sister and seems to take advantage of his friends’ kindness. In his goal of winning the Comté contest, Totone steals milk from his love interest Marie-Lise’s (Maiwene Barthelemy) nearby farm. Totone is rough around the edges and often insensitive, but it's difficult not to root for him with the massive pressure he faces.

Barthelemy is especially strong as the cool and confident Marie-Lise. Her character thoughtfully breaks conventions of the female lead in a teenage love story. She makes the first move in their romance, and Totone seems comfortable with her in control.

The film’s setting is as captivating as its cast. Courvoisier doesn’t shy away from the beauty of the French countryside. It’s an environment that looks tranquil, but there’s a real grit to the lifestyle of these characters. “Holy Cow” is quick to remind you just how difficult and unglamorous farm work is. In one scene, Marie-Lise and Totone help a Cow deliver a calf, the birth is shown with the detail of a nature documentary. Much of the film is also spent showing just how laborious and dangerous it can be to make even one pot of Comté cheese. 

When Totone confesses to Marie-Lise that he’s stolen milk from her farm, his world begins to crumble further. He gets into a rift with Jean-Yves, who feels used by him, and he fails to qualify for the Comté contest, unaware of the registration requirements. 

Totone’s failure to enter the contest speaks to the cleverness of “Holy Cow”. A less subtle film would’ve had its protagonist either triumphantly win or grow from a crushing defeat. The fact that he does not qualify at all brings the viewer back down to reality. Totone is young, broke, and has a lot more to learn than he realized. He makes amends with his friends by gifting Marie-Lise his first successful wheel of cheese and helping Jean-Yves win a demolition derby. 

Totone’s reconciliation with Marie-Lise and Jean-Yves is enough to uplift the viewer, but his future remains unclear. It’s a clean ending, yet not overly optimistic.  Will he go on to become the best cheesemaker in France with his friends by his side? Or will he struggle to stay afloat amid France’s agricultural crisis?

What “Holy Cow” achieves is impressive. Its 90-minute runtime feels like more than enough to span a complex character arc for its lead, as well as give viewers time to breathe and soak up France’s beauty. Above all, it’s a shining example that if done carefully, the use of first-time actors can be a real treat.