With all his might, Tyler frees himself from the ground. Angry, Tyler shoves Benjamin into the sand as a “prank.” Not only is Benjamin stuck, but he is sinking fast. Not wanting to get stuck again, Tyler looks for anything that could help pull his friend to safety. Tyler runs to the top of the pit looking for help as Benjamin screams for help.
“…Grenier brilliantly says a lot without ever saying a word. You feel everything his character is feeling right in your gut..”
Here we’re halfway through the 17-minute short, and for the balance, we follow Tyler as he deals with the consequences of his actions and its repercussions. Good, young actors are like treasure. As Tyler, Félix Grenier brilliantly says a lot without ever saying a word. You feel everything his character is feeling right in your gut and none of it is good.
Honestly, I sat there unable to look at the screen at times. The anxiety was overwhelming, which is impressive considering there’s nothing inherently gruesome or gory on screen. All the emotions come from events that took place off-screen or from the performance of Grenier.
Comte’s challenge in Fauve was to take an emotion and from the start slowly build up its intensity. In the middle, he sustains it. At the very end, he takes a nice, sharp needle and pops it for a powerful finish. Challenge met.
Fauve (2018) Written and directed by Jeremy Comte. Starring Félix Grenier, Alexandre Perreault. Fauve screened at the 2018 San Diego International Film Festival.
8 out of 10 stars
