Deerskin

Four features and nearly a decade after famously loosing a homicidal tire with telekinetic powers on the world in Rubber, absurdist filmmaker Quentin Dupieux keeps his weird streak intact with Deerskin, another offbeat tale of beings driven by unusual desires.

The film stars Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) as Georges, a French man who eerily looks like Sean Connery in profile. Recently separated from his wife and mired in one of the strangest midlife crises yet committed to film, he gets rid of his apparently repulsive corduroy jacket in an unusual way and acquires a replacement made of the titular material, featuring plentiful fringe.

His actions punctuated by Bernard Herrmann-like brass stings in transition scenes, perhaps to suggest all is not well, Georges runs from a mysterious past and seeks any excuse to start anew, beginning with the jacket and the impulse to call himself a filmmaker after getting a digital camera for free from the jacket’s seller (Albert Delpy, 2 Days in New York).

In textbook Dupieux fashion, Deerskin only gets weirder from there as Georges begins having conversations with the jacket, which somehow has possessed him in its quest to be the world’s only such piece of outerwear, resulting in comically violent results. Complicating matters is the involvement of local bartender Denise (Adèle Haenel, Portrait of a Lady on Fire), an aspiring editor who interprets his bizarre amateur footage as serious art.

Possibly a parable about the lengths some people will go to reinvent themselves after a divorce, the odd obsessions of filmmakers, or simply a weird movie about a demonic coat, Dupieux’s latest oddity keeps viewers guessing to the end.

Similar to his previous efforts, Deerskin is well-made and acted, and never boring, but its greatest asset may be Dupieux’s realization that he’s crafted a concept that can't last much beyond its 71 minutes. Even within those brief confines, the film just barely warrants the runtime and offers minimal staying power on an artistic level — though its ability to make viewers think twice before donning certain vintage coats is not to be underestimated.

Grade: B-minus. Not rated, but with adult language and themes, extreme violence, and disturbing images. Now available to rent via grailmoviehouse.com

(Photo: Greenwich Entertainment)