Life’s a Bitch (CLOSING NIGHT FILM)

An example of very smart filmmaking with many laughs and more than a couple of shocks, writer-director Xavier Seron’s darkly funny, very cleverly constructed and directed series of three interlocking stories about dogs, their nominal masters, and the (sometimes dire) interplay between them puts one in mind of the Belgian classic Man Bites Dog and the early films of Jarmusch and Kaurismäki. The plot outlines of the three interlinked sections don’t really do the stories justice, but here they are: a sad sack film editor is bamboozled into looking after his neighbour’s chihuahua after the neighbour commits suicide; a rich and successful – and vain and selfish – actress/model gets her comeuppance at the hands (paws? It’s the tongue, actually) of her pet; and a dog-loving security guard (Arieh Worthalter) whose mantra is ‘I don’t understand...’ gets involved with a shoplifting nurse (the outstanding Louise Manteau) who is afraid of dogs... Droll, spiky, and fresh, Seron’s film also has an undercurrent of melancholy that further enriches an already rich brew.

Actress Louise Manteau will be present for a Q&A on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Director Xavier Seron will be present for a Q&A on Saturday evening.