A DOG’S LIFE (Hélène Choquette, Canada). 67 minutes. Rating: NN
A Dog’s Life follows half a dozen people in Toronto and Montreal who’ve lived on the streets (or in their cars) because most shelters don’t allow pets.
They all credit their dogs with giving them emotional stability and even the will to be rid of self-destructive habits, and it’s clear they all depend on their dogs as much as their dogs depend on them.
But that’s a thesis rather than a story, and after about 15 minutes it’s obvious that Hélène Choquette is just repeating that thesis over and over again with minor variations. Narrowing the focus to one or two subjects, or just making a shorter doc, would have made for a better experience.
May 4, 6:45 pm, TIFF 2 May 5, 10:15 am, Isabel Bader May 7, 1:30 pm, TIFF 2
