Review of Ma Vie Est Un Enfer (aka My Life Is Hell)

Introduction

Would you do business with a demon? Frumpy nurse Leah is an unappreciated and depressed 35-year old. Her mother only cares about getting her rent cheque, Leah`s boss is a horrid man, her psychoanalyst doesn`t do much analysing and her neighbour is a pig. Reading out the inscription on an antique mirror introduces Abargadon, a 5th-Circle demon, into her life, and a world of change. She strives to be accepted, to be physically beautiful, until an error in the demon`s contract marks Leah null and void.

What happens when you sell your soul to the devil?

Video

Presented with a 2.35:1 widescreen enhanced video transfer, the film looks good. Colours and detail are fine and I couldn`t spot any damage or smearing. There`s minimal grain throughout and it`s only noticeable if you look very closely.

Audio

The French Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack works well enough. The dialogue remains clear and the music comes across without any problems.

Features

Easy to navigate menus with a few average extras.

• Trailer (1:55) - Average trailer.

• Filmographies - comprehensive bios on Daniel Auteuil, Josiane Balasko and Richard Berry.

• Interview with Richard Berry (15:40) - Berry plays the psychoanalyst but one interview with the co-star isn`t too enthralling. Where are the lead actors?

• Gallery - 18 behind the scenes stills. Not something you`re likely to look at again.

The English subtitles are clear and seem to work okay.

Conclusion

Writer/Director and co-lead, Josiane Balasko, has made a curious mixture of a film. It`s part dark comedy and part bittersweet melodrama but it lacks punch and never really succeeds in delivering a satisfying story. For example, the flaw in the way souls and contracts are dealt with left me confused and is never resolved to satisfaction.

Watching the various characters degenerate in the film is an amusing look at the failings of human beings, but it soon descends into monotony. Her mother is a pain, as is her psychoanalyst and chauvinistic neighbour. It`s ironic that the only one who reverses this trend is the demon, Abargadon (Daniel Auteuil). Giving a face to the demon and watching as the roles reverse between him and Leah - whilst they fall in love with each other - is one of the better aspects of the story. But again, the film`s story can be a bit confusing, even after a second viewing.

I like Daniel Auteuil. His performances in Jean De Florette, Manon Des Sources and Un Coeur en Hiver are nothing short of top notch. Here he turns in a manic acting turn as the over the top demon, but the film itself remains tedious.