Soma nation

Man Bites Dog has been making the rounds on IFC this month. It’s been years since I’d seen it. What has surprised me is how the movie seems even more relevant today than it did almost 10 years ago.

The team of documentary film makers following a serial killer around France is not to far removed from the extreme porn of Lizzie Borden or the batch of reality series on network TV. As the movie progresses the serial killer escalates his violence in an attempt to win over the film crew by giving them what he thinks they want. He’s also trying to ameliorate his somewhat lonely existence by making new friends. He even starts to offer money to keep the production afloat. Soon the crew is helping him during his crime spree.