Animal Behaviour
“It's not always easy to deal with what comes naturally.”
Five animals meet regularly to discuss their inner angst in a group therapy session led by Dr. Clement, a canine psychotherapist. The group includes Lorraine, a leech who suffers from separation anxiety; Cheryl, a praying mantis who can’t seem to keep a man; Todd, a pig with an eating disorder; Jeffrey, a bird with guilt issues; and Linda, an obsessive-compulsive cat.
Details
Release Date: 6/4/2018
Runtime: 14 minutes
Languages: English
Directors: David Fine, Alison Snowden
00Production
Companies: ONF | NFB
Countries: Canada
Where to watch · US
Trailer
Cast
Gallery
Gallery
Reviews
CinemaSerf
Ok, so this does rather play to stereotype as it imbues half a dozen critters with issues more readily attributed to human beings. Sitting in a circle, they talk politely to “Dr. Clement” about their problems and then an ape arrives in the room and the writing steps up a gear into something I found quite funny. It’s about suppressing, or not, our instinctual behaviour and/or always trying to intellectualise what is innate - like a dog fetching a bone, and I found the scenario engagingly peppered with in-your-face irony. The style of the animation is a little linear, but once the story livens up and the characters take shape, it manages to portray creatures and their foibles warts and all. As the big guy says: “stop naval gazing and get on with your lives”. I liked this.
