Terminally ill architect David Miller decides to die on his own terms. He plans everything: the place, the date, and the method; but nothing goes according to plan. With Esperanza (Carmen Maura), member of a local euthanasia association, and Tréplev, a young male prostitute, David finds unexpected comfort and solidarity with complete strangers. Through the film title, director Lionel Baier evokes the Dutch and Flemish still life paintings that allegorize the ephemeral nature of human satisfactions and achievements, and yet the film Vanity remains with the viewer, long after the last image has dissolved away.
