7/10
There are four main characters in Happy, Happy because it is about two couples; however, one of them
really shines through and becomes such a pleasure to watch that it really does
not matter what happens with the plot or any of the other players, she is just
stunning. I am talking about Agnes Kittelsen who plays Kaja. She is almost always smiling, even when there
are situations when there is nothing to smile about. She exudes positive energy and cannot help it
when her actions either makes someone else around her happy or rubs someone
else the wrong way.
Kaja is married to Eirik (Joachim Rafaelsen) and they appear to live in the middle of nowhere
Norway. They not only own their own
house, but also the one next door which they rent out to people who are usually
looking to get away from the city. A
city couple from Denmark does exactly that when they abruptly shift from urban
to rural. The new couple next door is
Sigve (Henrik Rafaelsen) and
Elisabeth (Maibritt Saerens). Since there is not much else to do in the
immediate locale, the two couples start sharing dinners together and playing
games. These games lead to uncomfortable
couple comparisons which is never a good thing.
Comparing your relationship to someone else’s is not the way to end the
evening on a high note.
During one game, it emerges that Kaja and Eirik have not had
sex in over a year and that Elisabeth has recently cheated on Sigve which was a
catalyst in their decision to escape to the countryside. The couples also notice the personality clashes
and matches around the dinner table.
Kaja and Sigve are naturally extroverted and outwardly positive. Elisabeth and Eirik are much more reserved
and while not necessarily secretive, they do not have the impulse to share
their feelings around the room. These
situations and personalities obviously set up what may lead to adulterous liaisons,
secrets, and acrimony. However, this is
not a heavy handed drama about adultery and revenge. There are laughs, comedic scenes, and an
overall light air around the decisions these couples make in response to one
another.
Each couple also has a son, although Sigve and Elisabeth’s
son is adopted and black. There are
scenes between the two boys, who seem to be around seven years old, which do
the film no credit and do not fit. Their
sequences are only peripheral to the plot and have no bearing on any central
themes, which is all the more puzzling why they are even there. Their interactions disrupt the light flow and
mood of the movie and should either be completely rewritten or just taken
out.
Happy, Happy won
the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic World Cinema at this year’s Sundance Film
Festival and is also Norway’s official submission for the 2012 Academy
Awards. It approaches its characters
with maturity and understanding, characteristics true for most Scandinavian
films but frequently lacking in American ones.
It is also challenging to classify Happy,
Happy as just a comedy or a drama.
There are not very many jokes or moments to laugh at but there are also
very few emotional moments which aim for true drama either; it carves out a
distinct middle ground.
I recommend Happy,
Happy for those of us who like Scandinavian films and appreciate movies
which take their characters seriously.
Thank goodness there are no slapstick moments here which would not fit
and no downright weepy ‘woe is me’ segments.
Just lose the scenes with the kids and then you would really have a heck
of film on your hands.
No comments:
Post a Comment