Happiness (DVD 2000)

If you like whiney, Woody Allenesque ensembles, then this film may be worth wasting 2 1/2 hours of your time on.

I only rented it in the interest of research - having been quite frankly appalled by another of Solondz's offerings - 'Palindromes' - I wanted to see if this film was as bad/sick. As in the former, this film again touches on the subject of paedophilia - although much more briefly. One of the leading, adult male characters ends up drugging his whole family so that he can have his way with his young son's best friend. It does seem to be one of the director's most focussed upon topics!

Quite apart from being the most tedious and boring film ever, there were other elements that I found particularly offensive dressed up as 'comedy' that crossed the boundaries into indecency and downright nastiness. The last scene for me as a parent and pet owner was particularly unpalatable.

I also watched 'Welcome to the Dollhouse' from the same director and, whilst it was not quite so distasteful as the other two, you have to wonder about the use of the child actors in all of Solondz's films which I find quite disturbing.

Don't bother with any of Solondz's films - I have only had my opinions confirmed and strengthened by watching them - and that is that they serve no purpose, they are not entertaining and really didn't need to be made.

I love this Director's work, he has such a dark sense of humour, hillariously twisted storyline with supurbly acted characters that all interweave to create a real gem of a film! A must see.

For me, this movie is an excellent portrayal of the best and worst of what makes us human (kindness, compassion, naivety, selfishness, twistedness and so on). I think Solondz beautifully captures both moments of sublimity and moments of shameless secrecy - the pluses and minuses of human existence :)

I saw this movie a few years ago. At the time, I was reading Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil and I recall that I linked many metaphors in the movie with the whole issue of virtues... Anyway, I found this movie a total masterpiece and recommended it to virtually everybody I know --many of them are thanking me now :)

Buying the DVD now came as a result of having a discussion with my husband about the things we used to enjoy before we met. He is a musician and does not particularly enjoy sitting for two hours watching movies so we hardly ever go to the movies. Plus, he claims that movies these days are commercial crap. I am an independent film lover and assured him that I could prove him wrong with this movie.

I think I have. He has agreed that it both makes powerful viewing because it is very well made and also generates conflicting emotions based on the things it chooses to address. I am very happy to have bought it!!

Wrong in so many ways, but a great film!

Don't expect a light, fluffy film that will make you feel happy!

Do expect to be drawn into it, grossed out, feeling like you should stop watching, but loving it all the same.