Happy End, 2017.
Written and Directed by Michael Haneke.
Starring Isabelle Huppert, Fantine Harduin, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mathieu Kassovitz, Laura Verlinden, Franz Rogowski, Aurélia Petit, and Toby Jones.
SYNOPSIS:
A drama about a family set in Calais with the European refugee crisis as the backdrop.
There is a lot going on in Happy End, the latest film from celebrated auteur Michael Haneke (Amour, Cache, The White Ribbon, so on and so forth), to the point where the end result is messy and disconnected. The characters are cold and unworthy of investing in, which isn’t a surprise to anyone familiar with the director, but long stretches of Happy End test patience and fail to generate any reaction. This is largely due to an unwieldy amount of subplots that never form into the bigger picture, even though all the major characters are part of the same dysfunctional, unhappy family. Depression and suicide are a common and unfortunate feeling among quite a few members, and it’s here that writer/director Haneke strikes up the film’s only engaging interactions.
Teenager Eve (marvelously presented as looking emotionless and dead inside by Fantine Harduin) suffers from mental health issues, and touchingly finds solace and understanding from her grandfather Georges (fellow Haneke collaborator Jean-Louis Trintignant) who is on the verge of taking his own life. If Happy End was solely about the morbid, downbeat, exchanges between these two then it probably would have remained captivating throughout. I don’t say that just because the performances are terrific, but rather the bleak feeling of two family members unhealthily contemplating ending it all and discussing dissatisfaction with their lives (primarily as a direct result from the rest of the neglective family either caught up in sexting affairs or extreme dedication to work and its many problems that arise). Regardless of whatever one may think of the first 95 minutes, the ending is an everlasting scene with unforgettable photography; absolutely haunting.
It’s also worth elaborating on the digital affair, as Haneke employs a number of static shots centered on an ersatz Facebook where viewers witness conversations unfold over the course of minutes at a time. There are also a few shots filmed from the perspective of a cell phone that fit in with the current generations fascination with technology, especially a young girl. On paper that sounds incredibly boring, but with believable dialogue and the right framing, the scenes are oddly some of the most gripping. At the same time, it could also feel that way just because they are moments where the film actually finds focus.
It’s frustrating that aside from a few trendy tricks, much of the cinematography and general filmmaking feels designed to alienate viewers somehow further from the already strongly calculated disconnect. Not only are there painfully slow segments like Georges wheeling himself down a city sidewalk for nearly 2 minutes, but some interactions are deliberately filmed panned far back so that there is no audible dialogue. Sure, it makes the film look nice, but that’s also pretty useless if it’s impossible to care about anything transpiring on-screen.
On top of that, Happy End stumbles through its narrative arcs with unmemorable characters; somehow not even Isabelle Huppert makes an impression whatsoever, while Toby Jones is present speaking English in a pointless role. It’s serviceable when Eve and Georges are paired together, but overall is a slog. The only other noteworthy aspect is the turn from Mathieu Kassovitz as the father of the family, who plays a good two-faced snake, lying about his faithfulness and love for others. It makes the sexually intimate texting we witness feel ugly and difficult to watch. Haneke is admirably reaching to examine sensitive subjects regarding mental health and social media in a serious way, it’s just frustrating that something this cold and directionless is the finished project.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, check out my personal non-Flickering Myth affiliated Patreon, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published March 9, 2018. Updated April 20, 2018.
