Thanks Grim for the movie ideas.

This thread inspired me to watch Happiness last night. Man I love it. My wife on the other hand, hated it. But hey, she does like most of what I like.

I didn't like this movie at all. It wasn't because of any shock value, just that the movie was completely uninteresting. It's been a year since I've seen it, but there was basically 3 or 4 plot lines running in parallel, all tied together because someone from one plot line was related to/acquainted with someone in the other plot lines. It's basically about people with some sort of social or psychological abnormality trying to find some type of 'Happiness' in their life.

Out of all the plot lines, the only one that was interesting was the Father/son's friend one. There is nothing graphically shown, just left up to your imagination. If you are bothered by it then I guess you don't watch the nightly news since much more 'ugly' situations of the same thing are described there in the same amount of detail as this movie. And those are real, not just a movie.

The rest of the plot lines are about as uninteresting as the people's lives they attempt to portray.

I was lucky enough to see both films at my local art house cinema years ago. I checked Ruscico's website after reading your post - it is strange that they didn't include Ascent. Lots of other good stuff coming though.

saoirse, I could swear that I know you from a different forum - your signature looks mighty familiar.

Yeah I'm over there more, but hey, I check out the conversations here. You too?

I'm also thinking a B may be at the start of your "other" name?

Hmm. Very good. You rebel you. Anyway, glad you're here, I missed your posts. I've been offline for about a month and now can't seem to log into that "other" forum anymore. Which reminds me, I guess I should e-mail E.

If you're too easily shocked, I might suggest the toned down version of Happiness, it's called American Beauty.

Ditto on all the praise. One of the very best movies the year it came out. Brilliantly acted and directed. Hilarious and disturbing often both at the same time. And as for the spoilers above, well, I don't know how to use that effect. So I'll just say, "What do you mean, tried?"

Happiness is a thoroughly sad and depressing movie. You hate each character and it hurts to see them go deeper and deeper into the misery where they constantly wallow. The only resolution comes in a small burst (pun intended) at the end, otherwise the film mines the dredges of the American middle-class soul, giving us subject matter which we can all relate to on a basic level.

I personally don't know if I could see the movie again, it drained me.

I believe that Waters also said the American Beauty was to paraphrase him Happiness light. I tempted to say lite but screw advertising.

And even though I liked American Beauty, I think Waters hit it right on the nose/mark that Happiness is really the film that holds a mirror up to the face of many people, not AB and that it makes many people uncomfortable, so they lash out at it!

cheers, Tony Block

Hey B, E was over here for a minute, but I think he got kicked out. HA HA. He does miss ya tho.

G.

I don't think it's stupid at all. There is nothing wrong with having respect for a film that "pushes the envelope" or can evoke such strong responses from other people with doing so little (most of what people find vile in Happiness is merely implied). I think John Waters was saying that the same people that have applauded films that were considered shocking when they were younger and "hip" that are now in their 50s and beyond (his age) are shocked by something like Happiness that in many respects is probably tamer than some of the things that were pushing the envelope back when underground film was in its heydey. I enjoyed hearing his opinion because I think it is common for older critics who applauded the rebelious films of their generation to not be able to adapt to current films that are daring and audacious. Waters simply pointed out that Happiness illuminates that trend.
Regardless, why should it matter why he liked the film so much? People can like what they like for whatever reasons they want.... I doubt that the reason he gave in that commentary was the sole reason he liked the film.

While Happiness was a good film, I think the director blew it by adding a few things into the film for shock value. IMO, he ruined what would have been a brilliant film, by continually playing one upmanship with his audience. The film seemed to keep saying, "if you think I shocked you earlier, wait until you see this." This distracted from the actual story. The best example of this was the dog at the end. Most will respond by saying that it was funny or they laughed their butts off. But, we all no that our first reponse when we are uncomfortable with something is laughter. Just as Eyes Wide Shut did not go far enough to show sexual depravity, I think Happiness went to far, at least with some of the extraneous occurences.

I would recommend it as a definite rental, but I can not imagine wanting to own this film.

Eyes Wide Shut the US version, the directors version, or both?

saoirse:

I have only seen the US version.

It was edited. For example, the orgy scence was edited by placing computer images of people standing in the way of "the acts." The Hong Kong version is the only one I know which is currently the way Kubrick made it. I am still waiting for this version to be released in Region 1. The restored version, while not extremely racy, will push the envelope a little more.

This post is absolute heaven.

Look, I watched this for the first time last night, after umming and ahhing over it for a while. I waited until my wife was away for the evening, and gave it my full attention. And you know:

a) I laughed out loud a couple of times when I knew I shouldn't have, and;

b) The left me applauding Solondz's sheer audacity. And I mean both bits.

My God, there were some moments that made me cringe out loud. I don't often talk to a television set (not even one as nice as mine ), but I said "No, No, you can't!" at least three times during this movie. PARTICULARLY when the father .

It was a bit too obsessed with the verb "to for my liking ... there's only so much I care to see in one film, outside of a small dark booth with a nice secure curtain and rock music blotting out the noises next door. And it's totally understandable that critics, moviegoers and goddamn it concerned parents worldwide have slammed Happiness for depicting close-up, in a relatively non-sordid, everyday environment. But the perpetrator gets his comeuppance. He just doesn't get it during the film - but you can be sure that he would've done.

Happiness isn't screamingly funny, but it's got moments of genius. The moment when Philip Seymour Hoffman gently sucks his orangeade through a straw - just once, quietly - right after has got to be one of the greatest comedy touches I've ever seen.

It's for connoisseurs, and no, not connoisseurs of perversion. It's re-watchable because of all the nuanced performances. But make sure your Mum's not in the room ....

...I take it, then, that you liked and admired this movie - good for you! so did I ... and damn the nay-sayers!...

. . . . . .

Gotta love that Russian version of "You Light Up My Life"!

Heck yeah... I don't find myself loving the sick, twisted movies unless they've got something much, much more too them (i.e. I hated Audition).

That said, I loved Happiness the first time I saw it, the second, and even the third (and there are very few films I've ever seen 3 times).

Obviously the original poster has long since [cough]come[/cough] to his conclusion about the film, but so long as you are extremely easily offended, definitely give this one a chance.

I finally watched this tonight and all I can say is WTF?