Happiness (UK)

You don`t know when to be shocked or laugh. It is extremely disturbing to watch. Keep children away from this one. I contains extreme adult situations.

A repulsive film which manages to glorify and encourage mass murder, child abuse etc... dont buy, dont rent and dont be curious. This film is less than nothing. It trivialises child abuse and attempts to gain laughs at the same time. All involved are obvously lacking in any morals or sense of responsibility. A scene involving a man walking through a park shooting people at random is one of many offensive items. This film is bordering on the criminally offensive. A waste of space.

Hmm.

I`m tempted to ask for the other visitor reviews here to be removed.

it`s all good and fine not liking the subject matter of a film but don`t just slate it because of that - this is a damn fine film and painfully funny and smart at times.

sure it deals with controversial, indeed shocking subjects but that`s the point, dear.

reading reviews such as those above is akin to sending a granny whose favourite film is the Sound of Music to see Pitch Black and then valuing their comments!!

irrelevant.

rather than slamming it let people read what it`s about and then decide for themselves if they want to watch it.

For those who aren`t put off by what`s said above Happiness is one helluva film. Following three sisters and those they are in contact with it takes a sly and strangely sympathetic look at several people who are `falling through the cracks`

The thing that really horrifies people here is the father & psychologist character`s tumble through paedophilia. Don`t worry - you never see anything. BUT you just KNOW what he`s going to do and it IS horrible. It`s not pointless, his internal torture and self-hate are what it`s really about - and that`s what the director draws your sympathies towards.

Along the way there are painful moments of hilarity and a lot of thought provoking stuff. Second biggest laugh of the film had to be when the poet sister (who`s distraught that she`s never had any childhood trama as she can`t write genuine tragedy) gets a dirty prank phone call from her neighbour... and rings straight back - desperate for some abuse in her life... mad!

In summary: a quality, if freaky, film, OK DVD - no extras for all the obvious reasons... upon release the whole "moral majority" (those people who think they have the right to tell us when we can open our eyes) screamed bloody murder and the film was hush-hushed, hence it being cult-ified.

If, tho, you can get past the "there is a paedo in this therefore it is the DEVIL you hear boy" (damn fussball) thing and can see the humanity and humour even in these horrible situations then you just might love this.
"daddy? would u f*ck me?" "no son, i`d jerk-off instead"