Happiness (DVD)

==Happiness== I'm not a one of those people that wants to see Todd Solondz's Happiness banned forever, as so many do. I just want to stop you wasting your money on renting or downloading it. It's a film that sets out to show the mundane middle class suburbia in it's true light. It's apparently a class entirely populated by stalkers, murderers, pushovers and paedophiles. Unfortunatley rather than being a gritty take on real issues it's more of a boring, long and uninteresting saga based around dull characters, who are all linked in one way or another to the three sisters featuring in the film. It features unrealisic dialogue and plot and has no real point. ...  Read the complete review

Whoever described this as the funniest film of the year (1998) must be a pretty sick individual. The main 2 characters are a paedophile who drugs and abuses his 11 year son's friends, and a loner who 'satisfies' himself going through the phonebook making obscene calls. I only remember laughing once (at the end of the film, more out of relief than anything else)which is bad sign for a supposed comedy; you're far more likely to be disturbed by the film than amused. The acting in the film is good, the characters convince you they should all be locked up (along with the writer), but the plot of waiting to see what unseemly act is to follow wasn't for me. ...  Read the complete review

As sickening, nasty, cynical and pathetic a film as anything that doesn't have David Lynch's name on the credits, Todd Slondz' Happiness is a thoroughly embarrassing affair for all the wrong reasons. A series of inter-woven narratives concerning this or the other broken or at least severely buckled character and his or her social / sexual / professional incompetence, Slondz film amounts to little more than the slogans on the back of those Slipknot shirts from a while back - "People = Sh*t." It is an attention-grabbing, Me! Me! Me! stunt-picture sorely undeserving of its cast, all of whom are terrific, turning in performances far more ...  Read the complete review

It's interesting to see many of the reviews on here knocking Happiness as dull and mean-spirited. I couldn't disagree more - it is a thrilling commentary not only on the middle class underbelly, but the tragic desperation shared by humanity. It's very cynical for sure, but it's also extremely funny, but I can certainly see it being an acquired taste - I only yesterday watched parts of the film again as it was on TV, and the audience I saw it with were absolutely repulsed. Todd Solondz made a name for himself with the character piece Welcome to the Dollhouse, a film about the alienation of a young, unattractive girl in her formative years. Happiness is far more ...  Read the complete review

This film is realistic down to the very last detail, it is a very challenging and character intensive film. It is very hard to watch this film without having some kind of feelings for the array of hopeless characters all searching for their own private 'Happiness'. This film also represents great entertainment, because it is also one of the most subtly funny films I have seen in a long time. A fantastic performance from Phillip Seymour Hoffman only helps what is one of the finest films I have ever seen A true great. I really can't recommend this film enough. ...  Read the complete review