Happiness

A masterpiece.

Take the safety off of the comedy Magnum called Happiness and put the barrel in your mouth. You'll laugh your ass off as it takes off the back of your head...It could be the best film of the year. At the very least, I'll never forget it.

It has taken only two films, "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and now Happiness, for Todd Solondz to establish his as one of the most lacerating, funny and distinctive voices in American film.

Where Happiness shines, however, is in the series of extraordinary performances given by the members of the diverse ensemble cast. Leading the group is Dylan Baker, whose turn as Bill is astounding.

[Solondz's] blistering, brilliantly transgressive satire is sure to rattle even the most jaded filmgoer. It's also a remarkably compassionate profile of American life at its most desperate.

Baker does an amazingly sensitive job with the ticklish part and is joined in this by Read, who is superlative as his inquisitive young son.

Solondz's filmmaking style tries to make a virtue out of flatness and distance, and is always more comfortable indicating where feelings would go than actually providing them.

This is a thought provoking masterful movie definitely not for the emotionally faint-hearted (or closed-minded, which may amount to the same thing). It really reveals the nature of emotions and sexuality and the pathological disconnectedness of modern society. The movie is both very sad and extremely funny at the same time. I highly recommend this movie to film buffs and anyone who takes an interest in the heart of things.

Off the charts ridiculous. Happiness manages to be disturbing and kind of funny at the same time. The movie is too long and the characters are reprehensible, with scenes that were repulsive. I guess it will be a movie to remember but in more bad ways than good.

Only boring depressed white people would find this movie “clever” or entertaining. It’s a shame that such a talented cast would take part in such an pointless project. If you feel life is so goddamn meaningless then why even make movies.

Supposedly absurdist and very clever, but to me just seemed a monotonous, overly-lengthy, sordid mess with pointlessly dysfunctional 2D characters. Wantonly repulsive and depressing: a black comedy without the comedy. Abysmal.

Amazing ! I have never in my life seen a movie where pretty much every single scene was disgusting, depressive, and repulsing. Why would a filmmaker make this movie ? What is the message ? What should the audience get out of it ? It simply shows the worst of people, in a ridiculously exaggerated way... Try assuming that everyone is great, and capable of great things, for a change !