HAPPY END
France/Austria, 2017, 107 minutes, Colour.
Isabelle Hppert, Jean- Louis Trintignant, Mathieu Kassovitz, Fantine Harduin, Frantz Rogowski, Laura Verlinden, Toby Jones.
Directed by Michael Haneke.
Over the decades Michael Haneke has built up a very strong reputation. He is an Austrian, making his early films in Austria but later working in Austrian-French? co-productions, spoken in French. His films have featured in international festivals and his casts have won many awards. Isabelle Huppert has appeared in several of his films and won best actress in Cannes for The Piano Teacher. And Haneke has won the Palme D’ Or there for The White Ribbon and for Amour.
This means that those who have followed Haneke’s career in films will know that a title like Happy End will probably not have a happy ending – and will probably not have a happy beginning or middle either. And that is right.
Haneke’s previous film was Amour, about an elderly couple, ageing, Alzheimer’s, and issues of assisted suicide. Emmanuelle Riva won an Oscar nomination at 85 for her performance. Also in the film were Jean-Louis? Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert and they both appear in this film, with similar names from the previous film although this is not a sequel.
Rather, this is a story of the different generations of a family, well off, owning a building construction firm, living in Calais with refugee servants but little connection with the infamous camps of refugees at the edge of the town.
At the centre of the film is Anne, Isabelle Huppert, the most competent member of the family and, despite her tough stances, the most likeable of the characters. Her father, Jean-Louis? Trintignant, tells his family that he is losing his marbles, wants to kill himself, but still has a great deal to say to the various members of the family. There is also his son, Thomas, Mathieu Kassowitz, a very able doctor who has divorced his first wife who has died of drug complications, has a young daughter from that marriage, 13-year-old Eve, Fantine Harduin, who comes to live with him and his new wife and young child. Then there is Anne’s son, Pierre (Franz Rogowki), a moody young man who is to inherit the family business but seems incapable.
Haneke has always been interested in media, and now social media. An early film is Benny’s Video. Contemporary media pervades this film, the opening credits having Eve filming her mother in the bathroom with dates and times and her commentary. Later there is video, You Tube, of a young musician. Thomas is involved in an online relationship, texting.
At the beginning of the film, there is an industrial accident on site and Anne has to deal with this as well as with welcoming Eve to the family, concerned about her father and his mental health, dealing with her son, dealing with meetings about liabilities and insurance because of the accident. Anne also has a relationship with a British man, Toby Jones, who eventually will meet the family.
There is some rapport between the grandfather and Eve, his being aware of her emotions, mental instability – she seems to be very depressed young girl.
Actually, there is no real end to the film, let alone a happy one. Rather, the director has invited us into this family, to observe, to react, relying on audience empathy and understanding, even for alienating characters.
1. The title? The ironies? Very little happiness?
2. The work of the director, his hard themes, his film about ageing and suicide, Amour? The links to this film in names of characters?
3. His Austrian- French sensibility? The strong cast? The situations, dysfunctional family?
4. The film as a family story, real, elements of happiness, pervading sadness, the dysfunctions?
5. The setting in Calais, the home, the wealth, the garden? The background of the immigrants in camps in Calais and their plight? Workers and servants? The streets, the beach, the contrast of life in the camps with ordinary life? The musical score?
6. The director’s interest in mass media, the various aspects of video, photos, cameras, recording? Karaoke evenings and strobe lights? The boy on video, Facebook, texting, phone calls, emails? The fact of mass media, social media, the critique?
7. Anne as the centre of the family, her age, experience, the absence of her husband, her relationship with her son, loving him but seeing him unreliable? The business, sensible? The talks with her son? Talking with her father, the meals, his saying he was losing his marbles? Concern about his suicide attempt? Her relationship with Thomas, her brother, his two wives, the new baby, Eve and her trying to cope with the death of her mother, being received into the house, welcomed? Her fiance, in England, the phone calls and discussions? The meals, the tension? The accident, on the building site, the damage? Anne dealing with it, her competence, the letter of the law, the family name, the investigation? Apologies? Encounter with survivors? Her son, wanting him to succeed her? But his lack of ability?
8. Thomas, a top doctor, his success, responsibilities? His first marriage, separation from his wife, her mental state, the dosage and her death? Eve, not knowing her, inviting her to the home? His relationship with Anais? Love or not? New baby? His spending time with Eve, continually welcoming her, putting himself down, appologising, the awkwardness, talks, her room, the talk on the beach? His texting his mistress? Eve overhearing him on the phone, the ambiguity? Her discerning that he would leave his wife? The truth about his wife?
9. Eve, her age, relationship with her parents, the credits and the initial video, her filming her mother, the times, the explanations? Her lack of rapport with her mother? Her giving her the of the dosage? Hospital, death? With the family, probably depressed, dealing with her father, the interactions with her grandfather, especially after his suicide, his reading her character?
10. The grandfather, his age, turning 85, business success, fearing he was losing his marbles, at the table, in his office, Eve to visit, interrogating her? In the night, his going to his car, driving, the crash, not himself? The birthday party? His persuading Eve to push his wheelchair down into the sea? Anne and Thomas hurrying to save him?
11. Anais, her relationship with Thomas, love or not, her devotion to her son?
12. The birthday party, the cellist, Thomas and the relationship? Her angry behaviour after the performance?
13. The servants, welcoming, their work, migrants of the issues of Calais?
14. Anne’s fiance, the phone calls, being in England, business advice, his arriving, the presence of the meal?
15. The glimpse of contemporary family via contemporary media?
16. The title – and enjoy less family?
