Happy Endings (2005)

It was on Flix yesterday, a Saturday, the one day of the week where they dump all the tepid films, they just line them up and bang them out. Every cliché you see in this film was done better by other films, from the gradually intersecting multiple character story arcs to the free-spirited young girl to the pre-twitter explanatory narrative panels that give you a glimpse into each character's life. A yawnfest from beginning to end, this film appears to be the product of a class project, every single scene starts with two people quietly enjoying office/work/home/sitting in a car, and it gradually escalates into some kind of dramatic altercation and culminates in an argument, shouting, gunfire, etc. Here's a tip: have more than two people in every scene, and throw your money at a skilled screenwriter instead of compromising with evenly-paced soap-opera style rollouts that you can see coming a mile away. Everything that is wrong and awful and boring and headache-inducing about mid-2000s films is encapsulated in this lackluster enterprise. Don't waste your time watching this, go to the zoo or something.

This is actually quite a intriguing movie and the three subplots were interesting for the most part. I had to pay attention to this move instead of just listening to the dialogue while surfing the web, because in certain scene the movie goes into split screen. And while the movie is going, the other side of the split screen has certain text that give more info about the characters of what is going on or what is going through the characters mind. Which I thought was sort of unique and didn't seem tacky and fit right into the movie. Sure the three subplots aren't connected very closely, but it's still a pretty intriguing black comedy with pretty good performances. It's a ballsy and creative movie that keeps the interesting aspect going until it's finished. It would have gotten a higher score from me if the plot was interwoven together more better.7.3/10

Don Roos's 'Happy Endings' is a splendid comedy drama about complex people and their complicated relationships and pursuit for significance. It tells the story of lost people who are in search of something to feel important. Saying more would be giving out too much but as the viewer travels along with these characters in their search for happiness we learn how they find something to hold on to and that a happy ending need not necessarily be the fairy tale ending that we all know does not exist. In my humble opinion, this movie has one of the best endings. Don Roos comes up with a totally original complex and he tells the story beautifully. The execution is superb and I liked reading the captions. His quirky characters are richly defined and even though they are not always likable, they are sympathetic. The soundtrack is wonderful and it introduces Maggie Gyllenhaal's singing talents. Clark Mathis's cinematography is first rate. A cast could not get any better than having Lisa Kudrow, Steve Coogan, Jesse Bradford, Bobby Cannavale, Jason Ritter, Laura Dern, Tom Arnold, Maggie Gyllenhaal, David Sutcliff, Johnny Galecki and Maggie Gyllenhaal in one film. All of them perform excellently. This should be proof enough that Lisa Kudrow can carry a film as lead actress. Coogan too is very convincing as Mamie's stepbrother. Gyllenhaal and Bradford prove that they are two of the finest actors of the current generation. Laura Dern is very effective in a small role and I like how Tom Arnold plays the incredibly naive do-gooder dad . I have already watched 'Happy Endings' a couple of times and it doesn't get old. I don't know if it's the kind of movie that would appeal to a majority of the general movie watchers but it is one of my all time favourite films and I look forward to anything by Don Roos.

Unexpected, intelligent, engrossing. I haven't been driven to recover my IMDb account to write a review for years, until watching this. A very satisfying comedy, beautifully acted, with Kudrow and Gyllenhaal standing out. The structure, starting in one moment, then moving to the past while giving the audience titles commenting, with reassurances or warnings, surprises and adds to the overall effects of an intricately structured, cleverly constructed story - or rather, stories, that connect slightly and dance around each other. Characters who in other comedies would do certain things don't do those obvious things in this movie; people behave like people, for the most part. What's it about? Lies, secrets, people lying to themselves, people becoming some part of the lies they tell; people telling the truth and almost always landing on their feet. Roos's titles are less explanatory than they first appear; the last one contributes to the overall feeling that yes, this is a story being told, and, like writers, good filmmakers often tell stories about characters over whom they feel little control. Showing that to the viewer makes the film feel alive, the characters more real. The music adds both a lightness and poignancy. A few sour notes sounded - the lesbian couple behaved in a more sit-commy, over-the-top way than I thought believable - but overall, this was a movie I was happy to be swept away by, and look forward to seeing again. Gyllenhaal shines - but they all do - I never imagined liking Tom Arnold in a role, yet he comes across as vulnerable, likable, and kind. Just about all the actors and characters are equally well-served. In the end, it's clear the filmmaker cares for them, faults and all; it's the message he sends with Gyllenhaal's final song. Despite fraught moments, broken relationships, gun-pointing, and big secrets, it's rightly billed as a comedy - human nature is celebrated, flaws and all. Just outstanding.