Happy Here and Now

Michael Almeredya, USA, 2002
3 out of 4 stars

I watched this very obscure film because I was writing a paper on another film by the director, Michael Almereyda, namely his version of Hamlet mentioned earlier. Usually I would hate this kind of film, because there is no ending whatsoever. I don't mean that kind of "emotional ambiguity" ending like we see in Broken Flowers or A History of Violence (although I liked the first example better actually), but instead, the kind of ending that gives no emotional climax, tension or anything of the sort, and in fact invalidates the plot. It honestly lets you know that that seemed to matter actually mattered! Almereyda really seems to think that he has transcended narrative. The fact that this film sat on the shelves for three years after its first festival showing before getting a two-screen release and a DVD right after in December 2005 seems to suggest he was wrong.

With all the reasons stated for why I couldn't possibly recommend this film, I was surprisingly forgiving of all these sins. The atmosphere was quite engaging and the indulgent "philosophical" dialogue wasn't too off-putting. Plus, the reason this film finally became available was that it showed the usually unfilmed parts of New Orleans, the parts largely destroyed by Katrina. The film therefore has a value that has very little to do with the intentions behind it (although kudos still goes to Almereyda for filming something other than the French Quarter).

Source: Sony DVD
16 January, 8 PM