Thursday, July 12, 2012

Happiness is an inside job

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

                Norwegian movie called "Sykt lykkelig" ("Happy Happy") tells the story of two couples. Kaja and Eirik rent a house to Elisabeth and Sigve. And madness ensues. Kaja and Eirik don't have the greatest relationship. They haven't had sex for over a year, Eirik wipes his lips after kissing Kaja and prefers watching men wrestle to spending time with his wife. It pretty soon becomes clear that he is gay but isn't able to admit it to her, or to himself. In spite of it all Kaja wants to be happy and tries as much as she can. When Elisabeth and Sigve, seemingly perfect couple, arrive, it makes Kaja more happy and more miserable at the same time. But things aren't as they seem. Elisabeth cheated on Sigve and their relationship is in a crisis too. Next thing you know, practically everybody tries to hit on everybody and at the end of it all they're back at the beginning. Almost.


                "Sykt lykkelig" is a movie that celebrates love and happiness. It shows us how people can connect through time in ways they didn't even thought possible and that there are bonds which can hardly be broken. Elisabeth and Sigve cheated on each other more than once but realize that no one else can give them what they have with each other. They've been through so much together that they've become more than just a husband and wife. They are each other's past and present, they know one another the way no one else can know them and they are still in love. It's different with Kaja and Eirik. Although they're connected by strong bonds as well, Eirik never loved Kaja in a romantic way, and Kaja has never been happy as she can be. Nevertheless, she tried. And that optimism and wish for happiness were rewarded, albeit in a strange way. Eirik finally admitted his sexual orientation and enabled her to seek someone who can respond to all that she has to offer.


                There's also a subplot involving the sons of two pairs. Kaja and Eirik's son Theodor, and Elisabeth and Sigve's adopted son Noa. Noa is an African boy, and the subplot involves Theodor forcing him to pretend to be his slave and, however strange that may sound, boys bonding through master-slave game. I must admit I'm still not sure what's the purpose of that subplot. To me it seems useless, but maybe I'm missing the point.


                All in all it's a good movie trying to show what is insurmountable and what's not, in a romantic relationship. It also shows you that no matter what, you shouldn't lose your faith in happiness. If for no other reason, you should watch it because of that.

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