Change Your Image
michaelnolan
Reviews
Happy (2016)
Being happy is a choice.
There is an electricity in Leonard Zimmerman that is so palpable, you can see it in the way he can't ever be still. The cute little robot he created, hovering over a simple word, is so much more than cute or simple.
HAPPY is about more than a graphic designer making a sticker that's gone global. HAPPY is about a human being who was hurt so deeply that he nearly became a robot. HAPPY is about learning to face down your demons, call them by name, and give them their marching orders.
HAPPY is an urgent message in a cute package. It is the message that we can't afford to ignore the joy around us, or the people around us who bring it. HAPPY is as universal as it is personal. I became so lost in the film that I forgot I was watching the story of someone I love and call my friend.
This film is a master work, handled with love and reverence by freshman filmmaker Michael McKinley and his incredible team. It may have been his first film (which I still have trouble believing), but I can guarantee it won't be his last.