Claudia is a young woman who is trying to find her place in the world. She is hampered by her turning into a shaggy winged creature when she gets out of sorts.
Stay with me because I have a great deal to say about HAPPY DAYS. I say that because there is a lot to unpack concerning this film. I also want to say that I absolutely love moments in this film and there are some things I question, however, over all I do like the film.
At the risk of scaring some people away the title of the film is a direct reference to the Samuel Becket play Happy Days about a woman who is buried in sand and unable to move. She remains happy because she choose to be. Claudia is seen in portions of the film in situations that mirror the play. This is because she is learning part of the play as her entry audition into a theatrical academy. While you don't need to know the play, it helps if you have some familiarity with it.
I absolutely loved the first third of this film. The set up of Claudia and her life was spectacular. There are some great performances and some fantastic needle drops that drive the film forward at pace. It's a wonderful look at a woman who is trying to find her place in the world.
The problem with the film comes in the second half of the film. Much of the shading of the first half disappears and the story is reduced to Claudia wandering around in her shaggy skin, trying to get along, worrying that everyone is looking at her (They are not they just take her as she is or ignore her as people in crowds do.) Indeed the film essentially stops some where in the final third where not much happens and it feels like they were just waiting for 90 minutes to run so they could end the film. It's not bad, but it doesn't live up to the first part of the film.
Okay, yes, the film ends on one of the best needle drops of the year, but I wish there had been a tad more in the final bit so that I cried rather than just got misty.
While HAPPY DAYS is imperfect it has these wonderful moments and killer ending which make it worth trying when you get the chance.
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