Happy End

About Happy End

Happy End is a 2017 drama film written and directed by Michael Haneke. The film follows the story of a bourgeois European family and their life dramas, while they unsuspectingly live next to a refugee camp. The storyline captures the essence of family dynamics, social implications and also emphasizes on the socio-political situation in Europe.

Making/Production

Composed in Haneke's classic cinematic style, Happy End was produced by the French production company Les Films du Losange and co-produced by Germany's X-Filme Creative Pool and Austria's Wega Film. Filming took place in the northern French city of Calais, against the backdrop of the city's refugee crisis.

Actors

• Isabelle Huppert as Anne Laurent - Huppert effectively portrayed the troubled scion of the Laurent family, managing the family business while dealing with personal issues.
• Jean-Louis Trintignant as Georges Laurent – Trintignant successfully revisits his role from Haneke’s earlier film "Amour", as the patriarch of the Laurent family desiring a tranquil death.
• Mathieu Kassovitz as Thomas Laurent – Kassovitz plays a doctor grappling with infidelity, showcasing a nuanced performance of a man in mid-life crisis.

Trivia/Interesting Facts

• Happy End was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
• This film's ending has been left deliberately ambiguous and has stirred numerous interpretations amongst viewers and critics alike.

Awards

The film didn’t win any significant awards but was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.

Quotes

• "It’s a matter of education, darling. Yours is obviously lacking." - Georges Laurent
• "No, I’m not angry, I’m desperate!" - Anne Laurent

Music, Soundtrack

• The soundtrack of Happy End is sparse but effectively heightens the film’s dramatic tension. One prominent track is “Gnossienne No. 1” by Erik Satie.