Cannes Review 1: HappyThankYouMorePlease

Stacey Graves

Review 1

Credits:

Writer: Jason Radnor

Director: Jason Radnor

Producers: Jesse Hara, Austin Stark, Benji Kohn, Chris Papavasiliou

Executive producers: Glenn Williamson, Bingo Gubelmann, Peter Sterling

Cast: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Pablo Schreiber, Tony Hale

Running Time: 90 minutes

I chose to see HappyThankYouMorePlease merely out of a curiosity sparked by the title. I had no real expectations other than perhaps it might be a nice romantic comedy in which I could catch up on some much needed sleep before going to see Robin Hood. I never expected to leave the theater happy and wanting more, which is surprisingly this film's exact effect. In short, the title turns out to be quite appropriate.

HappyThankYouMorePlease is the ninety minute directorial debut for Jason Radnor. As the director, writer, and main character, Radnor is the logical person to hold accountable for the film's content and, therefore, the person I should be impressed with for creating such a simple and effective feel-good movie. Though the film does land itself within the US romantic comedy genre by focusing on the interconnected relationships between three different couples living in New York, the genuine writing and well-developed characters distinguish Radnor's work from others with similar storylines. HappyThankYouMorePlease toys with subject matter that is admittedly less than innovative but the value of the writing transforms an overused premise and succeeds in presenting a refreshing and enjoyable film.

Set in present day New York, the main character Sam ( played by Radnor) is a writer in his twenties struggling to publish a novel and living his life with as few long term commitments as possible. On his way to an important meeting Sam notices a small boy get separated from his family on the train. What begins as Sam attempting to take the boy to the police station evolves into him bonding with the child and essentially keeping him for the following few days. Bordering this center relationship between Sam and Rashad are the three less prominent struggles of Sam's best friend as she struggles with Alopecia and an unhealthy taste in men, a couple within his social group facing a possible split due to job opportunities and geographical preferences ( LA versus New York of course), and lastly Sam's pursuit of a lovely young singer/bartender who refuses to fall into the one night stand category to which he has become so accustomed.

Each relationship within the film is brilliantly interwoven into the others without any contrived leaps. The unifying message underlying all of the individual struggles, regardless of how separate the problems seem to be initially, is the optimistic notion that, as Malin Ackerman's character puts it, "Sadness be gone." Radnor's film unabashedly promotes the theme of people realizing they are worthy of love and with that revelation are then capable of getting their life into order.

At the most basic level HappyThankYouMorePlease is a film about self-progression. Every character slowly acknowledges their individual flaws and becomes stronger as a result. It is through the portrayal of these flaws that the film makes a name for itself. By openly displaying the various perceptions and shortcomings of each character the film succeeds in portraying believable people with believable problems. The final components of witty comments and beautiful editing compilations create a quality of dialogue and cinematography that combine to produce a final product of endearing and entertaining value that lacks all elements of fabrication.

I left HappyThankYouMorePlease with a more optimistic attitude and stronger appreciation for life. Any movie that can improve not only my current mood but also my general outlook on the day is definitely a movie I recommend seeing, even if it is a rom-com.