CRY FUNNY HAPPY A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2003 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
Sam Neave's CRY FUNNY HAPPY is an enjoyable film with modest ambitions and equally modest success. Featuring six strong performances by Tif Luckenbill, Marjan Neshat, Amy Redford (yes), David Robinette, Kellee Stewart and Michael Traynor, the story happens over one night as Wes (Traynor) celebrates his thirtieth birthday at a party for other yuppies at his New York City apartment. The movie would have been better titled MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING were that title not already taken.
Before the party gets underway, three couples joke happily, but, once the booze is served and everyone is inebriated, truths begin to be spoken, although none are shocking. This causes friendships to start to unravel. The story contains a single nice twist, which I should have seen coming but didn't.
"I was speaking, and I wasn't exactly sure what I was saying," Ally (Redford) confesses to her boyfriend, Lenny (Luckenbill). That will happen when you're drunk.
By the end of the film, I found that I had grown to like the characters because the acting had been so good, but I knew relatively little about them. Maybe someday, when Neave is a more accomplished filmmaker, he can return to these characters and tell us more. I, for one, want to know what happens to them.
CRY FUNNY HAPPY runs 1:33. It is not rated but would be an R for brief strong language and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film was shown recently as part of San Jose's Cinequest Film Festival (www.Cinequest.org), which ran February 27 to March 9, 2003.
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