Happy Together (1997)

Happy Together

• I gotta be careful how I word this, because by no means do I mean it negatively, but this film was very hard to get through. It takes such a mental toll on you, and you can’t help but feel every bit of pain that the main characters feel. Not just that, but it’s one of the best representations of the hardships of a relationship that I’ve ever seen. Not just a gay relationship, but any relationship in general. Of course, I have zero relationship experience, so I technically don’t have anything to go off of. But you get my point. It’s such a struggle to get through because of all the bumps and bruises (physically and figuratively) that the characters have. It’s written from the perspective of Lai Yiu-Fai, and even though it’s only 97 minutes, it’s about the most extensive 97 minutes I’ve seen. So much happens in so little time. Right off the bat, you jump into his mind, try to decipher his decisions, and figure out each of his emotions. It’s a great character study, while still being laid back enough to show an entire romance, as opposed to solely focusing on one person. And again, it’s hard to get through, but it’s completely worth it. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai delivers an all time performance, and he tells most of the story solely through his facial expressions. He also demonstrates a lot of his feelings physically, mainly through his interactions with Leslie Cheung. The two of them have fantastic chemistry together, though it’s not always positive feelings between them. Above all, my favorite thing about this whole film is the way it was shot. It could easily see the passion put into each frame, and the low budget/homemade quality makes you realize you don’t need a fancy setup to make an amazing film. All you need is an idea and a creative drive. Lastly, the soundtrack and music was nice and sentimental, and ending it with Danny Chung’s cover of “Happy Together” was the only way to end it. Overall, this is a tragic love story, yet it’s so beautiful and touching. All I’ll say is don’t believe the title, or else you’re in for a real surprise. I would recommend this to absolutely everyone. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!