Happy Now (2001)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Philippa Cousins

Writer:

Belinda Bauer (writer)

Release Date:

25 October 2002 (Spain)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

A teenage girl whose eerie resemblance to a local Welsh beauty queen killed 14 years earlier disturbs one of the men responsibile for her accidental death.

Cast

Ioan Gruffudd	...	Sgt Max Bracchi
Susan Lynch	...	Tina Trent
Om Puri	...	Tin Man
Emmy Rossum	...	Nicky Trent / Jenny Thomas
Paddy Considine	...	Glen Marcus
Richard Coyle	...	Joe Jones
Robert Pugh	...	Hank Thomas
John Henshaw	...	PC Pete Copsey
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Mark Wraith
Alison Steadman	...	Bronwyn Race
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Helen Gwyn	...	Sandy
Sioned Jones	...	Mary Thomas
Christopher Mountfield	...	Green Haired Boy
Maria Pride	...	Sharon Marcus
Rachel Rice	...	Second Contestant

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Barmouth Bridge, Barmouth, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

Company:

Arts Council of Wales

Quotes:

Joe Jones: Jenny Thomas tripped over a sheep so I shot Glenn Marcus in the head.

Mystery killing in a little community proceeded with cool acting

The picture is set in a little town from North Wales, where a vagrant named Tin man(Om Puri) is wrongly framed of murdering. Years later, a newcomer local policeman(Ioan Gruffud) investigates the deeds .When appears a local woman named Tina Trent(Susan Lynch) just returned, along with her daughter(Emmy Rossum) in the little place. The daughter bears a remarkable resemblance with the disappeared girl. As suspects are Marcus(Paddy Considine)and his friend(Richard Coyle). The policeman is helped by the local barber(Robert Pugh), killing girl's father, and the Tin man.

This agreeable movie displays suspense, thrills, Welsh costumes, mystery and enjoyable performances. Main casting is frankly well, with actors today making American career, such as Ioan Gruffud (Arthur) as intelligent local policeman, Emmy Rossum(Phantom of Opera) in a double role as shy adolescent and Susan Lynch as attractive mother. Furthermore, excellent secondary cast as the nasties Paddy Considine and Richard Coyle . Glamorous cinematography by Richard Greatex(Flawless, Detonator,Chaos, A knight's tale). Atmospheric musical score by Dario Marianelli(V for vendetta, Brothers Grimm, Shooting dogs, Pride and prejudice). The motion picture is well directed by Philippe Cousins in his first and only movie, though previously won a Bafta prize for TV. Rating : Acceptable and passable.