In 1932, after the phenomenal success of Universal's Dracula, director Tod Browning used his clout to ensure the release of his pet project Freaks. His insistence in casting real circus sideshow entertainers led to problems at MGM, where the performers were banned from the studio cafeteria and relegated to a mess tent outside, as horrified employees objected to their presence. Surely, we are more enlightened today? Perhaps not, as every photo we post on social media is edited and filtered until the actual person is sometimes unrecognizable.
Happy Face is an indie, Canadian dramedy recently getting a much deserved new lease on life on VOD. Imperfect, but empathetic and refreshing, this film is worthy of a wider audience.
Stanislas (Robin L'Houmeau) is a handsome if quixotic 19-year old that has disguised himself to falsely infiltrate a support group for disfigured people in 1990s Montreal. Director/co-writer Alexandre Franchi cast real people with visible deformities and scars in this film, some experienced, others first-time actors, lending heartbreaking realism to their stories of loss, in love, careers, and just the opportunity to function normally in our beauty-obsessed culture.
Struggling to come to terms with his mother’s difficult appearance and behavior after cancer surgery, Stan is quickly outed as a pretender by the group. They overlook his deception, as he challenges them to re-enter public life, overcoming their discomfort and reclaiming their experiences from the "normal". This gives us some of the film's best scenes, which are blunt, humorous, sometimes violent, and implausible, but this social risk-taking leads to this unique ensemble of characters blossoming.
This is a very personal movie to Franchi, as he has spoken about dealing with his own mother's disfigurement and death from cancer growing up, and he himself overcame bone cancer previously. Franchi and co-writer Joelle Bourjolly produced an interesting, totally authentic script that is well written and beautifully acted. The production values are there, but the real reason to recommend this movie is its originality. I do not recall ever having seen anything like it. It forces us to examine our own judgments and prejudices. Freaks derailed Tod Browning's career. At least today, Alexandre Franchi can release this entertaining and compelling movie with the expectation that the audience will not look away.
Patricia Pirillo