![]() The purpose behind most of what is shown on screen is all made obvious in the end, as Hur Jin-ho’s thoughtful direction is made obvious from his emotional compositions, although it is not the most narratively efficient. I wish that focus was even stronger, however, as it takes a while for the story engine to truly start running thanks to subplots we could have done without. It invites the viewer to question their role as decision makers for their kids, and to consider similar, unseen situations that may arise in reality. While I would have liked to see more of their kids’ perspectives, which felt excruciatingly important given the conflict at hand, I understand the choice to focus on the parents. With that being said, do not let the title mislead, and do not rush to choose a side! As brothers Jae-gyu (Jang Dong-gun), a doctor, and Jae-wan (Sol Kyung-gu), a lawyer, navigate their children’s teenhood with their spouses, the parents frontline tense familial battles between each other concerning rights, wrongs, and fatal consequences. This riveting family drama leads one down a rabbit hole of social facades and twisted morals that slowly meld with the escalation of its stakes. But when it comes to learning a hard truth, is it worth living in an ignorant bliss, or coping and moving on with life? Imagine making such a choice for one’s children this is the dilemma at the center of A Normal Family. ![]() (Written by Wyatt Frantz) Perspective tends to change when shown both sides of a story. Much like tasting snow for the first time, A Happy Day is an acquired taste, spotlighting a fresh voice in the cinema that sneaks up on the audience and explodes in flavor. Turning the confines of the camp into Zaman’s means for self-discovery, interpretive scenes treat its audience intelligently while staying well within the guidelines of its world. If the shoehorned poem recitals from the get go don’t make the thematic intention of the film clear, then an eventual explosion of expressionism will. Literal personifications of Hamid’s visions and thoughts make things only more interesting both visually and narratively, advancing the plot while also adding a great deal of character building and depth. Placing Hamid (Salah Qadi) at a crossroads, his balancing act between adolescence, pursuit of war-stricken happiness, and hallucinations of reindeer make it suddenly obvious that this is not a story that we have seen before. But once Aida’s (Sarah Aman Mentzoni) overdue appearance adds spice to the tired trap of our characters, my interest only grew until the credits rolled. The occasional indulgence in aggressively weird worldbuilding and character development feels out of place. Stiff performances from some of the cast and a lack of exposition struck me with a slight cinematic whiplash at first. Hisham Zaman’s completely original voice that strikes a perfect balance between the bright and dull sides of the story, using deadpan shots and an occasionally whimsical tone, feels vaguely reminiscent of a bitter Wes Anderson. Gunshots that pierce the air of the camp remind them of their unsure fate, but the beautiful, yet menacing snowy mountains looming over them remind them that there is another way. A desolate premise takes on a more effervescent perspective than one would expect, as a like minded community of teens find ways to enjoy their youth before being sent out into the world. ![]() (Written by Wyatt Frantz) Throwing its audience headfirst into the dense pit of snow that is Norway’s youth asylum center, A Happy Day takes confident strides in its uniquely stoic, yet absurd style of filmmaking. That didn’t stop us from consuming some of our favorite movies of the year! Don’t miss our full coverage of this year’s TIFF after the jump. Similar to last year, 2023’s Toronto International Film Festival was mainly an in-person affair, even further limiting access to some of the fest’s biggest titles.
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