Not Another Happy Ending

Jane Lockhart (Karen Gillan) is not a happy person. She hates her publisher Frenchman Tom Duval for changing the title of her book to Happy Ending. The book becomes a best seller. She reconnects with her estranged father Benny. Her boyfriend Willie Scott is writing the screenplay. Everything seems to be perfect but she can't finish her second book. She's stuck on Chapter 37. Her fictional protagonist Darsie starts hounding her. Tom fears her writer's block threatens his company. With his assistant Roddy, Tom tries to make her unhappy like before so she would finish her book. Her happiness is only on the surface and Tom finds himself falling for her.

I want Karen Gillan to get better material than this. This is not that funny. Any smile-worthy moments come from Karen being Karen. She's not really a comedian. She has some physical comedic skills but it's not enough. There are very few relationships with chemistry in this movie. The best one is probably the father daughter struggles. Gary Lewis is the only one doing any worthwhile acting. Stanley Weber is rather stiff and he doesn't have enough time with Gillan. They need more screen time together to develop that chemistry. On the other side, Henry Ian Cusick is playing a superficial villain. This is not good enough.

Rom Com a bit of a maligned term in the world of films, but I think it is a question of degree. Would I like a full on romantic film? No. Would I like a full on comedy? No. So a combination of these two is likely to be a disaster for me, unless it is done as well Not Another Happy Ending.

The film is well acted and all characters are well drawn, memorable and actors put their hearts into the performance. The camera work and editing do a great job to establishing the world the characters inhabit but allow the characters time to develop instead quickly moving on to next scene. The direction is interesting when it needs to be, but the actors are the main focus on the film, so that is just as well fancy camera work is not used when they are delivering their performances.

The story is enjoyable and probably more realistic than you might think, if you think that would never happen or character would not be like that, for the purpose of entertainment let it go, its not a gritty life study.

Karen Gillan really has proved her her leading lady status here, and although the star of the film the supporting cast are also fantastic you can tell there must have been temptation to expand their roles further, perhaps should be focus of further stories.

Criticism of the film I would say is mostly the predictability of the plot,even with my little knowledge of the Rom Com,you know what is going to happen , but, these films are not watched for plot twists , unpredictable events. Budget is not a noticeable issue but it has a feel of an extended pilot for a TV series which never got made (and of course should have been made)and those who helped crowdsource fund the film should be proud of what the helped create.

A final recommendation is the music, it's great and mostly not well known. The most mainstream track saved for the high emotional point, almost goes too far , but I can forgive that or release the soundtrack I can always skip that track, while loving the rest.

Passes the Bechdel Test

I've seen this film twice now, first in Edinburgh at the film festival, then in Inverness. I enjoyed it both times.

You have to bear in mind the target audience for this. It's for people who want to watch something light-hearted and fun, and in this it certainly delivers.

It's quirky and fun and the cast give excellent performances. Karen is, as ever, beautiful and very camera friendly. She portrays the character well and her dialogue with the delightful Darsie is nicely done. Her dad is very believable and gritty. Willie is quietly loathsome and you really want him to be kicked to the kerb! Darsie and Roddy are excellent characters and acted very well indeed. The chemistry between Jane and Tom was a bit lacklustre, but it was still 'nice'.

There's enough footage of Glasgow to show it in a nice light without it looking like an ad for visitscotland. It's encouraging to see Glasgow in a movie where it's not all about violence, poverty or drugs. (or zombies, if you count World War Z!)

All in all, it's a nice movie. If you like this genre you should go see it. If you like Karen Gillan, you should DEFINITELY go see it!

I watched Not Another Happy Ending due to my love for Karen Gillan. And the film was a perfectly serviceable, if unremarkable rom-com. There was a nugget of a story for a dark comedy where a publisher encourages an author by making them miserable and there were some cute moments that got a chuckle out of me like Jane (Karen Gillan) throwing a phone in the fridge. Gillan did show her star-power and comic timing in this film.

I really can't understand cynics. Whilst this one will never be as revered as the Bill Forsyth classic "Gregory's Girl", it more than deserve's it's own place in Scottish cinema's finer moments. Beautiful cinematography shot in and around Glasgow in a way that's almost unrecognisable, with lead characters who command every scene they're in (The delicious Karen Gillan a real star in waiting) I can't understand why anyone could find anything negative to report on this movie, unless of course they turned up with something sharp stuck firmly between their rear cheeks. Of course when you're working with a small budget, you're restricted to a degree in a way that the Hollywood romcoms of the like they churn out regular, featuring this weeks Aniston or Rudd don't have to put up with. So to produce superior, fresh, well written entertainment (albeit, not too taxing on the brain) with the tools available, I can only commend. Anyone who sees it and says different, really should question why they went in the first place.