H Is for Happiness

I seldom enjoy Australian films. This one was quite decent. It's certainly not a 9/10 or 10/10 like the other reviews suggest, but I also didn't regret watching it.

H is For Happiness has a lot of tonal shifts; some of which work, some don't. There is trauma and dysfunction at the base of this film, but there is a sunny disposition that might work for some kids, but the darker elements certainly won't, and likewise the adults will struggle with some of the twee and tweenie elements but appreciate the more substantial themes here of healing, redemptive love and tolerance.

Emma Booth and Richard Roxburgh make for an odd couple - both excellent actors in their own right, but the age difference immediately struck me as a problem. Joel Jackson as the brother to Roxburgh is also bizarre as there is at least 20 + years age difference between them. Nevertheless, the young child actor Daisy Axon is wonderful and truly shines in the leading role. Also impressive here is the quirky Bi National Miriam Margolyes as the very haughty and optically challenged school teacher. She is a lot of fun and quite poignant.

I am not sure that the various themes and tones of the competing narrative threads sit all that well together here, but at the end of the day, there's lots to enjoy here. Exactly who the audience is though is a conundrum as it often is for the Aussie film industry when a story as interesting as this one comes along.

Candice Phee is an outspoken 13 year old who gets ridiculed by the rest of the class especially mean girl Jen Marshall. Despite her aggressive happiness, her home life is dysfunctional. Her mother is depressed after the death of Candice's baby sister three years earlier. Her father is angry at his rich brother whom he believes to have stolen his great idea. New kid Douglas Benson believes that he's from another dimension and falls for Candice right away. Their wonky-eyed teacher assigns the class project Life as an Alphabet.

This is cute. I don't recognize any of the actors although Emma Booth seems familiar. The kids are newcomers. Daisy Axon has the eagerness even if she's unpolished. The acting is generally fine with good sincerity. The story is a little over-stuffed. It seems every character has a story in this movie. This is cute, sweet, and sincere. The filmmaking is good. With so many things going on, the emotional arc gets a bit muddled but the sweetness is never far away. That has a lot to do with little Daisy.

This delightful quirky comedy can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. Daisy Axon plays Candice Phee, a cheery, red-headed, dictionary-reading, bicycle-riding swot, who wants to restore the happiness of her mum (Emma Booth), who can't get over the cot-death of Candice's baby brother, and dad (Richard Roxburgh), who is still angry over business bust-up with his brother, 'Rich Uncle Brian' (Joel Jackson). Full of other interesting side characters (her friend, 'Douglas Benson from another dimension' (Wesley Patten), her eccentric teacher with one rolling eye (Miriam Margolyes of course) and Douglas' full-on mum (Deborah Mailman)) and animals; well-written and acted; and set in a beautiful sun-drenched coastal town, this film will delight the open-hearted. It also made me want to travel to Albany to see if it is really is so lovely.

This is a hypothetical kind of feature film. The story is not too great but has very interesting and funny character that carry to entire story along. There is a cultural mix which is shown in the classroom sequences, a kid with the orange turban is shown as Punjabi but he is not wearing it properly. Major mistake on that. The idea and the concept is great. A small girl tried to fix the family issues and her story amidst all these situations is really a delight to watch but as some point it looked like an exaggerated version. Anyways, can watch for a change of mood.