We're accustomed to seeing the freakish as normal in contemporary
cinema. But Happiness, Todd Solondz's second feature, audaciously
shows us the freaks in their true light; there's no-one you'd like to be
in this film. Solondz's genius is in evoking sympathy for seemingly
unredeemable characters. There is a fine line between unbearable
pathos and sick comedy, and Solondz keeps to it; the whole film inspires
creeping unease, as the monsters, murderers and rapists are revealed
to be as human as the people they hurt. It's funny, but we're not laughing
at the freaks: we're laughing with them, and can share their pain, too.
