Michael Haneke’s Happy End looks at modern technology’s ability to capture atrocities, through a sort-of-sequel to Amour, again following the Laurents through a series of misfortunes.

With exceptional performances, the refusal to abide by anyone else’s filmmaking structure is still there.  The narrative style will seem familiar to proponents of Haneke, as will his take on the current political climate.  What some may find slightly jarring is the use of not just modern technology, but also modern technological-narrative language.  Happy End begins in a smartphone frame.  From there on, phones, laptops and security cameras become vital storytelling tools, changing Haneke’s focus on acts of sudden jarring violence into muted violence;  framed similarly to videos one might find online, the violence taking place in the distance – uncentred, quiet.

Haneke has always been wary of technology and now he has reached the streaming video age;  still creating unmatched cinema.

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Happy End screens at TIFF on: 

Thursday, September 7 at 12:30 p.m. @ Scotiabank Theatre (press and industry)
Sunday, September 10 at 5:45 p.m. @ Winter Garden Theatre
Monday, September 11 at 9:15 a.m. @ TIFF Bell Lightbox

Rating: 14A
Language: France, Austria, Germany
Runtime: 107 minutes

For more information on the festival, visit the official TIFF webpage here.

Buy tickets here.

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