Marriage has been considered an institution for years, but what if you your lives together have been perfect? You know, in love so much that you jump in the sack every morning, have other forms of sex throughout the day and can’t get enough of each other. Well this is the premise of the romantic comedy Happily that has a twist leading to the tip of the iceberg.
Tom (Joel McHale) and Janet (Kerry Bishé) have been a very intimate couple for the past 14 years. They are very comfortable with each other, are able to avoid arguments and as far as sex goes, they are off the chain with lust and sensuality no matter where they are. Their best friends, couples Val (Paul Scheer) and Karen (Natalie Zea), Donald (Jon Daly) and Patricia (Natalie Morales), Maude (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) and Carla (Shannon Woodward), and Richard (Breckin Meyer) and his fiancee Gretel (Chaarlyne Yi) are very jealous of Tom and Janet.
At dinner with Val and Karen one night they tell Tom and Janet that the other couples in the group hate them because of their relationship. They are saying that the two are a nightmare, writing and texting love notes and at parties they can’t keep their hands off each other. The next day they get a visit from a strange man at their home and things start to get really bizarre.
At a couples retreat with the group nothing seems to go right. Director BenDavid Grabinski really pushes the envelope creating a lot of back biting, arguments and disrespect. As the day goes on, it looks like there will be no end to the ganging up on Tom and Janet and they are about to leave. Although the script has a comedic flavor, the film gets a little too much out of hand taking some of the clout out of genre in favor of the jealous rage Tom and Janet’s love has perpetuated. And if you cannot believe the outcome, I would truly understand why.
That said, the acting is very good, especially the performances by Joel McHale and Kerry Bishe as the couple that are still madly in love after 14 years of being together. Their depiction of their intimacy gets to the point that you may want to put the film on hold and take a quick break yourselves (LOL).
Happily has been rated R by the MPAA for sexual content, language throughout and brief violence. You can turn on the “commentary with Writer/Director BenDavid Grabinski” if you want more about the production. My assessment is 2 out of 5 Stars.
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Joel McHale, Kerry Bishé, Stephen Root, Paul Scheer, Breckin Meyer, Natalie Zea, Natalie Morales
Directed and Written by: BenDavid Grabinski
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Romance
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, language throughout and brief violence
Running Time: 1 hr. 36 min.
Video Release Date: May 25, 2021
Original Theatrical Release Date: March 19, 2921
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Distributed by: Paramount Home Entertainment
Released on: DVD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
