THE CHARTER OF HAPPINESS FILMS
Although it is impossible to define the chemistry of a Happiness Film ..., however, it is fascinating to try to analyze what are the characteristics that bring them together.
We counted four! Four distinct "great rivers", four basic "bricks", plus a "global" characteristic that ties it all together.
It's about emotion, humor, the unexpected, the rhythm and above them, in transverse and global connection, a sense of the human in the form of a happy ending
We will examine these points in detail, see what makes them strong, also see their limitations and weaknesses and finally see how, combined, they produce in an almost alchemical way,
of Films Bonheur.
EMOTION
It is naturally, humanly, obviously the first basic building block of a Film Bonheur.
A Happiness Film cannot be a film without emotion.
This is what will give his other qualities (humor and rhythm) a generosity,
a thickness that will make the film come out of the simple pooch, parody or lambda action film to put itself in perspective, take a different strength and rise above the rest.
But ... beware of excess! A Happiness Film is not too moving a film either.
Neither melodrama nor syrupy sentimentality are welcome
EMOTION MUST BE POSED BY SMALL KEYS AND HAVE A HUMAN AND SIMPLE DIMENSION.
HUMOR
This is the second crucial element of a Happiness Film.
"A day when we haven't laughed is a wasted day" said the philosopher.
In a Happiness Film, this humor can arise from everything, situations, dialogues, the acting but, (and this is where the Bonheur films differ from simple comedies) it is humor with a human dimension.
It is a humor of which "one feels" implicitly that it has something more.
You don't laugh "stupidly" in a Happiness Film. We laugh there because it triggers something strong and funny at the same time deep inside us.
So yes, a Happiness Film is most often funny, or in any case includes beautiful moments of humor, but it is not "necessarily a comedy" ... as all the comedies are not "necessarily Films Bonheur" ...
IT IS STILL NECESSARY TO BE GIVEN TO THE OBVIOUSNESS, IT IS THE DOMINANT KIND OF THE FAMILY!
UNEXPECTED
It's hard to sum up in one word this part of madness made up of the absurd, the fantastic, the irrational,
these - word for word - extraordinary situations that must absolutely be included in any self-respecting Film Bonheur.
A zest of "fourth dimension" must be present in a Happiness Film, but of course
not necessarily in the form of ghosts or aliens!
From the little gag to the huge machinery, it takes a part of the bizarre, of "not normal", to sparkle this jubilant pleasure so specific to the cinema.
In this area, there are no limits drawn!
THE SPECTATOR IS READY TO SWALLOW ANYTHING PROVIDED THAT IT IS "PLAUSIBLE"
IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FILM ... WHO, OF COURSE, CAN BE COMPLETELY CRAZY!
RHYTHM
It is essential !
Too many films, under the guise of style research, favor slow exposures
and endless scenes.
Conversely, in its editing, its dialogues, its music, a Happiness Film makes its vibrations felt. We must feel that, combining history, emotion and humor, the film moves forward with a real internal vibration.
But here again beware of excesses and uncontrolled slippages. Rhythm does not mean frenzied "speed". And it is not because there is a race to the bottom, followed by a fight, followed etc ... that we are in the presence of a Film Bonheur.
From the rush to appeasement through all the nuances of meaning and emotion ...
A Happiness Film is made of the rhythm of the heartbeat.
It must pulse quickly ... and well!
AND AS WITH THE HEART ... THE RHYTHM MUST KNOW ... CHANGE RHYTHM!
AND THE HUMAN
With its immense qualities and its little faults, it is THE HUMAN who binds these bricks together.
This is what makes these films so valuable.
This is what makes their light, zany, tender, unbridled, excited, moving side "put into perspective" and acquire all its strength.
This is what makes that, from the end credits, we want to applaud, to kiss our neighbor and to get up while taking a dance step.
THIS IS WHAT MAKES THESE FILMS DO US GOOD AND MAKE US HAPPY .
THE COLLECTION
BONHEUR ® FILMS and
P'tits Bonheurs ®
Clever mixtures of emotion, humor, the unexpected and rhythm, it is these chiseled pearls of humanity, from Chaplin until today, that we have lovingly selected and carefully assembled in "The Complete Collection of Happiness Movies "
As for the NEW CREATIONS, those that are pondering and shaping themselves as you read these lines, we are tracking them around the world in order to be the first to make you discover them here on our site and on our Facebook page. ...
ACCORDING TO THESE CRITERIA:
TO
If a film does not correspond "at all" to the cinema that we defend, we simply refrain from talking about it here.
Because, as the song says, "If you don't like it, don't disgust others!" and because we also like other cinemas.
Out of politeness and out of respect for the work, the investments, and the crazy risks involved in creating a cinema film.
Because it's much more exhilarating and much more rewarding to say good things about beautiful things than to waste your energy, your soul and your time (and make you waste yours) chasing after a poor film that has not got you. nothing really "serious"!
B
If a film corresponds "a little / a lot" to the cinema that we love and flirts closely with the editorial line that we defend, we welcome it in "La Collection Intégrale" by awarding it our label of " P'tit Bonheur de film "® ! We obviously echo this on our site and on our Facebook page.
VS
If finally a film corresponds "passionately / madly" to our editorial line, we award it our label " GRAND FILM BONHEUR " ® and we roll out the red carpet for it:
1 - Several posts on our Facebook page before its theatrical release
2 - A special letter, sent to all our members and then published on our site and our Facebook page.
3 - The central place on the front page of our site.
4 - A prominent place at the heart of "THE INTEGRAL COLLECTION of Films Bonheur"!
5 - Several more posts on Facebook to support his indoor career long after his release.
Our big project is obviously to be able to present to you "tomorrow ..." an anthology of Films Bonheur, young and old, catalog films and previews, during the happiest film festival that has ever existed!