Happythankyoumoreplease

I caught the premiere of Happy at the Sundance Film Festival. I'm a huge fan of Josh Radnor (best known for his role as Ted Mosby on the CBS series, How I Met Your Mother), but remained a little skeptical going in since this is a first-time film for him. I was pleasantly surprised! This movie is so charming; I couldn't help falling in love with all of the characters. I was especially impressed by Tony Hale's endearing performance as Sam #2, who tries to win the affection of Annie (Malin Akerman), a woman with Alopecia who struggles with the idea of someone being so smitten with her. Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan) and Charlie (Pablo Schreiber) are absolutely adorable together and have an unbeatable on screen chemistry. They are at a crossroads in their relationship as Charlie tries to sell Mary Catherine on the idea of leaving their home in New York to move to L.A.

Sam (Josh Radnor), Mississippi (Kate Mara) and Rasheen (Michael Algieri) round out the cast of characters. Mississippi is a cabaret singer who catches the eye of Sam early in the film and while their hesitation to throw caution to the wind and go for each other is annoying at times, it brings a much-needed realism over romance approach to their relationship.

Rasheen was an audience favorite and his role adds a unique piece to this puzzle, playing a foster boy separated from his family on the subway who is rescued and looked after by Sam. It is truly an enjoyable highlight of the film to watch their interactions as they grow from perfect strangers to close friends. An amazing dynamic is brought to the script through their friendship, but not without Rasheen's life before Sam looming in the distance.

If this movie is any indication of Josh's talent as a writer, I can't wait to see more of his work. It contains all of the elements of a romantic comedy, yet manages to completely avoid the clichés and predictability that are typically found in this genre. It is clever, heartwarming, hopeful and hilarious. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes the big hit of Sundance 2010. Congratulations to Josh and everyone behind this film!

This is an excellent "slice of life" movie, very easy to relate to and entertaining. It manages to be optimistic without being saccharine sweet. The writer/director, while male, depicts women characters with compassion and understanding. And New York in summer feels like the real thing, in a way that the best Woody Allen films do. Most impressive and enjoyable, though, are the performances. Malin Ackerman has never been better. Tony Hale is a revelation! Josh is excellent (and nothing like Ted Mosby). The little boy, Michael Algieri, is a natural. And Kate Mara -- omg! Not only is she gorgeous, funny and engaging, she's an amazing singer!! Watching her one feels a star being born. The songs by Jaymay -- which are the movie's score -- are perfect. And tech credits (cinematography, editing, production design) are fantastic.

I adored this film, it was one of my favorites at Sundance, and the cast & crew were amazingly sweet people. The film is a trio of intertwined stories involving six New Yorkers dealing with the complexities of love, friendship and identity. While this premise may sound familiar, its charm is refreshing and its character keeps the film from becoming just another romantic comedy. The main story focuses on Sam Wexler, a struggling writer (Radnor ), who, during a particularly bad day when he encounters a young boy (played by the adorable Michael Algieri) who's been separated from his family. When the boy reveals that he is unhappy in foster care, Sam decides to bring the boy back to his apartment, and a unique friendship begins to develop between the two. This friendship both initiates and complicates Sam's romance with a beautiful cabaret singer named Mississippi (Kate Mara). I really recommend this film. I can't wait for it to be released in theaters so my friends and family can see it.

This is the debut film of Josh Radnor. I saw it at the Gasparilla Film Festival and really liked it. The producer, Jesse talked about the positive message that the film tries to convey about simply trying until you succeed This movie is a warm story of young people struggling with relationships in New York City. In the end, the character resolve most of their relationship issues and the ending is satisfying. This story was told with heart and warmth.

Josh Radnor did a great job both as a director and as the leading actor. The girl with the autoimmune disorder felt she was unlovable. The man who wins her over does so by convincing her that she deserves to be loved. This is a universal message that is not told enough in movies.

It appears that Josh Radnor's hopeless romantic "How I Met Your Mother" character Ted Mosby has rubbed off on his other ambitions. His debut film, "happythankyoumoreplease" is a bit more realistic than the hit sitcom, but both involve a great deal of optimism.

Following various relationship dynamics between six connected New Yorkers, Radnor is not-so-subtly inspired by Woody Allen, whom he references in the film quite clearly without naming him directly. To compare Radnor's film with Allen's body of work, however, would very clearly result in one major fundamental difference: Radnor is not pessimistic.

Radnor stars as Sam Wexler, a struggling writer (yup) on the precipice of 30 who by chance notices a young boy (Michael Algieri) get separated from what appears to be his family while on the subway. Sam feels inclined to help, but after a certain point (around when he learns the boy is a foster child who clearly didn't like his living situation) realizes he can't shake him off and takes him in. Around this time, a nearby bartender/server (Kate Mara) catches his eye.

The film also follows Sam's closest friend, Annie (Malin Akerman), a woman with alopecia struggling to find love, as well as his cousin Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan) and her boyfriend Charlie (Pablo Schreiber), who confront the possibility of uprooting their lives and moving to Los Angeles.

The characters' problems are very realistic, though not necessarily interesting. Sam's relationship with the boy, Rasheen, has the most potential because Rasheen is not the typical surprisingly mature wise- alec kid we're normally treated to in adult films involving unlikely friendships between a child and adult. But Radnor is also interested in the other relationship dynamics in his script, so that one story doesn't get quite the attention it might have ideally received.

Radnor's writing is very conscious of cliché, a necessity given the stories--especially the romances--have a natural trajectory toward predictable. And even though there's little reason given as to why Mara's Mississippi is interested in Sam, Radnor makes their exchanges too cute for their entire subplot to turn sour. The implication is these are two troubled young people looking for love, willing to go out on a limb to find it. That is just one of the many really sweet notions Radnor wishes to convey through this film.

"Happythankyoumoreplease" never delves into especially dramatic territory. The characters hit major bumps and hardships, but more of the sentimental variety, the kind that evoke audience empathy by trying to relate to everyone. Nothing out of the ordinary happens in the movie; Radnor just wants his audience to connect with the problems of the characters and consider the shifts in perspective they experience.

It's a pleasant film that really plays it safe, and those movies have their place. People hoping to be stirred by some seriously thought- provoking interpersonal dilemmas will be disappointed, but the title should be a giveaway that this one's an uplifting indie. The characters and their situations feel real, and it's enough to keep the film interesting until it finishes with a soft, moment-of-clarity/all is right in the universe climax.

I would definitely keep an eye on Radnor's work going forward. There are far worse labels than an optimistic Woody Allen minus the neuroses.

~Steven C

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