“Happily Ever After” is a quirky film that I wanted to to classify as a comedy but as the story unwinds and the director takes the veil off the characters, the laughs turn to sorrow. Director Yukihiko Tsutsumi guides you through the daily lives of the main characters Yukie (played by Miki Nakatani) and her husband Isao (played by Hiroshi Abe). Yukie is a kind and loving ramen shop employee who has a likeable personality. Most people who meet her feel elated in her presence and want the best for her. Her husband Isao’s personality isn’t quite so flattering. He is an unemployed hot head who hangs out with low life friends all day drinking, causing trouble, and gambling away Yukie’s hard earned money. His temper is like a ticking time bomb. Director Yukihiko Tsutsumi does such an impressive job of painting Isao as a deadbeat loser that I found myself wishing he would get run over by a truck so Yukie would be rid of him. Yukie’s friends can’t imagine what on earth she sees in this man and try to persuade her to leave him. But her love is unwavering. As Yukie’s early life is revealed you begin to realize why she can’t bring herself to leave him.

Verdict: Enjoyable and fun, a sharp and entertaining drama/comedy with memorable characters. Grab some popcorn or wasabi snacks and watch this with a few friends.

This film is not rated

http://www.viz-pictures.com/dvd/happily/index.html

Photo (c) Happily Ever After Film Partners