Last night, I had the oppurtunity to attend the red carpet premiere of the French/Austrian film, Happy End, directed by Michael Haneke and starring Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mathieu Kassovitz, Toby Jones, and the young Ms. Fantine Harduin. 

Happy End is a heartbreaking and introspective story that follows a young girl, Eve (Harduin), who ends up living with her estranged father (Kassovitz) and his wealthy family after her mother attempts suicide. It offers interesting philosophical commentary as well as a brilliantly executed amount of dark, dry humor. The perfomances were all very impressive, in particular Fantine Harduin whose portrayl of Eve was balanced, commanding, and incredibly strong. All of the performances work so well together, especially that of Eve and her grandfather played by Trintignant. 

The overall look of the film is interesting and beautiful as well, as it offers a commentary on social media while still maintaing the poise of great cinematography. The film is in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and is nominated for the Palme d'Or, Cannes Best Actress Award, Cannes Best Actor Award, Cannes Best Director Award, as well as others. 

- Manette Asta

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