Be Happy! (Spain) — My honest thoughts
When I went to see“Be Happy!” I thought to myself: “Okay, this is a musical, maybe a bit quirky, but surely there’s some kind of storyline tying it together.” Oh, I was wrong. This is not some flimsy plot — it’s like trying to hold water in your hands. You think you’ve got it, and thenpoof, the water’s gone.
The film drops us into a jumble of chaotic characters: Peter, a Freudian psychiatrist married to a Finnish actor; David, a young Brit living in Banyoles addicted to Grindr; Coco Lamour, a French actress with a Parisian vibe; Maria, another psychiatrist; Betsy, David’s mother in Cadaqués; and a whole crowd of others — Albert, Gilda, Daniel, Usha… It’s as if the director invited every quirky friend they’d ever had and told them, “Sing something, anything!”
And sing they do. My god, do they sing. About eighty percent of the film is people bursting into song without warning, as if possessed by the spirit of karaoke night. The rest? A few scattered lines of dialogue that feel like they were scribbled on the back of a napkin at lunch. I kept waiting for an “aha” moment, a scene that made me go, “Ah, now I get it!” Instead, I saw repeated lyrics, seemingly illogical odd camera angles, and dizzying edits.
Yes, there’s a main thread — David and Daniel’s rocky romance — but calling it a “gay film” feels a stretch. Maybe only 10% of it touches on queer themes; the rest… well, I don’t even know what to call it. Imagine aliens binge-watching a bunch of YouTube musicals and then trying to make up a human love story. That’s the vibe.
The only bright spot? The filming locations. My eyes feasted on the Mediterranean sun in Cadaqués, the warm cobblestones of Girona, and the lush beauty of Mallorca. If you’ve been to these places, you know that golden light, that salty breeze — settings like these could make even a mediocre film feel magical. Sadly, here it’s like putting a diamond in a cardboard box.
I’ve seen plenty of quirky films, but this one… really tested my patience. The poster promised romantic joy, but the reality was a jumble of songs and scenes with no emotional anchor. Watching it felt like being at a party where everyone is loudly singing in different languages, and you’re just standing there, clutching your drink, plotting how to politely slip away.
Would I recommend it? Only if you’re purely in it for the scenery — and even then, maybe just Google some photos.
