2017 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 6: Things Fall Apart in Michael Haneke’s Happy End

Whether it’s construction sites, karaoke numbers, hamsters or the elderly, Michael Haneke’s quasi sequel to Amour has failed to win over “all” critics. Happy End uses the European refugee crisis in the backdrop, but it’s focal point is a family overcoming death, dealing with tragedy and starting unlikely relationships. Working with his other muse Isabelle Huppert for a fourth time (Binoche will need to catch up), this is Haneke’s seventh Comp title (2003’s Time of the Wolf was an out of comp entry). As you can see on the chart below, some critics loathed or loved his latest film. Click on the grid below for a larger version.
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).
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