Three Days Happiness (2012) User Reviews (3)

A bizarre wonderful world

[eressos81 · 10/10 · 3 April 2013]

Three young women are at the heart of this story: Irina, Anna and Vera. The first is a prostitute, whose dream is to move to Canada to change her life. The second, a saleswoman in a bookshop, wants to get married to overcome her family's trauma. And the third, a literature student, discovers the secrets of her parents. Around them, a whole world that seems to be moved only by one thing: money.

The sense of the film, the color, the acting, the direction, it is cold, icy. It reflects the psychology and actions of persons trapped in situations that exceed them. Three Days of Happiness do not try to be simply realistic. The film chooses to highlight the instinctive, the snapshot, the unseen, what we don't notice. Athanitis takes advantage of the unsaid, the silence, the comprehensive short sequences. He gives a symbolic meaning to objects and the body, assigning to them an aptly narrative character, reminding to us Bresson.

Filmed entirely in a dark blue tone, with long shots on faces, and an extremely accurate tone, the whole film gives a strange, sometimes vampire's sensation. Watching the film, I felt been hypnotized, diving in a realistic but at the same time, bizarre world. I loved this film!

Talking about family

[stella_kaltsou · 10/10 · 4 April 2013]

The first thing that socked me in the film, is the color: blue. Yes, the whole film is shot in a dark gloomy blue, leaving in a few peculiar moments space for other colors. The second is that there are few dialogs. Things are told with glances, through action.

The three young women, each one from her own side, experience intense conflict while trying to overcome harsh psychological pressure. Irina is in love with Misa, who is also her pimp, having dangerous ties with her patrons. Anna is in love, she knows that her boyfriend could cheat but she still wavers before the plunge. Vera believes that she has a happy family, till the moment she suddenly falls from skies. They are different but they all share two things: being young and having problem with family. Thus, the film with this meaningful title, essentially revolves around this social institution, and its different versions according to different social classes.

The beginning and end of the film make a fundamental question: "How can we give shape to something that does not exist?" The real and the unreal, are mixed in the film. The real life and thus happiness, is what we do not see. How long can this happiness last, one hour a day or a lifetime; Questions on which Athanitis does not give any answer, in this frustrating, desperate but absolutely fascinating film.

Strange colour blue

[stella-650-907948 · 9/10 · 4 April 2013]

As images of weird beauty are passing before my eyes, I am asking myself how it happens and I don't know this director. Some shocking images are stacked in my memory. A knife, a man's tears, two women facing each other through glasses. What are all these about? About family is the first answer. About what moves under the surface, is the second. That's all? I don't know. The film keeps you in continuous uncertainty, that's for sure.

I had the feeling of watching a Bergman film, but no,finally it turns out to be something completely different. Here, we have a film that someone has created with great mature and in an almost provocative abstract way. The one moment you think that the film ignores the viewer but then comes a glance that takes you back into the trip. And if something is sure, is that Three Days Happiness drives you to a unique journey, which does not end, when end comes. The last image of the two women face each other, is a new beginning.