"Happiness" is a new animated short film (2017) and the most recent work by Steve Cutts. No spoken language in here, but some pretty good sound effects and music. At under 5 minutes, this really isn't a long film at all, but it is memorable at times. Humans are depicted as rats in this little movie and we follow several of them on their very personal road to happiness. The end is the trap. Some really interesting and smart metaphors, symbolisms and analogies in here and it's impressive how the filmmaker even manages a temporary change in animation style at one point so effortlessly that it does not feel out of place at all. I enjoyed the watch here, cannot deny it, certainly one of the better animated shorts I have seen from 2017. Sure could have done without the very brief Donald Trump reference as in fact he is the one who symbolizes the people standing up against the established forces that will eventually result in their downfall, even if many, especially media, fail to see it, or I should say never would admit to see it. "Halt du sie dumm, ich halt sie arm" (you keep them dumb, I keep them poor) as a famous German musician says in one of his songs. Go break the circle. You have it in you. Anyway, back to this one here. Pretty meaning ful, yet enjoyable little work that makes me curious about Cutts' future projects. A prime example of animation made for grown-ups. Go check it out.
