Happy Days (1935): A bit of a sad, dusty relic

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you have a thing for black-and-white French dramas that feel like they’ve been sitting in a shoebox for ninety years, you’ll probably find something to like here. It’s definitely not for anyone who needs a plot that moves faster than a slow walk. If you get bored by people staring out of windows and sighing, stay far away.

The whole thing starts with the classic "rich girl goes broke" trope, but it doesn't really go where you expect. It's less about the money and more about the weird, suffocating loyalty Sylvie feels toward the guy who helped her out. It’s actually kind of frustrating.

Watching the medical student character just fume in the background while the other guy makes his move is a specific kind of agony. You can practically see the sweat on his brow in every scene. It’s not subtle, but it feels weirdly honest.

There is this one shot in a Parisian café that lasts way too long. The background noise is just slightly too loud, like they were filming near a busy street and forgot to tell the extras to quiet down. It adds this unintentional, raw texture that makes the whole thing feel less like a polished studio production and more like a captured memory.

Random Observations

• The lighting in the student's flat is either incredibly artsy or the lightbulb was dying. I can't decide.
• Sylvie’s wardrobe changes are so drastic you'd think she had a secret benefactor besides the med student.
• The dialogue is very stiff, but there’s a flicker of life when they stop talking and just look at each other.

It’s not quite as light-hearted as King Neptune, which is obvious given the title. If you’re looking for a comparison, this feels like the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Where some films of the era are just trying to be breezy, this one is trying to be heavy and mostly succeeds at being slightly exhausting.

The ending is... well, it’s a choice. I won't spoil it, but let's just say that the concept of "moving on" is treated with all the grace of a brick. It didn't make me cry, but it did make me want to go for a walk and think about my own life, which I guess is the point of these things? Or maybe I just needed a snack.

Anyway, watch it if you want to see people being dramatic in old Paris. Just don't expect it to change your world. It’s just a movie. A dusty, flickering, slightly sad movie. 🎞️