| Contentment Census | ||
| Agent of Happiness | ||
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| Review by Ross Anthony | ||
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Warm, heartfelt, and meditational. I love how filmmakers beautifully contrast the melancholy deadpan tone of the picture and pace with the etherial joyful subject of happiness. If you’re looking for new insights into happiness or even some upbeat inspiration, that is simply not the film’s point. An average “agent” polls his fellow Kingdom of Bhutan residents with woefully inadequate questions to determine their happiness. (Do you own a tractor?) The picture artfully juxtaposes the agent's struggles with his own life-satisfaction quotient against a pencil & paper accounting of national happiness. It’s really quite novel, deeply beautiful, but sadly too long. Had this been edited and distributed at nearer to half its current running time, I’d be raving. That said, arguably the stillness, and extended ordinariness add to the theme —> determining “Gross National Happiness” begs better tools. (That said, I’m glad there’s a nation out there that’s decided that Joy/Contentment is something of import worthy of an attempt to determine.) Rating between B & B+ ... will round up. |
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Grade..........................B+ (2.5/4) |
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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186.
Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow. |
Last Modified:
Friday, 08-Nov-2024 11:16:13 PST