Spoilers -
The central character, Manana, shows signs of depression and borderline anti-social behavior when she apparently has grown weary of living a life of three generations of family, and decides she wants to abandon it all and live alone. She is unwilling to communicate meaningfully with anyone in the family, including her husband Soso. Despite the pleadings of her family, she follows through and begins life on her own, where she continues to show the same signs of depression and anti-social behavior. Her character lacks warmth, compassion, and her behavior throughout is dull, flat, and emotionless. It is hard to care for her or her desire to be free when she is expressionless, and even more hard to care when after she finally is free she remains expressionless. She later learns that her husband (the one that she abandoned without explanation) had had an affair for many years, and while she shows an inkling of sadness (on top of her 24/7 flatness) it is impossible to empathize with her, because she is the one who no longer wanted her husband in the first place. It is like being unhappy throwing something away, if you know someone else might retrieve it and benefit from it. The entire film revolves around this woman and her misery, and neither she nor the film evolve beyond her unsatisfied needs, and results in a 2 hour stagnant pool of unhappiness. I wanted to like this film, to watch a woman journey through her unthinkable (but courageous) decision to leave the family life that is the staple in Georgia, but there is no journey to watch.
Review of My Happy Family
