Happy Times

We are all family in L.A.! And what would make the Sabbath more beautiful than a poisonous cocktail full of lust, greed, hate and drugs? Most likely only the naked fight for survival, where everybody is each other‘s enemy. For that, one does not need a deserted island or insurmountable walls to keep the guests on an estate in the Hollywood Hills. Offended pride and retribution have a much stronger effect than the bars of a cage ever could. Over the course of a Shabbat dinner at a fancy Hollywood Hills mansion, a toxic mix of alcohol, egos, cultural differences, lust and greed derails the evening rather quickly and things spin out of control. Secrets are revealed, relationships are tested and getting out in one piece will be the ultimate challenge. With »Happy Times« director Michael Mayer has created an entertaining splatter comedy that has just the right amount of hyperbole. He perfectly illustrates the symptoms of a saturated society with its dog-eat-dog mentality and manages to penetrate deeply into the darkest corners of the human psyche. But Mayer is not content letting his film become a dour social commentary. He much rather picks up his gun, aims and shoots. Bullseye!