Romantic comedy is not the usual choice of genre when it comes to a lot of South African (or even African) filmmakers and therefore it can be quite interesting to see some local productions take this popular Hollywood style and give it a local setting. We have recently seen some domestic romcoms such as "Ayanda" and "Tell Me Sweet Something" come through and gain standard success; and it was only a matter of time that more of these 'funny love tales' came rolling on the big screen.
"Happiness Is A Four Letter Word" tells the story of three ordinary friends living life in the fast and fabulous lanes of Johannesburg, trying to find their happiness while maintaining images of success and acceptability. We meet perfectionist lawyer Nandi (Mmabatho Montsho) whose final wedding arrangements are nearly in place but she gets cold feet when an old lover comes back into her life. Glamorous housewife/"trophy wife", Zaza (Khanyi Mbau) engages in an affair when her husband is out of town on lengthy business trips and fears the day it will all come to light. Princess (Renate Stuurman), is a trendy gallery owner who (at first) seems to be the luckiest of all the ladies when she has it all. Money, success...and love! But she has fallen for the wrong man. They all soon come to find that "life is not a bed of roses, and happiness never comes with a manual".
The characters tell a compelling and relatable story. Three woman going through the ups and downs of life and supporting each other. Even though they are all far from perfect, I like how the film doesn't judge them but lets them be. Their flaws make them human, a subtle whisper to let us know that it is okay to embrace ourselves the way we are, even with our shortcomings. The greatest selling point of the movie is how it manages to capture the hearts of the urban chic woman with the mood of the city lifestyle while the sisterhood of the three women is something that resonates with females from all walks of life.
The actresses did such an amazing job in bringing the characters to life and I almost feel as though they all had the easy task of just being themselves on camera. Although they had to portray this fictitious storyline, their roles were not necessarily a far cry from who they are in reality. Mmabatho does come across as serious/focused while we definitely see vast traces of Khanyi in Zaza, and Princess is Renate through and through. It is interesting to see Mbau display strong acting skills, and standout from experienced Montsho and Stuurman. Her character is captivating to watch. Tongayi Chirisa and Hlomla Dandala also add a nice flare of testosterone 'yuminess' to the estrogen infested flick, making for a fun guilt pleasure of drooling. As much as I love the film and think that it is triumph for African cinema, it can be quite cliché. It is almost like any other romcom that we have seen on our screens before with exaggerated emphasis on sentimentality. Sometimes the plot tends drag and scenes are a bit drawn out, but in the end, it all makes for a good 'chic-flick experience'.
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