EIFF 2013: Not Another Happy Ending Review

Full disclosure: last year, I contributed some of my personal funds to a promising Scottish film production over the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Those funds went on to partly finance Not Another Happy Ending – which has made a remarkable leap in the past year from a humble page on the Internet to the big screen as the prestigious closing film of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Starring Karen Gillan as Jane Lockhart, a novelist whose only success has been a melancholic affair called “Happy Ending”, the film follows the efforts of her editor and publisher (Stanley Weber) to make her life a misery so that she can defeat her cheer-induced writers’ block.

According to director John McKay, he wanted to create an indie movie on par with those we see coming out of America and France on a regular basis. Without a doubt, he has accomplished that: his shots of Glasgow transform the city into something akin to a gorgeous European capital, and the locally-sourced soundtrack complements that to imbue the entire film with a distinctively Scottish yet polished feel. Little touches like the buildings and brands seen in the film deliver an authentic depiction of Scottish lifestyle that firmly grounds it in reality.

Of course, a great film needs more than a great setting. Not Another Happy Ending finds another trump card in Karen Gillan, whose portrayal of Jane highlights a range she has not before demonstrated. Her chemistry with Weber, though, is questionable, as is his own hit-and-miss performance. He shines at times, then otherwise falters, his French accent coming across too thick and muffling the important intonation of his dialogue. That rough aspect of the film is thankfully counter-balanced by its great tertiary cast members, such as Iain de Caestecker and Freya Mavor; the former’s character, Roddy, is less serious and more easily likeable in contrast to Weber’s Tom.

Despite a degree of cheesiness, this is still an atypical rom-com; Jane’s tendency to speak with an imaginary representation of her protagonist, Darsie (Amy Manson), contributes to the film’s unique character, as does Tom’s predisposition to angry French outbursts. The film boasts only a handful of scenes that are laugh-out-loud or sexy (sometimes both – naked writing, anyone?), but it’s upbeat and charming, giving it a positive tone that is certain to put a smile on audience members’ faces. If nothing else, Not Another Happy Ending proves that Scottish cinema can hold its own on the world stage. This undoubtedly belongs on cinema screens.