Happy New Year (2011) Reviews

• Authentic portrayal of PTSD

  fba8312011-03-15

  I had the opportunity to see Happy New Year while in Austin for SXSW film festival. I usually do not post reviews but after seeing this film, felt compelled to do so. As a practicing mental health counselor, I was amazed and moved by the accurate depiction of PTSD as portrayed by the actors in the film. I have worked with and continue to counsel those affected by this paralyzing disorder and have not seen the subtleties of the hopelessness and despair, irritability and distress associated with PTSD so poignantly illustrated as it is in this film. From the cinematography to the soundtrack, the film's production was authentic in its attempt to bring the audience into the psyche of those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress. The acting was impeccable as well. Mike Cuomo and Wilmer Calderon in particular, were incredibly genuine in their portrayals. Although this review focuses primarily on the PTSD aspect of the film, I also want to note that the film is also a sad but true statement on the condition of our veteran care here in the United States. These men and women sacrifice their lives and both their physical and mental health to protect our country and our freedoms. It is devastating to see the lack of care and concern many of our soldiers face upon their return from war. I certainly hope this film can help raise awareness of these many issues and bring communities, governments, and caregivers together to work on solutions. Overall, an amazing film with a powerful message....not to be missed!!

• Courageous film

  dba10002011-03-15

  The care of our returning wounded veterans has concerned me for some time. I became interested following my own first-hand observations of the appalling conditions and insufficient (and in many cases) inexperienced staff at some of our country's Veterans' Hospitals. I'd heard some buzz about Lorrell Manning and his film, Happy New Year, so when I knew I'd be in Austin during the festival I decided to see just how authentic a depiction of the treatment of returning veterans Manning's project would present. For me, Happy New Year's portrait of the physical and psychological struggles of a seriously wounded young staff sergeant returning from a tour in Iraq proved painfully accurate and incredibly moving. The bleak, coldness of the hospital served as an all too accurate backdrop for shiningly believable performances by Michael Cuomo and an outstanding group of supporting actors. Let's face it, recognizing and treating PTSD is difficult for the most esteemed and experienced psychiatric professionals. But as this film so successfully reveals, our returning wounded warriors are often left in the care of indifferent, emotionally disconnected medical personnel, who treat these patients like hostages rather than heroes. While Michael Cuomo's performance is clearly stellar in its believability, Wimer Calderone, Monique Curnen, David Fonteno, Jose Yenque, and Tina Sloane are equally convincing. Yes, the subject matter remains intense. The flashbacks to war ravaged fields strewn with burnt and dismembered bodies, the embrace between a heartbroken mother and her totally broken son are chilling and challenging….Challenging because they force the audience …make that defy the audience to realize that wounded or not, no soldier returns from this war whole, no soldier's family remains unaffected and above all, whether one approves of this war or not, these soldiers deserve the care, compassion and respect needed to begin to heal if healing is even a possibility. Though the film has some lighter moments that provide a bit of diversion from the gravity of its message, Happy New Year is a not a movie for those who fear and flee from harsh truths. It is a small movie with a big heart and even bigger message. My gratitude to Manning for having the courage to tell it.

• Please don't ever forget those who sacrificed so much for their country.

  FilmProspector2011-03-14

  Serving your country and returning home mentally and physically disabled is all too common these days. The Veteran's hospitals to me, in this film especially, looked and felt like prisons that housed what are supposed to be our heroes, people who gave all mentally and physically and returned home to be ultimately forgotten. Let me first say how amazing the sound and soundtrack were, the sound was really claustrophobic when it was corresponding to the actions on screen and only that way when it needed to be. The tight downward spiral of madness was mentally jarring when seeing PTSD symptoms playing out on screen, and hearing that soundtrack really push your heart rate up to the point where you too were about to experience a panic attack. Not to say there weren't moments to pull you back to a normal state of mind. And that is where this film shines, there are some genuinely funny moments of dialogue in this film where the audience really responded positively. People were laughing out loud during these crucial comedic moments that kept the crowd just barely afloat from the more depressing moments of the film. I can't lie though, I cried three times during the film. It was just so much to take in, the feelings that soldiers must feel in knowing they are slowly losing everything that matters to them, like their friends and family, and slowly being left to rot in the Veteran's hospital while everyone in the outside world forgets about them. It was heartbreaking, but seeing the character of Lisa and knowing there are probably more people like her in the world, who genuinely care about Veterans and dedicate their lives to their rehabilitation, truly gave me hope. Michael Cuomo as the lead character Cole was simply magnificent, he was so fragile physically in the film but his mental strength would not allow him to fail. He could not fail because of personal pride, and he under no circumstances could disappoint his Father, played by Alan Dale, who wanted the best from and for his son, but really came off as more of a villain than a Father. He saw pain as weakness and this was tearing Cole apart mentally. Cole's character was very strong though, he was pulling himself out of depression for the sake of others throughout the whole film. One of my favorite parts of the film was when his Mother (Spoiler ahead) came in after he got his leg amputated, and he was crying and reaching for his leg just before he came in. The reality of everything came crashing down on him and he had reached his point of despair, yet as soon as his Mother entered the scene and tried to be strong and succumbed to crying, he started smiling and trying to be strong for her sake. At this point I lost it, I was a sobbing 35 year old man who felt like he didn't understand life at all for people in the military. What these people must go through, what they have sacrificed for me, and the hard life waiting for them when they returned hurt or mentally broken. I will never know this pain, I will never experience this loss or lose my friends and family slowly as I deteriorate physically and mentally. It was hard to watch, yet I needed to see this. Having Joseph Harrell as the military adviser and seeing him speak at the Q & A after the screening made me experience feelings I've never felt before, he spoke from the heart about Veteran suicides and I lost it again. I shook his hand after the screening and thanked him but I want to tell you now, that I could never thank him enough for his service in the military, he is a hero to me. His support of this film, and his guidance made this one of the best films I've ever seen regarding the military of the United States. K. Lorrel Manning Directed this film, and as a completely unbiased onlooker, I'll tell you now. He did not do this film for money, or fame. He did it because he wants people to never forget the men & women of the armed forces who die and get physically and mentally maimed for us every day. He is a great human being, an outstanding Director, and someone I can truly say is selfless in this era of self promotion and greed. He did this film for Veterans, he shed light on people who are forgotten. I thank him for this, and for being selfless when the world needs people to remember those who give up everything so that we citizens of the US of A can have the wonderful lives we live every day. I got a chance after the show to speak with K. Lorrel Manning, I shook his hand and told him how powerful his film was. He is a great Director, he gave us a film about a subject that most Director's would never think of bringing to the big screen. He is a pioneer in film making, and someone who truly thought about Veteran's when creating this film. He & Michael Cuomo should be proud of what they brought to the silver screen. It was gut wrenching drama, and something people needed to see to better understand the sacrifices made for all of us in the United States. Thanks to the entire crew of Happy New Year for a film I will never forget. And thanks most of all to the Veteran's who live this life every day, I will never forget you. Your country loves you, you did the dirty work for us who are sheltered. We love you. You will never, ever be forgotten.

• Blah.

  wrightiswright2016-01-01

  Considering the ending of this flick, the irony of the title is not lost on me. Shame that it's just about the only clever thing about it. Ripping off a million other movies, ESPECIALLY One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, the word 'derivative' was invented for movies like this. An injured veteran stirs things up in a hospital unit. He treats the patients like humans, unlike the cold, impassive staff. Oh, there is ONE nice nurse, who we know he'll fall in love with from the minute he collides with her trolley, carrying medication. There's a protest over what DVDs the residents can watch. A visit to a strip club. And some tragic news, followed by a 'heartrending' final decision. Poor Jack Nicholson, having to see his great work insulted by this bland imitation. It's not inspiring in the least, apart from in the notion that copying a classic movie too much can lead to a predictable, flavourless time-waster. Happy New Year to you all, indeed. Let's hope it's more exciting than this film, anyway... 4/10

• Low-budget film, blockbuster message.

  houseofdny2012-12-10

  I attended opening night in New York on 12/7, to a full theater. There was a long ovation followed by a talk-back with the star and the director, which everyone stayed for. This is a very intense narrative, that succeeds in: A)Opening a frank dialogue on the effects of post-traumatic stress/combat trauma on our military veterans and those around them, rising suicide rates, and the lack of preparedness, and from a policy perspective, willingness to commit resources (as evidenced by 2012 Congressional and Senate voting records) to give our troops the care they need. B)Helping to remove the stigma of veterans coming forward to share their suffering. Do you know a veteran who has been trained to kill, to become that rigid serviceman and protector, only to return to society emotionally unavailable, unable to open up, and no one you should ever sneak up on? I do. It's not a switch you can flip off. And those are the ones who still have all of their physical faculties, unlike the main character, who returns home broken in so many ways. We need to take better care of our men and women, inside and out. They are not disposable. The film ends with the statistic that about 18 veterans commit suicide each day. That's around 6,500 of our men and women per year who take their own life. But of course that can't be true...because that's only the amount that are reported. I hope this film will be screened in other cities as well. It may not play as well in the more jingoist regions of the country, but it needs to be seen.