What Happened Was...

source: What Happened Was...

I have kind of mixed feelings about this one. It's pretty well done and I appreciate the way the characters are drawn in increasing complexity. But I sometimes felt restless and I just couldn't see why this rather sexy woman would ask Noonan out on a date, since while she would talk about how he was funny at work he failed to be funny in her apartment. Sillas was extremely good, with terrific body language that let you know what was going on as the mood changed from moment to moment.

I can not believe how absolutely idiotic some of the people who waste their time and ours are writing their rubbish for IMDb. They're completely myopic. Go somewhere else and spew your nonsense! This movie is wonderful..its only flaw is that it was too short. I could have watched these characters navigate through this first "date" another hour. The only scene that didn't draw me in as much, though at least served as some sort of bridge to reveal that Jackie actually accomplished something that her date hasn't (yet? perhaps, but unlikely), is the one in which she read her story. I didn't like the story at all, though it may have tried to reveal that her character had some painful memories in her life to work out...we don't really know. Nonetheless, I loved this film. The awkwardness in the beginning of their conversation, after he first arrives at her apartment, especially on her part, and the revelation at the end of his character were both very touching. Moreover, I loved the ending. ***Spoiler to come*** Once he unleashes his burden by revealing what he does reveal about himself to her, he is ready to continue their conversation, more or less, and ask her out on a second date. I loved her reaction, in turn. They're both hurt, lonely people, and want to tread cautiously with this relationship, each at different points in the film. I very highly recommend this film if you're interested in delving into a character's psyche. If you need a loud soundtrack, goo-goo eyes, and a really happy ending, this is not the film for you. It takes place in one apartment the entire length of the film (and I love the apartment, its blue hues and its simplicity of design, even though it is really small...you just imagine her small lonely life, but sort of marvel that she gets up every morning and goes to work every day, and keeps afloat). The music used in the opening and at the end is great as well, which Tom Noonan composed. I wish I could find the soundtrack. It's a great little film that I've been watching very frequently lately. I only wish it were longer. Or, maybe Noonan should do what Ethan Hawke did with Before Sunrise, and make a sequel, ten years later. Do these characters still work at the same firm? Are they dating? Do they have separate lives altogether but happen to run into each other one day? Does he salvage himself to any degree? I'd love to see each of their stories and how they may or may not intertwine again.

Tom Noonan's excellent play describes two lonely, damaged people trying to connect, and in the process dark secrets emerge. The only hope for these people is that however difficult, by confronting the demons their respective pasts hold for them, a chance of an honest relationship becomes possible. Kudos to Noonan for keeping the delicious tension new relationships have by his treatment of the ending. Stay with it. It's worth the time.

Jackie, a secretary in a legal firm, invites Michael, a paralegal in her office, over for a dinner date. The film follows the course of their evening as the two manage to surprise each other with hidden, unexpected twists of character. In many ways, this is not unlike Richard Linklater's "Before" trilogy, because it amounts to basically a couple in conversation for 90 minutes. The key difference, however, is that Linklater utilized some great locations. Noonan adapted the film from a stage play, and this is quite evident... it could easily be shot in one room, whether it be an apartment, a library, or pretty much anywhere. The writing is good and the acting is strong, but the film itself is just alright. It never really rises above the stage play, and it seems a shame to translate something from a play to a film without making the necessary adjustments.

An astonishing, captivating film. One of the toughest tricks to pull off is making film people talk like real people; director/writer Noonan does it o.k. This film generates a prickling, enjoyable sense of unease in the viewer, which gives way to discomfort and then alarm; and then on to awkwardness and the hope for reconciliation. The only other Noonan film I've seen, apart from his cameo in the enjoyable hokum `Heat,' is `The Wife,' which I feel is less successful. One of the small cast of that film is Wallace Shawm, star of `My Dinner with Andre,' which has been mentioned her by another reviewer. As he says, `What Happened Was' is on similar territory to `Andre,' but it's much more somber and doesn't give that `redeeming' feeling at its end. Demanding and rewarding.

OH MY GOD did anyone make it through this??? This is truly a test in patience. I would think that if you're good at 10,000 piece puzzles of white husky puppies in the snow, you may endure this movie. It's now been on for 20 minutes and the only reason I could possibly watch any more is to see if this guy turns out to be a serial killer and murders this pathetic woman. I had to see if these reviews here could please spoil the ending so I could turn this off or at least wait till the 'good' part. But from reading others, it's this way all through the 'film' (loosely termed) I struggle to wonder who actually paid to see or better yet make this film. again...OH MY GOD Leave it to WE (women's entertainment) to air this on TV. OK I'm not just harping, but in this half an hour the dialogue has consistently been slow, awkward, meaningless, and every sentence ends with, "are you joking? oh you ARE joking (awkward laugh) you're SO FUNNY!"

Two people spend an evening wrapped in an endless, boring conversation. A non-event. At first glance, Jackie (portrayed by Karen Sillas) seems worth the investment in time to wait for her character to develop. Unfortunately, Michael (Tom Noonan) is too depressing and neurotic to allow Jackie to blossom. This movie gives being single and dating a bad name. Had sex been introduced, it would have been anti-climactic. I recommend watching an infomercial about a bread-making machine before watching this.

I watched this movie the other night and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, you must be in the proper mood to enjoy a movie such as this. This movie centers around 2 lonely characters, man and woman, on a 'first' date at the woman's apartment. This movie is not too funny nor is it fast paced. The movie simply tries to flesh out each person's character for 90 minutes. This movie also led to some candid discussion between my fiancé and I, especially about the man's 'troubles' at the end of the film. We also discussed if there would be a 'second' date between them. The movie is steeped in realism and is shot very well. Worth a look if you're in the proper mood for a slow but interesting, character development story. 6 out of 10.

Taking place entirely in the Soho loft of a young secretary played by the remarkable, seldom-seen Karen Silias, What Happened Was is an excursion in date torture, pitting a self-conscious paralegal (played to perfection by director/writer Tom Noonan) against Silias' lonely, easily impressed young woman. What I found most fascinating about this film's script is that it introduces two people who are not at all what they seem to be at first...and we don't know this until the film progresses. We witness their veneers slowly stripped down and they are alternately weird, ugly, frightening, and hilarious. It's an uncomfortable film to watch, especially the last third, but it's richly rewarding. The ending is plausible, appropriate, and heart-rending. Its sheer rawness is marvelous. A great ride.