One good thing about Netflix is that it provides gem that many do not know about. Rarely discovered, but when people do—it sparks like wildfire.
Happy Old Year is a film about getting over things that are too messy, too clouded, getting over someone, and decluttering.
GIST
The main character is Jean and she is trying to live the “less is more” life since their stuff has been messy. In order for her to do that, she needs to do a lot of moving, a lot of dumping, including returning things that aren’t hers to begin with.
THE MINIMALIST AESTHETIC
Jean knows what she wanted. She wanted it clean, she wanted it simple. This is her representation of the minimalist approach.
Her definition of minimalism starts from the beginning where she needs to declutter all the excess and sorting them out first before doing so. Her preference of being into simple interior designs is one way in which she redeemed a new identity of hers: detaching from the traditional.
It differs when it comes to her mother who is more on the sentimentality—keeping everything which represents meaning.
In the process of wanting to live a minimalist lifestyle, she also has to deal with the baggage that go with all that stuff.
MINIMALISM AND EMOTIONS
It’s a lifestyle that needs to be lived. You don’t go out forcing someone to declutter, to need more space, and to feel just the same.
Jean has the eye for design. Aside from wanting it, she needed the moment to let go. She sees minimalism approach as freeing—freeing herself from the painful past experiences, bills to pay, and toxic traumatic experiences.
MINIMAL ATTACHMENTS
Jean has this goal to have the concept of minimalism; transforming their house into a space that is pleasant in the eyes. It’s her family who carries a continuance cycle of burden that kind of hinders her.
At the end of the day, it’s her preference. She knows what she wants. She knows what to let go. She visualizes the change she wants to incorporate.
And at last, she just wants to be at liberty.
WRAP UP
Every person has this concept of minimalism. It’s something you do for a period of time and not overnight. Same thing with holding onto things and letting them go—a process you sometimes have to carry alone.
For the most part, Jean did it. Not in a way that any people would want, but she had to. With the ideal process of modernity, it is a must that you also have to deal with selfishness.
People mistake minimalism to limit everything from color, space, and things that you own. Where in fact, Minimalism in lifestyle talks about practice. Minimalism as design refers to correlation—referring to a visual style.
The overall production of this film speaks to it. Music is fitting, the colors fit the characters, and there are promising continuous shots that are emblematic—truly remarkable and underrated.
