Happiness Costs Nothing

Happiness Costs Nothing

2003 · 93 min · ★ 3.9 · Drama

A man in his forties has had enough. He leaves his loveless family, uninspiring job and fake friends and tries to find something more. He meets a young woman he falls for, but she puts him on the test.

Directed by Mimmo Calopresti · Written by Mimmo Calopresti

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 3m together

Happiness Costs Nothing

The Words of My Father

Both from Mimmo Calopresti.

More from Mimmo CaloprestiSee all →

Cutro, Calabria, ItaliaCutro, Calabria, Italia · 2024
Cutro, Calabria, Italia
★ 8.02024
MovieDocumentary
On 26 February 2023, a boat - an old wooden gulet - sank in Steccato di Cutro, in the province of Crotone, Calabria. Inside the boat, which left Izmir, Turkey, on February 21, there were over 180 human beings, mostly of Afghan, Pakistani, Syrian, Turkish, Somali and Iraqi origin. Women, men and children. The shipwreck claimed the lives of 94 migrants, including 34 minors. The number of missing was unknown... The boat, 150 meters from the shore, surrendered before the violence of the waves and the sharp points of the rocks. Who are the victims and survivors of the shipwreck? They are individuals who have fled their lands for a series of causes: armed conflicts, persecutions (of a religious or gender nature), poverty, climate change, the right to aspire to a better existential path, the need to rediscover dignity, to work, to study and to raise a family.
The Words of My FatherThe Words of My Father · 2001
The Words of My Father
★ 7.02001
MovieDrama
At 30, Zeno's father dies, and he realizes that his youth is almost over. Meeting Giovanni Malfenti, a succesful gallery owner with four daughters, he's impressed by Malfenti's energy, and falls in love with one of his daughters. This relationship helps Zeno find peace and direction.
Notes of LoveNotes of Love · 1998
Notes of Love
★ 7.01998
MovieDramaRomance
A woman suffering from compulsive-type psychological problems falls for an older divorced neighbour. Will her love be returned? A slow story of confusion and loneliness.
The ThingThe Thing · 1990
The Thing
★ 6.81990
MovieDocumentary
1989. Amid the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the largest communist party in Western Europe—Italy's PCI—announces that it'll change its name, vowing to become 'a new thing'. The film follows the debates taking place in various PCI branches across Italy in the aftermath of this historic decision.
Aspromonte: Land of The ForgottenAspromonte: Land of The Forgotten · 2019
Aspromonte: Land of The Forgotten
★ 6.32019
MovieDrama
At the end of the 1950s in Africo, a small village in the southern valley of Aspromonte, a woman dies in childbirth because a doctor fails to arrive on time. No road connects Africo with the other villages. In the wake of this tragedy, all of Africo’s citizens -including children - abandon their usual occupations and unite to build their own road. Giulia, the new schoolteacher, comes from the North with a mission to teach standard Italian to help bring cultural cohesion with Africo and the rest of Italy. But she will have to contend with the local mafioso Don Totó, who is determined to ensure this the town remains cut off, and thus, under his power.
I Prefer the Sound of the SeaI Prefer the Sound of the Sea · 2000
I Prefer the Sound of the Sea
★ 6.22000
MovieDrama
This is the story of Rosario and Matteo, two man from Southern Italy. Rosario is helped by Luigi to settle in the north. Luigi wants to give Rosario a chance to redeem himself and offer him, at the same time, an opportunity to confront his beliefs with the ones of his son Matteo. Rosario lives in a "commune" and Matteo in a beautiful, comfortable house. They're both introverted and shy and find a common ground: they meet, go out together, become friends and show each other a completely different way of living their lives as teenagers.
Good VibesGood Vibes · 2023
Good Vibes
★ 6.02023
MovieThriller
Five stories that intertwine around a mysterious smartphone that allows you to have a copy of anyone's phone. Just enter the number and you immediately have access to bank accounts, photos, videos, emails, messages, even the most intimate ones, and if you activate the camera in spy mode you can observe the lives of others live. A morbidity that pervades anyone who comes into contact with this phone, in the frantic search for the power to influence the lives of others. Thus begins an escalation of linked events in which, without a moment's respite, we will follow the fate of the phone and of those who come into possession of it. The protagonists of the five episodes must confront their most hidden desires and the (in)ability to manage the power of knowledge.
The Second TimeThe Second Time · 1995
The Second Time
★ 6.01995
MovieDrama
A convicted terrorist out on parole meets a man she nearly murdered 15 years before, without recognizing him. He does so, but he chooses to keep quiet and spend time with her—desperate to understand the reasons behind her gesture.
Cattiva coscienzaCattiva coscienza · 2023
Cattiva coscienza
★ 5.82023
MovieComedyFantasy
In a parallel universe, live people’s precious consciences. They all feel disheartened, demotivated, and unheard, except for Otto (Francesco Scianna). He is the top-ranked conscience, because his human Filippo (Filippo Scicchitano) follows him blindly, guaranteeing him happiness.
The Germans' FactoryThe Germans' Factory · 2008
The Germans' Factory
★ 5.52008
MovieDocumentary
L'abbuffataL'abbuffata · 2007
L'abbuffata
★ 5.22007
MovieComedy
A pair of Italian filmmakers go to Rome to find a star for their first project.
Tutte le mie nottiTutte le mie notti · 2019
Tutte le mie notti
★ 5.12019
MovieDramaThriller
On an autumn night, in the deserted streets of a seaside town, Sara is fleeing from a party, convinced she has witnessed a murder. He finds refuge with Veronica, but does not know that the woman is the lawyer of an important industrialist, the alleged murderer.
The New Brancaleone's ArmyThe New Brancaleone's Army · 2010
The New Brancaleone's Army
★ 5.02010
MovieDrama
A man approaches in a car from the garage of a house, gets out of the car, and stops in front of the house. As if he were a fool, he tries to open the garage, but fails because he does not have the keys. This provokes some laughter from the audience, given the man's awkward and confused attitude. Suddenly, the screen experiences technical difficulties and the entire scene disappears into complete darkness, until signs protesting against cuts to culture appear.
It's Easier for a Camel...It's Easier for a Camel... · 2003
It's Easier for a Camel...
★ 4.92003
MovieDramaComedy
As a little girl, Federica fantasized about having beautiful long hair that would grow back as soon as she cut it, about never-ending cones of cotton candy and about countless adventures that took her to the far side of the world. Now a charming thirty-something-single woman, Federica's fantasies have evolved, adding lovers, stardom, and motherhood to her waking dreams, where Federica continues to press for her everyday life to be as real as the fantasies that invade her. Unfortunately, Federica's daydreams can only provide a meager distraction from the reality she faces. Her career as a successful playwright is heading south, her boyfriend is pressuring her to start a family, a former lover wishes to rekindle an old affair, her sister is barely talking to her, her brother is self-centered and her loving father is terminally ill. And as if to make matters worse, Federica is rich, too rich, and the guilt that consumes her because of it is pushing her over the edge.
One for AllOne for All · 2015
One for All
★ 4.42015
MovieDrama
The relationship between three lifelong friends is put to the test by a long-ago secret and a present-day crime committed by one of their children.
I Only Wanted to LiveI Only Wanted to Live · 2006
I Only Wanted to Live
★ 4.02006
MovieDocumentaryDrama
A Donatello award nominated documentary following nine Italian survivors of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

More Like This

The Young Girls of RochefortThe Young Girls of Rochefort · 1967
The Young Girls of Rochefort
★ 7.71967
MovieRomanceComedy
In the seaside town of Rochefort, twin sisters Delphine and Solange dream of love and artistic fulfillment beyond their quiet lives. As sailors, artists, musicians, and chance visitors pass through town during a weekend fair, a web of near-misses and romantic longing brings ideal partners tantalizingly close—without their realizing it.
Journey to ItalyJourney to Italy · 1954
Journey to Italy
★ 7.21954
MovieDramaRomance
Married for eight years with no children, Brits Katherine and Alex Joyce are driving to Italy, their ultimate destination just outside of Naples to sell the villa they have just inherited from his uncle, the villa where they will be staying during their time there. On the drive, they come to the realization that this trip marks the first time that they have truly been alone together, and as such don't really know one another in the true sense.
Bridget Jones's DiaryBridget Jones's Diary · 2001
Bridget Jones's Diary
★ 6.72001
MovieComedyRomance
Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against expectations. As a New Year's resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. Her charming boss takes an interest in her, and she cannot stop running into a rather disagreeable acquaintance whom Bridget cannot help finding quietly attractive.
Life Is BeautifulLife Is Beautiful · 1997
Life Is Beautiful
★ 8.41997
MovieComedyDrama
A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While locked up he tries to convince his son that the whole thing is just a game.
Lost HighwayLost Highway · 1997
Lost Highway
★ 7.61997
MovieDramaThriller
A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.
The CiambraThe Ciambra · 2017
The Ciambra
★ 7.12017
MovieCrimeDrama
Pio Amato, a 14 year-old member of a small Romani community in southern Italian town of Gioia Tauro in Calabria, is in a hurry to grow up. Pio follows his older brother Cosimo everywhere and from him he learns how to hustle and how to navigate the streets of his hometown. One night Pio sets out to prove to his brother that he is as good or better than him but, when things go wrong, a series of events will forever change the way he sees the world.
19001900 · 1976
1900
★ 7.81976
MovieDramaHistory
The epic tale of a class struggle in twentieth century Italy, as seen through the eyes of two childhood friends on opposing sides.
No ReservationsNo Reservations · 2007
No Reservations
★ 6.72007
MovieComedyRomance
Master chef Kate Armstrong runs her life and her kitchen with intimidating intensity. However, a recipe for disaster may be in the works when she becomes the guardian of her young niece while crossing forks with the brash sous-chef who just joined her staff. Though romance blooms in the face of rivalry, Kate needs to look outside the kitchen to find true happiness.
Mostly MarthaMostly Martha · 2001
Mostly Martha
★ 6.72001
MovieDramaComedy
Martha is a single woman who lives for one passion: cooking. The head chef at a chic restaurant, Martha has no time for anything - or anyone - else. But Martha's solitary life is shaken when a fateful accident brings her sister's eight-year-old daughter, Lina, to her doorstep.
Get CarterGet Carter · 2000
Get Carter
★ 5.22000
MovieActionDrama
Jack Carter, a mob enforcer living in Las Vegas, travels back to his hometown of Seattle for his brother's funeral. During this visit, Carter realizes that the death of his brother was not accidental, but a murder. With this knowledge, Carter sets out to kill all those responsible.
28 Days28 Days · 2000
28 Days
★ 6.22000
MovieComedyDrama
After getting into a car accident while drunk on the day of her sister's wedding, Gwen Cummings is given a choice between prison or a rehab center. She chooses rehab, but is extremely resistant to taking part in any of the treatment programs they have to offer, refusing to admit that she has an alcohol addiction.
Rules of EngagementRules of Engagement · 2000
Rules of Engagement
★ 6.22000
MovieWarDrama
A Marine Colonel is brought to court-martial after ordering his men to fire on demonstrators surrounding the American embassy in Yemen.
Tea with MussoliniTea with Mussolini · 1999
Tea with Mussolini
★ 6.41999
MovieComedyDrama
In 1930s fascist Italy, adolescent Luca just lost his mother. His father, a callous businessman, sends him to be taken care of by British expatriate Mary Wallace. Mary and her cultured friends - including artist Arabella, young widow Elsa, and archaeologist Georgie - keep a watchful eye over the boy. But the women's cultivated lives take a dramatic turn when Allied forces declare war on Mussolini.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter