Ode to Joy (2019)

Elevator Pitch: Charlie is a sufferer from cataplexy, which causes him to faint if he experiences any strong emotions, particularly happiness or joy. Hence he has arranged his life so that he has few emotional experiences and works as a librarian where nothing much happens. However his plans are disrupted when a couple break up noisily in the library. The man leaves but the very attractive young woman ends up standing on a table tearing up books. Charlie falls for her, with predictable results and so he manages to set up his brother with her, while he becomes involved with a woman who is unlikely to light his fire.

Content: No sex or nudity, since the very idea of it causes Charlie to pass out. Indeed we see him pass out on a number of occasions, starting at his sister’s wedding and then when invited into Francesca’s apartment he passes out on the steps and ends up in hospital. Then, once Francesca is going out with Charlie’s brother and he is dating Bethany they all go for a weekend in a high class B&B, where things do not go well.

A View: This film is so lightweight that it hardly has a plot at all, apart from the fainting business, and I felt sorry for the actors. One hopes that they did not make a deal allowing them to have a share in the profits since the gross worldwide is said to have been $22,000. It was not reviewed by many critics and only a few of them liked it. As one of them said, Charlie would have no problem watching it. So not a watch, even for nothing.

Additional Info: According to a  reviewer on IMDb the whole idea in the film is wrong, the problem is a sympton of narcolepsy so he says. So a poor film on all counts.