Happy Times (2000) (original) (raw)
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Original title
Xingfu shiguang
Year
2000
Running time
95 min.
Country
China
Director
Screenwriter
Cast
Music
Cinematography
Producer
Genre
Comedy | Comedy-Drama. Disability
Synopsis
Zhao (Zhao Benshan), a retired man of humble means who doesnt want to be lonely anymore, proposes marriage to a fat lady (Dong Lihua) who he believes will be easily coaxed into loving him. But he quickly learns that this assumption is wrong when she demands a lavish wedding that will cost him 50,000 yuan. Scheming for a way to get the money, Zhao enlists his friend Li (Li Xuejian) to help him, and together they refurbish an old bus, calling it the Happy Times Hotel and charging admission for teenage lovers. Meanwhile, Zhaos fiancee reveals her strange family to him--a spoiled, mean-spirited son (Leng Qibin), and a helpless, blind stepdaughter, Wu (Dong Jie). When Zhao is asked to find Wu a job at his hotel, he becomes a surrogate father to her and their relationship takes over the second half of the movie. As they learn to trust and understand each other, they develop a sweet relationship that overrides Zhaos previously shady intentions.
Rankings Position
Awards
2002: Valladolid Film Festival: 2 Awards including Silver Spike. 4 Nominations
Critics' reviews
- "Just as Zhao uses his comic gifts to create an affecting human, so Dong's performance as Wu is a triumph of honesty and tact."
- "Anchored by two fine performances, this bittersweet comedy about second chances just might signal a new beginning for the director as well."
- "May disappoint those who expect a more traditional Chinese setting. But, despite its modern look, this is far from being a Western film."
- "An extremely funny, ultimately heartbreaking look at life in contemporary China."
- "This is a film strictly for hardcore sentimentalists, despite its straight-ahead depiction of the harsh urban landscape in contemporary China."
- "Crude as its build-up may be, the movie pays off with unexpected delicacy."
- "A tender, tragic allegory in which grave human emotions play out against a small, simple backdrop."
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