Happy Times (2001)

72% of critics liked it
(60 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(4,201 ratings)

A man stretching the truth for his own sake soon begins doing the same for someone else, with increasingly complicated results, in this gentle comedy from China. Zhao (Zhao Benshan) is a guy in his early fifties who's out of work but still wants to marry his girlfriend (Dong Lifan). However, his… More A man stretching the truth for his own sake soon begins doing the same for someone else, with increasingly complicated results, in this gentle comedy from China. Zhao (Zhao Benshan) is a guy in his early fifties who's out of work but still wants to marry his girlfriend (Dong Lifan). However, his often cranky sweetheart thinks he runs a hotel, and Zhao is trying to keep the illusion alive with the help of his pal Li (Li Xuejian) by turning an abandoned bus into a "love hotel" for couples who lack privacy in their homes. But business isn't all that good, since the old-fashioned Zhao asks unmarried couples to keep their doors open to ensure nothing untoward happens. As Zhao tries to convince his girlfriend to walk down the aisle with him -- and struggles to raise the money she demands first -- she introduces him to Wu Jing (Dong Jie), the blind teenage stepdaughter she inherited from her marriage to her now-deceased first husband. The woman insists that Zhao give Wu Jing a job in his hotel; since the bus/hotel has been towed away, this isn't a practical possibility. Zhao and Li put Wu Jing through a fake job interview to keep up appearances, and when she breaks down in tears talking about her deadbeat father, he decides he has to do something for her. Zhao moves Wu Jing into his home, and with the help of his friends, sets up a phony massage therapy center where Wu Jing works with the "clients" -- actually Zhao's friends, most of whom are also unemployed. But the bigger and more complex the illusion becomes, the harder it is to maintain, though Zhao feels compelled to do so for the sake of the girl's feelings. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Yimou Zhang
Written By: Gui Zi, Gai Zi
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 26, 2002 Limited
On DVD: Dec 3, 2002
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Susan Stark, Detroit News
A provocative, touching, surprising and obliquely illuminating piece.
Janice Page, Boston Globe
Not a film to rival To Live, but a fine little amuse-bouche to keep your appetite whetted.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
This humbling little film, fueled by the light comedic work of Zhao Benshan and the delicate ways of Dong Jie, is just the sort for those moviegoers who complain that 'they don't make movies like they used to anymore.'
Tom Sime, Dallas Morning News
The performances are winning all around. And the comic, slice-of-life feel is charming, but takes a hike as the film progresses.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
The film's maudlin focus on the young woman's infirmity and her naive dreams play like the worst kind of Hollywood heart-string plucking.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
An engaging and specific portrait of a culture in transition, even as it evokes humanity's most universal and timeless values.
Marcy Dermansky, About.com
Jie Dong, who makes her film debut as the blind and unwanted Little Wu, is thin, tough and heartbreakingly lovely.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...director Zhang Yimou imbues the story with enough heart and humor to prevent it from resembling something out of a '70s horror flick.
Jamie Gillies, Apollo Guide
The basic premise is intriguing but quickly becomes distasteful and downright creepy.
Paul Matwychuk, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
Happy Times sounds like any of the dozens of heart-tugging comedies that Miramax seems to release every month, but it has such a peculiar premise and the central performance by Zhao Benshan is so winning that Zhang gets away with it by the skin of
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
..it pulls all the heart strings it can in a shameless attempt to get real emotions.
Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal
One might relate this story to Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. There is much to dislike in the message, but it's hard not to enjoy the craftsmanship of the tale.
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
Even legends like Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston occasionally directed trifles... so it's no surprise to see a world-class filmmaker like Zhang Yimou behind the camera for a yarn that's ultimately rather inconsequential.
Mark Halverson, Sacramento News & Review
It is life affirming and heartbreaking, sweet without the decay factor, funny and sad.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

El Hombre I

Happy Times is set in present-day China, in a modern, unnamed city, exploring the many costs of modern times. The two central characters feel left behind in a rapidly changing Beijing, and when they try to catch up, they find love instead of the money they seek. The film never does… More
Happy Times is set in present-day China, in a modern, unnamed city, exploring the many costs of modern times. The two central characters feel left behind in a rapidly changing Beijing, and when they try to catch up, they find love instead of the money they seek. The film never does choose between comedy and tragedy, and the final plot twist turns it into a failed fairy tale. With too many contrived characters and plot turns, Happy Times eventually seems weightless. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=happytimes.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/happytimes.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Lesley N

Magical. Quirky and very different to Yimou Zhangs other films.
FanGirl B

Charming and sweet. An interesting film with a unique story and fun characters.