Happy Times (2001)
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72% of critics liked it
(60 reviews) -
75% of users liked it
(4,253 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
- Directed By
- Yimou Zhang
- Written By
- Gui Zi, Gai Zi
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Comedy
PG,
- In Theaters
- Jul 26, 2002 Limited
- On DVD
- Dec 3, 2002
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Classics
Critic Reviews
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Susan Stark, Detroit News
A provocative, touching, surprising and obliquely illuminating piece.
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Janice Page, Boston Globe
Not a film to rival To Live, but a fine little amuse-bouche to keep your appetite whetted.
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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.'
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Marta Barber, Miami Herald
Metaphors abound, but it is easy to take this film at face value and enjoy its slightly humorous and tender story.
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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.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Zhao Benshan
as Zhao
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Dong Jie
as Wu Jing
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Li Xuejian
as Li
- Dong Lifan
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Ben Niu
as Oxhead
- Ling Qibin
- Leng Qibin
- Biao Fu
- Bingkun Zhao
- Hongjie Zhang
- Jinghua Gong
- Lihua Dong
