Happy Times (2000), Zhang Yimou, B+
A wonderfully bittersweet film about friendship and community. The premise is straight out of Preston Sturges (plus a good 65 years and moved to Beijing.) And while it may get a little maudlin at times (and the collection of wacky friends may feel like a play from the “Full Monty” playbook) I can’t imagine there’s a person out there who wouldn’t enjoy and feel moved by this film.
I sort of watched this movie with one eye and was doing other things, thinking, whatever, not a bad movie … but the ending is incredible. Brought the whole thing together in ways I could sense happening, but was done with taste and intelligence … sort of like the end of Tale of Two Cities in terms of emotional impact. An amazing “in your face” dropped on a bunch of truly fowl characters … a perfect ending.
Comment by Bill R — March 3, 2007 @ 5:07 pm
Well, I wouldn’t call them fowl characters. Flawed, maybe. The fat kid & greedy mom — they never get their comuppance — the ones who learn from their errors, they get fucked.
Comment by Jordan — March 3, 2007 @ 6:07 pm