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Happy Times
Xingfu Shiguang
review by Carrie Gorringe, 21 June 2002
28th Seattle International Film
Festival During most of
the running time of director Zhang Yimou's new film, Happy Times,
the film barely skirts the terrain of lowbrow comedy, and does so
breezily, although it's quite disconcerting to see the director of
such "weighty" films as Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern,
and Not One Less going for broke -- however effectively. A
washed-up middle-aged man named Zhao, desperate for what he sees to
be his last chance at matrimonial happiness, becomes involved with a
greedy woman with an unwanted -- and blind -- stepdaughter, Wu. By
(sometimes implausible) degrees Zhao becomes Wu's de facto guardian,
and is then entrusted with having to find her a profession. When he
learns of the one talent she possesses, he helps her to realize her
dream, in a way that is both touching and painful. The overall
cinematic result is something fragile and beautiful In Happy
Times, Zhang has crafted his own quiet masterpiece, a touching
update of Chaplin's City Lights and Griffith's Broken
Blossoms.
Seattle International Film Festival
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Directed
by:
Zhang Yimou
Starring:
Zhao Benshan
Dong Jie
Li Xuejian
Rated:
NR - Not Rated.
This film has not yet
been rated.
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