Rating: 
Summary: 5-Stars for Happy Times
Review:
The only reason I watched this film was because Zhang Yimou directed it. That's the respect I have for him as a director in this industry. At first blush, I thought that Happy Times was going to be a shallow, corny type of movie. I couldn't have been more wrong. While there are more light-hearted moments than in Yimou's other works, Happy Times gives glimpse into the lives of common Chinese people and a much more penetrating and uplifting look into the human heart and human spirit.
From the reviews you should already know that Happy Times is about an aging Chinese man trying to court a potential wife. He tries to persuade her by pretending to be something he is not - the general manager of a luxury hotel. But in the process he finds himself taking responsiblity for the woman's blind stepdaughter. How this all works out in the end is something you just have to see for yourself. Trust me, it is an exquisite Zhang Yimou finish.
I am not at all familiar with the actors but they were all wonderful. In particular, actress Dong Jie gives a heartbreakingly eloquent performance as the blind stepdaughter.
Rating: 
Summary: Filled with POTENTIAL & TALENT, but ultimately UNFULFILLING
Review: "Happy Times" initially promises to be an off-beat and unique picture. Skipping over opening credits, the film starts off right in the middle of a conversation, perhaps even in mid-sentence. This abrupt opening, while initially jarring, effectively hooks the audience and establishes the hidden-camera feel that pervades the rest of the film. Needless to say, Zhang proves all the praise that is bestowed upon his directorial skills is not unwarranted. Truly, this film is an achievement in subtle, understated filmmaking.But alas, the same cannot be said about the screenplay. There are two major problems with the narrative: the first lies in the dubious character of the main protagonist while the second problem lies in the ending. "Happy Times" is essentially a fairy tale set in modern China. Instead of a beautiful, oppressed blonde girl named Cinderella, however, we have a beautiful, oppressed blind girl named Wu Ying. And instead of Prince Charming, we have Zhao, essentially the anti-Prince. Zhao is not completely unlikeable but he never overcomes the bad impression he makes on the viewers from the very beginning. He is inconsiderate, cheap, selfish, and coarse. In one of the most infuriating moments of the film, Zhao pulls Wu Ying out of the middle of a car-filled street (which is where she ends up after running away from him) only to utter coldly, "If you want to kill yourself, at least tell me first!" But more devastating than his repulsive personality is his compulsion to lie, which completely undermines the unreserved sincerity of the film. The audience's inability to trust his words and his intentions cripples the mutual openness between storyteller and spectator (a relationship that is extra special for fairy tales). As a result, the actions of the other characters, typically taken at face-value, are tainted by doubt. This is especially evident when Wu Ying talks about her "happy times" with Zhao. Because there is no visible redemption for Zhao by the end, one can't help but to question the validity of said titular happiness. There is one rare, delightful scene where Zhao is able to be honest and stripped bare. When Wu Ying asks if she can touch him to see what he looks like, Zhao admits with a smile that he isn't that good-looking and lets her feel his face. The sexuality is effectively subdued in this scene (as it is everywhere else) and the moment is so touching that it hurts. It attests to the potential this story had in presenting a modern-day fairy tale just as effective as the traditional ones. What's actually here in the film is intriguing enough to hold your complete attention (and quirky enough to surprise you a bit), but ultimately, it's a great big tease. The narrative ends with a decision, but without showing the consequences of that decision, the action is rendered powerless and even meaningless. If there is a message intended, it loses its merit because of the dues ex machina coincidence that lends more shock value than poignancy. Intellectually, the abrupt ending may be an appropriate bookend to the opening, but emotionally, it leaves the audience wanting. "Happy Times" has the workings of a great film, but it's too unsure of itself to meet that potential. It's a story that is split between trying to be a charming fairy tale and a profound slice-of-life drama, resulting in a conflicted and confused audience. And unfortunately, while the picture is billed as a comedy, there are precious few laughs. In fact, only two gags bring out hearty laughter: the "all-night-long red" color of the "Happy Times" bus and the "whatever we do, we do it big" head hole for the massage bed. In the end, "Happy Times" is a small film that is only meant to whet your appetite for Zhang Yimou's highly anticipated wuxia project entitled "Hero," which wrapped earlier this year and is set to release this December.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect
Review: - I've long been a film buff - my favorite films tend to be artsy and rather pedantic. Because of this, my family generally doesn't like to sit with me and watch movies. So, when I started "Happy Times" last night, I thought they'd gradually wander off and find something else to do. But, they were enthralled! This movie is the perfect balancing act between comedy, drama, and the enduring love we feel for those who have touched us in a special way. This is a great, great movie. Too many Americans shun foreign films. This is one they shouldn't miss. When the movie ended, my oldest son turned to me and said, "Wow. I think Hollywood has forgotten how to make movies like this!" American filmmakers seem to think they have to descend to the baser instincts in order to make "adult" movies. Yet, "Happy Times" - and countless other foreign films - never seem to sink to this level. These films are always excellent. I think the issue is that Hollywood has forgotten how to write a good story; they've forgotten that basic human values can be enduring, can be entertaining, if only they would jettison their cynical baggage. "Happy Times" will make you laugh and cry, smile and reflect with pride on the better angels of our nature. -
Rating:
Summary: Perfect
Review: - I've long been a film buff - my favorite films tend to be artsy and rather pedantic. Because of this, my family generally doesn't like to sit with me and watch movies. So, when I started "Happy Times" last night, I thought they'd gradually wander off and find something else to do. But, they were enthralled! This movie is the perfect balancing act between comedy, drama, and the enduring love we feel for those who have touched us in a special way. This is a great, great movie. Too many Americans shun foreign films. This is one they shouldn't miss. When the movie ended, my oldest son turned to me and said, "Wow. I think Hollywood has forgotten how to make movies like this!" American filmmakers seem to think they have to descend to the baser instincts in order to make "adult" movies. Yet, "Happy Times" - and countless other foreign films - never seem to sink to this level. These films are always excellent. I think the issue is that Hollywood has forgotten how to write a good story; they've forgotten that basic human values can be enduring, can be entertaining, if only they would jettison their cynical baggage. "Happy Times" will make you laugh and cry, smile and reflect with pride on the better angels of our nature. -
Rating:
Summary: Sweet little movie
Review: A middle aged bachelor, Zhao is desperately seeking love and thinks he has found it in a woman who wants a large wedding. It appears that Zhao has promised more than what he can deliver to this woman, since he is rather poor. However, he fabricates a story that he is a co-owner of a hotel, and in the process is asked to help her blind stepdaughter, Wu Ying, to get a job at the hotel. As the story develops, the truth of Wu Ying is revealed, and it seems like Zhao is in over his head again. Happy Times is a comic tragedy that shakes the audience with both laughs and sorrow. The film offers a truly humane cinematic experience that will touch those who see this remarkable film.
Rating: 
Summary: Desperately seeking love...
Review: A middle aged bachelor, Zhao is desperately seeking love and thinks he has found it in a woman who wants a large wedding. It appears that Zhao has promised more than what he can deliver to this woman, since he is rather poor. However, he fabricates a story that he is a co-owner of a hotel, and in the process is asked to help her blind stepdaughter, Wu Ying, to get a job at the hotel. As the story develops, the truth of Wu Ying is revealed, and it seems like Zhao is in over his head again. Happy Times is a comic tragedy that shakes the audience with both laughs and sorrow. The film offers a truly humane cinematic experience that will touch those who see this remarkable film.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful but underappreciated film.
Review: As a longtime fan of director Zhang Yimou, I was surprised to see him change directions with 1998's Not One Less. After watching his four most recent films (Not One Less, The Road Home, Happy Times and Hero), I can say with assurance that Zhang Yimou is not changing directions but branching out. He can direct almost anything. I've always appreciated movies that had both comedy and drama and defied categorization. Too bad Blockbuster can easy categorize this film under "Foreign." Happy Times starts off lighthearted and easily amusing, but becomes more complicated as it progresses. I can compare this movie to a more well-known and more controversial one, Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful. Happy Times is not striking like Zhang Yimou's earlier films, but it is more heartfelt. It's less artsy so it can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Note: The Chinese and American versions of this film have different endings. I can't advise you on which one to see since they are practically equal in degree of happiness or sadness. I would say the difference between them is like the difference between the two separate endings of Dickens' Great Expectations.
Rating:
Summary: A Chinese Hepburn?
Review: Audrey Hepburn has always been one of my heart throbs. Last year, the French actress Audrey Tatou, whom many compared to the winsom Hepburn, burst onto the American screens in the hit AMELIE. Now, in HAPPY TIMES, perhaps the same can be said about Dong Jie. In this English subtitled film that takes place in an unidentified Chinese mainland city, an impoverished fifty-something Lothario named Zhao (Zhao Benshan) claims to have found true love with a divorcée (Dong Lihua), and proposes marriage. Zhao's new fiancée is delighted, but says the ceremony will cost him a lot of money. Not admitting his penury, Zhao and his best friend Li (Li Xuejian) refurbish an old, abandoned bus out in the woods into the Happy Times Hut, a cozy retreat complete with bed and covered windows where young couples can "relax" - for a modest fee paid to our two heroes. Thus, Zhao can brag to his fiancée that he's a "hotel" manager, and business is booming. Enter Dong Jie as Wu Ying, the teenage stepdaughter of Zhao's bride-to-be, abandoned into the latter's care by her former husband, Wu's father. Wu is totally blind, and is treated with petty cruelty by her stepmother and stepbrother. For example, the former forbids Wu to eat the treats (Håagen-Dazs ice cream) she brings into the house for her grossly overweight porker of a son (Ling Qibin), who, in turn, steals food from the sightless girl's bowl. Wu is affection starved, and dreams only of being reunited one day with her father, who will by then have earned enough money to have her sight restored. In the meantime, the stepmother nags Zhao into giving Wu a job at his "hotel". Zhao is understandably reluctant, but finally agrees. He figures he can convince the girl that the bus is one of the hotel's outlying cabins, and can employ her to tidy the place up after each set of "guests". However, his plan goes terribly awry when, as he and Wu arrive at the site, the bus is being hauled off by a crane in a public beautification effort. By this time feeling sorry for the girl, Zhao concocts an even more elaborate plan with several retired cronies to give Wu a "job" as a masseuse in a "massage room" created much like a movie set in an abandoned manufacturing plant. After all, the girl is blind and she won't know the difference, will she? And having a job apparently earning her own money makes her incredibly happy, especially as she's now living away from her cruel family in Zhao's own poor apartment, passed off by Zhao as his hotel employees' living quarters. Director Zhang Yimou has crafted a simple yet lovely film around the lives of ordinary people. Dong Jie is delicate and winsome in the best Audrey Hepburn tradition. Her Wu Ying persona illustrates how little is required for happiness when one's life is basically miserable, and she demonstrates an inherent toughness of spirit that earned this viewer's profound admiration. Benshan works his way into the audience's heart as the man willing to become something of a father figure to the lonely girl. Lihua and Qibin are extremely effective as Wu's hateful tormentors. I suspect that if a film with an identical plot had been produced in America, those groups advocating the rights of the "visually challenged" would vociferously complain that the storyline was patronizing and initiate a lawsuit. Give thanks that HAPPY TIMES comes from a less politically correct environment, and see it.
Rating:
Summary: [Anything but] Happy Times
Review: Despite the upbeat title, 'Happy Times' depicts anything but...abuse by a stepmother, abandonment by a natural father, massive structural unemployment, a future of limited hope for each of the protagonists. Through all of this despair, the natural goodness of Benshan Zhao's character (also called "Zhao") shines through. His ruses get more complicated and difficult to sort out, but in the second-half of the film, his growing care and concern for "Little Wu" (skillfully portrayed by Dong Jie) is obvious. I defy anyone to watch 'Happy Times' without tears streaming down your cheeks by the end. I definitely recommend a rental/purchase, but you may want to pair it with something a bit more upbeat or comedic. This is a heartbreaking movie.
Rating:
Summary: Forsaken, Brave China
Review: Don't kid yourself reviewers. There's a whole lot more here than meets the eye. You don't have to be a friendless blind girl in a city of ten million to appreciate human frailty and kindness. Yimou Zhang is a very fine director and his vision can be thoughtful and appreciated on several levels. China is still exotic to look at from my American standpoint. The colors are garish and bright. The modern city bustles, the young are hip and making it where they can. The old worker's, many victims of the poverty and cruelty caused by The Great Leap Forward and other catastrophic Marxist disasters, are still searching for happiness. Now, in their fifties, they look about and their old factories are rusting, glass office towers are going sky high.
I'm still not sure that the actress that played a blind teen is not actually blind. Either way, she's a genius. Her final scene, forsaken, blind, but brave China, venturing into the traffic. This is filmmaking.
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