Happy Times (2002) |
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Another director who's work I am a big fan of (Zhang Yimou),
although I felt Happy Times came up a little short of my expectations.
His paticular style is to take a snapshot of real life, or often just a simple story, and to fill it with feeling, through his great directing skills, excellent acting, and wonderful cinematography. His films also usually pack a punch, particularly at the end, which is a style some people have difficulty warming to, where you are left asking "why, why, why?". Personally I feel it is a way of showing not every story has a happy ending, or that we don't always get our way - something hollywood seem to have great trouble dealing with. Where does Happy Times fit in to this picture? It is difficult to pin-point any flaws, as it tells a simple story in a mostly realistic way, and it is well acted. The ending had the usual sort of punch, and the film was executed nicely. What it did seem to lack though was the depth of feeling I have come to expect from his work. Also the modern city setting didn't give much opportunity for anything visually outstanding. Don't get me wrong here, as it was still a "not too bad" watch, with opportunity to consider aspects of life you haven't had to face, as well as a laugh or two along the way, but when compared to some of his other work (To Live, Shanghai Triad, Not One Less, The Road Home) it failed to leave it's mark in quite the same way. |
Reviewed by:biquaRating:
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