Happy Times
Release Date:
July 26, 2002
Pushed back from May 24, 2002
Limited release
Respected Chinese director Zhang Yimou brings us this light-hearted look at life and the pursuit of love and happiness.
The story revolves around a laid-off worker named Zhao (Zhao Benshan). He needs to raise some money fast, because he promised his fiancée an extravagant wedding gift and it's more than he can afford. He and his buddy, Li (Li Xuejian), put their heads together to come up with a plan. They refurbish an abandoned railway car and rent out rooms hourly in it for young lovers who happen to pass by. Unfortunately for the business, Zhao is a little conservative and insists that his horny young clients leave the door open.
There is another, related storyline in which Zhao agrees to get his fiancée's blind stepdaughter (Dong Jie) a job at the hotel. He sets up a fake interview and even goes so far as to set up a fake place of employment. He doesn't want the stepdaughter to find out what's really going on, and that he's not really rich.
The director has a long history of well-received films. Many have won awards, including best picture at the Cannes Film Festival, the British BAFTA Awards, and many other film festivals worldwide. (Marty Doskins/BOP)
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