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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Release Date:
31 December 2000 (China) more
Plot:
Zhao is an aging bachelor who hasn't been lucky in love. Thinking he has finally met the woman of his dreams... more | add synopsis
Awards:
3 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Sony Classics Releasing Zhang Yimou's 'Blood Simple'
(From Get The Big Picture. 28 July 2009, 7:17 PM, PDT)
Coen Brothers’ ‘Blood Simple’ Getting Foreign Remake
(From Screen Rant. 24 June 2009, 1:44 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
The wrong things; the right reasons more (40 total)
Cast
(Credited cast) | Benshan Zhao | ... | Zhao |
| Jie Dong | ... | Wu Ying |
| Lifan Dong | ... | Stepmother |
| Biao Fu | ... | Little Fu |
| Xuejian Li | ... | Li |
| Qibin Leng | ... | Wu Ying's Stepbrother |
| Ben Niu | ... | Old Niu |
| Jinghua Gong | ... | Aunty Liu |
| Hongjie Zhang | ... | Lao Zhang |
| Bingkun Zhao | ... | Lao Bai |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Honglei Sun | ... | Customer at 'Happy Times' |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Happy Times (UK) (USA)
Happy Time (International: English title)
Happy Times Hotel (UK) (DVD title)
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
102 min | China:95 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | Dolby SR
Certification:
Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Australia:PG | France:U | Germany:6 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Director Zhang Yimou issued a casting call via the Internet for role of the blind girl. Eventual lead Dong Jie was selected from some 40,000 girls who auditioned for the role. more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (40 total)
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Xingfu shiguang (2000)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
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| Just a small question... | devilsmercy03 |
| M18.com | cinenoir |
Recommendations
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| The Notebook | The White Countess | The Devil Wears Prada | The Sound of Music | The Desperate Hours |
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Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb China section |
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Zhao is a 50 year old unemployed loser making one last attempt at finding love. He courts a portly divorcee, but keeps having to lie to pass himself off as a better catch than he really is. Eventually, of course, the lies backfire. Zhao tells his sweetheart that he is the manager of a fancy hotel. She responds by foisting her blind stepdaughter off on him, confident that he can easily find her employment at his fancy hotel.
What follows is a funny, unlikely and touching relationship between Zhao and the blind girl Wu. While Zhao is terribly misguided, constructing elaborate deceptions to keep Wu "employed" at the non-existent hotel, he does these wrong things for the right reasons. Zhao does find love, but it isn't the woman or the love he expected.
This is an excellent film and there are three big reasons why: First of all, it's directed by Zhang Yimou who may well be the best director alive. This isn't a masterpiece like "Raise the Red Lantern," but seeing the phrase "Directed by Zhang Yimou" should be enough to tell you the next two hours will be well spent.
The second and third reasons are Benshan Zhao as Zhao and Jei Dong as Wu. Zhao is a respected Chinese comedian, but the role here is really a mixture of comedy and drama. Zhao gives the mixture exactly the right touch. But the real revelation is Jei Dong. I found myself wondering through the entire movie if she were really blind. She is that good. (And I still don't know the answer.)
Don't expect a laugh out loud comedy if you see this movie. It is very funny in places, but frequently that humor is very uncomfortable. And frequently happy times aren't really what they seem.