I just saw this film on IFC last night. to be honest, I didn't sleep very well because of this film. I kept wondering about the ending. this film is a comedy and drama mixture. however, even I was laughing out loud in some parts of the film I still felt so sad at the sametime. afterall, the ending was so unpredicatable and unusual. I was expecting to see both main characters have "happy times" at the end. however.........................
shareI know what you mean. Sometimes you laugh, other times you just bawl your eyes out. The irony of the title being "happy times" is that there are no really "happy times" for anyone in the film. Happiness is an illusion, existing only in the imagination, if at all. Zhao's "hotel" serves as a metaphor for life: despite what he calls it, it is really only an abandoned bus that gets used as a cheesy "love nest" for teens. In reality, happiness does not last; however, in fantasy, happiness can be as fleeting. It's terribly sad and moving, but it provides a beautiful end to the movie.
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It's not a sad ending, to me it's open-ended and uplifting. Neither character gave up anything, and she realized that those times are happy times that she'll cherish forever. She may never be cured, but like what she says she'll know that there are people who go out to make happy times for another human being.
sharethe ending depressed me like hell
shareI laughed and cried too. I disagree about happiness being an illusion. The happiness was the only real thing, it was the situations that were the illusions. The look on Wu Ying's face at the end was not a look of illusionary happiness, but one of real happiness. The two main characters had no reason to be happy, so they created, or allowed to be created, an illusion that would bring true happiness. Wu Ying was happy because she finally had someone in her life who would sacrifice, even lie to her, to make her happy. Before she had had an illusionary happiness is the false hope that her father cared for her. Zhoa finally found happiness in sharing a life (otherwise meaningless)and sacrificing for another. He had tried to find that in a wife, but Chucky Mama was just as false a hope as Wu Ying's father.
As for the ending being depressing, I think it depends on your point of view. My Chinese friends have never said it was depressing just sad. Chinese want their films to end bitter sweetly. One of my Chinese friends explained it, "When I go to a movie, and it has a happy ending, I feel like I should get my money back."
I thought it was interesting when he reads the letter to her tape recording, didnt expect that to happen, love this movie.
shareI disagree. I found the ending very inspiring. She seems to be going forward bravely.
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