Steal Happiness
- -A beautifully observed light comedy centered on an average Chinese family in Xi'an, Steal Happiness observes a whole range of everyday issues in Mainland life with a gently ironic eye.
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A beautifully observed light comedy centered on an average Chinese family in Xi’an, Steal Happiness observes a whole range of everyday issues in Mainland life with a gently ironic eye.
This belatedly exported, first solo effort by director Yang Yazhou, previously co-director on three movies by Huang Jianxin, might be too old for much more festival exposure (pic was released in late ’98) but would be an excellent pickup for quality webs. It further disproves the myth that there’s no quality, accessible cinema in China between the major fest names and official pap. Adapted from a novel also made into a 20-part TV series the same year, film turns on Zhang Damin, the do-gooder elder brother in a large family. Constantly rearranging their back-alley house as his brothers and sisters marry, move out and return home, pic is an ode to communal, family values in the face of modern, individualist pressures. The hangdog Feng’s perf humanizes a potentially exasperating character with small shafts of humor, and he’s supported by a fine cast directed with skill. Though gentler, the overall tone is close to Yang and Huang’s 1997 Surveillance.
Derek Elley
Thanks to Far East Film Festival