(Global Times) After films about almighty gods or archeological adventures, a film focusing on the relationship between an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease and a rebellious youth may be too "real" for some audiences.
However, for audiences bored by lackluster IP adaptations and big budget blockbusters filled with dizzying special effects, Hong Kong director Law Yiu-fai's Happiness is a breathe of fresh air that reminds film lovers that a good original story with some social relevance, rather than famous stars and big budgets, is what makes a good film.
Having hit theaters on Friday, the film has been doing well critically, with ratings on media review site Douban at 7.8/10, a relatively high grade compared to other domestic efforts this year. Even before its debut, pre-screenings of the film were packed.
Law's first full-length film, Happiness focuses on Ah Yo, played by Carlos Chan, a lad lingering in the big city after the death of his mother, and Fen Yi, a middle-aged woman who is losing a battle with Alzheimer's disease played by award-winning actress Kara Wai, and how the two come to depend on one another as they live under one roof.
Many moviegoers are comparing Happiness to the 2012 Venice International Film Festival winner A Simple Life, describing it as yet another outstanding work that pulls back the curtain on an aging society in which it's becoming harder for elderly people with no family to live out their remaining years with dignity.
True story
Law, however, dislikes this comparison. At a press conference on August 22, he called it "unfair" to both films.
"The message I'm trying to send through this film is about communication," Law told the Global Times at the press conference.
"And more communication is needed when it comes to people who are suffering from this disease and those around them."
A Hong Kong Film Award-nominated screenwriter, Law is known for his comedic films such as My Name is Fame. This time working as both the writer and director, his goal was to make a more realistic story.
"This was a challenge for me because I seldom write this kind of story."
"A Simple Life focuses more on family bonds, while Happiness talks more about social issues, like the relationship between strangers," Kara Wai said at the press conference, weighing in on the comparison.
According to Law, this film was more than just a story for him. He explained that he really felt for his characters since his own mother also suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
"Alzheimer's disease is hard to treat. We can only prevent it from becoming worse with the help of medicine. My real experiences enabled me to put every detail about this group of people into my writing and directing, like how the disease is detected in the first place."
For Wai, she explained that playing a woman with Alzheimer's was not as difficult as she originally thought since she basically played her mother, who was diagnosed with the disease in her 50s.
"This was another way for me to apologize to my mom for my impatience with her when she was having difficulties," Wai said.
Market tastes
Though Happiness lacks elements commonly found in many commercial films, Law said he doesn't define the movie as an "art film."
Though Happiness lacks elements commonly found in many commercial films, Law said he doesn't define the movie as an "art film."
"Happiness is still more of a mass market film for me," he told the Global Times.
"Even though it is less commercial, it conveys a social message and will hopefully inspire people to reflect on reality. For me, it will have been all worthwhile as long as audiences like it."
Although the mainland film market in recent years has been focusing more on films with great visuals instead of films that tell stories from everyday life, Law insisted that a healthy market needs to have diversity.
"Audiences will get bored if you keep feeding them the same type of food every day," he said.
"Even though less commercial films such as Happiness are not as popular as more commercial ones, they should be given room to breathe.
"It's understandable that audiences, especially younger ones, love watching big budget movies with fancy visuals, but it's also important to provide choices and let them know that there are quality films out there that are still good even though they lack stunts and other commercial elements," he noted.
According to Law, while few such films are being made in Hong Kong, unlike the mainland, diversity is picking up.
"With big names leaving to work in the mainland in recent years, novice directors in Hong Kong now have more opportunities to create new works," Law told the Global Times.
"Port of Call and Trivisa are good examples. More new blood, more new genres, I believe that's also what the audience wants to see."
So far, the film has earned Wai a Best Actress award at the 7th Macao International Movie Festival, while Chan won Best Male Supporting Role.
As for the positive response from the community, Law said he felt extremely grateful and expressed the wish that Wai and Chan would be nominated at more film festivals.
Source: Global Times by Huang Tingting