The Best of Times (2001) User Reviews

Curious film about aimless teens in Taiwan

[amzo · 7/10 · 28 April 2003]

I saw this film at the SF International Film Festival, and was pleasantly impressed with this work. The film's emotions shift from humorous, to sad, to horrifying, and back again. The monotonous daily affairs seem to give these teens a desire to do something more with their life. Yet they end up becoming mixed up a bit, even though they may not notice it. It is interesting to watch the relationship develop between the two boys, and when adversity strikes how they react. The ending is a bit nebulous; one must make of your own mind. Despite the sad aspects confronted in the film, one leaves the theatre with a feeling of contentment and satisfaction. It is a special film that has many singular aspects.

Taste Taiwanese magic realism!

[Maria Chen · 8/10 · 14 December 2002]

"Meili" means "beautiful" and "shiguang" means "times." "The best of times" marks the anxiety existing in many young hearts. This film records some of the Taiwanese' living mode as well as their struggling pain. Those who don't succeed are meant to be doomed. The boys who go astray, according to this rule, finally go to an end. We are appalled by the fate they finally come to meet, but we inevitably smile when they end in such a dreamy way. This film depicts a Taiwan Hakka (hope I'm not wrong) family whose beloved young ones thrive and wither. The life in the film is very close to some of the contemporary Taiwaneses' and yet contain a magic realistic touch. The boys, barely educated, see interesting things as they live on thro' the dull days, and they are eventually allowed to escape from the world full of venom by plunging into the safe water, where we viewers' hearts rest with theirs.

Distant and unengaging = not such a good time

[Pro Jury · 2/10 · 10 March 2006]

*** May contain spoilers. ***

The Best of Times is shot with wall-to-wall distant wide angle shots. Each letter of text in the subtitles seems larger than the faces of the cast. The Best of Times is more like reading a book with background wallpaper.

There are no close-ups worth recalling in the Best of Times. The actors cannot engage the viewer. The viewer cannot connect to the film. The direction is not photogenic. The music... was there any dramatic scoring in this film? The pacing was slow. The drama was... distant.

I cannot recommend The Best of Times.