"Tiny Times" tops China's box office
电影《小时代》票房逼近三亿 高票房低口碑?
The hottest movie in China recently is "Tiny Times". The movie directed by star novelist Guo Jingming has even knocked superhero blockbuster "Man of Steel" off the top of China’s box office charts. Despite being a big success at the box office, it’s also caused controversy, especially on social networking sites.
"The Tiny Times" is author-turned-director Guo Jingming’s adaptation of his own young adult novel of the same name. The film, set in Shanghai, revolves around the love lives and budding careers of four girls who come from different backgrounds.
The light-hearted romance drama broke the Chinese opening-day record for a solely 2D release - raking in 11.9 million US dollars on June 27th. And since then, it has swept over Chinese cinemas, attracting millions of young viewers.
The popularity of "Tiny Times" in theatres has been boosted by the discussion it has triggered on social network sites such as Sina Weibo.
But not everyone has good things to say about the film. It has been criticized for its display of luxury goods and clothes. Many believe that this will distort the values of young viewers, as the target audience for both the novel and the film are people born in the 1980s and 1990s. However, Guo Jingming disagrees.
Guo Jingming, Director, "Tiny Times", said, "We didn’t have any movies that target the post 1990s generation, who are a major force today. But now, we have "Tiny Times" which is made for them. The movie has the type of dream and spirit that belongs to the younger generation."
Meanwhile, many film critics call "Tiny Times" an awful piece of work. But it doesn’t stop the film from winning over the box office. So far, it has taken in 273 million yuan that is 44.5 million US dollars, since its release.