Tiny Times (film series)

Tiny Times is a Chinese film series directed and written by Guo Jingming.

The first installment of the series based on the first novel was released on June 27, 2013. A sequel titled Tiny Times 2, which was filmed together with the first film and based on the second half of the novel, was released on August 8, 2013. Tiny Times 3, the third installment of the franchise was released on July 17, 2014. Tiny Times 4, the fourth and last film of the series, was released on July 9, 2015. Tiny Times is one of the most successful movie franchises, and has garnered many fans among young Chinese cinema-going audience.

The series has been slammed for its overt celebration of materialism.; as well as the product placement of luxury brands in the films. Raymond Chou, one of China's film critics, said the film's message is "hinting to the young generation that you can do anything to win material goods because that’s how your value is determined."

The series has sparked controversy and debate over its depiction of women in the film. Though often compared with Sex and the City, the women in Tiny Times does not exhibit the same kind of fierceness and independence as their Western counterparts. Critics have expressed their concerns that Shanghainese women in the film are portrayed as "vapid and shallow", setting backwards gender equality in China.

At the same time, the series has been condemned for its portrayal of male narcissism. The Atlantic said that the films speak to "the male fantasy of a world of female yearnings, which revolve around men and the goods men are best equipped to deliver, whether materially or bodily. It betrays a twisted male narcissism and a male desire for patriarchal power and control over female bodies and emotions misconstrued as female longing; which is symptomatic of a society where the choices for women are severely limited."

The series garnered praises for its cinematography. Robert Lundberg of China Lion Film, the company that distributed the first and second installment of the franchise in the US, said that the film's visual quality is on par with Hollywood films.

The film has been criticized for the lack of acting ability in most of the cast. Lead actress Yang Mi has been nominated thrice (and won for all three times) at the Golden Broom Awards as the "Most Disappointing Actress" for her performance in Tiny Times franchise.

...
Wikipedia