Note: This article contains spoilers
"Good Things" is another brilliant work by director Shao Yihui following "Love Myth," achieving an impressive score of 9.1 on Douban after its preview screenings.
As a "parallel story" to "Love Myth," "Good Things" continues the humorous and dynamic style of its predecessor while further focusing on female perspectives, telling the story of three distinct women who find solace and grow together in the city of Shanghai.
Poster for "Good Things"
Using dialogue from the film and insights shared by the director in interviews, the criteria for "good things" can be described as those that make you happy, those that bring you joy, those that instill confidence, or those that provide peace and contentment; thus, the movie "Good Things" undoubtedly qualifies as "good things," as it is a film that brings happiness to most viewers.
"Good Things" is both "good things" and "new things." The film breaks traditional boundaries in exploring and expressing several themes, introducing innovative perspectives and elements that are certainly worth noting.
The "Timeliness" of Urban Cinema
Continuing the unique charm of "Love Myth," "Good Things" is still a film set in Shanghai, meticulously portraying the city's spaces and intricately weaving emotional narratives, thus presenting a vibrant tapestry of urban life in Shanghai.
In the film, we can observe the Shikumen lanes of Shanghai, bustling streets, lively markets, and a variety of cultural venues, effectively creating an immersive Shanghai atmosphere that makes the audience feel as if they are walking the streets of this city.
However, urban cinema is not merely about setting a story against a backdrop of a city; it is also not just about showcasing the towering skyscrapers and bustling traffic of urban life. More importantly, through the hustle and bustle, it touches the soul of the city, revealing its unique rhythms of life, modes of social interaction, and the residents' attitudes and pursuits. For instance, a city known for its openness and inclusivity should reflect such diversity and integration in its cinema; conversely, a city rich in history and tradition should convey that depth through its storytelling.
Though numerous urban films are shot in Beijing and Shanghai, very few can be labeled as "Beijing films" or "Shanghai films," primarily due to a lack of capturing the city's spirit and essence.
The Shanghai depicted in "Good Things" is quintessentially Shanghai, diverse and inclusive. Different cultures and lifestyles exist symbiotically, and residents rarely scrutinize the choices of the protagonists (unless online), allowing for a degree of freedom.
At the film's outset, Wang Tiemai (played by Song Jia) moves into a new home with her daughter Wang Moli (played by Zeng Mu Mei). As an international metropolis, Shanghai offers a wide array of professional opportunities and development prospects, attracting thousands of newcomers who bring their dreams and aspirations. Wang Tiemai is a "Shanghai drifter." Although she has gone through a marriage breakdown, she chooses to establish her roots in Shanghai; despite facing challenges in her career as an investigative journalist, she manages to find her own place and seek new opportunities.
Wang Tiemai (played by Song Jia)
Xiao Ye (played by Zhong Chuxi) further illustrates Shanghai's tolerance toward diverse cultures and lifestyles. As the lead singer of a band, she works in a non-traditional "stable" job, filled with the essence of art and freedom. In Shanghai, Xiao Ye's choices are unchallenged.
Xiao Ye (played by Zhong Chuxi)
The film's portrayal of male-female relationships also reflects a contemporary ethos. Wang Tiemai and her ex-husband (played by Zhao Youting) are divorced but do not harbor animosity towards each other; instead, they co-parent their daughter in a relatively amicable manner. This "co-parenting" relationship, which may be difficult to accept in traditional views, is depicted here as both natural and harmonious.
Ex-husband (played by Zhao Youting)
Xiao Ye's relationship with Dr. Xiao Hu (played by Ren Bin) deviates from traditional romantic norms; while they share physical pleasures, they maintain their independence and freedom without bearing the responsibilities of conventional romantic commitments. Though this relationship appears unstable or could be labeled "toxic," it represents a freedom of choice and a microcosm of contemporary urban emotional life.
Xiao Ye's casual partner Xiao Hu (played by Ren Bin)
Moreover, whether it’s when Wang Tiemai's ex-husband and her new suitor Xiao Ma (played by Zhang Yu) encounter a couple while carrying trash out of the lane, or Xiao Hu’s reaction after misunderstanding the relationship between Wang Tiemai and Xiao Ye, both exemplify a nonchalant acceptance of varying dynamics.
Xiao Ma (played by Zhang Yu)
Xiao Hu once misunderstood Wang Tiemai's relationship with Xiao Ye
However, the most challenging yet crucial aspect of urban cinema is capturing the city's "timeliness." This involves the film deeply engaging with reality, sensitively recording and reflecting the unique nuances and zeitgeist of contemporary society, and profoundly discerning reality for artistic representation.
"Good Things" does not need to present a specific historical background; rather, it vividly immerses viewers in a current, ongoing Shanghai story, offering not just insights into Shanghai but an objective recording and satirical critique of reality.
For instance, as former senior investigative journalist Wang Tiemai navigates the ups and downs of her career, her experience resonates with many colleagues who also navigate survival in the "narrow margins."
Additionally, through the characters' life situations and psychological changes, the audience can comprehend the impacts of significant public health crises on people's lives and mentalities. Take Xiao Ye, who appears carefree yet lives in clutter and brings nothing to the table while simultaneously growing vegetables at home. These subtle nuances resonate without explicit exposition, allowing the audience to read between the lines.
Updated Gender Representations
In recent years, the film industry has recognized the importance of female perspectives, leading to many works that confront women's challenges and awakenings. The majority of these films portray female awakening as a difficult journey’s endpoint or a valuable treasure gained after enduring numerous trials.
"Good Things" adopts a distinctive approach by positioning female awakening as the story's starting point. Characters like Wang Tiemai and Xiao Ye possess a clear sense of female agency from the outset.
Throughout history, women have often been viewed as objects, their voices, needs, and potential marginalized. Female agency emphasizes independence, allowing women to participate in social life, make choices, and influence their environment based on their desires, needs, and values. This is not merely about equality of rights; it also signifies an awakening of internal strength.
In "Good Things," female agency is significantly presented through the film consistently observing from a female "I" perspective, focusing on women's views, needs, and desires while crucially establishing women as creators of new rules of the game.
For instance, in Wang Tiemai's life, she is never a passive recipient but actively shapes her destiny. It is her decision whether to initiate her relationship with Xiao Ma, when to end it, as well as whether to share her experiences as a single mother on social media.
Zhang Yu even fits the "boyish" vibe in the film
The aftermath of online bullying leads to a moment of self-doubt for Wang Tiemai, yet it allows her to truly embrace her vulnerability—women do not need to be perfect, and they can indeed mess things up. If a game doesn't allow women to err, then women simply won’t play that game.
Xiao Ye's portrayal of "love-brain" identity may seem like a loss of self, but from another angle, it illustrates her quest for self-identity and emotional belonging. Xiao Ye's unhappy upbringing with strained parental relationships creates an environment where she yearns for solace and protection in love. Her "love-brain" state stems from her desires rather than the control of others.
The film's emphasis on female agency also reflects the empathetic scrutiny of women's experiences that arises from women directors’ perspectives while tending to overlooked aspects of women's contributions.
The film features a memorable and striking segment where Wang Moli, under Xiao Ye's guidance, listens to a collection of sounds recorded by Xiao Ye and attempts to guess their sources. These sounds are actually those produced by Wang Tiemai during her daily household chores—sounds of oil sizzling while frying eggs, clothes rustling on the rack, and the drone of a vacuum cleaner moving around the room... The ordinary sounds ignored or considered mere noise in daily life become grand, romantic natural imagery in the daughter's imagination, akin to a symphony of nature.
This allows audiences to reassess the value of everyday household labor from a fresh perspective, unveiling women's invisible contributions in domestic work. Traditionally seen as a woman’s duty, the value of such labor is often overlooked or diminished; the romantic appraisal of household chores grants them the respect they deserve—this is the poetry of labor—and profoundly reflects the immense contributions women make in sustaining family life.
Additionally, viewers see Wang Tiemai quietly laboring at home—cooking for her daughter, doing laundry, cleaning rooms—these ordinary daily tasks materialize as expressions of maternal love. Imagining these sounds as monumental natural phenomena serves as a heartfelt tribute to the hard work of all mothers globally. This emotional articulation is both subtle and profound.
As director Shao Yihui discusses in interviews, the struggles and pressures men face in society also stem from structural issues, where societal norms dictate that men must "succeed." "Feminism liberates women while also liberating men."
"Good Things" portrays awakened women while depicting the images of men undergoing their own awakenings. They still retain some toxic masculinity yet are increasingly breaking free from traditional gender orders.
Wang Tiemai's ex-husband was once a stay-at-home dad but succumbed to external prejudices and chose to divorce her. After the split, he came to appreciate Wang Tiemai and tried to express his feminist perspective to win her back. His character reveals the complex psyche of some men in the gender equality process, yearning to escape traditional gender roles but still grappling with societal pressures and crises of self-identity.
The ex-husband is quite humorous yet not unpleasant
As a successful ophthalmologist, Xiao Hu engages in a free-spirited, carefree interaction with women, where both parties remain unaccountable and avoid making arbitrary judgments about others' romantic states. However, when he mistakenly believes that Xiao Ye
