Nice View (奇迹·笨小孩) is an inspiring Chinese drama film released on Netflix on 1 June 2022. The film was earlier released in mainland China on February 1, 2022, and became the ninth highest-grossing film. The film follows the story of a brother-sister duo surviving alone, while the brother is desperately looking for ways to get money for her sister’s surgery.
The film is directed by Wen Muye which is his second feature film and stars Jackson Yee as Jing Hao, Chen Halin as Jing Tong, Yu Tian as Liang Yongcheng and Xi Qi as Wang Chunmei. The film has a runtime of about 1 hour 46 minutes and is available in the Mandarin language with English subtitles.
-Nice View Review Does Not Contain Any Spoiler-
Plot: A Story Of Hardwork & Pursuing Happiness
The film starts off in the year 2013 in Shenzhen, where 20-year-old Jing Hao lives with his 6-year-old sister, Jing Tong. Their father left them and their mother died of an illness which has been inherited by Jing Tong as well. To live past the age of 8 years, Tong needs surgery as soon as possible but Jing Hao runs a mobile repair shop, through which they are able to live by meagrely.
To get enough money for the surgery, he does various odd and high-risk jobs, he even ends up losing his shop. Just when he is about to hit rock bottom, an opportunity presents itself before him in the form of a business idea which might change their life for the better. But as the saying goes that nothing comes easy in life and Jing Hao is faced with various setbacks.
After losing almost everything, all that is left is the factory and the odd workers who are in the same situation as him. Will they be able to complete the order that Jing Hao has promised to the phone manufacturer company or will all hopes will be shattered, leading to a dead end. The film deals with the uncertainty in life and the ordeals one has to go through to achieve happiness.
What Works In The Film?
Nice View is a simple story with a message that as long as one works hard, anything is possible. It is the central theme of the film which is even pointed out by the main lead Jing Hao early on in the film when he tells the same to his sister. The chemistry between the brother-sister duo is amazing and the acting by Jackson Yee is realistic as well as commendable.
Paired with the camera work that creates the pace of the story, focuses on a detailed view of Hao’s repair work and tight shots that keep the story compact. Talking about the story, it can be said that the film is similar to the film The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) in terms of the plot inspiration but not entirely as it is set in a different setting with different aspirations and dreams.
Set in the city of Shenzhen, the film does justice in showing the hustle and bustle of one of the economic zones of China. In the concrete jungle, everyone is busy making a living through any job they can get and the realistic portrayal of how difficult it is to get a full-time job or good pay. The workers who get employed by Hao to work for him, have their own share of struggles but the pursuit of a full-time job brings them together for work and beyond as the story progresses.
Final Thought: Stream it or Skip it?
Nice View on Netflix is an encouraging story that emphasises the importance of hard work and camaraderie. The film will make you laugh and cry and take you on a tumultuous journey of Jing Hao and his work partners to have a better life. If you like inspirational films that motivate the audience to go after their dreams in life, then this is perfect for you.
However, the character arc could have been more developed as the story is predictable and early on, one can anticipate what the end would be like. Nevertheless, it is a nice film coming out especially at the time of the pandemic, with a realistic portrayal of where many are struggling to make their ends meet like the lead of the film. It hopes to inspire and motivate the people going through a tough time.
Nice View is streaming on Netflix.
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