The Journey

Any Malaysian would know the movie, The Journey at the mention of its name. It gained momentum as soon it was released & many friends of mine gave rave reviews about the film. I certainly didn't want to miss out supporting a good local movie & decided to watch with WL after work. The turnout at the cinema hall was tremendous. A rare sight to see young & old alike gathered at the same place.

The plot is simple & predictable, something that all Malaysian Chinese can relate. Nevertheless, one can't deny how charming & heartwarming the movie turned out to be. It began with Bee (Joanne Yew) returning hometown with her Caucasian boyfriend, Benji (Ben Andrew Pfeiffer) to visit her estranged father during Chinese New Year. Their wedding announcement infuriates her father (Lee Sai Peng) who is unsurprisingly against the idea. Finally, the father gave in on one condition - the future son-in-law accompanies him to deliver wedding invitations to his ex-classmates on a motorcycle.

Many middle aged audiences were reportedly exiting the theatre halls with teary eyes after the movie. Such achievement with simple storytelling definitely deserves an applause. My take on the movie was more of a stark reminder about my relationship with my family especially with Grandma. I describe it as a love-hate relationship whereby I detest her conventional beliefs & stubbornness to change with the times. Again, no matter how much I disagreed with my elderly lady, I still try to accommodate her out of love & filial piety. In this case, I share Bee's sentiments. She wishes for her father to give his blessing for the wedding & unconditionally submit to his demands.

While certain plot points are absurd, the cinematography is excellent. Those beautiful scenery resemble a travel documentary ala Samantha Brown's & I was able to appreciate my country in a different perspective. I would never have thought our homeland could look so gorgeous in the eyes of the camera. It is certainly an eye-opener! After this, I'm looking forward to the next homegrown production with solid storyline which is able to emulate the success of The Journey.

Pic courtesy of Golden Screen Cinemas