At the End of Day Break

a promise is a promise.
I'll never let you down.

i watched it. with all pride n joy, i manage to catch the very last show of "At the End of DayBreak" on the very last day.

As the credits rolled out, i smiled when i saw his name.
I smiled as i shared a tiny piece of this joy & pride.
I smiled as i saw him justifying the choices that he made.

这条路走来不容易。每一个选择，每一步，都会是跌跌又撞撞。
看着你的用心，看着你往自己的梦想努力。
不晓得为什么，我笑了。
心里很开心，那么点点的骄傲。
好好加油。

Title: At The End Of Daybreak
Writer/Director: Ho Yuhang
Starring: Chui Tien Yau, Wai Ying Hung, Jane Ng
Malaysia/Hong Kong/South Korea 2009

Tuck Chai (Chui Tien You), is a 23 yr old guy, someone who’s still looking for something in life even a simple direction, Ying (Ng Meng Hui), in contrast, is still in high school, having all the care in the world of a girl of 16yr old.

This is despite of the lower-class existence that Tuck Chai and his mother (Wai Ying-hung) - my favourite! leads. Whom the father left mother for her younger sister. Depressed, she often turns to the bottle, seeking for solace in alcohol.

The details of the story, i find interesting. With so much attention to the details, it brings back a sense of tenderness. As the story unveils on the relationship between Tuck Chai and his mom, how they need each other to actually maintain the dynamics of this relationship, how his mom grooms him, cuts his hair. Witness the relationship between Tuck Chai and his mother; at times, it seems as if that relationship is reversed, with the son coming to the rescue of his mother time and again after she gets drunk. There's the tenderness and lingers when you see how these 2 characters interact.

What we have here, a cycle. A trend that's seemingly never ending, it goes round and round and round and round. The lack of morality in a way sometimes become the driving force for the story.

Two relatively innocent characters, not necessarily perfect, who paid the price for a mistake, a mishap that led to alot of unexpected grave consequences. Most synopses describe the film that way. When in the movie, you'd feel that theres really a feel of things and tension building up. all leading up to a certain point where you'd ask yourself "How now???"

I find myself being so much amused & attracted to the combination & marriages of several different elements. For example, shots of Tuck Chai on his motorbike, with the light from the inside of the tunnel reflected against his visor, as he raced into the tunnel, as the prayer call roared around him. What a powerful moment, a stunning combination of visual and sound…

Another part which i loved was how the film looks at greed and desire, and simply let these 2 elements work themselves within the show at so many levels. With all her angry and troubles with her ex husband, Tuck Chai's mom turn to him when she needed help. Though they still hold a sense of civility for each other, it is money that brings them together. It is also money that would lead to the film’s tragic end, not because it is needed but because of the greed for it which cause the incidents to happen.

However, I am confused at a few things. Perhaps the director's dicision between having a piece of human drama, or a genre crime film. Some people liked it this way, some however found it rather odd. Ying (the leading female character)'s lack of emotions troubles me sometimes, i spend quite alot of moment wondering "why she stones a?", macam no response saje. Maybe it was her character, maybe I couldn't understand the movie well enough. but yea... "why a?"

Pete Teo’s music adds to the overall feeling of the film incredibly well. Haunting, at times chilling, but always beautiful.

I write this, then, not as a review in a way, but more of an exposition of what I feel and think as I watch this film.

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When Yasmin came up, even for the brief minutes. I was stunned.
I didn't know that she cameo in it.
The sudden overwhelming of emotions came when she laughed.
I'd never imagine or thought that I'd ever hear them again.
I saw her smile today. I heard her laugh.
Gawd, she is terribly missed.