Filament 2010 - Riding East by Melissa Foo

This skit-ish crowd pleasing narrative drama demonstrates some common gimmicks a film could use to hold our suspension of belief in watching a film. It sounds unkind but it is apparent the film seeks to entertain deliberately and not without results. 

The story goes that Timothy and Beng (more imaginative names please) are two people brought together because of Timothy's sister Zoe being allegedly made pregnant by Beng. So they go find Zoe. The two boys get into a string of sticky situations as they bumble along on Beng's motorbike. A lot of goofy humour underlie this journey. They go from bumping into a 'uncle' who called them 'Ah Qua' to being extorted in a 7-11 store to losing their motorbike. Along the way, Timothy meets a waifish damsel in distress who needs help with her car. Complementing the whole 'road-movie' feel to this is a dash of coincidences, a peppering of misunderstandings and drizzlings of serendipitous meetings. 

Sounds formulaic? Not that the filmmakers care I think. The film is simply meant to take us for a good amusement ride. And what street-wise 'drivers' we have, cracking us up along the way with punchlines like 'You want your Honda or me?', 'I take you to see Santa Claus' and the reference to a 'Gold Tap' by the little girl. It's kooky, it's cheesy, it's campy. I give up. Just laugh along la.
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