2SSFA - 'Garlic Cream Puff' by Lee Wong

As quirky as the title is the film about family relationships and dysfunction. The young protagonist, Ken, a troubled-looking young adult, who looks like he can’t wait to live out on his own has to face his doting parents everyday. His ‘well-casted’ parents look the type every rebellious teenager loves to hate. One day, Ken’s good friend, throws him an unconventional job offer that will earn him some very enticing money. Generally, a wandering soul, Ken goes for it.

This is where it gets interesting and you realize this film is not just about precisely-timed track shots or seasoned actors who deliver on cue. It takes a turn for a tinge of queer. Ken was asked to meet a man who’s not seen his son for ages and pretend to be his son. This man is dressed in a pink tie, which was emphasized in the sartorial description. While the ‘coming out’ of this ‘stranger’ father was a tad cliché, the sense of disjointment in being in a kind of dual existence, both equally troubled and confused, as Ken sat facing ‘the man in the pink tie’ gave the audience something to ponder about. From a opportunistic shot at quick bucks, Ken gets sucked slowly into this other world that he thought was worth only a fleeting glance. Then, with how things unfold later, lines are blurred between this apparent-mirage-of-a-relationship and reality.

But Ken comes with lessons learnt and a change of heart towards his family. Which is a kind of bittersweet ending, just like the cream puffs, with the (accidental?) garlic inside that were served in the starting scene.
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