Movie_Review

The movie, released in 1995, Hong Kong, starts off with the main character, a mother, going about her daily routine. Humour is successfully injected into the movie, especially where she is at the market and tricks the fish monger into thinking that a fish is dead by slapping it unconscious, thus buying it for a lower price. This illustrates her witty and street-smart character, fit for her role in the family. She is in charge of grocery shopping, cooking, taking care of the family, including her husband, son and father. On top of that, she is a sales manager in a toilet roll distribution company. Her husband, though loving and kind, does not display the energy to take care of the family, leaving the job to her. Her son, a young adult, is able to help out, though occasionally interested in other matters such as love. Her father, after exhibiting abnormal behaviour, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Being only able to remember events a long time ago, he is unable to recognise any of his family, except the mother. As he used to work as an air pilot during the Japanese occupation, he imagines himself back in the past, resulting in he not knowing that his actions are in fact reality. For example, he calls other people “enemies” and even went “parachuting”, where he jumped off the building while holding onto an umbrella. Thankfully, he landed in a truck of hay. As the family has to work, they are unable to take care of him, thus sending him to a day care centre for the elderly. This very much portrays today’s society, where families, not having the capability to take care of their mentally-ill elderly relatives, send them to homes. Even though this lifts the burden off their shoulders, it is unacceptable as the elderly may not receive the love and support they need from their family. It is hard enough adapting to a new environment for normal people, for the mentally-ill, it is even harder. In some scenarios, families may not want to look after their mentally-ill relatives anymore, abandoning them at home. This is very saddening as the mentally-ill are being left in the hands of other people. Also, it shows the lack of filial piety, where despite the hard work put in to raise their children, the children are not grateful and dump their parents in homes. This should not be the way. In the movie, there is a case of a lack of filial piety, where after the father is found unconscious in the bath, one of his daughters wishes that he will die as “he is going to die anyway”. Even though the father creates troubles for the family, he is still a blood relative and should be loved, despite his mental condition. Even though he does not recognise the daughter, she should remember all the effort put in to ensure that she grew up strong and healthy. Her attitude is not right, which is heart-wrenching, especially looking at how pitiful the father already is. The movie ends with a touching and sad ending, where at a field, the father picks flowers for his daughters. The freedom he experiences tugs at the audiences’ heart-strings, especially when due to his condition, he is not able to enjoy life to the fullest. However, tragedy strikes when he suffers a heart-attack and passes away. This movie is simple, yet endearing. It follows the experiences of a person with Alzheimer’s disease, showing audiences’ the care and support of his family. The plot is touching, showcasing that despite the troubles faced in one’s life, family is still the most important. A movie recommended for the whole family, along with a box of tissues.