6th Spring Film Festival: “Lost Journey,” Discovered Laughter

Lost Journey actors Wang Baoqiang and Xu Zheng

     Due to a week-long stress that work had given to me, I felt the urgent need to experience an out-of-town escape on my weekend rest day even for a short while. It would be great if I would be with friends, but I wouldn’t mind being alone for it is an opportunity to think things over and re-asses my recent decisions and actions in life. Since I am out of office Saturday morning, breakfast with officemate friends and another quick get-together and lunch with girlfriends from previous work companies, sprinting straight to an adventure is impossible. If I need to go out-of-town, very early in the morning would be the perfect time to start the journey. My plan changed and instead, found myself watching the Spring Film Festival with  a friend. For a seasoned foreign film festival enthusiast, clearly, this the first salvo of Shangri-La Plaza in a sure line-up of cinematic festivals (mostly free of admission and in a first-come, first-served basis) this 2012. 

     I was entangled in good laughter when I joined this comical, virtual road trip of two characters from opposite social classes (Li Chenggong [Xu Zheng], a toy businessman and Niu Geng [Wang Baoqiang], a daily-wage worker]) unlikely meeting each other to find their way to Changsha for the annual Spring Film Festival amidst the series of “unlucky” events (roads blocked by landslide, accident, lost wallet) and sticking with each other to hurdle these “unfortunate” adventure and together experiencing their share of “lucky” events (meeting kindhearted people, winning in lottery.)

     The CRI English website (http://english.cri.cn/7146/2010/07/21/2041s584256.htm) praised the movie, “the two are true comic geniuses. Fuelled with witty and well designed lines, the movie tickles our funny bone along the awkward journey, although some of its plot really pushes the boat out a bit too far in the quest for laughs.”

     Although the movie is hilarious, it has heart-pinching scenarios like the teacher they met who begs for money and asks strangers to lend her money, and she will also pay it back two hours after when her relatives bring the money as her kid lies in the operation room. My tears rolled as I know how brain-wracking and hope-drenching it is to think how to raise money in a very short period of time for your loved ones’ medical condition. She was initially dubbed as “swindler” as the money was not returned but the three met again and the reality was revealed. 

     As there are a lot of change of scenes and twist of fate as the story goes, it’s funny how you will be reminded of your own experiences similar to the movie: funny, accidental, dramatic, planned; and dropping a nugget or two of wisdom brought about by lessons learned in bad experiences.

     In the end, instead of luck, I feel blessed that even though the “road trip” which I want in a whim was not fulfilled, a virtual version is not bad especially when I shared it with a friend and the laughing movie-going crowd that afternoon with me.

Fast facts:

Country: China
Date Released: June 2010
Genre: Comedy
Time Duration: 2010, color, 1.85:1, 95 mins
Director: Raymond Yip
Main Cast: Wang Baoqiang (Niu Geng), Xu Zheng (Li Chenggong)

Lost Journey Chinese Poster

     6^th Spring Film Festival is ongoing in Shangri-la Plaza (Jan 20-29 2012). Other films featured were Ocean Heaven (ft. Jet Li and Sam Wong), Confucius, Country Wedding, Buddy Guards and Assassins, King of Milu Deer)

Resource:

http://www.dramafans.org/drama/lost_on_journey