The bravery treating such a sensitive topic and the honesty brought into the story, with a very palpable brainstorming when it comes to writing the script, will make you feel yourself identified with this or that character in one way or another, especially if you are Singaporean or you have lived long enough in Singapore to become Singaporean at heart. With a correct balance between comedic and dramatic moments this movie will make you laugh and the next moment will bring a few tears to your eyes. This comes with an accurate musical score that brings the audience to the right feeling, getting a lasting climax where the viewer laughs, sheds some tears then laughs again until the end of the movie. The story is strongly backed by a great work of
the cast where the major supporting roles have not one but many intense scenes with a stellar portrayal especially regarding the scenes where the story brings up the conflicts on both sides from their own perspectives which makes this film unique; the co-lead roles, Mrs Tan (Christina Hon) and Chef Siti (Siti Mastura), carry a heavy critical roles representing the old vs the new, the conservative vs the change, the tradition vs evolution. We can also see the "cooling" characters reflected in the fathers and siblings and with a stronger presence of the friends Matin (Al Hafiz Sanusi) and Tini (Maya Jalil).
As mentioned before the story meets a perfect balance but not just for the comedic and dramatic moments but also when it comes to the story of both families, with similar time on screen for the Chinese and Malay drama understanding a fair and unbiased impartiality from the Director's perspective.
The choice of the title, Not My Mother's Baking, may seem odd at the beginning, especially after watching the movie, but let us pay attention to the deeper meaning where a Mother represents all that is traditional and unchangeable and here comes under the form of baking and where a mildly rebellious daughter needs a change to become herself...
A lot more could be said but I will just add a personal note: I assure you that you will be thinking about this film long after you left the cinema and that only means one thing: is a absolutely worth to watch.
