La voie discrète

The special state after its final scene is just a precious gift offered by this short film.

The performance of Tapa Sudana as Mr. King is pure gem.

A young man , working in his uncle bakery , being a sort of Dickensian character as result of greed of uncle, meets a very special customer . A letter, a refuge, a drop of water, a story of youth , the manner to see the reality are pieces connected them. The death of venerable man becomes, for the young one, a beginning, legacy and kick to live his life.

Beautiful sounds fair but not exactly enough for define this profound inspired short film. Its virtue, delicate portrait of main characters. And, sure, the nostalgic touch.

The movie is about a shy silent delivery boy Wai working in a French Chinese bakery/ eatery run by his maternal aunt (Heling Li) and a capitalist grumpy uncle (Tien Shue).

During one of his deliveries - Wai meets this gentle lonely old poor Chinese dweller Monsieur King (Tapa Sudana) who is staying in an abandoned construction site. Wai becomes friendly with him. King shares with Wai some wisdom (of Patience) and after coming to France how he misses his Chinese friend and asks Wai to write a letter in Chinese for his friend. But before Wai could ask his aunty to finish writing the letter, King dies.

Wai is so touched by the grief of King's unfulfilled longing dream to meet and contact his friend, that Wai steals money from his uncle and undertakes a journey to China to hand-deliver the LOVE-letter to King's friend.

This is a small beautiful movie that touches and tickles the heat's strings. As audience we connect with the pain, longing and grief of King, and hope that in our life too someone should come and be an ANGEL to help us pass on our LOVE feelings to the one we miss and long for in life.

Duke Habib as Wai has acted brilliantly - He perfectly portrays the innocence of adolescents, the vulnerability, curiousness, respectfulness, compassion, and empathy - all put into one - with an underrated performance.

Thanks to the Actor turned writer director Ho Lam - who keeps the story and screenplay tight - till the last frame - when we understand and realize the story unfolding and what happened.

The casting of the movie is very good - especially of Helling LI as aunt and Tien Shue as cribbing mean Uncle.

I recommend this movie and would go with 7 out of 10