On My Way is a charming short film about moving forward in your life, even if it just starts with trying to pass your driving test.
Ho-yin (Lam Sen) is a 24-year-old illustrator who lives alone since losing his mother. One day, his uncle offers him a delivery van so he can start a business. When he learns to drive, he meets his instructor Lok-ying (Cecilia Yip Tung), who was his mother’s playmate when they were young…
We have all been there, trying to learn to drive and for some of us, we were fairly useless at it all, and it became one hell of a chore to get good at it. The only difference here is that Ho-yin is a bit older than most learners (much like myself). He is stuck in gear, neither progressing nor regressing, just stalled in his life.
Interestingly On My Way starts off one year in the future as we are saying farewell to one of the characters and rather spoiling its own ending. A bold choice for sure, but this is different from the type of film that’s conclusion is imperative to the story. This coming-of-age tale is more about the journey to that result than anything else; for that, it’s grand. Ho-yin has three primary relationships in his life, the main one being his two friends, Ella and Chiu. Over the course of the year, they try to support him and give him the confidence he needs to progress, be it with his driving or his illustrations. They are there and seemingly just as in limbo as he is.
While we see little interaction between him and his uncle, his relationship with Lok-ying is perhaps the most important in seeing him progress. Instead of allowing him to wallow in failures and losses, she is firm with him. She sees much of his mother in him, and an almost parental or auntie relationship forms. Both Lam Sen and Cecilia Yip Tung do well here as the instructor and learner. There is enough depth in their performances for us to latch onto. They share some great moments, but when she tries to educate him on what to do with the clutch when driving and just blurts out that he is uncoordinated, it raises a good chuckle. Honesty can be as brutal as it can be informative.
As Uncle Ho states, ‘Things will never stay permanent. That’s just life. So be sure to take good care of yourself. Change doesn’t have to be this scary thing if we embrace it. Sure, no one truly loves to change. Still, change is coming regardless, whether that is a parent passing away, a friend moving away or even finding someone to be with. On My Way shows us that while change is scary, it can be for the better – an enjoyable short film.
For more information on Odyssey: A Chinese Cinema Season click here
For other films reviewed from the Season, please see below!
Searching For The Coral Paradise
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