When her grandfather becomes terminally ill, Xiao Le, a young Christian woman, faces a critical decision over whether she should intervene with her family's Taoist rituals. Driven by a desire to save his soul, she begins secretly praying by his bedside. When her mother discovers her deceit, she is devastated.
“The Cloud Is Still There” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Mickey Lai directs a film that focuses on religion and its impact in the contemporary (but not so modern) Malay society. In that regard, the narrative focuses on the clash between Taoism and Christianity, which, since they are represented by a mother and a daughter, respectively, could also be perceived as a clash between the old and the new, that in this case, however, are not as different as they think. His comment is rather pointy, since neither religion seems to work on the dying grandpa, essentially making the effort of both women look futile and even completely misplaced, while their inevitable fight and the finale of the short highlight how religion essentially divides people, even if they are members of the same family
Apart from the excellent presentation of its comments, the narrative also thrives in the way Lai communicates the tension, particularly through the silent but quite eloquent angst of Tan Cheong Bee as Xiao Le and a few subtle details here and there. The release however, which derives from the inevitable clash in the most impactful scene in the movie, offers no catharsis here, instead stressing the significance of the issue. The scene also functions as a way to transfer the tension, which, after that point, is communicated more by Ling Tang as Mother, with both protagonists being equally convincing while highlighting their evident chemistry. The subtle moving of the curtain from the wind, and a few frames that show the forest and the sky, function as a relief from the tension, while adding a sense of beauty in an already visually appealing feeling
Talking about visuals, DP Lee Kah Giap's cinematography is quite accomplished, with him communicating both the actions of the mother and the struggle of the daughter through his framing, while the quality of his works also serves as a testament for the excellent overall production. Lai's own editing induces the film with a very fitting, relatively fast pace, with the only lengthy scene being the one of the clash.
“The Cloud Is Still There” is an excellent short, which manages to present its comments with eloquence through a rather appealing visual approach.
