The concept of the road being more important than the destination is one that has been repeatedly implemented in art, essentially being the basis for the whole road movie category. Yeong R. Chen pushes the concept to the very limits, by putting Phil, an artist from New Zealand whose son, Reuben, disappeared back in the 90s in Taiwan, revisiting the road he took to find him, in a trip that took him, both times, into paths and people he never imagined he would, with the impact actually working both ways.
“Phil’s Journey” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The film begins in New Zealand, where Phil starts narrating his loving relationship with his son, and the events that led him to undergo a trip to the Taiwanese forests. The setting then is transferred to Taiwan, where, almost moment by moment, Phil revisits all the people that helped him in his search, from government officials, to forest guides, volunteers, even the people who took him in their house and helped him raise money for his search. What emerges as impressive, and in essence, becomes the focal point of the documentary, is how many people eventually ended up helping Phil in his search, and the impact his plight had on their life, as much as the opposite, with the bonds he formed more than 20 years ago remaining quite strong even after all this time. The fact that he returned once more in Taiwan, when disaster hit, as a volunteer, highlights the fact in the most eloquent way, while the whole concept is also presented through the plethora of interviews with the numerous people he interacted with during his search.
At the same time, the film is also a trip to Phil’s psyche, with his thoughts, memories, and the events he experienced during his search as much as his relationship with Reuben, being presented through his narration. The fact that his trip has led him into a kind of supernatural faith about what happened with his son, emerges as his catharsis, with his tears, and the ones of the people who helped him, cementing this approach rather impactfully.
The road trip aspect, however, is also literal here, with Yeong R Chen exploring Taiwan as thoroughly as possible, with the number of camera operators implemented in the film being a testament to the fact, with both the urban and the rural/bucolic setting being quite impressive in their presentation. The aerial shots work exceptionally well here, in a series of very memorable sequences.
The connection of all the aforementioned elements is also artful, with the editing by Chen himself along Li Jyun-Wei, Shih Ji-Ru and Aurelien Jegou working quite well in that regard. At the same time, however, at 90 minutes the movie overextends its welcome to a point, with the constant use of background music becoming tiresome eventually and the continuous narration of Phil somewhat monotonous, particularly to the viewer who cannot empathize with the events with his son. His rather charismatic persona, however, tones down this issue to a point as much as the overall cinematic prowess.
“Phil’s Journey” is a rather interesting and well-shot documentary, which will definitely benefit, though, from some trimming in its duration.
