This rather unusual films follows five stories of people who backpack (or just travel) through Asia. For somebody who hasn't been to (South East) Asia it is a revelation of how strange situations, mishaps or states of emotional instability prosper (as a Westerner).
Anybody who has already grabbed a Lonely Planet and travelled through this part of the world gets a mirror in this movie that very authentically portrays and reflects the intentions and reasons which drove you there in the first place AND how they got transformed, altered or even smashed by reality. These points make this movie very real and comprehensive but it is not very clear where it wants to go. The main misunderstandings between Western and Eastern cultures are well explained and explored, yet still the viewer is left a little unsatisfied as all the small plots hardly reach a conclusion. The cast plays very well, convincing and insightful and it almost appears as if some of the scenes were shot completely freestyle.
I enjoyed watching it but was left with a strange feeling, an incomplete feeling. Maybe that's what the writer and director intended...
Anybody who has already grabbed a Lonely Planet and travelled through this part of the world gets a mirror in this movie that very authentically portrays and reflects the intentions and reasons which drove you there in the first place AND how they got transformed, altered or even smashed by reality. These points make this movie very real and comprehensive but it is not very clear where it wants to go. The main misunderstandings between Western and Eastern cultures are well explained and explored, yet still the viewer is left a little unsatisfied as all the small plots hardly reach a conclusion. The cast plays very well, convincing and insightful and it almost appears as if some of the scenes were shot completely freestyle.
I enjoyed watching it but was left with a strange feeling, an incomplete feeling. Maybe that's what the writer and director intended...