Budiey
Pada hari ini, pasti adalah sesuatu yang manis buat Astro Shaw apabila filem The Journey telah memecah rekod kutipan filem Malaysia paling laris dalam sejarah perfileman negara. Tahniah Budiey ucapkan kepada Astro Shaw dan juga Woohoo Pictures di atas kejayaan filem The Journey mengumpul kutipan tiket sebanyak RM12.92 juta (setakat 23 Februari).
Setelah 25 hari berada di pawagam seluruh Malaysia sejak ia ditayangkan pada 30 Januari lalu, jumlah penonton masih belum berkurangan, melanggar trend tradisi filem-filem yang ditayangkan sebelum ini. Filem tersebut mengenepikan filem arahan Syamsul Yusof, KL Gangster yang sebelum ini meraih kutipan RM11.74 juta sewaktu ditayangkan pada tahun 2011.
Pengarah filem tersebut, Chiu Keng Guan berkata,
“Terima kasih kerana menjadikan filem The Journey sebagai filem paling laris dalam sejarah. Pihak produksi filem ini termasuk pelakon dan pekerja filem merasa bersyukur dan terkejut dengan sokongan yang tidak berbelah bagi daripada penonton yang terdiri daripada pelbagai latar belakang yang tidak henti-henti mempromosikan filem ini menerusi Facebook, Twitter, Instagram dan perbualan harian mereka. ‘The Journey’ ialah sebuah filem buatan Malaysia yang menepati citarasa rakyat tempatan melangkaui budaya dan generasi, dengan meraikan nilai-nilai ketaatan kepada ibu-bapa, kasih sayang, perpaduan keluarga, kepelbagaian budaya dan juga pertembungan budaya Timur dan Barat serta ketegangan hubungan ibu bapa dan anak.”
‘The Journey’ mendapat perhatian daripada personaliti seni tempatan. Pelakon Sharifah Amani mengulas filem ni di Instagram:
‘The Journey’ is Malaysia’s No.1 Local Movie
[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ocal movie, ‘The Journey’, presented by Astro Shaw and produced by Woohoo Pictures, today became Malaysia’s No. 1 Local Movie when it achieved highest box office sales of RM12.92 mil as at 23 February 2014. For 25 days of its release cinema admissions has not declined, going against traditional trends.
Chiu Keng Guan, director of ‘The Journey’ said, “Thank you for making ‘The Journey’, Malaysia’s No. 1 local movie. All of us involved in the production of the movie from the cast to crew are delighted and overwhelmed by the unanimous support and words of encouragement from Malaysians from all walks of life via word of mouth, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on. ‘The Journey’ is a beautiful Malaysian made movie with a huge Malaysian appeal as it transcends cultures and generations, thus celebrating the values of filial piety, love, family unity, cultural diversity, as well as themes of east-west and parent-child tension.”
‘The Journey’ received some heartfelt praises from our local artists. Sharifah Armani, a popular actress posted on her Instagram – “A cross-continental story that explores the idea of culture, not just as tradition but as an expression of love. No hantu with bad make up. No big stars overdoing it. No crash boom bang. But full of love, tradition and beauty. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to watch this beautiful film. (Cry like gila) My favourite Malaysian film so far this year. With amazing shots, wonderful story and honest performances The Journey is hard to beat.
Well done director, cast and team. Thank you for a beautiful film. There is still hope for Malaysian films. Syukur Alhamdulillah.”
Muzaffar Mustapa (@SultanMuzaffar), a popular blogger said on twitter, “Although ‘The Journey’ shows a significant difference in culture, it truly represents a Malaysian identity that can bring us closer as a nation. A must watch!”
Datin Sofia Jane, a popular actress mentioned on twitter, “I’m so glad for its overwhelming run. I enjoyed it tremendously. Wished my dad was around to watch it with me. #thejourney.”
Ben Andrew Pfeiffer, who plays Benji in the movie said, “I am overwhelmed with the film’s reception. This movie truly belongs to the Malaysian people. What a surprising and beautiful outcome for everyone involved. I would like to thank Astro Shaw for placing their faith in the entire team. It feels like this will be a film that stays in the hearts of all who witness it for a long time to come. It’s become a cultural and national treasure”.
Other than Australian stage actor Ben Andrew Pfeiffer, all the other actors like 74 year-old retiree Frankie Lee and Joanne Yew, who is the winner of Miss Astro Chinese International Pageant 2007, as well as other actors are amateurs and this translates to a sincere and honest performance on screen.
The story revolves around a conservative father who reluctantly agrees to his daughter’s marriage to a foreigner. The movie places importance in the concept of family, a universal theme that is relevant to all cultures regardless of background. Astro will continue to look to engage more local talents in line with our efforts in developing a more diverse talent pool for the industry.
‘The Journey’ is the third part of a film trilogy by award winning director Chiu Keng Guan – with Woohoo! (2010) and Great Day (2011), both top grossing films in local cinemas respectively.
‘The Journey’ is now showing in cinemas nationwide and will make its theatrical debut in Singapore in March. This movie is also slated for a release in Taiwan later this year.
