Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. This film belongs to LEGEND-PICTURE Hmong Intertainment.
Hlub Zaum Ob (2012) is a newly released film produced by LEGEND-PICTURE Hmong Intertainment (I believed the "I" in Intertainment is purposeful, not errorneous). The story takes place in modern Vietianne as well as a countryside in Laos. Meej Vaj and Sunny Yaj starred respectively as Yeej and Nkauj Hnub/Nkauj Hli.
When the movie opens, we are taken into the dream of the main protagonist, Yeej. In his unconscious state, Yeej's late wife, Nkauj Hnub, calls for him. He approaches her and wants to take her home but she retracts, reminding him that she is no longer human. She informs him that she has come to see him for the last time, and asks him to take good care of their daughter. Then she vanishes, leaving him devastated.
At the moment his late wife's spirit fades away with the thin air, another woman walks toward him. He looks up, unable to see her face clearly and then his phone rings and he wakes up. His boss (I assume) tells him that he needs to travel away for work for a couple of days.
He takes his daughter, and drops the little girl (she's adorable) off with her maternal grandmother, telling his mother-in-law that he will be away for work for at least 10 days.
He leaves and after checking in on a hotel room, arrives at the work place. Yeej and the contractor converse, and examine some work together. The contractor then refers Yeej to another employee, Zeb, to take him around. (I like the scene above; he appears like a real professional working hard at his job)
Zeb takes Yeej to the countryside, showing Yeej a piece of land (at this point, it hasn't been revealed yet what Yeej does for a living)
Yeej and Zeb then stop by the local market to buy food. While Zeb looks at the food, Yeej turns to the road and unexpectedly sees a girl passing by who looks exactly like his late wife, Nkauj Hnub.
Zeb notices that Yeej isn't paying attention to what he wants to eat so he tucks on Yeej to look at the food. Yeej removes his eyes from the girl, but when he stares back he notices that she is gone.
By the edge of a river, Yeej reflects on the image of the girl at the local market.
Then he reminisce about his late wife. They look exactly alike. He is left feeling bewildered.
Finally, in the scene above, it is shown that Yeej works as an architect. He is hired by the contractor to design a building for a company.
After a couple of days at work, Zeb invites Yeej to tour a place together. At the same time, the girl who looks like Yeej's late wife arrives at the same place with her friend.
While taking pictures of her friend, the girl forgets to watch her back. On the other hand, Yeej too steps backwards while talking to Zeb, and he and the girl clash into one another.
They turn to look, and both are smitten by each other's presence. The girl, seeing Yeej, seems to have fallen in love with him at first sight. Yeej, on the other hand, is enthralled at how much she resembles his late wife.
They stare awkwardly at one another before the girl's friend grabs her, and the two leave. Yeej asks Zeb to see if Zeb knows the girl that he bumped into, and Zeb answers that he does.
Feeling distressed at really meeting (and not daydreaming) a girl whose physique is exactly like his late wife, Yeej calls and informs his mother-in-law of the news. She tells him that when the opportunity comes, he should bring the girl to meet her.
Zeb takes Yeej to the girl's home, and introduces the pair to one another. It is here that the audience learns that she is named Nkauj Hli (I don't know why the script writer decides to go with such cliche twin names).
One day on his way to (or from, not sure) work, Yeej meets Nkauj Hli and asks her where she is heading to. She tells him that she is walking to the local market, and he decides to accompany her there.
(This next scene is probably the most awkwardest, and in my opinion, not necessary at all). While Yeej and Zeb talks about work, Nkauj Hli suddenly arrives on her motor bike and offers bottled water to the two men. They thank her for the water, and while drinking the bottled water--she just stands there staring at them. Zeb senses that she probably wants to be alone with Yeej, so he leaves the two alone. With Zeb gone, Nkauj Hli sits in his place and Yeej tells her about his work.
Yeej visits Nkauj Hli again, but this time, bumps into her mother. While Nkauj Hli steps inside to grab Yeej a cup of water, he stands up and decides to throw his curiosity at her mother. He asks Nkauj Hli's mother if she had given birth to just Nkauj Hli, or to more than one daughter. Nkauj Hli's mother questions why he wants to know such information. Yeej is about to answer, but decides to drop the subject.
At the same moment, Nkauj Hli has stepped back outside and overhears a little of Yeej's curious mind. After sitting down and offering him a glass of water, she questions him about his conversation with her mother. He replies that he cannot tell her at the instant, but when the time comes, he will let her know.
Then they converse, Nkauj Hli's maternal first cousin, Pov, arrives (very typical of Hmong movies). Seeing Nkauj Hli's amiable interaction with Yeej, Pov is aroused with jealousy. He asks if Nkauj Hli will still go on a date with him, but she refuses. He angrily drives away.
Provoked by Yeej's question, Nkauj Hli's mother tells her father about what Yeej asked. She conveys fear that Nkauj Hli will someday find out the truth, but her husband assures her that no such thing will occur. Then Nkauj Hli arrives and hears the end bits of her parents' talk. When her parents see her, they stop and leave for the house.
Nkauj Hli takes Yeej on a tour of their rice paddy field. She trips and fall, but he is behind her to catch her from hitting the ground. They walk onward to rest at a farm hut. There, Yeej asks Nkauj Hli if she believes it possible for there to be two persons to look exactly like one another in this world. She replies that she does not think possible so. He then asks her if she will be happy if she suddenly finds out that she has an elder sister. She answers that she will be thrilled to have an elder sister, for having another sibling will make her life less lonely.
In the meantime, Pov feels troubled and goes drinking. After he has his fill of alcohol, he picks Nkauj Hli up but then stops halfway on their trip. She smells his alcohol scent and senses that he is upset at something. She provokes him to share his thoughts, but he refuses. She says that if he won't tell her what's on his mind, she won't go with him anymore. She gets off and starts walking away.
He then shouts after her, asking if she has fallen in love with the man he saw with her the other day. She replies, "So what if I have fallen for him?" He then reveals that he too loves her, and she knows that. He then tries to kiss her. She pushes him away, slapping his face. She tells him not to behave rudely again, or else she won't forgive him. She runs away, leaving a frustrated Pov behind. And that ends part 1.
So far, part 1 was a bit draggy. Nothing exciting is happening except for the fact that Yeej has found Nkauj Hli, who looks exactly like his late wife. I will write my thoughts on this film when I post the recaps for part 2.
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