Kongsi Raya (姜味关系)is a Malaysian comedy movie directed by Teddy Chin and stars Wilson Lee, Qasrina Karim, and Harith Iskander, alongside other cast members. The movie has a runtime of 102 minutes.
Netflix describes the movie as:
In a match made in culinary heaven, a chef and a food TV show producer fall in love. But then their feuding fathers challenge each other to a cook-off.
– Kongsi Raya review does not contain spoilers –
Kongsi Raya, a Chinese portmanteau, denotes the phenomenon of the Chinese New Year and the Hari Raya Aidilfitri occurring together. Every 33 years, the two festivals occur close to each other, thanks to their changing timelines based on the Lunar calendar.
The movie starts in the year 2029, with interracial couple Jack and Sharifah taking part in a show called Kongsi Raya. The couple is sweet, with the usual quips and arguments between any loving couple coming to the forefront. The story that we see after is their love story and what they faced in order to get where they are right now. Like all comedy movies, the tone of the movie is jokey from the start. You’ll be able to understand that this isn’t a movie you take very seriously just by how the movie is edited in an over-the-top way, along with the comedic moments.
That’s, honestly, a great thing. Kongsi Raya is a feel-good movie. It takes things lightly and brings forth a topic that is usually represented in an extremely serious and heavy manner, for good reason. However, the jokey attitude of the movie works well in its favour, more so because the protagonists, played by Wilson Lee and Qasrina Karim, are just so cute, both individually and together. The first time we see them together in 2019 is just so adorable.
The movie is a mixture of comedy and drama so, obviously, it has several emotional and humorous moments binding it together. The dramatic bits are a bit much, not gonna lie, but it is almost always followed by over-the-top funny moments that balance the tone out very well. I loved the dramatic moments here, even though most of it will require some heavy-duty disbelief suspension. There is a moment in Sharifah’s home that is just so silly and unbelievable that it’s almost hilarious. I don’t know what comes first, but the slapstick comedy vibes are just severe and its unbelievability is what made me laugh out of confusion.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a movie that will go down in history as one of the best movies out there on love or interracial relationships. It’s unbelievable and improbable. However, if you’re having a bad day, this one will definitely be interesting and entertaining. For others expecting this to be anything but a slapstick entertainer, you are going to be sorely mistaken. The movie doesn’t really have much of a story, just some improbable things happening one after another in hopes of creating funny scenarios.
Some scenes, especially, are unnecessary and too stretched out and it quickly loses charm. Before Jack proposes to Sharifah, there’s a silly scene involving the brother that is just so incredibly stupid that you can’t but sigh at the sheer silliness. However, the proposal scene is adorable and mostly makes up for the insanity. The movie is riddled with such instances of hot and cold moments so that you don’t chuck your device away, even if you’re really inclined on doing so.
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Kongsi Raya, ultimately, has its heart in the right place. It talks about the stigma around interracial relationships, a topic that can be understood by many in different countries. And although the outcome of most of these situations doesn’t come out as nicely in real life most of the time, it still is nice to wonder that sometimes it does work out and people do get over their prejudices. The movie also has some poignant moments that are neither dramatic nor funny but do cut deep, especially if you’re in a similar situation.
Summing up: Kongsi Raya
Kongsi Raya is a silly comedy film that does what it promises – conjures up over-the-top and improbable scenarios that are just so impossible that you can’t help but laugh. The movie is, thankfully, not very long so it’s a quick and easy watch. But, again, suspend your disbelief because that’s a skill you’ll need to master to sit through this one. At least the protagonists are adorable and have great chemistry together.
Kongsi Raya is streaming on Netflix.
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