Hail, Driver! (2020) - full transcript

After his father's death, the unemployed Aman returns to Kuala Lumpur and embarks illegally on a ride-hailing service, as he fails to obtain a driving license due to his color blindness. When his landlord chases him out of his rental accommodation, he ends up sleeping in his car. A chance encounter with Bella, a Chinese 'escort girl', grants Aman a temporary residence at her place. In return, she asks Aman to become her driver. As they become closer, Bella confides in Aman about her intention to leave Malaysia. Complications ensue when Bella finds herself pregnant and decides to have an abortion.

In the name of Allah.

Easy, take it slow.

A little lower, around the waist.

Okay, put him down gently.

All right, slowly.

Move him down together.

Allah Almighty speaks the truth.

Al-Fatihah.

I seek refuge in Allah
from the outcast Satan.

In the name of Allah,
the Most Gracious and Most Merciful.

All praise is to Allah,
Lord of the Worlds.



The Entirely Merciful,
the Especially Merciful.

Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.

It is You we worship
and You we ask for help.

Guide us to the straight path.

The path of those upon whom
You have bestowed favor,

not of those who have evoked Your anger
or of those who are astray.

Amen.

STALL NO. 3, SILVER CATFISH AND TILAPIA

Hey, bro.

Vote for him. He's outstanding.

This is for our future.

Yo!

Yo!

Fifteenth floor.



Don't make a big deal out of it.

Don't expect me to support
everyone around here, got it?

Hey! He's only coming here to work.

He has some savings.
I'll ask him to pay you in full. Happy?

Son of a bitch!

- What was that for?
- You're bluffing!

Once I have the money...

Once I have the money,
you can take as much as you want.

Hey, what did you promise
to that brother of yours?

Answer me, asshole!

What do you mean by that?

What's he really going to do here?

I told you, didn't I? He's here to work!

(ARCHIVED) DAD: HEAD BACK IF KL'S BAD.
PAK LONG NEEDS HELP WITH HIS FISH CAGE.

Don't lie to me!

What a pain!

(ARCHIVED) DAD: USE MY CAR. IT'S FIXED.
CHECK THE BATTERY IF YOU'RE GOING FAR.

UNCLE MAT: MY CONDOLENCES, AMAN.

I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU
OF THE THREE GRAND YOUR DAD OWED ME.

I'M JUST REMINDING YOU, IT'S NOT URGENT.

KUALA LUMPUR JOB VACANCIES

SALES OFFICER, BUKIT BINTANG

EASY JOB, WORK FROM HOME

LOOKING FOR WORKERS IN KUALA LUMPUR

E-HAILING MADE EASY

NO LICENSE? OWN AN OLD CAR? NO PROBLEM.

BYPASS HQ REGISTRATION.
WE'LL DO IT FOR YOU.

MAKE RM150 A DAY WITH YOUR BRO!

Despite facing criticism from all sides,

the Election Commission will proceed
with the general election

on Wednesday, May 9th,
which is on a workday.

The event, which will be held
in three weeks' time,

will be the most aggressive
general election in the country.

Aman. Been here long?

Here.

These are the documents you'll need.

Just follow my instructions here,
and your car is all set to join Toompang.

All right? It'll cost you RM300.

But you said RM200.

The extra is because
you don't have a license.

Why don't you have a license?

You failed your driver's test?

Sort of.

Let's see...

I only have 200

and 70.

That's all I have.

This won't do.

I'm serious, look.

This is it.

Only RM270?

Good enough.

I'm not making any dough here.
I'm just here to help you out.

- We Malays do that for each other.
- Thanks, bro.

If you fix this up, it'll be a sweet ride.

You're selling this?

It's a family heirloom.

If you need anything, call me.

CAR REPAIRS

While developers have built new houses,
not all of them have sold.

So, what went wrong here?

What went wrong?
It's definitely the pricing.

The house might look affordable,
but it's still very expensive.

Imagine having a minimum wage of RM1,000.

But the cheapest property
is around RM200,000?

Don't even get me started

on the ridiculously high house rent in KL!

Your entire salary
only amounts to your monthly rent.

That's just bonkers!

It's been like this from the get-go.

So, here's what I'm hoping for.

Whichever party wins,

just please fight for house prices!

REMEMBER, DON'T FORCE YOUR PASSENGERS.

THIS IS A SHARED ACCOUNT.
INFORM ME IF YOU GET SUSPENDED.

General Election 14 is upon us.

Be a responsible Malaysian by voting.

Remember to vote wisely.

Our country's future is in our hands.

Babe.

When's your meeting tomorrow?

In the morning.

Until when?

I'm not sure yet.

So, I have to wait in the room, then?

It won't take long.

It's going to be boring.

As soon as Tan Sri
mingles with his friends,

I'll return to you.

Do you think he will win?

Of course.

All these years, he's never lost.

Who are you, O trespasser of this nation?

I'm... I'm Siti Zubaidah.

What brings you to Yunan?

Yeah, Toompang... uh... Hilton.

Hello? What's up?

But I'm already on the way.

I'm almost there.

Yeah.

Sure.

But your down payment is non-refundable.

Okay, then.

- Sir.
- Yes?

Could you take me back
to where you picked me up?

Sure.

Can I smoke in here?

Never mind then.

Sis?

Why did you change the lock?

It's Edy.

What about him?

He wants you out of here.

He can't do this to me.

His brother's coming over.

Then what about me?

I don't know what else to tell you.

If you really want to stay,
you can beat him up for it, I guess.

What now?

Tell you what.

You take your belongings.

At the end of the month,

I'll compensate you, okay?

What? That's it?

Sis...

Give me the key. I'll go get my stuff.

Give me the key.

Have you paid the electricity bill?

No, I haven't.

It's overdue. Please pay up.

You'd better pay it
before it gets cut off.

The house owner came by today.

I'm told that our rent
will be increased next month.

RM50 more.

TOILET USAGE TIPS

ROOMS FOR RENT

So, about your house...
Do you own it or do you rent it?

I rent it, of course.

I can't afford to buy one.

It's impossible with my low salary.

I also have kids to manage.
They go to school and all.

We were already very poor.

And now there are price hikes
on everything as well. What a drag.

It's a dead end.
Running a business is out of the question.

Thanks to the flocks of immigrants,
don't even think about starting one.

Am I right?

TRAVEL AGENCY

Where are you from?

From Bangladesh.

- You've stayed here for a while?
- Yes, around four years.

- What do you do for a living?
- I work at a hotel.

Which one?

The KL Tower.

Your Malay is quite fluent.

Yeah, I can speak Malay.

A little bit.

- How is it, living in KL?
- It's okay.

- Really?
- Yes, it's all good. I like KL.

How many people are staying at your place?

Two of us, including me.

- I see.
- I live with my older brother.

How's the rent? How much is it?

It's about RM800.

- RM800?
- Yes, per month.

It has Wi-Fi,
a washing machine, air conditioning...

Basically, the works.

How about your monthly salary?

RM1,600 a month.

RM1,600.

Okay. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Miss?

I'm from Toompang.

Miss?

Miss!

Miss...

Your lighter, miss.

You left it.

I'm so sorry.

It's fine.

- If I were you, miss...
- It's Bella.

Bella? Pretty.

No, if I were you, Ms. Bella,

I'd be spooked too.

Where are you headed?

I just finished my dinner.
I'm heading home.

Need a lift?

No, that's all right.

It's just nearby.

Coincidentally,
I'm heading that way as well.

Come.

Stop here.

My house

is around here.

Thank you.

May I have your contact number?

So if I wanted to go somewhere,
I could just call you.

Put it down here.

Right, Aman.

Thanks again.

If we always think that our life is hard,

then it'll forever stay that way.

Take me, for example.

I've never thought that my life was hard

even though I'm blind.

I'm not like everyone else.
I self-taught myself how to be a masseuse.

I learned about it from
the Department of Social Welfare.

They provided a course for me,

for people like me.

And then,

after the course,
they also provided me with the capital

to run a massage parlor.

I used to work with someone.

Afterward, I applied for a grant.

ROOM FOR RENT

HOUSEMATES WANTED IMMEDIATELY
WOMEN ONLY

I'm coming.

Take me home.

Come on, let's go.

Which floor are you on?

Up there.

The third floor.

There! That's my house!

Stay put.

ROOM FOR RENT

- Hartamas, was it?
- Yes.

Hold on.

This is a different car.

- This guy's a fraud!
- No.

That car broke down, so I changed it.

Let's go. What matters
is that we get there.

Babe, that's not the issue here.

This is about our ride.

Sir.

If the actual car doesn't match
what is displayed in the app,

that can be considered fraud.

- I'm going to report you.
- No, miss.

I'm not a fraud.

Honest.

TOOMPANG HQ: YOUR ACCOUNT
MIGHT BE BLOCKED SOON.

PLEASE EMAIL US
YOUR LEGITIMATE DOCUMENTS.

Where are you?

In 20 minutes?

How long have you stayed here?

Or are you actually from around here?

I'm originally from Penang.

I came to KL because

I thought it would be easier
to make money here.

What exam are you taking?

I'm taking International Studies.

I'm from Pahang.

I was a writer before.

It's a tough gig.

A writer?

What? Toompang?

Yes.

Plus, you're doing it illegally.

I'm

doing this because

it's easy money.

But my car is not eligible for the app

because it's an old car.

So...

Then just buy a new car.

If I could afford one,

I wouldn't be doing this.

Someone hooked me up.

I just need to pay him.

Got it.

It doesn't matter, as long as
you arrive at your destination.

Your car is okay.

However, the air conditioner

is no longer cold.

It's not cold?

How about now?

Well, you didn't turn it on.

I did, it's just not strong enough.

It's a rust bucket, after all.

Damn it.

Yes. I was...

- No, I was...
- Then send me back.

Just a minute.

That was quick.

The exam questions
were not that difficult.

I want to drink teh tarik.

Can we drop by a mamak stall?

That's why you have to do
this illegal job?

And then you got kicked out
of the house you were renting at?

What's so funny?

Your life is so dramatic.

I have.

But the thing is, my friends

are mostly not here.

Even if they are,
they already have lives of their own.

Depends.

Sometimes, I crash the laundromat.

If there's nowhere else,
I'll just sleep in my car.

But it's still easier to make money here.

What do you actually do?

My job

is the same as yours.

I make people happy.

GOING ABOVE THIS LINE
WILL AFFECT THE WASH QUALITY

ROOM FOR RENT

So,

do you want me to take you back?

Are you free tonight?

I'm free.

But I've never set foot here.

So many outsiders come here.

I mean, tourists come here.

Outsiders?

Just like me then.

Oh, really?

Want to know something?

Once, the Klang River

was a mining spot.

The Mandailing people...

Most of them were miners.

While the Minang people
lived by the river banks.

The owners of the tin mine

were mostly Chinese.

Kuala Lumpur will always
and forever be a place for outsiders.

Most people come here to catch something.

To chase their dreams.

But not all of them succeed.

Those who falter will be stuck here.

You seem to know a lot, yeah?

I used to work at a publishing company.

I was a writer, remember?

Then why did you stop?

People stopped buying magazines.

Most people now only read on the internet

or buy books online.

So, the company had to shut down.

Where else?

At the "hotel" of course. My car.

I couldn't find a room I could rent.

That room right there
used to be my best friend's.

But now she has moved in
with her boyfriend.

So, you can stay in there if you want.

I want you to make sure

that everything is neat
and clean all the time.

Also, we'll be mindful
of each other's privacy.

My friends told me it's a shame
that I can't see colors.

My vision is like those
black-and-white P. Ramlee movies.

My dad compared my vision with
the way he watched Semerah Padi.

That is how I see things around me.

I'm right, am I? People...

will judge a person
based on how they look on the outside.

The Toompang app itself is legal.

It's just,

I was using forged documents.

But they could make the documents work.

I don't even have a license,

so I hope I can save some money
in the time I have left.

You know the roti canai
that has an egg on top?

You know that one?

It's at Parit.

The one with the wobbly egg?

- Wobbly... egg?
- Yeah.

Why does your phone
only have a couple of apps?

- What?
- Don't you know how to download stuff?

Are you okay?

These days,

we use apps for everything.

While I was walking with you,

people looked at us funny.

I even got one of my clients from Tumblr.

Lock it, please.

Why do they call it a wobbly egg?

What's with the name? It's weird.

There are layers to that.

Hey. Did you ever have a dream
for what you wanted to be?

When I was a kid,

I wanted to become a cop.

What's so funny?

You're not really cop material,
you look more like a crook.

Hey! I just have an angry face!

What about you? What did you want to be?

Know what that is?

I know what an astronaut is.

...can be achieved.

My lecturer once said that

the technology to travel to the moon
actually doesn't exist yet.

So the whole thing
about Neil Armstrong going to the moon

was never really proven to be true.

Right?

I want to go to the US.

I want to marry a White guy,

have White children...

Why the US?

I have my reasons.

Here's not good enough?

Have you ever felt that way?

A feeling where

it's like you're crashing
at someone else's place?

I have.

Isn't that basically
what I'm doing here right now?

It's not like that, okay?

I actually don't like Malays.

Once, someone shouted at me saying,

"Go back to Tiongsan, you Chinese!"

So, in the US,

do you know anyone?

Okay. So who's that "someone"?

I don't know.

I haven't thought about it.

Because

I don't have anyone else here with me.

Miss.

My work here is done.

- Thanks.
- Okay.

So, this

is what a traffic jam looks like
in Kuala Lumpur, huh?

Yes, this is what it's like
in Kuala Lumpur.

There are Malay and Chinese people.

They're buying numbers.

Oh, you mean the lotto?

But in Indonesia,

we can't do that anymore.

- Why?
- It was banned by the government.

We're not allowed to.
It's considered a form of gambling.

That's a good thing, then.

- No, it's not.
- Why?

If we can't do that, there's no jackpot!

Hello? Mr. Jeff.

Are you coming?

It's been 15 minutes already.

If not, I'll cancel on you.

You're coming?

All right.

According to Kuala Lumpur Parliamentary
Candidate Dato' Sri Kazar Bijan,

he will realize it
if he can defend his seat again.

Jalan Haji Taib, right?

Don't be surprised when I say that
our victory is because of our youth...

Could you turn left here?

To the left, please.

- Here?
- Yeah.

Stop right here.

Here?

Give me your money.

Cough it all up.

Hey!

Screw you!

YOUR TOOMPANG ACCOUNT
HAS BEEN BLOCKED

You rarely go to the market, huh?

Why do you suddenly want to come here?

You'll see.

- Hi.
- Hi. A plastic bag, please.

- How much do you want?
- Huh?

How many kilos?

This one's red.

How do you choose though?

I just pick the right one.

- Is this all?
- Yeah.

RM1?

- RM1, was it?
- That'll do.

Can I have that?

That's green chili. We don't use that.

No, it's fine.

Just go and get the table ready.

That's it?

Yes.

It's piping hot!

Let's eat.

Wow!

It looks good!

Do you have to take a picture of that?

I want to remember this.

If you must know,

this silver catfish asam pedas
is the fondest memory I have of my mom.

Other than this scarf, of course.

Come on, dig in.

Let's eat.

Silver...

- What fish?
- Catfish.

Is it hard to be

color-blind?

What? You want to be color-blind?

I don't want to be color-blind,
but that's what I am!

I'm not sure if it's hard for me,
but, yeah.

I'll never get a driver's license
because of it.

There are many passengers
who would love to come to KL.

It's damn spicy!

Go on, drink that.

It's spicy? Really?

I thought I toned it down.

It's not that spicy.

Here, taste it.

Be careful, it's hot.

Better?

I'm sorry.

I actually can't stand spicy food.

DEPARTURES HALL

Going to KL?

KL?

Waiting for someone?

Do you have a ride?

It's okay. Our son is waiting
for us in the car.

Really? I can take you to KL.

- It's okay.
- Really?

Thanks anyway.

Are you sure?

Excuse me.

Where are you going?

You're going to KL?

I can take you to KL if you want.

It's cheap.

Let me ask around.

- Hi, there.
- Hi.

- Do you have a lighter?
- Yes, I do.

Where are you headed?

- I'm going to KL.
- KL?

- Yes, KL.
- I'm also heading there.

- Oh, yeah?
- Come. Let's take a puff together.

- You can take us after?
- Sure, no problem.

I have a lighter, come on.

Thank goodness
you guys didn't take a taxi.

If you had, for a trip from here to KL,

they'd have charged you
between RM100 and RM150.

That's expensive.

How long will you be in Malaysia?

I'm not sure yet.

But if all goes well and I make enough,
I'll be going back home.

Do you have a job already?

About that,

I have a brother who'll arrange it for me.

He will arrange my job.

Bro, Malaysia is a good country.

Good? Yeah.

What do you mean by that?

Easy jobs.

The cities are advanced.

It'd be awesome
if Indonesia was like this.

You guys live here?

Yup.

- Which floor?
- The 15th.

- Who lives there?
- Edy.

RM150.

But earlier, you said just RM50.

No, RM150.

Don't do this, bro.
It was only RM50 before.

It's RM150!

Hand it over or I'll send him to the cops!

- But you said RM50.
- No, it's RM150. Stat!

I need to get going!

Hurry up!

You, off you go.

Off you go. RM150!

- What now?
- Just pay him.

- You got some cash?
- Yeah, sure.

Take it.

Hurry up.

Let's go.

They have won 133 seats

out of the contested
255 parliamentary seats.

I believe that our youth will support us.

They've finally realized that
what we do here is for their own good.

Don't be surprised when I say

that our victory is because of them.

KL PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE

The last time the Patriot Front emerged
as a majority winner was in 2004.

They failed to defend it in 2008 and 2013.

There's a lot, right?

So if you want to find baju kurung,
this is the place to go.

So, for us Chinese,

if we want to buy New Year's clothes,
we go to Chinatown.

Why do you want to look
for a baju kurung all of a sudden?

I asked you to follow me, so just do it.

Of course. I'm doing that,
but I'm curious.

My regular client
suddenly wants me to wear

a baju kurung or a baju kebaya.

This is your stop?

You don't look so good.

Do you want me to wait?

Bring me that towel.

I guess you don't like jokes, huh?

You think this is funny?

You enjoy this?

Stupid!

Why are you shouting?

Tomorrow's general election
might be history in the making.

According to various forecasts,

a big change will occur in its result
this time around.

Even though the Patriot Front
was defeated,

Kuala Lumpur's Parliament Member,
Dato' Sri Kazar Bijan,

nevertheless managed
to defend his free seat.

The alleged Patriot Front proxy claims

that he is willing to cooperate
with the Modern Coalition.

He won again, huh?

Whoever wins, nothing changes.

Thank you

for helping me

for the other day.

I think I'm going to head back
to my hometown.

I want to stay there.

I thought when I came back here

and tried again,

that everything would be okay.

I thought...

everything would be...

Why do you want an abortion?

Had an "accident"?

All right.

But before you make any decisions,

I need you to ask you if you're certain.

Are you sure about this?

Hear me out.

There's a couple who want a child.

They're willing to bear all the costs
until the baby is born.

They're paying up to RM100,000.

But it depends on the situation.

This is just an offer.

It's not a request,
nor am I pushing you to do it.

If you're interested,

please let me know.

Okay?

Dad!

How are you?

What?

I'm sorry if I disturbed you.

How close are we?

We're almost there.
But I can't go any faster.

Potholes are everywhere.

Sir?

Sir?

Are you Lim Bing Yen's husband?

That's right.

She has safely delivered a baby girl.

Follow me so you can fill out the forms.

Okay.

It's okay.

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