'Scoop' Mukhsin Press Preview

(mode : read a la gossip column in local papers kay)

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[Dialog di atas adalah rekaan semata-mata, tiada dalam filem sebenar]

Semalam (27 Februari 2007) di panggung 12, GSC Midvalley telah diadakan tayangan pratonton filem Mukhsin kepada pihak media, rakan-rakan produksi, penaja dan beberapa pihak lain.

Yasmin Ahmad dalam ucapan beliau sebelum tayangan mengungkapkan rasa syukur ke hadrat Ilahi atas kemenangan berganda Mukhsin (anugerah Grand Prix kategori juri profesional dan anugerah Special Mention kategori juri kanak-kanak) dalam festival filem antarabangsa Berlinale baru-baru ini serta terima kasih tidak terhingga kepada semua pihak yang telah menyokong filem-filem beliau dari mula.

Jika dulu filem Sepet hanya ada sepuluh salinan untuk diputarkan jadi jumlah pawagam yg dapat menayangkannya adalah sangat terhad serta tempoh masa singkat untuk memberi peluang tayangan kepada pawagam lain pula, bagi Mukhsin beliau memaklumkan dengan gembiranya terdapat TIGA PULUH salinan, bermakna lebih banyak pawagam dapat menayangkan filem ini pada satu-satu sama, "which is a luxury", ujar beliau dgn penuh rendah diri.

Antara yang menarik lagi adalah apabila beliau menyatakan 'dewan pawagam ini dipenuhi oleh kawan-kawan dan orang-orang yang memang menyukai saya, kecuali dua orang'.

Mahukah anda tahu siapa dua orang yang dimaksudkan itu?

Jeng jeng jeng.... mereka adalah pengarah/penerbit filem tempatan iaitu Puan Raja Azmi dan Encik David Teoh. Memang tak sangka. Well, begitulah sepatutnya dalam industri filem tempatan yang tidak seberapa saiznya ini... pusing-pusing orang itu juga kan, hari ini kawan bertepuk tampar cium-cium pipi silap-silap esok jadi musuh, hari ini bertikam lidah esok-lusa mungkin duduk makan semeja. Tak ada salahnya untuk memberi sokongan moral hasil usaha orang lain walaupun mungkin kita tak setuju dengan idea-idea mereka atau mempunyai pendapat yang saling berbeza.

Bagaimanapun kedua-dua mereka meninggalkan dewan tayangan sejurus tamat filem Mukhsin, jadi Miss Ted tak sempat nak tanya pendapat mereka tentang buah tangan terbaru Yasmin Ahmad ini.

Mukhsin mungkin tiada CGI, tiada aksi letup lompat bot, jetski atau kereta kebal, tiada perlanggaran pile-up lapanbelas buah kenderaan, tiada siapa mandi berkemban, tiada rambut yang basah dan tiada dengusan nafas berahi (aksi 'terganas' dalam Mukhsin adalah lagak samseng seorang budak yg memukul seseorang dgn kayu di kepala, aksi 'terpanas' adalah si Mukhsin dengan teragak-agak menepuk tangan Orked yang sedang kesedihan). But for me (the second time around watching Mukhsin, dulu on small projector screen and now on big screen) - it just gets better. Tontonlah dengan penuh rasa. RASA. 'Rasa'nya sahaja sudah cukup untuk memenuhkan ruang deria anda bagi kepuasan menonton filem ini.

Jadi pastikan anda tidak melepaskan peluang menonton tayangan Mukhsin di pawagam berdekatan mulai 8 Mac 2007 nanti.


P.S - Yasmin pesan jangan lupa memerhatikan lukisan dan tulisan berbahasa Cina di papan hitam dalam babak-babak di bilik Orked. Miss Ted harap kawan-kawan yang memahami tulisan tersebut boleh menerangkan maksudnya. Sayang, Miss Ted belajar bahasa Malaysia, bahasa Inggeris dan bahasa Arab saja masa di sekolah dulu.

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Previous post : Mukhsin mini review

Puaka Tebing Biru (2007)

The 'puaka' will begin haunting local cinemas starting Thursday 18th Feb.

Puaka Tebing Biru is Osman Ali's first commercial feature film. Famous for the risque movie Bukak Api (about a group of transsexuals) and the Ning Baizura-starred Malaikat di Jendela (a woman's struggle with a HIV+ husband) , Osman Ali joins the band of previously lesser-known (to commercial moviegoers at least) directors to make his mark at the local cinemas in a nationwide release.

[Trivia : You can actually view the whole of Bukak Api in five parts on Youtube. However please be warned that due to the subject matter, viewers' discretion is necessary and it may not be suitable for everybody. Link]

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The synopsis for Puaka Tebing Biru says :

CERITA TENTANG PUAKA.....

Ratna adalah rakan karib Ayu yang tinggal bersebelahan rumahnya sejak kecil. Ayu, seorang gadis lemah-lembut sedang dilamun cinta dengan seorang pemuda kampung bernama Mohsin.

Ratna yang mempunyai seorang adik perempuan bernama Atilia telah mendapat tawaran kerja di Kuala Lumpur tetapi tidak mendapat keizinan ibu mereka. Hati Ratna terluka. Akhirnya, Ratna tidak berganjak dengan keputusannya lalu pergi meninggalkan Atilia, ibu serta rakan karibnya Ayu.

Selepas 7 tahun berlalu, Ratna kini berjaya sebagai seorang petugas di unit forensik di sebuah hospital di Kuala Lumpur . Namun ada yang sesuatu yang menghantui hidup Ratna. Ratna tidak pernah sejak 6 tahun yang lalu. Bayangan seorang wanita yang sering menganggu menyebabkannya menjadi tertekan. Selain bayangan wanita tersebut, muncul pula seorang kanak-kanak perempuan. Bagi menenangkan fikiran, Ratna mengambil keputusan untuk bertemu keluarganya. Itulah pertemuan pertama, selepas 7 tahun tidak bertemu adiknya, Atilia. Setelah bertemu, Ratna dan Atilia mengambil keputusan bermalam di rumah pusaka tinggalan bapa mereka yang terletak di tepi pantai.

Pelbagai peristiwa pelik dan menyeramkan berlaku sepanjang bermalam di situ. Lebih menggerunkan apabila Atilia dikunjungi seorang kanak-kanak perempuan misteri mengajaknya bermain di tepi pantai.

Dalam perjalanan pulang, mereka bertembung dengan sekumpulan orang kampung sedang mengusung keranda ke tanah perkuburan. Apakah misteri di sebalik kemunculan bayangan wanita dan kanak-kanak perempuan tersebut? Siapa kanak-kanak itu?

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Ted says :

I'm gonna put up the review later. In the meantime as usual, enjoy the trailer :)

Qabil Khushry Qabil Igam (2007)

Terima kasih Nur Adila dari TV3 atas jemputan ini.

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"Bernafsu betul aku tengok si Karisma tu..."

- Izi Yahya as Asrul, QKQI

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Awas. Beberapa spoilers yang tidak mengancam jiwa di hadapan.

'Tarikan Nafsu'

Aku memenuhi undangan preview filem pertama terbitan Sonata Film ini setelah melihat nama penulis skrip Azlina Pa'Wan (antara rekod beliau adalah cereka tv Miftahul Jamilah dan drama bersiri Sephia di Samarenda) serta nama pengarah yang tak biasa aku dengar - Zaili Sulan - kerana aku pada ketika ini sangat-sangat suka melihat kelahiran penerbit dan pengarah-pengarah baru di persada perfileman tempatan. Dua perkara inilah yang membuatkan aku rasa sedikit bernafsu (haha) kerana jika sekadar berpandukan tajuk filem (iras sebuah filem Bollywood) dan poster (sangat mengingatkan kita dengan Maria Mariana, tsk), maaf, aku tak fikir aku akan senang-senang mengambil cuti setengah hari untuk melangkah ke panggung.

Acara Pratonton

Acara dimulakan jam 3 petang, agak tersasar dari dijadualkan di jemputan iaitu jam 2.15 petang, barangkali ada tetamu penting yang tidak dapat mencari ruang letak kereta di Midvalley ataupun hal-hal lain yang tak dapat dielakkan (biasalah, kalau ada acara pratonton filem yang mula pada masanya, aku akan bagi anugerah khas kepada produksi filem itu). Menarik sekali apabila majlis-majlis pratonton dimulakan dengan bacaan doa, yang antara lain isinya secara literal memohon agar penonton dapat menangkap apa mesej yang ingin disampaikan oleh filem ini serta ia akan mendapat sambutan. Sekali lagi Ally Iskandar menjadi emcee (di pratonton filem Cinta juga dia).

En. Mansor

Aku sempat berkenalan dan berbual dengan En. Mansor serta rakannya dari Creative Enterprise. Menurut En. Mansor beliau dah lima tahun tak menonton filem tempatan di pawagam kerana tidak puas hati dengan apa yang ditayangkan. Aku cuba yakinkan beliau bahawa lanskap filem tempatan kini sudah berubah lebih baik, sambil mengharap QKQI akan dapat menyokong pernyataan aku itu.

Yang Menjadi

Permulaan dengan kelahiran yang menggembirakan, diakhiri dengan kematian yang tragis. Cantik dari segi perjalanan filem di samping warna-warna yang cantik di mata dalam penggambaran filem ini (hey, berani kau kata Rusdi Ramli tak cantik pakai baju kurung warna oren?).

QKQI menjadi saksi hasil assignment selepas kajian bahawa antara formula-formula filem tempatan yang laku adalah elemen komedi (banyak kelucuan yang membuatkan satu panggung ketawa), melodrama (penonton sebelah aku siap menangis tersedu-sedan. Tapi Kursus Ted 101 : Kelebihan 'cheese' akan membuatkan Ted berkata "buwerk!" But this is personal preference.) dan cinta-kasih-sayang-pengorbanan. Secara berasingan, elemen-elemen itu agak berjaya. Muzik mendayu oleh Mohram melengkapkan resepi kajian ini.

Pelakon-pelakon seperti Rusdi Ramli, Erra Fazira dan Maimon Mutalib pula membuktikan bahawa harga pengalaman adalah mahal dan berbaloi. Special mention untuk Hans Isaac waktu aksi tarian lagu Bollywoodnya, you rock-lah bro.

Selain itu filem ini ada CGI! Dan CGInya juga sangat menjadi, sungguh real sampai tak perasan.

'Kecelaruan Genre'?

Ok, mari kita beranalogi:-

(aku guna analogi berasas makanan kerana aku sedang diet)

1. Mi kari adalah makanan yang sedap.
2. Cheesecake juga adalah makanan yang sedap.

Tetapi di sini premis logik tidak boleh dipakai jika cuba makan mi kari setengah pinggan, kemudian potong setengah cheesecake itu dan masukkan dalam mangkuk mi kari, gaul-gaul dan makan, dan akhir sekali baru habiskan setengah potong cheesecake yang masih berbaki. Macam mana rasanya? Berganda sedap kah kombinasi dua makanan yang sedap ini? Sendiri jawab haa.

Itulah yang aku rasa dan mengapa aku nyatakan di atas 'secara berasingan'. QKQI dimulakan dengan cuitan-cuitan lelucon dan sedikit slapstick yang pada aku secara dasar tak ada salahnya. Seluruh panggung bergelak ketawa di saat Qabil Khushry (Hans) dan Qabil Igam (Rusdi) dilahirkan, di saat Karisma (Erra) kentut sembunyi-sembunyi dalam air dan waktu Rani (Ziana) tergedik-gedik memikat Khushry. Cuma aku agak rimas melihat rupa-rupa pelakon 30-an cuba meremajakan diri mereka, dari segi fizikal pun rimas (terutama yang lelaki), dari segi lakonan yang kadangkala over pun rimas. Aku rasa akan lebih meyakinkan jika diambil pelakon muda lain untuk watak-watak remaja ini.

Fast forward ke separuh kedua filem.

Elemen tragedi diperkenalkan. Uhh.. memang tragis, dan kesedihan-kesedihan mula bertimpa-timpa. Tapi tunggu! Tadi gelak hahahahaha. Sekarang kena sedih. Serius. Drama. Eh kelakar balik? Eh nak rasa sedih ke kelakar? Eh? Eh?

Faktor ini amat mengganggu aku di separuh kedua filem hinggakan ke tahap aku secara fizikal 'menggelupur' menunggu filem ini selesai. Pada pendapat aku seorang pengarah harus lebih teliti jika ingin membaurkan elemen-elemen yang bertentangan. Emosi penonton seakan 'dicuri ayam' apabila mood filem telah berubah, masih ada saki-baki lawak yang tidak habis. Aku fikir QKQI akan lebih padu dalam tambatan emosi jika selepas titik perubahan komedi-ke-tragedi, selitan-selitan dialog / babak lucu ditiadakan langsung jika formula bagi tahap komedi yang dipaparkan selepas titik perubahan dikhuatiri melebihi skala yang sepatutnya. Baru nak cuba ambik feel rasa sedih, sekali zassss dia bagi lawak - 'potong stim' kata orang. Kemudian diselitkan pula babak ala-ala iklan khidmat masyarakat yang seperti disuap-suap (rujuk Kursus Ted 101 : Ted pantang di'shovel' dengan idealisme apa sekalipun secara kaedah buku teks apabila menonton filem). Aku kira isu kecelaruan genre inilah yang menjadi the main falling disgrace bagi QKQI, di mana jika tidak mungkin aku masih dapat merasa lebih puas menontonnya.

Apabila Pengarah Iklan, Penulis Telemovie ke Layar Lebar


Aku mudah excited apabila ada pembikin hasil seni 'melompat' kelasnya (walau masih tak tukar major, tukar major adalah apabila dari penyanyi jadi penulis buku), lebih-lebih lagi jika dalam kelas lamanya beliau menghasilkan karya-karya yang bagus dan mendapat perhatian ramai. Walaupun aku tak pernah mendengar nama En Zaili Sulan, aku yakin pasti beliau ada 'sesuatu' di 'kelas lamanya' (iklan komersil dan video muzik) - menjadi pengarah bagi anugerah Muzik Video Terbaik di Anugerah Industri Muzik 2002 pasti 'sesuatu' kan. Dan 'sesuatu' inilah yang aku harapkan. Tapi aku hampa kerana 'sesuatu' itu masih belum dapat diterjemahkan dengan berjaya dalam pembikinan QKQI. Ada ketikanya juga aku terasa seperti mengadap latihan praktikal kursus Camerawork 203 : Multiple styles in film-shooting - celah-celah objek, zoom dekat, POV atas, POV bawah, seakan ada yang tak kena.

Bagaimanapun dialog-dialog garapan Azlina Pa'Wan konsisten dengan hasil beliau sebelum ini walaupun ada babak seperti mengingatkan kita kepada telemovie-telemovie bahagian akhir kisah-kisah anak derhaka di mana emak merajuk dan menangis di dalam hujan. Mungkin kerana jika nak dibandingkan tempoh tayangan telemovie dan filem tidak banyak bezanya serta antara telemovie/filem itu sendiri adalah kategori 'lompat kelas', bukanlah perubahan major maka penulis yang baik akan dapat merasa selesa menyelesaikan assignment ini. Cuma pembauran komedi-drama itu, kerja siapa, aduh, aduh, aduh.

Nak Tengok Ke?

Jika kau tegar menyokong filem tempatan, pergilah.
Jika kau suka pelakon-pelakon utama filem ini, pergilah.
Jika kau suka Bollywood dan hiburan adalah agenda ultimate kau, pergilah.

Jangan termakan bulat-bulat ulasan-ulasan penulis-penulis berbayar atau tidak berbayar di media cetak mahupun media alternatif kerana at the end of the day, anda sendiri yang paling tahu untuk menentukan citarasa sendiri.

En Mansor Pulang

Sayang, En. Mansor pulang dengan menyuarakan rasa yang agak kecewa dan aku tak fikir dia akan kembali untuk menonton filem tempatan di pawagam dalam tempoh lima tahun lagi.

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P.S. - Isu unsur Bollywood filem ini aku tak berapa sentuh kerana dah banyak ditulis oleh orang lain. Sila Google, kay.

Mukhsin teaser trailer / mini review

Update : 'Scoop' Mukhsin Press Preview (27 Feb 2007)

Scheduled for national release in March (08/03/2007), Yasmin Ahmad's latest film, Mukhsin, has been selected by the 57th Berlin International Film Festival as well as nominated for Best Asian Film at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival.

Not bad for a movie about two young kids befriending each other during a school holiday. Not bad at all, ma'am.

Having had the opportunity to watch the movie sometime ago courtesy of the director, for me Mukhsin feels a bit like a mix of the feelings that Yasmin's earlier works - Rabun and Sepet - a match of the lighter comedic notes and nostalgics of Rabun (although actually there's dark unpleasantness in it) peppered within the very much Malaysian-ness (for some quarters like though others beg to differ - it's a FREE country after all) feel of Sepet, compared to the darker Gubra with its more blatant and louder dish of ideologies (sufism, HIV-positive awareness and girl power feminism).

(very mild spoilers ahead)

Mukhsin revolves around the idea of a first love - bringing various firsts in a young person's life - first boyfriend / girlfriend, first moment of an adult voice, talks about first period and first bra, experiencing first death of the immediate family and first heartbreak. It's an interesting note that the actor who played Mukhsin's character, Syafie Naswip actually 'broke' his voice during the filming, and in one of the scenes you can detect it quite clearly ("You look ve-ry nice today!).

Sharifah Aryana is Orked this time (her big sister, Sharifah Amani played the teenager & adult Orked characters in Yasmin's earlier films Sepet and Gubra), and she totally rocked as the tomboy-ish gutsy girl who's being brought up differently from her counterparts and knows the fact very well. Adibah Noor reprises her role as Yam the orang-gaji-yang-tak-macam-orang-gaji while Sharifah Aleya (bigger sister of both S.Amani and S.Aryana) is Mak Inom. For those who have seen her previous movies, Yasmin Ahmad challenges the audience to recast the face-name relation of Pak Atan : in Rabun it was M. Rajoli; in Sepet and Gubra it was Harith Iskander; and this time around it's more 'unsettling' as the younger Pak Atan is Irwan Iskandar - the perasan and backdealing Yem character in Rabun. Other notable role-shuffles in Yasmin's films would involve Noorkhiriah (Orked in Rabun, Mas in Gubra, extra in Mukhsin) and Rozie Rashid (Cik Nor in Rabun, Temah in Gubra, Orked's neighbor in Mukhsin).

But fret not, Mukhsin is far from mind-boggles of any kind. The only time one might go 'HUhhh??' would probably be at a weird scene which is actually a dream, so it's okay since everyone is very much allowed to have weird dreams from time to time (or even all the time, come to think of it). As usual Yasmin Ahmad-style, Mukhsin may not answer all the questions that you'd have at the end and again it'll be up to the audience to lay down their interpretation or two themselves.

With Mukhsin's simple and ordinary subject matters of growing up, friendships and family ties, the general feeling throughout the movie is one of melancholy and nostalgia - 'ahem, we'll go inside ourselves, been there, done that'. The beautiful shots taken at a serene and idyllic rural location (Kuala Selangor) evokes a wistful yearning to be there. Mozart strains adorns a kite-flying scene, and Nina Simone's rendition of the French song Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me) is just so heart-wrenching that I dare say there's nobody who won't be touched by its respective scenes. I also loved the bonus footage after the end credits where Yasmin and the crew got together with the theme keroncong song, Hujan being sang by Yasmin's mother - it'll put a smile on your face.

And seeing the young stars - makes me want to be kids like them again. To have that innocence, that ignorance, to own a fresh canvas of perceptions that's still being painted and added on with new colors and patterns everyday. Sigh.

And to experience something like this again.

Ciplak a.k.a 'I, Khairil M. Bahar, Film Geek'

Disclaimer : I'm usually partial towards indie and experimental movies, so I'm biased that way.


Khairil M. Bahar's CIPLAK should get every film student and filmmaker wannabes to think something along the line, "Hey, if he could do this with less than RM10k and a bunch of friends, I could too!"

While Ciplak is definitely a movie made by a self-professed film geek (it was made known none-too-subtly at least five times throughout the movie), for fellow film geeks, non-film geeks who like things done differently could also get a kick out of it. Ciplak might just do it for you what Lips to Lips (Amir Muhammad) did to me - got me sucked into the vortex that is indie films, with special mention to local fare. When the girlfriend was telling us the roots of ciggie-flicking and red sneakers persona it was fine, but the malookitmeaiyemafilmgeek factor did go overboard when one of the characters was made to mention Back to The Future at a particular scene - that made me cringe a bit. Probably Khai was too intent on getting the audience to 'get' it.


Looking at the subject matter, you'd be pardoned to think "How the heck did he get away with it?" I did too, and let me tell you how - on that level, Ciplak may explain and scratch the surface on why it happens and how the 'industry' works, but it definitely didn't show that it condones it or that it's cool and it's okay, in fact it was almost as blatant as those government-sponsored infomercial with the skeletonhead pirate in saying that piracy is bad, Bad, BAD.

I am easily amused, and bearing in mind the circumstances under which Ciplak was finally fit for fruition, I enjoyed it as it is. Yeah there were some draggy moments in the middle, Khai spews various cuss words and seposen sedozen, some of the acting could've done better and all that, but the quirky TV-pendidikan style start on Piracy 101 lessons, Khai's effortless transition to-and-from 'acting' - 'narrating' and the potong stim ending (after a rather la-di-da 'kembang tekak motivational talk' deus ex machina) which was such a brilliant surprise plus last but not least the witty laughfest before the end credits all more than made up for it.

There were about 10 of us in the international screen hall at GSC that night but everybody sure sounded like they enjoyed it. Oh, the reason it's being shown only at the international screen hall is solely due to the fact that it's the only one that's equipped for digital media movies - Ciplak was filmed with DV tapes and digitally edited on Khai's home PC - a pure labor of love.

So would I recommend this?

YES, if I know you are the type who either a) has a love for films or film-making b) dig quirky stuff c) partial with against-the-machine sort of things d) always open to new experience e) a dvd pirate; and NO if you are none of the above.

Miscellaneous

• Click over to Khai's blog

• Ciplak official site is recommended for amusing info and tid-bits on the making of the movie

• Last time I checked here, Ciplak is still being screened at GSC Midvalley, GSC One Utama (New Wing) and GSC Gurney Plaza. GSC Midvalley will run shows until at least 20th December 2006.

[As usual credit for all images goes to the movie's oficial site, setelah sedikit editing sesuka hatiku]

Film review : CINTA (2006)

Sebuah kisah tentang kasih,
melatari sisi setiap manusia dalam perjalanan hidup

You wouldn't mind parting with your hard-earned RM (or rupiahs or dollars or renminbis) to watch something like this.

With classy acting, beautiful so-called "commercial-like" cinematography, memorable moments (by now everybody who watches local TV would've known that line "Isteri bukannya hakmilik, tetapi anugerah...", meaningful bits for film buffs, MTV-esque soundtrack and last but not least a couple of scenes right out of modern-day Mills and Boon or Judith Mcnaught (for those who dig it), I think it will be hard for CINTA to totally disappoint anyone, regardless of which mind-set (or sets) one came with.

Yes, you CAN have more than one mind-set while watching a movie.

I have to admit I try not to hope too much as I step into the cinema, despite getting positive feedback from Aliya who caught the earlier screening. Due cause - Alternate Studio's previous offering, Salon, of which I could only manage the first 12 minutes or so (on VCD) before I almost passed out of boredom. However when the invitation came (thanks, SM), my interest was very much incited mainly by the fact that Dato' Rahim Razali, a stalwart figure in the local scene, is part of the main cast. Of course, it helped to add up on the plus points when it was mentioned that the dishy Pierre Andre is on the list as well (despite failing to keep me glued to the screen in Salon).

Aku pernah beranggapan dahulu bahawa Sepet merupakan karya tempatan yang bakal menjadi 'jambatan' merapatkan jurang antara penonton yang mencari hiburan semata-mata dan penonton yang turut mencari ‘tid-bits lain’ dalam tayangan filem, tapi ternyata umum belum bersedia untuk garapan Yasmin Ahmad tersebut (namun ia tetap telah mencetuskan sesuatu yang baru dalam lanskap filem negara). Aku hanya menyedari salah satu perkara yang kurang disenangi dalam karya tersebut (selain isu berkemban, duduk di tangga mencari kutu dan cinta berbeza kaum-agama yang hangat didebatkan) adalah pendekatan gaya realismenya – paparan babak dan dialog yang sangat-sangat ‘natural’ – selepas tersentak seketika apabila ada rakanku memberikan komen "Ntah apa-apa entah, tunjuk macam kehidupan biasa aje tiap-tiap hari, macam real life? Macam bukan movie, tak ada cerita!". Waktu menontonnya aku tak terfikir pun ia sebagai satu gaya atau apa-apa, cuma yang aku tahu aku sangat suka cara filem tersebut, seperti kemudiannya aku terpaku apabila aku diperkenalkan kepada Nobody Knows/Daremo Shiranai tetapi orang lain mungkin menganggap ia sangat bosan dan menjemukan.

Komen tersebut menyedarkan aku bahawa adanya kelompok penonton yang 'mewajibkan' dalam filem-filem supaya ada unsur-unsur yang 'over-the-top', penuh dengan pomp, hoopla - the works. Ini adalah juga antara faktor mengapa karya-karya yang penuh dengan perkara-perkara melodrama (contohnya dialog yang puitis dan berbunga-bunga kalah kedai florist di tingkat bawah Hospital Ampang Puteri walaupun sekadar untuk bertanya khabar, watak-watak 'larger-than-life' seperti anak orang kaya balik balik oversea seminggu terus diserahkan bulat-bulat jawatan CEO/pengarah urusan (di mana dalam kehidupan mungkin mereka tak pernah jumpa pun orang seperti itu), kisah-kisah cinta dengan adegan naik motor besar diiringi aksi tutup-tutup mata dan iringan lagu bersama saat-saat indah dan ditambah iringan hujan apabila konflik berlaku dan awek itu ditinggalkan balaknya) yang selalu mengundang rasa 'buwerk' dan terlebih ‘cheese’ kepadaku, tetapi membawa kepada kepuasan sebenarnya kepada orang lain.

CINTA, buah tangan Kabir Bhatia (yang membawakan kepada kita soap Idaman yang aku ikut penuh setia dulu) ada melodrama itu, tetapi tidak berlebihan dan diadun tanpa watak-watak dan babak yang boleh membuatkan kelompok penonton yang satu lagi merasa tertipu waktu menikmatinya (tidak seperti contoh Heart, filem Indonesia dengan paparan visual yang amat cantik tetapi mempunyai pengakhiran yang membohong dan menghina intelek). Ya, aku tahu filem-filem ini fiksyen, rekaan semata-mata, tetapi tolonglah berikan aku rekaan secara bijak dan logik sekiranya keadaan/realiti itu benar-benar wujud seperti watak-watak dalam Lord of the Rings atau para pelajar dan subjek pelajaran di Hogwarts (siri Harry Potter) atau sekurang-kurangnya doktor-doktor pelatih dalam Grey's Anatomy (mereka adalah rekaan dengan latarbelakang dan persekitaran rekaan, tetapi mereka tampak begitu 'real'), bukan watak-watak satu dimensi yang walau bagaimana aku pusingkan antena di kepalaku, aku tak boleh terima mereka sebagai 'real'.

CINTA laterally combines the five separate (but inter-connected) stories into a successful amalgam, with love as the main emotion/reason in the ups and downs of an important episode in the main characters' lives. Here the affairs of a laksa-selling makcik and a RM20-per-portrait street artist (no lah they're not together, each has a different story) are no less meaningful or worthy as the incidents of a bachelor-of-the-year CEO and his successful architect buddy - in the search for love, in accepting what their loved ones did, each becomes commonly as vulnerable, hurt or affected as the other.

Speaking of the cast, Fatimah Abu Bakar and Dato' Rahim Razali's manners, even a longing gaze alone practically fills in the nuances of being Rubiah and Cikgu Elyas. Nanu Baharuddin and Rashidi Ishak both gave very strong performances as Dyan the protective sister and Harris the jilted husband. I found Eizlan Yusof as well as (especially) Rita Rudaini much better than their usual fare. Pierre Andre as Taufiq the very budiman smalltime reporter and Fasha Sandha as Azura the bookstore girl however to me weren't very memorable, but not really due to any lack on their acting creds but more to the fact that their characters are somewhat similar to previous stints (Pierre, oh Pierre, will you PLEASE stop taking on more good-guy-who-becomes-the-shoulder-to-cry-on-for-the-pretty-girl-who-got-dumped characters, at least for a while?) Sharifah Amani is believeable enough as the gullible Arianna ("Awak ni seorang yang sangat negatif la") though at times too much drama, but erm, melodrama formula kicking in I suppose, while Que Haidar as Dhani swings a bit both ways ("Sampai bila kakak nak bercinta dengan suami orang!" - very solid, "Mana kakak?" - a bit lame). Very-very special mention however belongs to the much-underrated Shoffi Jikan as Dhani's street-busking friend (aku anggap dia sebagai reprise wataknya sebagai Zul Kapan dalam filem 'Rock') and the girl who played Harris-Airin's daughter. Again last but certainly not least, Ngasrizal Ngasri cemerlang sebagai cucu yang tersepit antara kasih dan keadaan. Satu lagi kekuatan nyata CINTA, pendukung watak sokongan turut membawa peranan masing-masing dengan amat baik (kecuali sangat jelas Gambit sebagai Khalif yang sungguh tidak berjiwa).

[Shoffi Jikan merenung masa depannya dalam bidang lakonan]
In the five stories, one would find it hard not to identify with at least one of the characters. We've all been there - maybe as the one who wasn't loved back, or the one who was lied to, or the one who had to leave, or the one who found true love, or the one who had to make sacrifices, or the one who simply looked on... the list is exhaustive. This is where it draws me in the most, when I found myself identifying with the characters and in turn makes us alliances against the world. Chewah, so drama!

The so-billed commercial-like shots worked, big time for me. Love 'em! Dhojee (executive producer together with Ara) amusedly remarked on the odd local perception that the camerawork of our commercials looks better than our films, whereas elsewhere it’s the other way around. Hmm... anyways, I calculated (using a most complex scientific equation involving no less than two unknowns [my wedding date, the real sexual orientation of da Vinci's Monalisa] and three pies [blueberry, apple, mud]) approximately 90% of the audience would think of 'Nescafe' too at the opening sequence. Tell me if you are one of the 10% who didn't ;)

Some might subscribe to the notion that ignorance is bliss (I used to as well), but I realized later that it does't hold itself up in all situations. In some instances (like watching movies like CINTA), 'knowing' is wayyy better. No doubt you wouldn't know what you're missing if you have no idea what it is, but once you do, you may be in for so much more. Like the 'tidbits' - the great timing of a scene where three trains went by at the same time, the use of colors, references to other films (omputeh and local fares oso), the subtext-ed parts without having shovels fuelling it down our throats and thank you, oh thank you the writer (Mira Mustaffa) for not applying the overused excuse of cancer and using another ailment instead as the illness of choice to afflict Dhani.

But the twin towers are still overshot here. Yes, it's a pretty engineering feat of a double-phalanx, but it's becoming a cliche lah. Then again, how can a story about love not become another cliche? Cannot, I tell you. Love is very universal one. Everywhere, I tell you. Anyway, to the guy who was overlooking the continuity? Erm, that part where Airin cries while reading the love notes. Shot 1, text on top, shot 2, text at bottom. Anal, I know, but I can't help noticing it.

But those are rather minor stuff. All in, CINTA didn't disappoint and is a production anyone who's involved in it would be proud to be associated with. It doesn't matter if you're looking for a movie that the whole family would enjoy, a soppy romantic to take your date to or a visually-pleasing work of art that would tease your attentiveness, you'll find it here. Ok lah, but not if you're looking for an action or a horror flick. Heh.

[The hard-working people behind CINTA. Tahniah!]


Highly recommended. CINTA starts showing in cinemas from 30th November.

For a bit of a spoiler, highlight below space between the Xs.

X The position of the couples in the poster tells you whether they'll be together or not in the end :) X

[All pictures from the official site, diedit sedikit dengan sesuka hati]

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Read what others say too :

• sultanmuzaffar : "50 sebab mengapa saya suka CINTA"
• Fadz : "Satu-satunya Filem Cinta Yang Berjaya"
• KY : "..you will be surprised"
• Suanie : "a rollercoaster ride through love"
• Fireangel : "You and I could relate to it"
• Budiey : "Hebatnya aura cinta dalam filem ini"
• Mimpi Pari: "A Malaysian Movie Masterpiece"
• Lyana : "..a thumbs up. Or make that two"
• Abby : "superb cinematography, great screenplay, and phenomenal performances"
• Habri : "Jom tonton CINTA"
• muidlatif : "What is CINTA?"
• Vovin: "Cinta punya kecantikan tersendiri"

( mostly curi-ed from SM)

Original comments for this post here

Let’s hear it from the Gadis in Jalan Burmah

(the length of this review alone is a clear testament to how much I loved the show, also proof that taking notes helps a lot hehe)

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Kartini Shuib :
1) Marry a husband, make lots of kid, then get a van. Is that all?
2) Asyik-asyik tanya ‘Dah kahwin ke? Hang bila lagi?’- they are all propagandists.

I’m not sure whether it’s the-

• subject matter which resonates well with the fact that I’m currently unattached and do occasionally think of the clock going tick-tock-tick

• care-free way Soefira Jaafar becomes Kartini Shuib the 41-yr-old-deflowered-virgin who have had six (Syed the first love, Farid the vertically-challenged Kelantanese, David Lim the pilot, John the expat, AmatKacak from the net and Rizal the dangdut-loving fat guy) boyfriends and still looking for the ever-elusive Mr. Right

• set (rather elaborate compared to the Stor Teater kotak-kotak usuals, and where the hell did they find that grotty old-fashioned green oven-stove one?)

• ‘intimacy’ factor due to the closeness of the performer to the audience (which is something that could make them small plays score more feel-good brownie points than those big-extravaganza-got-moving-stage-actual-river-and-all types)

Anyways, at its preview last night GADIS JALAN BURMAH totally rocked my socks off!

(though they have ‘only’ Bollywood, cheesy Malay pop, disco and dance tunes as the sound track. no rock songs though.)

First things first, go go go go go see the play. Go!
Really. Go!

Especially if you are a, uhm, well, everybody. As long as you love to watch a good performance.

(Actually I was about to corner the bevy of women who’s gone through the highs and lows of doing the introduction-drinks-dates-head over heels in love-breakup circuit but decided otherwise).

I’m amazed that the playwright is a man. Kudos to Shahredza Minhat. Psst.. were you a woman in the previous life ?

Gadis Jalan Burmah starts with a domestic scene of cake-baking preparation. Kartini contemplates whether to give Kassim Rahman (whose business card lies on the table in anticipation) a ring. In between sifting the flour, measuring the sugar and ‘screwing’ (you’ll know what I mean if you catch the play) the orange half for juice; Kartini indulges the audience with reminiscence of her life – the trials and tribulations (oh cliché nya frasa ini haha) of growing up as the only non-Syed/Syarifah in the childhood gang, the pressure of being an Ustazah’s daughter, meeting the first love (Kartini : Suddenly flowers start blossoming all over the place I tell you!) and the first break up, all the way through the many curves that adulthood flung along her way. And in the end…. Well, go see lah. Hah.

Gadis Jalan Burmah explores the psyche of a woman that's already supposedly past her prime and is still not sure of where she's going next. Yet, she desperately clings to the notion that she is very much in control of her life (Kartini : This is MY show), denying the fact that she felt compelled to explain and justify the whats and the whys of things she did, although actually no one really cares. The portrayal of that pressure to get married is something that most of us would be able to relate to, whether you're in the same boat (damn! am I like that please God oh God don't let me turn into THAT) or if you're already married (this group can go 'been there, done that, phew thank God I'm married now').

I totally love the scene where she ‘summarized’ all her previous boyfriends with a particular line for each guy, simply hilarious. Also the ‘tangkap basah’ scene. Omg, they’ve imaginatively added another use for the senduk as a prop - that’s certainly something I can’t remember seeing recently!

Soefira started a tad self-conciously and there were little fumbles once or twice in beginning I think, but progressively she became more and more comfortable with being Kartini and took the audience along for a joyful ride. Which I'm sure will only get better day to day till the last curtain call on the 23rd. My only reservations (petty, petty me) would be the timing (it started a bit later than scheduled- ah, the bane of preview nights) and also the sound system - there were parts where the music almost drowns out Soefira’s voice – I understand it's meant to be loud to get into the mood but perhaps it could be toned down a bit to let us hear what she says better.

Nonetheless all in all, I enjoyed the play very very much and would recommend everybody to go catch the show. So far a couple of colleagues has fallen to that trap, heh.

Go!

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Gadis Jalan Burmah is playing at Stor Teater DBP on 13-16 Sept & 18-23 Sept @8.30pm and on 17 Sept (Sunday) 3pm only. Contact 016-2022 057 for info and reservation.

Presented by dramalab under 'A Season of Origins and Originals' program, produced by RPT theatre company, written by Shahredza Minhat, directed by David Lim and performed by Soefira Jaafar. Sofiera is also producer of the show.

Gadis Jalan Burmah is RPT's first project.

Credit of images used belong to the production.

I'd have given the same review even if I had to pay last night. (tq Megat for the invite)

Are you still reading at this point? Congratulations, you've proven that you have a very good attention-retention rate.

Now go see the play.

9 Naga : Jangan Percaya Iklan Itu Semua

Jangan sangka ia penuh dengan

aksi-lasak-lompat-terjun-tembak-orang-kejar-mengejar-naik-motor-curi-jetski dan lain-lain lagi.

Ini cerita tentang simpang hidup yang dipenuhi dengan kesilapan, memburu pengampunan dan air mata.

Dan Fauzi Baadilla bukanlah heronya.

Jangan tertipu dengan poster itu.
Jangan.

Tengok dulu, nanti kau akan tau.

Apa, ramai yang kata jalan cerita ini perlahan ya amat? Okey, ada sedikit slow yang keterlaluan di hampir penghujung, tetapi selebihnya aku rasa sesuai dengan mood.

Ehm, habis kalau diorang kata terjun gaung itu best, kau ikut?

(tapi aku kata filem ni best aku nak orang lain pun tengok, haha)

*ah, dulang, paku dan serpih*