TRULY MALAYSIAN
Sepet - The Movie
I have been reading about Sepet, the controversial Malaysian movie way before it was released on the silver screen via the director’s blog, Yasmin Ahmad. I accidentally stumbled upon it while setting up Flickr.
I am a movie freak, but I do not simply watch any movies, even if it is for free, unless I really have nothing better to do. I don’t watch garbage in the cinema (Read: Hong Kong movies, especially the ones with Miriam Yeung, trying too hard to be funny).
After raving reviews by my movie confidante and ex boss, I could not contain my curiosity any longer and dragged Ann along to One Utama on Monday night.
I was worried I might be expecting too much from the movie, due to too much reading, exposure, reviews and comments from friends that I would find it an utter let down.
It was the contrary.
I like the fact, that this is NOT just another Malay movie. It is a MALAYSIAN movie – something that all Malaysians can identified with.
The languages conversed were in Mandarin, Peranakan, English, Malay and Chinese local dialects of Hokkien and Cantonese, which I could understand perfectly without reading subtitles. The advantage of being raised in a Hokkien family, having Cantonese speaking friends, studying in TAR College (Mandarin), and learning English and Malay back in school, finally paid off.
It intelligently addresses the touchy issues of the multi-racial problems, the many things that we remained tight-lip about in this so-called democratic country, subtly debating on issues which supposedly to be taboo or sensitive, the real social ills, etc. (It was unfortunate that they have snipped off the crucial parts – I think, reading about a movie before watching proved to be worthwhile).
The movie left us with warm fuzzy feeling inside and provoke deep thinking on how judgmental we all have been, wishing that it could be as simple as our forefathers to accept other races than it is for us today.
Two thumbs up for the movie. A-definite-must watch.
I am a movie freak, but I do not simply watch any movies, even if it is for free, unless I really have nothing better to do. I don’t watch garbage in the cinema (Read: Hong Kong movies, especially the ones with Miriam Yeung, trying too hard to be funny).
After raving reviews by my movie confidante and ex boss, I could not contain my curiosity any longer and dragged Ann along to One Utama on Monday night.
I was worried I might be expecting too much from the movie, due to too much reading, exposure, reviews and comments from friends that I would find it an utter let down.
It was the contrary.
I like the fact, that this is NOT just another Malay movie. It is a MALAYSIAN movie – something that all Malaysians can identified with.
The languages conversed were in Mandarin, Peranakan, English, Malay and Chinese local dialects of Hokkien and Cantonese, which I could understand perfectly without reading subtitles. The advantage of being raised in a Hokkien family, having Cantonese speaking friends, studying in TAR College (Mandarin), and learning English and Malay back in school, finally paid off.
It intelligently addresses the touchy issues of the multi-racial problems, the many things that we remained tight-lip about in this so-called democratic country, subtly debating on issues which supposedly to be taboo or sensitive, the real social ills, etc. (It was unfortunate that they have snipped off the crucial parts – I think, reading about a movie before watching proved to be worthwhile).
The movie left us with warm fuzzy feeling inside and provoke deep thinking on how judgmental we all have been, wishing that it could be as simple as our forefathers to accept other races than it is for us today.
Two thumbs up for the movie. A-definite-must watch.
Comments
Toxic | 03.21.05 – 3:36 am | #
Go watch it, toxic. You will never regret this. I promise.
Gina | Homepage | 03.21.05 – 10:59 pm | #
i watched it… and as much as i thought it was brilliant considering it was m’sian made, it was a little too abrupt (probably due to all the cuts by the censorship board) for me. but still, i am glad i caught it.
jasmine | Homepage | 03.21.05 – 11:47 pm | #