About Me
On Thursday 5 March 2015
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Social commentary in Malaysian films have been very annoying lately. It seems like it's the only way they can make the film more critical or witty. But when I really think about it though, it's not the extensive use of social commentary that bugs me but, rather, the absence of substance. Terbaik dari Langit does have tons of subtle criticism towards the local film industry but it didn't forget the core essence of storytelling.
Character driven
I can finally say that I remember the character's name from a local movie. The industry still seems oblivious that it's characters that sell. Audiences find it more easy to identify themselves with the characters. Relatable characters are ones that make mistakes for reasons that the audiences can relate to. Berg, Ijam, Toyu and Ali had their own wants and goals; each affecting one another. The plot moves according to their respective individuality and not the writer's 'common sense'. Often times, the local industry writes stories based on cliches; pop culture, trends and common sense. They don't explore the complexity of what the story's substance can be. Redza Minhat, the writer, utilized the story's core; friendship. And with friendship, you have many individuals with respective desire and weaknesses. Sounds very basic but you'd be surprised how often this cannot be done.
Visually daring
Most local films are either undeveloped or shallow (Half ass or terrible is a more harsh way to put it). Terbaik dari Langit is one of few films that's innovative and manage to execute them well. Despite having friendship as it's theme, Nik Amir Mustapha (Director) managed to remind Malaysians that film is a visual medium. Often times, drama is--somewhat--of Malaysia's 'forte' and they are executed with heavy dialogues with uncalled for emotional blunder. Berg's hallucination scenes are tools to describe his point of view. This tool also had a pay-off at the ending; making it full circle and giving it a purpose instead of just simply using it. I also noticed the Hong Kong-esque settings in a few scenes; adding more depths visually.
State of the Malaysian film Industry
The story wittingly uses the plot as a tool to comment on the industry but not too much until it's the theme. Ironic though, the theme also complimented the commentary. Instead of leaving the criticism to mere cynicism, the friendship was the answer. Despite the hardships of the Berg and his friends filming, it's their friendship that matters most. People in the film industry can work as hard as they can but in the end, it's the substance that counts.
Verdict
Did I mentioned that the score and music were awesome? It just brought some familiar emotional ride when one watches a film. But this time, I was watching a local film. I just hope Astro Shaw will continue investing on films like this and give more opportunities to new talents. There's only so much that the current Industry people can do. While they figure out what the youngsters and even people their generation want, give the young people a shot too. Terbaik dari langit earns a 4/5!
