Let Me In (2010)

There are movies that are technically superior, that film students pore over and discuss countless times in lectures and among themselves, talking about how they hope to emulate the camera angles, editing, and pacing. And then there are movies that are not technically perfect by a long shot, but you can’t help but fall in love with nonetheless, watch repeatedly again and again and dwell on for weeks. The kind of movies that you show to your friends only for them to ridicule and balk at you for having such a childish and unhealthy obsession over, so you are forced to retreat to the dark recesses of the internet that are occupied by internet forums and their users, perusing poorly-written fan fictions, simply wasting away in your room and shunning the harsh sunshine, because GODDAMMIT YOU JUST CAN’T HELP IT.

Whew. I have had the fortune of watching such a movie a few weeks back. It’s called ‘Let Me in’. Now before any of you highbrow cinephiles tut-tut me for not knowing that it’s a remake of the Swedish movie ‘Let the Right One in’ and its source material; a novel with the same title, see, I’ve just proven that I know them and I’ve watched the original movie. It’s just that I watched LMI before I watched LTROI. Let’s just get that out of the way. No need to be so condescending, sheesh.

Anyway the movie tells about Owen, a lonely, neglected and bullied boy who strikes up a friendship with a girl; Abby (Chloe Moretz) who moves in next to his apartment with her father. Meanwhile, the residents of his town are getting murdered by what is thought to be a satanic cult by the local detective. After awhile, he senses that Abby might not be as innocent and vulnerable as she appears and all the murders might be connected to the reclusive father and daughter, despite their blossoming attraction to each other.

Coming back to my obsession with this movie. It’s funny how I only watched this movie because I couldn’t sleep one night and decided to go downstairs to watch TV, thinking that maybe a few minutes of mundane off-peak hours TV might put me to sleep. ‘Let Me in’ was just starting and before I knew it, I had watched it until the end, not feeling even a wee bit sleepy despite the movie’s slow pacing. At first I simply thought it was good and went straight to bed, but after awhile I found myself strangely wanting to watch it again and I did so repeatedly the following week. I simply lapped up every scene the two young leads are together in, and boy they are simply good together.

Kodi Smit-McPhee who plays Owen; gives a solid performance as the friendless latchkey twelve-year old who is shut in in his own world and occasionally engaging in casual voyeurism and eavesdropping. But the true star of ‘Let Me in’ is definitely Chloe Moretz; the child star of movies such as ‘500 Days of Summer’ and ‘Kick-Ass’. She was good in these two movies, but in LMI she’s simply brilliant, and her performance is something I’ve never seen in a child actor since the young Natalie Portman’s turn in Luc Besson’s ‘Leon’. She successfully toes the fine line between the role of the vulnerable, lonely pre-adolescent girl who finds love yet is cautious of it; and the ferocity of her character’s darker side (can’t tell too much. Go watch it!). She reminds you of that one girl when you were a kid, whom you were madly in love with it, the girl who might probably have simply ignored you depending on how you were as a child; and watching Chloe in LMI will make you think “This must be how it would’ve been if she had liked me back” Boo hoo. The supporting cast must also be commended for their refrained yet nuanced performances; especially those of Abby’s father and the local detective investigating the series of murders.

However this is not to say that the movie does not benefit from other aspects. It definitely benefits from its gloominess and isolation (one thing that separates it from the slightly brighter original version), thanks to the snowy setting and the scenes that mostly take place during the night, and the slow pacing definitely amplifies the isolation felt by the characters that you yourself can almost taste said loneliness. The director; Matt Reeves (‘Cloverfield’) deserves praises for adapting this movie well by sticking close to the original because it works. Some critics have stated their displeasure at his decision to almost copy scene-by-scene the original movie, but this non-professional critic disagrees. It’s better to come up with an accurate copy of a good piece of art than to modify the original work only for the remake to fall flat, don’t you think so? And to be fair, when you really watch it; you’ll find out that LMI is markedly different from LTROI; especially when it comes to Abby and Owen’s characters. It’s good to know that Reeves is equally adept at directing a slow, character-driven genre-bending movie, as he is making a loud summer blockbuster monster movie.

And finally from me, what also makes this movie truly good is that how little is provided to the audience in way of explanation of the characters’ back story and the ending. Yes, the ending. If you view it objectively, you’ll realise just how dreadful the fate that awaits Abby and Owen is, despite the tenderness with which the final scene is shot. This movie leaves a lot of room for discussions, or if you’re the type who keeps to yourself; you can fill in the gaps in the movie with your imagination.

That is all from me for now. I have an internet forum to descend back into. 

The GOOD:

1) Chloe Moretz’ performance specifically, and the acting in general. I hope she gets more mature roles in the future. The one to watch in the coming years

2) The mood of the movie as brought about by the sparse lighting, set design and the music. Instant melancholy

The BAD:

- May cause temporary yet intense melancholy, the desire to keep re-watching it and the unwillingness to exit your room and get stuff done

My VERDICT: it’s hard for me to be objective in rating this movie while I’m unhealthily obsessed with it at the moment. So what I’ll do for now is give it an 8/10 and come back in the future to revise this rating with a more objective eye. Fair enough?

TRIVIA:

1) The car-crash scene, despite playing out as a single shot in the movie, is actually composed of different shots that are then CGI-ed and seamlessly edited together. Source

2) Ariel Winter who plays Alex in the TV series Modern Family, also auditioned for the role of Abby. Source 

Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula (2009)

As a movie industry, the Malaysian film industry leaves a lot to be desired, quality-wise. Weak acting, implausible plot, exploitative issues and themes are among many issues that have failed to be addressed by those who call themselves the Malaysian filmmakers. However, it’s not my point in this blog to call attention to shoddily-made films; be it international, foreign or local films. I prefer to highlight movies that are made with the desire to set them apart from the rest of the movies, and with that purpose in mind, today we’re gonna look at a Malaysian-made animation film; ‘Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula’ (‘Geng: The Adventure Begins’) which features characters from the by-now immensely popular and ubiquitous TV animation series; ‘Upin & Ipin’.

I remember watching this movie when it came out in the cinemas. My younger siblings were hankering me to take them to watch it one weekend. ‘Upin & Ipin’ had been a staple of Malaysian TV for almost a year by that time, but despite the quality of the animation and the adorable voice acting, it was just a kiddy’s show to me. So I grudgingly relented to my siblings’ pleading, thinking that I wouldn’t enjoy ‘Geng’. After all, a number of Malaysian animation movies have been made in the last decade and each and every single one was disappointing.

However, was I surprised to find myself hysterically laughing only ten minutes into the movie! I was pleasantly amazed at the thought put into the writing; to make sure that the movie is enjoyable to the parents/adults as much as it is to their children. The production team of the studio Les Copaque proves that they weren’t just half-assing it for a quick buck by cashing in from the already popular ‘Upin & Ipin’. The jokes are sincerely funny, the conflict and mystery interesting, and all these on top of what has already made ‘Upin & Ipin’ popular in the region; the titular characters’ adorable shenanigans, charming animation and character design; and hilarious supporting characters. I was actually enjoying the movie!

Now before I get too carried away gushing, let me just tell you about the movie synopsis. When superstitious goings on disrupt the peace and tranquillity of the village of identical twins Upin and Ipin, they enlist the help of their village gang (hence the title), the grandson of their neighbour and his friend to investigate and uncover a sinister plan by a number of bumbling criminals and a portal to another dimension. If the synopsis doesn’t sound anything like a comedy, don’t be alarmed. It is for all intents and purposes a comedy movie, it just so happens that the plot is essentially a horror story happening to characters that are inherently funny.

As a side note, it is worth mentioning and commending the people who came up with the movie; the Shah Alam-based animation studio Les’ Copaque. With ‘Geng’ they proved that their success with ‘Upin & Ipin’ is no fluke and they are run with a pair of steady hands. I’ll definitely be watching out for their future productions. Hopefully they will take over the mantle as the premiere animation studio of this region, if not as its best movie studio.

The GOOD:

- The animation is fluid and the character design is eye-catching. Way ahead than your run-off-the-mill Malaysian animation. Les’ Copaque is no Pixar, sure, but they’ve shown that they have it in themselves to improve and come up with quality films

- It's sincerely funny to children and the adults alike, and not just in a 'kiddy-funny' way

The BAD:

- There’s this awkward musical number that seems to happen for no reason at the beginning. It feels contrived and forced. It’s a good thing it’s at the beginning where things are just about to pick up, so by the end I’ve more or less forgotten about this minor blight.

My VERDICT for ‘Geng’: 7.5/10

TRIVIA: Apparently, ‘Geng’ was in production long before ‘Upin & Ipin’ was made. They decided to come up with an easy-to-made and cheap TV series during a lull in the ‘Geng’ production period when they were securing and negotiating for funding for the film.

Hantu Kak Limah Balik Rumah (2010)

Wow, two posts on one day after almost a half-year hiatus! Can my name and the word 'industrious' finally be uttered in the same breath without the universe imploding unto itself? This time I'd like to review the sequel to a movie I've reviewed earlier, Zombi Kampung Pisang. And frankly speaking, it is a movie I've been waiting for quite sometime considering how much I adored the campiness and enjoyed the humour of its predecessor. If you are wondering what Zombi is about, go read my review of it first. But don't worry, you do not need to watch Zombi to follow the story of Kak Limah.

Kak Limah tells about the return of Husin (Awie) to Kg Pisang from working abroad. Upon his return, he realises that a lot have changed since his departure. Usop the former cultural-dancer is now a paraplegic after a very tragic yet of course very comical mishap and Usop's sweetheart has had her heart broken by him one too many times. Oh, there's also a small matter of him seemingly living next door to the ghost of his neighbour, Kak Limah who is intent on haunting the villagers. Just like their previous run with zombies, this time the villagers of Kg Pisang will have to unite again in facing a horror of comedic proportions in Mamat Khalid's latest film.

The GOOD:

- there’s this running gag that is really funny in its suddenness and abruptness. Mamat knows this and he milks it for all it’s worth

The BAD:

1) the film is essentially a one-trick pony. A lot of the jokes are only mildly funny at best and they seem to drag

2) The love song in the middle of the movie. Although it’s quite nice to see Awie channelling his early 90’s Sembilu persona (complete with the hog and all), the sequence is simply awkward and it does not serve the plot in any way

3) The lack of talents. Zombi benefited from being an ensemble movie, with the job of carrying the movie shared equally among the lead actors and the cameos alike (man, my stomach hurt so MUCH from laughing so HARD at the late Loloque’s cameo as part of a hair-metal band who lost their way on the way to performing at a fun-fair). Whereas the main action of Kak Limah is more focused on Awie’s Husin, the disturbances from Kak Limah which he faces and also the sub-plot of him trying to win back his ex’s heart which I totally do not care about. Awie is fine as an actor in my opinion, but as a comedic actor he still has a lot to learn. Maybe Que Haidar asked for too much money for the sequel

4) As an extension of the previous point, Kak Limah seems to also lack the communal spirit previously portrayed in Zombi. I know there are scenes with the villagers in this film (including scene-stealing smaller characters such as the mini-bus driver and the FPS-obsessed, shotgun wielding boy) these scenes are not as numerous and the characters are not as diverse. I don’t know why, but I’ve always thought that Malay movies benefit from portraying the whole community as opposed to just portraying individuals alone. Not because they promote moral values or things like that, but I’ve always been drawn towards the festiveness and the cacophony generated in such movies such as U-Wei Shaari’s Isteri, Perempuan dan… and the late P Ramlee’s many movies

5) The ending of the movie seems to undo the whole message of this movie. I can’t say it explicitly without spoiling it for those of you who haven’t watched it. It’s enough for me to just say that it’s like attending a speech on Malay supremacy and rights delivered by Nazi Par… I mean PERKASA’s Ibrahim Ali only to have him say as conclusion that everything in this world belongs to God and nobody really has exclusive rights to anything

So my VERDICT for this movie is 5/10. I’ve seen better from Mamat Khalid, and this is proven by the good to bad points ratio that I’ve listed above. I'm disappointed, considering how good the first one was.

TRIVIA: In an interview with The Star during the movie's launch, Mamat jokingly remarked that he only made the movie because he was running out of money. After watching the movie, I'm not quite sure that his remark was just a joke.

Valhalla Rising (2009)

Hello imaginary readers. It's been awhile since I posted in this blog. Have been busy. I got myself a job (because even movie reviewers need money to eat, they don't simply subsist on sarcasm and sass) and a lot of other stuff. Well let's get straight to the point. Fortunately in my hectic schedule I still found time to watch movies so here is my review of the movie 'Valhalla Rising' which came out in 2009. This movie was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and features Mads Mikkelsen as the main character One Eye; a laconic Viking warrior who follows a group of Crusaders who are on their way to the Holy Land.

Well to be honest, I was expecting a typical Viking movie with the whole plunder and pillage and the works that usually come with with movies which include Vikings. But boy was I wrong. This movie is quite slow and pays equal importance to the dialogue. But when it happens, boy it is violence, glorious violence. You get disembowelment, decapitation, impaling, eye-gouging, you name it, it has it. Which sort of explains the need for the slow pacing. You're all bored and yawning for something to please happen already, and then the pace picks up in a crescendo and you know some guy is gonna get stabbed in the eye and you squirm in your seat, expecting the wonderfully dreadful. Oh boy!

But I have to admit that at times this movie escapes my comprehension. The dream sequences are huge wtf to me and it took me a while to realise a major plot point.

The GOOD:

1) The violence is sickening and unabashed in this movie

2) Mikkelsen did a solid job in portraying such an effectively ruthless character without speaking any line

The BAD:

1) I don't get the movie. What's with the rouge dream sequences?

2) The ending. So, uh, that's all there is?

Moi VERDICT: I'm giving it 6/10 because I simply DON'T GET IT.

I am a Sex Addict (2005)

Of all the movies that I’ve ever watched, the movie that I am going to review this time must be the obscurest movie I’ve ever watched. I mean I have watched a few indie movies before but seriously this movie came to me almost out of nowhere. With the title of ‘I am a Sex Addict’, I was expecting nothing more than what it directly suggests, but instead I found a charming yet also very honest movie about coming to terms with our own demons and finding those who could accept the unsavory parts of ourselves.

This low-key autobiographical movie tells about the experience of the director, Caveh Zahedi; a film lecturer and independent film director and his addiction to, no prize for guessing; sex and how his addiction and various visits to brothel houses and patronage of escort girls ruin his marriages and relationships. What is amazing about this movie is how Caveh, who plays himself in it, is able to turn its biggest disadvantage, its miniscule budget to work for him and charm the hearts of the audience. For example, when reenacting a scene from twenty years ago, he stops his on-camera narration to have his balding hair be sprayed with wig hairspray by a hairstylist before saying to the audience “Imagine this is me twenty-years ago” and getting on right away with the scene. And at times he explains (without sarcasm and irony) how certain scenes can not be shot due to budgetary constraints. The movie is also interspersed with personal footages that Caveh had recorded throughout his life, further blurring the line between fiction and reality.

Now as I have stated before, this movie is not readily available especially in Malaysia which is a shame since this is a very good movie, but do keep an eye for it and buy it if you manage to find it.

The GOOD:
1) An honest story that, despite its creepiness, you could relate to
2) An unwinking and unflinching sense of humour that makes you think that this movie was made to be unintentionally funny. You’re simply laughing for two hours at a moron who can’t keep his boner down to save his life
3) The blurring of fiction and reality is obvious yet seamless at the same time.
4) Ultimately a heart-warming story about our own, very personal flaws and accepting them that is done without making it cheesy
5) A very low-key, yet very charming movie without a lot of whistles and bells that distract you from the story

The BAD:
1) Caveh Zahedi isn’t a really a good looking guy. He looks creepy, to be honest. And he drops his pants and show his (fore)skin quite often in this movie, although you do get to see a lot of naked women at the same time.

Now for my VERDICT for this movie: I’m giving it 9/10 for what it is able to achieve with very little resources.

Zombi Kampung Pisang (2007)

So far I have only reviewed foreign movies. Now now before you call me a Euro-centric elitist and a 'kacang lupakan kulit', let me tell you that I do watch Malay and Malaysian movies (I even know enough about local filmsphere to not assume that they are the same, see?). It's just that it's such a small industry with a fairly clueless notion of aestheticism. All those David Teo-produced garbage which I won't bother naming here, well-meaning but misguided FINAS-funded historical epics with scripts which seem to have been lifted right out of my 13-year old brother's school history book which would eventually tank at the box office (but they never learn, funnily enough) and you get the picture.

But now and then someone who actually knows something about film-making comes along with a novel idea and you'll actually get a Malaysian film that is worthy of your RM10 and two hours of your time. And no I'm not talking about those artsy indie film types with their 10 minute dialogue-scenes and maximum budgets of RM10,000. I'm talking about people who try to combine enjoyable movie moments such as decent gags and decently-talented good-looking actors with a plot that requires the audience to think a little and also a little bit of gall and inventiveness to challenge the conventions and the norms. It's people like Afdlin Shauki, Bade Azmi, U-Wei Saari and James Lee who provide the occasional streaker action into the lamefest that is the Malaysian movie industry.

One other such Malaysian director is Mamat Khalid and what I consider his best movie so far, one that I am going to review this time; the comedy 'Zombi Kampung Pisang' which came out in 2007. I've heard people lambasting this movie left and right, and it's such a shame because it is a good movie and I believe that people who deride this movie do so without knowing an iota of film history in general and that they take everything at surface meaning. The plot is simple, an idyllic village populated by your typical kampung residents; the loafer, the ustaz, the village beauty, the junction coffee shop operator ,is plagued by a sudden infection that causes its residents to turn into mindless, brain-eating zombies. Against the threat of this non-religious, biological conversion, the non-brain hungry population of the village have to find the source of the infection before they all turn into a village-wide brain buffet and its guest at the same time, with the inept help of a rock-kapak band members (easily the scene-stealers of the movie) and a police officer played by funnyman Lan Pet-Pet.

The performance in this movie is also enjoyable, if a bit slapstick. Well, Mamat has to sell movie tickets somehow, and what other way to sell movie tickets in Malaysia than to make slapstick jokes. The main cast; Awie, A.C Mizal and Ezlynn gave their comedic best. However, as I have stated before, the show-stealer is the clueless rock-kapak band who is helmed by the late Loloq. I didn’t know he had it in him. They are funny in almost every scene they are in.

Now if it is such a simple comedy movie, why does it deserve such an accolade from me? you might ask. So I am going to tell you one important fact. Keep this in mind and tell your children on your deathbed (or the medic as you’re bleeding to death in a car accident for those of you who will not be fortunate enough): movie-makers have always made and used zombie movies to address contemporary issues. For example when George Romero made 'Dawn of the Dead', he was trying to address the issues of segregation and prejudice that was rampant in Vietnam-era America, as exemplified by the movie's atmosphere of mistrust and his decision to make the film's lead a black dude. Even his more recent zombie-flick 'Diary of the Dead' still retains this discreet symbolism, although the issues are different altogether. What shows Mamat Khalid's knowledge of film-making is his use of 'Zombi Kampung Pisang' to highlight a contemporary issue in Malaysia. I am not going to tell you what the issue is, I consider it a spoiler for those who haven't watched it, but pay attention to two scenes from the movie; one with RELA members (why RELA and not the cops?) and another with zombies in grocery shops. For me, finding out that a Malaysian director knows how to use a movie genre that is relatively alien to the Malaysian audience to convey a contemporary issue is such a sweet discovery.

The GOOD:
1) Earnestly hilarious performance by the stars especially Lan Pet-Pet and Loloq
2) The hidden meaning behind all the comedy. Watch it to get it!

The BAD:
1) The jokes are ultimately only funny to a point. After then it becomes a bit annoying and gets in the way of the plot

So my VERDICT for this movie is: 8/10.

Here's a piece of movie TRIVIA: Mamat Khalid is actually the brother of Malaysia's most prolific cartoonist Dato' Lat. I guess artistic talent does run in the family.

The Mouse That Roared (1959)

Hi followers (if there's any). Today I'm gonna review a classic movie, and I say classic in both senses; old and exceptional. I don't know whether you can still get a copy of this movie but when there's a will, blablabla.

'The Mouse That Roared' is a screwball comedy that tells a story of a fictitious backwater European country; the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, that is deep in debt and trouble. Counting on the United States of America's monetary generosity towards her vanquished war enemies, the country's leader, Grand Duchess Gloriana XII (Peter Sellers) embarked on a plan to invade USA and quickly surrender and capitalise on the subsequent war reparations. However, upon arriving in New York with twenty or so soldiers who are not quite armed to the teeth with chain-mails and long-bows, the country's military Number 1; Grand Constable Tully Bascombe (also played by Peter Sellers) finds himself actually succeeding with the invasion after somehow gaining possession of the Q- bomb, a weapon of mass destruction prototype; - he is now stuck with the responsibility of looking after the table-turing yet volatile bomb. The movie shines in itself as a movie, but what also makes this movie a truly exceptional comedy is the great Peter Sellers' multiple roles as various members of (the clueless) Fenwick's aristocracy.

The GOOD:
1) The premise of 'The Mouse That Roared' is hilarious
2) Peter Sellers showcases his enormous Pre-Pink Panther comedic talent in this movie, you can't take your eyes off him

The BAD:
1) The story and the jokes peter out halfway through. You can't help drawing a comparison to Grand Fenwick's war effort itself, they can't sustain it beyond the beginning.

So my VERDICT for this movie is: 8/10.

Here's a piece of movie TRIVIA: The New York invasion sequence was filmed in Manhattan on a Sunday morning when most residents were attending Mass, accounting for the city's empty streets.