JANGAN PANDANG BELAKANG (Ahmad Idham, 2007)


"Apa ke he nye, yop?"

Memang aku skeptik dengan filem ni pada awalnya. Bukan sebab aku bias kpd Ahmad Idham atau Metrowealth (ataupun pada filem melayu keseluruhannya). Tapi sebab filem-filem genre horror ni memang susah nak dibikin elok sekarang ni, susah nak melompat keluar daripada klise-klise filem-filem seram yang lampau. Dan memang, susah nak bagi orang rasa takut. Lagi-lagi untuk peminat kuat filem-filem seram. Patutlah kebanyakan filem-filem horror dari Barat(British terutamanya) dah macam tak mau bikin filem seram yang 'tradisional' macam ni. Menyumbat unsur-unsur satira atau komedi untuk menutup lobang-lobang 'klise' tu.

Aku puji Jangan Pandang Belakang. Walaupun babak-babak melodrama awal yang agak lama dan menjengkelkan tu hampir-hampir merangsang aku untuk keluar dari panggung. Ditambah lagi dengan pelakon wanita utama ntah-sape-nama tu yang macam haram tak reti berlakon, kontrol cun je keje (Walaupun memang cun jugak sebenarnya). Tapi bila dah masuk part seramnya tu, dipendekkan cerita memang seram lah kan. Keras juga aku pegang kerusi.

Filem ni lebih kepada gaya 'episodic', menayangkan satu demi satu episod seram yang memang secara strukturnya, tak bawak apa-apa perkembangan pada jalan cerita. Tak kisahlah, asalkan 'episod-episod' tu dilaksanakan dengan baik dan berjaya buat jantung penonton gugur dari semasa ke semasa. Pembinaan tension, atmosphere, dan sound effect yang sangat boleh dipuji. Dan aku terperanjat juga dengan gaya arahan Ahmad Idham yang 'humble', yang secara keseluruhannya tak 'lebih-lebih' macam kebanyakan pengarah filem 'mainstream' lain. Tak ada dah pelakon-pelakon yang menjerit melolong mengalahkan penonton sendiri. 'Pacing' nya pun sabar, tak terburu-buru nak tayang hantu depan-depan (sekurang-kurangny pada awal filem). Banyak bermain dengan kuasa imaginasi penonton sendiri. Apa yang kita tak nampak itu lebih seram, macam masa babak-babak Opah berinteraksi dengan 'kawan' Darma.

Tapi aku rasa kejayaan filem ini adalah disebabkan Pierre Andre. Skrip dia yang bijak. Ada passion (bak kata Ogy - ya, aku tengok AF. Kenapa?). Memang dia buat homework. Buat kajian tentang kisah-kisah hantu yang biasa kita dengar(yang boleh kita kaitkan), dan sejarahnya juga. Sempat juga diselitkan elemen-elemen komentar dan humor secukup rasa.

Aku berani kata, ini filem Seram Melayu terbaik pernah aku tonton. Aku ulangi, yang PERNAH aku tonton ok.

Verdik: 3.5/5

SUMMER MERDEKA CUP 2007

(Ini iklan tak berbayar)




Ya aku tau cam haram. tak ada special efek. tak ada pelakon hansem (hahaha). kamera goyang (sebab takde stand). blablabla

...tapi aku pedulik hape.

Special thanks to:

- Mamud merangkap produser.
- Miji. sebab kasi pinjam digicam. dan jadi watak 'extra'. haha
- Teng. dia watak utama. dia bajet kacak.
- Keli dan Sarap for additional music.

DEATH IS THE ROAD TO AWE

THE FOUNTAIN (Darren Aronofsky, 2006)

God, how I've waited to watch Darren Aronofsky's(Pi, Requiem For A Dream) latest offering. And it doesn't disappoint. In fact, with the lukewarm 'critical receptions' this film has received, I was actually surprised that it's *this* good. That's putting it mildly. It's FANTASTIC. Like Malick's The New World, The Fountain definitely ranks up as one of the most underrated films of the new millennium.

In the same tradition as Kubrick's 2001: ASO or Tarkovsky's Solyaris, The Fountain is *more* than just "science-fiction". I couldn't call it anything, really. It's already respectable that Aronofsky was brave enough to take the risk of making this kind of film in the first place. Considering the box-office reception, sadly I doubt that he would ever make anything like this again.

Spanning over a thousand years, with three parallel stories. One during the Spanish insurgent, one in the present, and one 500 years from now. Each with a different "incarnation" of Tom(Hugh Jackman) and Izzy(Rachel Weisz). No doubt the unititiated would scratch their heads over trying to make heads or tails of the story. But underneath the mysterious and ambiguous surface, at its core, is an epic love story about everlasting love that crosses the boundary of death. Indeed, the center of the film is about death. That to me, made the film feels more like Tarkovsky than Kubrick in its philosophical approach.

This is the kind of film this generation *needs*. Literally. The kind of film that not only shows something that you've never seen before, but also takes you on a journey *with* it. An out-of-this world journey, a spiritual journey. Though I cant quite put my finger on the film, on what it's all about, but the sense of awe of just experiencing the film is what's important here. It can't be "talked" about, can't be put into words. One *must* experience it first-hand. Heavy in symbolisms, I had considerable trouble to grasp their meaning, most I would possibly never could fathom, but they're coupled with visuals that are so transfixing, so beautiful, that it doesn't matter. Aronofsky leaves much to the audiences interpretation, restraining from expositions, leaving clues here and there. The 'adventure' of just piecing together(or try to) the 'puzzle' is reason enough to watch the film over and over again.

However, I do admit that this film is definitely not for everyone. Most would probably dismiss it as utter rubbish. Call me pretentious or whatever, but a work this ambitious, this passionate, deserves the praises. The very definition of an auteur presenting his *own* artistic vision, his *own* "universe", in film. To make a film the way he wanted to. The best way to enjoy the movie? Leave your logic, open your mind, journey inwards, 'feel', and you'll be blown away.

oh, and by the way, Clint Mansell's music is just superb. It haunted me for weeks. Even before I saw the movie.

Verdict: 4.5/5