13 May – "KIL" will be one of the four Malaysian-made films to be screened at the Marche du Film award at the Cannes Film Festival for buyers, agents and distributors of international films around the world.
The other three films aree "Vikingdom" from KRU Studios, animation "Bola Kampung The Movie" and "Penanggal" from Tayangan Unggul.
CEO of Creative Content Association of Malaysia (CCAM) Datuk Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim remarked that he was looking forward to showing local art on the world stage in order to attract foreign players in the local market arena.
"This is the first time we will bring our work to the world stage and we hope to grab the attention and interest of industry players from around the world," he announced. "At the same time, we will use this opportunity to promote our film market," he added.
Datuk Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim also said that the government will also actively organize trade missions in future films and eye collaborations with the government of the film industry players such as the National Film Development Corporation (FINAS).
"KIL" tells the story of a suicidal young man named Akil, who longs to die but does not have the courage to take his own life. He then signs up at an assassination agency that helps kill suicidal people, which is ideal for KIL, until he falls for a girl named Zara. He starts to have second thoughts on taking his life, but it may be too late.
Star Rating:
Overall: 4/5
Cast: 4/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Effects: NA
Cinematography : 4.5/5
Oh, but for the redemptive power of love. Nik Amir Mustapha takes this lesson and spins an engrossing meditation about people who have had life beaten right out of them with not only one, but two stories. Nik Amir's "KIL" is basically a dark romantic comedy that manages to end up being a genuinely moving product despite taking some cheap shots at manipulating the audience's feelings in between.
The film opens with Akil (Redza Minhat) attempting to commit suicide by connecting a hose to his car's exhaust pipe into his car to suffocate himself, only to stumble out of the car not long after. The scene establishes the premise of the film: Akil is a depressed and suicidal young man, but he just cannot seem to bring himself to let himself die. Even an attempt to jump off the rooftop of his apartment ends up in him persuading another suicidal tenant to live as a breakup is not reason enough to die.
Akil later finds the solution to his troubles in the form of a flyer for Life Action Bureau a.k.a. LAB, a company whose job is to help miserable people end their pain. Akil signs up for their services and eagerly waits to meet his maker, only to meet Zara (Cristina Suzanne) instead. He discovers that Zara lives in the same apartment block as him, and not long after, Akil is falling fast for her, which leads him to doubt his initial desire to die but LAB is bent on taking his life.
"KIL" is indie cinema through and through. The cinematography aims to create as artistic a shot as possible, leading to the use of smoke, still long shots or close-ups of the characters staring off into the distance accompanied by negative space and shots of subjects partially obscured. The soundtrack of the film seems to be have been composed by Bon Iver and Mumford & Sons (the theme song for "KIL" is by Pesawat, a local indie rock band), featuring mainly piano and guitar. On text, these elements make the film sound pretentious, but Nik Amir steers with a delicate intimacy and maturity that wholly mesmerizes; every shot a gorgeous composition that serves the actors and story to great effect, every song accompaniment heightens the experience. Although a lot of footage is recycled, like the fake film by Johan Iskandar (Hasnul Rahmat) and Akil's memories of Zara, considering the shoestring budget that the film was made on, they feel less like a tonally jarring mess, than a demonstration of how to make the best of what you have.
The connection between Akil and Zara grows stronger over the course of the film, and it is clear as daylight that the two are gradually falling in love. There are plenty of awkward moments mediated by quick-witted responses and a comedy of manners between the two, as well as some farcical elements like the news reporter harassing Johan Iskandar. Redza in particular turns in one of the best performances of his career. The scenes where he is alone, Redza communicates an array of emotions using only his face and body language that cuts deeper and more effective than words. Conversely, Cristina is less impressive in that aspect as his leading lady. Some of her actions and speech feel stiff, as she is trying them out for the first time, but she plays Zara with enough conviction and sincerity that fills her out as more than a complicating plot device.
However, great as the film is, it does have its flaws. The plot, while it does not follow a fairly predictable path, ends up raising more questions than answering them. For example, what could LAB have possibly hoped to achieve when they resorted to such extreme actions? Given the revelation at the end, what if a victim welcomes death instead? Further, Akil's sudden change of mind about his death is influenced by the unrelated appearance of Zara, so what exactly did LAB do? There is so much potential for "KIL" to be a truly affecting meditation on life and death, suicide and depression, but unfortunately the film decides to stay on the safe side.
Similarly, there were also a lot of interesting characters Nik Amir has written into script left unexplored, which is a shame. "KIL" is very much written to be a film for a very small cast, so the supporting characters like Akil's boss feel like cardboard cut-outs inserted to populate the film's world to facilitate comic and occasionally schmaltzy moments. For example, Johan Iskandar's reel life and real life wonderfully parallels Akil's plight, but the filmmaker's descent into regret and depression are presented to us with sledgehammer subtlety. The audience is told that his film is a flop, but we never learn why he keeps making one flop after another, or led through the disintegration of his relationship with his wife.
Being a romantic comedy, no matter how dark the subject matter is, is the biggest strength and biggest weakness of "KIL". The film could have delved deeper into Akil's issues and its place in society, but it chooses to concentrate on the romance instead, so it is not really subverting the genre as much as it is giving it a fresh spin. On the other hand, the raw performances, inspired direction, beautiful cinematography and soundtrack marks "KIL" as one of the best local films in recent years and a promising leap forward for director Nik Amir.
Here I am again, reviewing a local Malaysian film. This time, it is a film which has been anticipated by many in the local entertainment industry. Two years to be exact. The film was reportedly produced on a small budget and filmed in an astonishing 11 days! I had the privilege of attending the gala premiere last night courtesy of the film's distributor, Grand Brilliance.
Small budget + 11 days = A pretty good film.
The movie is titled... KIL
Kil marks the debut of Nik Amir Mustapha as the director. The film stars Redza Minhat and Cristina Suzzane. Supported by Harun Salim Bachik, Hasnul Rahmat and many more.
SYNOPSIS:
The film tells the story of Akil (or Kil for short, hence the film title), who is depressed with his life and wants to commit suicide. After several failed attempts he decides to seek help. However it is not to convince him to live, but to assist him to die. However, along the way a mysterious girl comes into his life and touches his heart. Is it too late for him to change his mind to die?
SCRIPT:
First of all, I have to applaud the premise of the film. Suicide. It is very rare that a Malaysian film will take on a sensitive subject which some in the public might frown upon it. I feel Grand Brilliance took a big risk in distributing KIL but I think it will pay off.
The film is told via a non-linear storyline. A non-linear storyline is when a film doesn't start with the 'beginning' and finishes with the 'end' but could start with the 'end' or any parts of the film. This is rarely seen locally and always in Hollywood films. Thumbs up for this script structure.
For a film that has a 'dramatic' premise, I like the fact that it was not too heavy and does not bore the audience.
ACTING:
KIL is anchored by the two leads Redza Minhat (Akil) and Cristina Suzanne (Zara). Their performances when beyond my expectations as both actors are not household names yet in Malaysia. However, after this film, I see them getting there. Harun Salim Bachik, who plays the person who will assist in Akil's suicide, was a welcomed supporting role to bring balance to the cast.
FILMING:
The shots in this film were tremendously gorgeous. And too know that KIL was shot on a low budget makes it even sweeter. The camera movements were great and the colour tone is fabulous.
PACING:
It is a drama. It is slow. But it engages the audience. When parts of the film felt draggy, there's the insertion of comedy to keep audience focused. This film did not make me bored.
TONE:
As the synopsis says, it is about suicide. Expect to feel depressed and sad but you will enjoy how the film was shot.
DOWNSIDE:
Slow and lots of talk. However, a movie fan should able to absorb this and appreciate the crescendo as it reaches the finale.
UPSIDE:
Production value! For a film that was produced on a low budget and filmed in eleven (11) days, it doesn't look like one. Roles were well portrayed by the actors. Beyond expectations.
OVERALL & RATING:
An Malaysian film that Malaysians can be proud of. As I write this blog posting, the director Nik Amir Mustapha is heading to the Cannes Film Festival to showcase KIL.
The film arrives in Malaysian cinemas 30th May 2013.
Rating: 8.0/10 (my rating is based/compared among local films)
Post time 3-12-2011 08:17 AM
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Post time 15-2-2012 04:01 AM
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