justin_guber - @ 20six.co.uk

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27.11.06 08:03

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'Ciplak' Review @ Cinema Online

Another positive review for Ciplak. This one's from Cinema Online (thanks!). Doing well, I suppose...
Review by Qamari
Star Ratings:
Overall 3 stars
Cast 3 stars
Plot 3 stars
Effects 3 stars
Cinematography 3 stars

Watch this if you liked: All Local Comedies
Click here for pictures
How far will you go to achieve your dream? Will you break the law? Will you sell your dignity? Will you make your family suffer for the shame? Or will you sacrifice your friends?

Jo has to answer these questions from the soul as he is caught in a very sticky situation. As a Malaysian student majoring in film in England, where he harbours a dream of becoming a film director, Jo travels to and fro every couple of months to his place of study. But Jo is a little different from other Malaysian students studying abroad. He smuggles pirated DVDs for pocket money. Taking advantage of the loophole in the timing of cinematic releases, where with movies coming out in the UK a few months after they are released here, getting pirated replicates for his English market is a cinch. What's more, England has a hot demand for these pirates and Malaysia can meet the supply.

So in his final year at university and on his last day of visit to Malaysia before returning to UK to finish his degree, he plans to make the biggest shipment of pirated DVDs: 175 movies. But things go dreadfully wrong when the police unexpectedly arrive to clean up piracy, kicking off a major operation on the very same day Jo is scheduled to pick up his supply. Jo must came up with Plan B - both to save his hide and to save his friend from being cut down.

25 year-old Khairil M. Bahar, the Philippine-born, England-bred mastermind who is the producer, writer, director, editor and actor of this ludicrously low budget movie (possibly the lowest in cinema history as it cost only RM10,000) impressively uses the 'Fourth Wall' technique (where he speaks directly to the audience) to tell his story. This is apparently the hard way to tell a story because of the constant connection needed to relay and interact with the audience.

The character of Jo uses a lot of film production jargon which only people in the industry may understand but this really shows his passion for film-making. There are many references to other films, a famous skateboarding scene, the cigarette throwing, one memorable P. Ramlee's line which will make 'movie freaks' like us enjoy every single scene.

"Ciplak" will be shown internationally and this may create a controversy as it might portray Malaysia being a bootleg nation. Then again, this is not a film that promotes piracy. And at an rate, it is a rather truthful portrayal of the situation here: Pirate DVD sellers can be found in many shopping malls & all pasar malams in Malaysia.

Ironically, some scene of Jo explaining the different kinds of pirating techniques actually teach audiences to appreciate quality entertainment, encouraging them to choose quality despite the price rather than opting for a cheaper product.

All in all, it was an entertaining film, filled to the brim with reality and humour. While walking out of the cinema, you might even begin to ask what it is about this RM10K film that makes such an impact when others, (and we're talking local productions), cost such a lot more. Perhaps that's the point that Khairil M. Bahar is trying to make - that you don't need a lot of experience or a king's ransom to make a good movie; all it takes is a little genius.

28.11.06 14:14

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