directed by Lay Jin Ong
If you want to see a spectacular acting performance that you probably won’t hear about in the upcoming film awards chaos, then you should definitely see today’s film. I didn’t know what to expect from this production as I wasn’t familiar with the director nor the actors, but what I saw will stay with me for a long time for sure. Today’s story is about two brothers-by-choice, as I’ve decided to call them. Abang (Kang Ren Wu) and Adik (Jack Tan) are both orphans who found each other on the street when they were yet children. They are not biologically connected, but since they’ve been supporting each other for years, they’ve become a family. One cannot imagine life without the other, although they are totally different. Abang, the older one, is deaf and mute, which, unfortunately, quite naturally makes him disconnected from the world. He’s a decent, hard-working and humble man that has accepted his reality and has got used to living in poverty. Adik, however, is an absolute rebel who strives for bigger and better things than what life has offered him. The problem is that Adik tries to make his dreams come true in a rather illegal and shady ways, which worries his older brother very much. Still, no matter what the younger does, he can always count on Abang. And then, one day, a terrible accident happens that influences both brothers and their relation is put to the test. I have to admit that at the beginning I wasn’t expecting much and I believed that would be just a slightly dark drama about brotherhood, yet it turned out to be way more. What happens after the accident blew my mind and I couldn’t look away from the screen. I began my post telling you about some amazing acting performance and it’s the one by Kang Ren Wu, who played the older brother. At one point he has a very emotional monologue to provide and he does it in a way that left me speechless. Let me remind you that his character is deaf and mute. Sign languages are very expressive and speaking them involves moving your whole body to really transmit the emotions and meaning of your message. Adding a difficult moment in the film and a dramatic monologue intensifies the performance to another level. A level I haven’t seen in a long time. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what Abang was saying at that moment because I don’t want to spoil it to you, but trust me, you will need a deep breath and perhaps a pack of tissues. And the film? The film presents the power of real and authentic relations that we may have with people if only we choose to dedicate ourselves. It’s also a film that really represents the saying: “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. Both brothers are living in a poor neighbourhood, yet people they share this space with are the most supportive. Because they all know what it’s like to be abandoned and I guess that’s one of the strongest things you may have in common with another person. A fun fact to finish this post with – the title of the film and the names of the characters literally mean older brother (Abang) and younger brother (Adik) in Malay language. Class dismissed, go see the film.
My rating: 8/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 