muallaf

In the not too distant past, I've blogged about the films I've seen but I've realised, quite some time back, that it was foolish of me to be critically assessing these films when in actual fact, I have very little knowledge about film-making, film-history or films at all. Sure, I've taken a module on American Film Studies and a couple other theatre-related modules back in my NUS days, and I must admit that I'm rather picky about the kind of films I watch, but that doesn't make me a film critic does it?

Well anyway, most of the time, though I tried to be as objective as possible in my "reviews", I know that I've failed miserably. The way I judge a film mostly depends on how the show has affected me and I can be quite a biased viewer. Take for instance the latest Yasmin Ahmad film, Muallaf, which opened at Cathay's the Picturehouse last thursday. Even before stepping into the cinema, I've already decided that it was going to be a great film and that I am going to like it very much. How objective is that!!! LOL

When converted to the English language, the term "Muallaf" means a convert, and to Malays (and Muslims), the word is used generally as a noun to refer to non-muslims who have embraced Islam as a religion. After reading several articles, I've discovered that the Chinese translation of the film's title means "Change of Heart", and not really a change of faith (i.e. religion) as the Malay title hints at. I was puzzled by the film's title at first because, although the film takes religious issues (and ideas in theology) and places them boldly and unabashedly center-stage (which is unlike previous Yasmin Ahmad films), there is nothing in the film that hints at a character converting to Islam.

Anyway, despite my preconceived notions that this would be Yasmin Ahmad's "heaviest" film to date (remember the controversy surrounding Sharifah Amani's shaved head??), I can't help thinking that Yasmin's previous film, Gubra, was emotionally more impactful. Nevertheless, Muallaf displays the typical Yasmin Ahmad modus operandi: the minimal use of music or song to enhance scenes, long protracted moments of silence when nothing much really happens on-screen, vistas of scenery to generate a certain mood or emotion, and that occasional snapshot of her film's characters doing something that doesn't seem to have any purpose in the context of the film at all. Most of the time, plotlines are implied rather than made explicit and we're always left to our own devices as to how to interpret certain actions, lines or images.

Great films, I realise, make use of silences and images very effectively. If used appropriately, these silent moments could generate very powerful emotions in the sensitive viewer. Take for instance Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Mukhsin, etc etc. Many of these have been described as "slow and draggy" but if we let them, great films will make us think introspectively, about human nature, humanity and above all else, about ourselves. Muallaf is indeed a great film.

It is not about religion, as most discerning film-reviewers have pointed out, but about love, about forgiving and forgiveness, and most importantly, it is about family.

4.5 out of 5 stars!!! ;D