Local Movie Scene

I think most of you had probably heard about the movie Dukun starring Umie Aida whose character is based on Mona Fandey. Encore to that! Finally a local film that we all could forward which is not a love story. I say we had enough of that lovey-dovey sap stories. I say kudos to the new direction our local movie scene is taking.

I know many wouldn’t believe me on this but I’ve always said that the Mona Fandey story should be made into a film since she was first caught by the authorities. But I’ve always suspect that it will come across many obstacles, mainly protests from the victim’s family and, of course, the censorship board. But things are looking promising. I just hope it’ll be good because I’m sure it will generate a lot of hype and I hate to be dissapointed. The last thing you want to do is to ruin a movie which already has a solid storyline. But the title does sound a little dodgy. But, then again, I don’t have any better ideas for an alternative title.

While we are on the subject and to add more weight to my future claims, I’ll give some more suggestions on local events that should be made into movies. I mean, anybody who reads this and decide to claim the idea I lay out here as their own, hey, it’s fine with me. As long as they have the resources to turn them into a feature length film, I have no objections.

First up is the Highland Towers tragedy. But the plot just shouldn’t focus much on the event alone but add a little courtroom drama in the aftermath when every possible authority was sued. Kind of like those John Grisham adapted movies or Erin Brokovich. But as to who should direct such a movie, well, that’s the hard part. I’ve never actually seen a locally made courtroom drama movie before. Have you? But I fear this too will receive a lot of opposition because we’re talking a whole lot more families involved. But, hey, if United 93 can be made, than I don’t think it’s that impossible.

Another kind of movie that I have yet to see our movie makers attempt is a political thriller like Thirteen Days or The Interpreter. And what better base to do a movie about it than the Anwar Ibrahim story? I mean, do this right, it could be an epic. A three-hour long movie which would attract the attention not only in Malaysia but also in the Asean region and probably even more. But in hindsight, it could undermine Tun Dr Mahathir and that wouldn’t be a good thing. Nevertheless, you have to agree it’s an awesome idea.

Relating to that, let me ask you, have you ever seen a local movie where an actor is playing the part of a Malaysian Prime Minister? I mean, look at Hollywood and they have countless actors playing as the President. We saw Harrison Ford as tough one in Air Force One. Michael Douglas as a love-roving one in The American President. Kevin Kline as a corrupt one in Dave. Bill Pullman as the inspiring one in Independence Day. The closest we’ve ever come to is Dato’ Rahim Razali in PGL.

But good news is they are making a movie based on Tunku Abdul Rahman even as we speak. Marked improvement if I may say so. But in the future I do hope to see more movies with fictional Prime Ministers in them. It certainly would be fun.

That’s it then. I’m leaving the office.