Haru Biru

It is a God-awful film, a self-proclaimed film made to portray the 'typical Malaysian middle class citizens' living in Malaysia.

I found this film as a 'acid test' to FINAS, the censorship board which oversees the censorship of film and drama series in Malaysia. The producer tried to push the limits to what the FINAS deems appropriate and to what extend the Malaysian public can tolerate.

Producer Adlin Aman Ramli said in an interview that this film is made to show the darker side of Malaysians, the sides which are not widely acknowledged in this country. He further said that he wanted to educate the public, and to make this film as an education tool so that the Malaysian pubic would not indulge in this hippie way of living.

What the producer did was totally opposite to the objective he intended to accomplish. Instead of making the public aware of the social ills, he glamorized it. And he didn't show any moral to this film, either. I guess his true intention is not to educate the public, but to make huge profits out of this pathetic film.

The film itself is awful, I felt nauseas throughout the film. A score of 1 out of 10 is too good for this film. Adlin, Thank God that IMDb do not allow rating lower than this.

"Haru Biru" has a great idea behind its production, the ideals to make a movie 'for young adults, by young adults' and to give a narrative of the norms and values of today's youth. The camera (shot on DV) delves into the lives of middle-class Malaysia, and many viewers would probably relate to the film.

The decision of the filmmakers to use images and shots which are considered taboo in Malaysian cinema is interesting. For example, the use of drugs is blatantly shown on the screen and both leading men smoked! Performances that stand out include that of Que Haidar who provides a good balance between being despicable and a victim. Eman Manan, a veteran in the local scene, also stands out, proving that acting is not limited to what you say on screen but the feeling the viewer gets when you appear on camera. The slightest facial expressions on Eman Manan reflect the vast experience this actor has had on camera.

"Haru Biru" is definitely the effort of a new breed of Malaysian filmmakers who are taking some chances with the medium and deserve some support. Haru Biru also is the first indie film shown in a mainstream theatre. And it is so raw, it's beautiful.