Movie Review - Songlap (2011)

Not often can we get a good Malaysian film like ‘Songlap’, especially in this era where Hollywood films are getting even bigger than they already are. Produced by a married couple, Effendee and Fariza Azlina, this film focuses on the diversity of cultures and involves many aspects of the Malaysian society. This film focuses on the undergrounds of the metropolitan city of Kuala Lumpur, which starts of by telling us the tale of two brothers, Am and Ad, illegally selling infants to couples who cannot conceive to make a living. Am takes advantage of this unlawful business to make fast money for his gambling addiction. On the other hand his brother, Ad, wants to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional B-boy dancer.

Being in charge of everything and every pregnant girl at the unknown house, Ad soon realizes that this was not something he felt like doing as he developed a conscience. However, Am, on the other hand, seems fine being in this sticky situation. As opportunity comes to life, a young pregnant runaway who was ‘saved’ by Mama, Hawa, which Ad soon realizes that she was the sister of his good friend, Razak who died of drug overdosed. A feeling of agony and culpability fills his whole being as he was not there when his friend took his last breath; he decided to clear his conscience by helping out Razak’s sister to escape from this tangled knot she has involved herself in. This is when the story gets the audience on the edge of their sit. Will both Am and Hawa survive? Is Am, Ad’s brother, let him get away? Or will he follow his brother and Hawa? You will just have to find out…

To go with the storyline, the cinematography chosen for this is temperamental hues in the film, as well as the lighting. It sets the mood and gives the audience the sense of realism in the film.

Effendee and Fariza really nailed in breaking the stereotype and racial issues occuring in Malaysia. Who says Malaysia only produce films about funny ghosts or sappy love connection denied by their parent’s kind of stories? Songlap absolutely deserved the ASEAN International Film Festival in 2013.

In need some good, exquisite, foreign films to watch? I recommend putting Songlap in that list. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the thrill!

#Entertainment