Gubra

Malaysia 2006

Picture and details gubra

Seen 7 May 2006

One of the first few scenes which showed the Pak Bilal touching a three legged dog sets the tone for the film. As one cinema goer commented, she was hooked from that scene onwards. There were equally strong opposing view points from another quarter.

Each scene and dialogue can be construed as provocative to those who want to see it that way.

The director might have chosen to tell the story this way in order to show an alternative take of the Malaysian life. Of course not everyone will agree to her point of view, She manages to at least show a gentler side to Islam rather than the usual fire and brimstone version that is officially approved by the authorities. A wider interpretation of the religious tenets and how people react to each other helps to make the film a refreshing change from the usual Malaysian cinematic fare.

As usual, the crème de la crème of an ensemble helped a lot to move the story on an even pace. It will definitely provoke some quarters but in a way that is a good start. People will start talking and questioning the accepted facts that have been dished out to the masses. Hopefully any negative feedback would not dampen the director's future works or any director for that matter who wants to potray a different side to the Malaysian story.