Mukhsin
March 15th, 2007
The first time we were introduced to Orked in Sepet, she was a spunky 17 year old on the edges of a starcrossed relationship with a Chinese DVD peddler. Then we saw her in Gubra, all grown up and married, but to a person she didn’t love.
In Yasmin Ahmad’s latest film, Mukhsin, we see Orked again, but this time we are brought back to her childhood. In this third movie, we are whisked away from Orked’s problems with her husband, distracted from her fleeting encounter with aforementioned DVD peddler’s brother, and lifted gently away from her timeless love with Jason.
In Mukhsin, we are narrated the story of Orked’s first ever love. Because, as the tagline of the movie goes, everyone has a first love story to tell.
Orked is 10 when she meets Mukhsin, who is 2 years older than her. After trying and failing yet again to fit in with the village girls who spend all their time playing brides and grooms and other saccharide girly games, she goes to the field to watch the boys play ball. ‘Pick Orked to play with us,’ say the boys to newcomer Mukhsin, who is in town only to visit his aunt over the school holidays. ‘She can play like a boy’. Not believing this, Mukhsin throws a ball at Orked in an attempt to suss her out. In true Orked spirit, she flings it back at him defiantly. From that brief interaction, the simplest and most innocent of loves unfolds.
To adults, young children’s puppy loves are always a small and negligible speck in the grand scheme of things, but Mukhsin succeeds in taking this small speck and magnifying it into an all-consuming emotion that spills into infinity. We are drawn into the believability of Orked’s and Mukhsin’s nervousness as they toe the fine line between friendship and love, and their little displays of warmth towards each other remind us that sincerity still exists in this real world of cynicism and ulterior motives. From the screen, these two children reach into our hearts and push us backward into our own experiences of a time when we knew nothing but blissful innocence.
As audience, we can’t help but be moved as we watch their adolescent relationship blossom. It is a bud that blossoms into another bud, never becoming a flower, yet you know that things have changed and will never be the same again.
Besides the main theme of young love, the movie also deals with secondary issues. One of them is the duality of human nature. Mukhsin has an older brother, who in any society would be dubbed the ’sampah masyarakat’ individual who is beyond change and does not deserve help. But we later see that he has deep-rooted issues he doesnt have the capacity to control, and at the very core of his being is simply a childlike yearning to be loved.
We also have Orked’s neighbour, who is a typical gossipy ‘kampung aunty’ who hurls caustic remarks at her neighbours. However, she cuts a sorry figure by the end of the movie, having her own problems to face as well. After witnessing the length of her sad tale, we simply cannot find it in ourselves to go on disliking her. Instead, we symphatize and we finally understand why she is the way she is. In the words of Yasmin Ahmad who wrote and directed this movie : “I don’t want anyone to hate any character in Mukhsin. In the end, even the bad neighbours can be worthy of love. God wants us to forgive.”
On the other hand, her good guys aren’t perfect either. Just as the bad guys have their hidden redeeming qualities, her protagonists have flaws as well; as seen in Orked’s family who rake up debts so big that their furniture is repossessed. Even the kind and jolly Kak Yam, always friendly and comforting, has a tendency of harbouring narrow-minded thoughts.
Mukhsin is also a film about second chances. Subtle events in the movie such as the return of Orked’s cat and the arrival of new furniture at the end underscore the beauty and unexpectedness of God’s grace. Just when we think we should stop hoping, He gives us another shot at making things right.
As always, there are feel-good messages in Mukhsin about racial harmony, this time analogized in the form of melted chocolate and cow’s milk. When asked about her strange method of making ice cream, Kak Yam replies : “I do it like this so that there is the bitter taste of chocolate, then the separate sweet taste of milk, but ultimately also the bittersweet taste of chocolate mixed with milk. That is when ice cream tastes the best.”
The chalk message on the blackboard in little Orked’s room reads, “I prefer playing with boys”. But while her little declaration is seemingly displayed for all to see; she writes it in Chinese, so that all may not understand. The movie, however, is nothing like that. It lays everything out so honestly, that even a deaf person watching it can immediately discern the humanism in each and every scene. While I was watching the movie, I thought it was pretty amazing that Mukhsin won over the judges at the recent Berlin International Film Festival, seeing how the setting of the movie is so quintessentially Malaysian and the subtitles don’t really reflect the dimension of the scenes. But then I realized that the messages in Mukhsin - love, forgiveness, communion, hope and sacrifice - are universal. One doesn’t have to be Malaysian to appreciate the inspiration behind Mukhsin.
If Sepet was onde-onde and Gubra was kuih lapis, then Mukhsin is white rice. Freshly cooked, fluffy, white rice put on a plate and disantap with clean fingers. Yes… that would be Mukhsin.
————-
okay that’s my poorly-written review. sorry ah very long winded. some other blahblahblah that did not fit in : Sharifah Aryana who plays the young Orked is an excellent child actress that i cannot wait to see more work from. Mohd Syafie carried his role of Mukhsin well enough - his shyness and awkwardness came together nicely to produce a very sincere and real 12 year old. the keroncong music was such a special touch! and i loved the cameo scenes with you-know-who and you-know-who! it was so beautifully dreamlike and surreal … now i want to ride bikes and fly kites in Kuala Selangor paddy fields. sigh!
(note : i wish the pictures were mine but they are not. photos courtesy of Grand Brilliance and Media Prima)
and i oso want to put up this pic of Yasmin Ahmad coz it’s very funny :
Entry Filed under: Reviews
27 Comments Add your own
1. Waifon | March 15th, 2007 at 1:20 am
I’ve watched it already!! and it’s really THAT good. Very innocent, subtle and simplistic yet depicting very meaningful messages from within. I want to watch Rabun but where to get ar? And yah, you call that poorly- written!? How good is good ah pauuuu… !??
Anyhow, everything you said was so true and so detailed. It was a good movie. I wouldn’t mind paying more for it. 11 bucks cannot justify my awe and respect for the casts and the director herself. Eh some will say himself O_O||| Is that true?
2. reallybites | March 15th, 2007 at 2:02 am
urgh i havent watch it yet.prob have to wait for the dvd to come out di.none of my friends are willing to watch it with me at the cinemas! cis
3. bulat | March 15th, 2007 at 2:03 am
how can you call this a poorly written review. ish* you practically captured everything that was meant to be captured. lolz.
i really love the movie as well. i have been recommending it to people when they ask what to watch. but sad to say, i still have many negative answers from friends and family no matter how much i try to say that the show is totally worth the money and they will like it somehow.
it makes me sadder that jus cause its a malay show even if its good they dont wanna watch it. i just feel like knocking thier heads. lols
4. kiasu andrew | March 15th, 2007 at 3:36 am
its actually “I prefer to play with boys.”
5. Tiara | March 15th, 2007 at 6:22 am
Mmm, now I want to watch all three! Is there any way to buy them on DVD or something, especially for me stuck in Australia?
6. hanson | March 15th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Thanks Su Ann - that was a really good review (eyy, that was good la, except you didn’t put the # of stars or thumbs up like some movie reviewers do :-P haha) and just reminds me that i’ve yet to go and watch gubra. hmmm i seem to hear the song “Field’s of Gold” from Sting playing in my head right now….
7. YTSL | March 15th, 2007 at 11:10 am
“okay that’s my poorly-written review”
Aaaaah, the innocence and/or modesty of youth! (Are you really only 18?) Actually, thought that your review was so good that it makes my own MUKHSIN write up appear “ploddy” in comparison… ;(
8. violet | March 15th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
wow your review now makes me really wanna see it
9. Ãngelu§ | March 15th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Heheh, I’m in the same boat as TIara. I flew back to Australia just a week before Mukhsin started screening :\ I guess your best bet would probably be a good friend to bring/send it over to you, or some (rare) torrent if someone puts it up :)
10. andrew | March 15th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
hehe i just realised that my engrish sucked. :(
I prefer playing with boys
:)
11. MichelleSY | March 15th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
That was a lovely review =)
I’m going to catch up on the whole Sepet craze by watching that, then Gubra on *ahem* bootleg DVDs my sis bought on her last trip home.
But by the sounds of it Mukhsin is a must-watch as well.
12. k0k | March 15th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
I’ve been meaning to watch this but I kept putting it off. Better do so before I’m flying back to India. Thanks for the reminder, LoL… and it’s an excellent review, by any standards.
13. vvens | March 15th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
i watched bot the previous movies and i cannot miss this out.
i am so outdated and busy that i dont even realised that the mvie is now in cinemas. :(
14. melvin | March 15th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
perhaps u can try to appear for Yasmin Ahmad’s next movie..hee hee :)
15. nat | March 15th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
I love Yasmin’s collection ;D
16. alea | March 16th, 2007 at 1:59 am
“If Sepet was onde-onde and Gubra was kuih lapis, then Mukhsin is white rice. Freshly cooked, fluffy, white rice put on a plate and disantap with clean fingers. Yes… that would be Mukhsin.”
lousy review my bollcks, su ann! you made me cant wait to watch it even more! =D i love the lines above.
17. Boss Stewie | March 16th, 2007 at 9:24 am
fine finee… i’ll give it a shot… i havent watched a malaysian made movie since…… wait wait.. i’ve never watched a malaysian made movie
18. turquoise | March 16th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
the photos you put in this entry is really nice ! very artistic.
19. ria | March 16th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
that sounds like a beautiful movie. your description of it reminds me of little manhattan :) i wanna see it! would you know if it’s available online somewhere? :P
20. naz | March 16th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
good review su ann.
make sure i bring you along to TSC movie outing. so you can tell her yourself how much you like the movie.
21. foreverjas | March 16th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
wow. nice review. love reading it! i’m so goin to watch it. but i’m so so busy with exams n assignments!!! help!!!
22. Ann Spam | March 18th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
I really liked the movie a lot. I thought the touch with the blackboard-secret messages was an excellent idea…
I think the saddest part was when the cat (bujang) got abandoned. I was so glad when bujang came back… lovely cat.
In the beginning, it kinda got me thinking what a bitchy neighbour orked has. but after seeing the other part of the story it was like, i feel so sorry for her (the neighbour). Hmmm… nice nice… made me feel a bit guilty.
pan’s labyrinth was terrific as well..
23. pinkpau | March 19th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
waifon : try looking in Speedy for Rabun!
reallybites : ask CLL’s son to go with u lah :P
bulat : really? man.. that’s sad. but yeah i understand why the prejudice is there. ‘local movies’ has such a stigma attached to it.
kiasu : noted :P thank u!
tiara : i dont know about that, unfortunately :( maybe you can buy the dvds online? are you that far off from coming home??
hanson : gubra was good but i liked mukhsin more :) hehe okay lah i give mukhsin 4.5 stars
ytsl : yes i really am 18 .. :) just read ur review, it’s not ploddy. were you at the special screening too?
violet : glad it did :) go watch!
angelus : highly doubt the torrent thing will work :P
michellesy : yes, mukhsin is definitely a must watch. though sepet is my fav, i think mukhsin comes very very close.
k0k : thank u for the compliment .. :) yes better watch before u go bak to india
vvens : nvm i think it’s showing for a few more weeks. take ur time .. :D
melvin : crazy ah .. haha as if i could
nat : as do i .. :)
alea : ok faster go!
boss stewie : what??? start with sepet first!!
turquoise : nice eh :D i didnt take them though. got it in a press kit when i went for the screening.
ria : no, i dont think it’s available online :( but i could bring it for u if i ever drop by the philippines! :D
naz : ooh i would love that! but what is TSC..?
foreverjas : come on, 2 hours wont kill u :P
annspam : hey do u know what the chinese words said at the start of the movie? the ones on the schoolbook. yeah at first i felt sorry for her when it first became clear that her husband cheated, then i felt that she deserved it when she made her daughter go say mean things to Orked.. then i felt bad for her again. wtf. eh i cant wait to watch pan’s lab!!!
24. iesta | March 23rd, 2007 at 4:16 pm
“poor written review”?…i think not….tq for coming to the preview the other day & for this delightful review…hope you’ll enjoy our future products as much as you’ve enjoyed mukhsin…
Tq,
TI
GB
25. yasmin | March 23rd, 2007 at 5:58 pm
it’s nice to know i’m not the only sentimental fool left on earth. so many people today are terrified of their own sentiments. you are like a breath of fresh air.
thank you for your sensitive review of our simple little film, dear.
26. eman | March 23rd, 2007 at 10:00 pm
mukhsin is 3 times more complex and darker than gubra. figure that one out. - yasmin at tontonfilem.blogspot.com
where got “simple little film”? hehe
i like “Mukhsin” btw : )
27. Kailynne&hellip | June 28th, 2008 at 4:10 am
a87ff6…
8f14e4…
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