From a Slant-eyed view...

Have I been getting shallow? I think that last post was quite shallow, but I was so amused at how one thing can get so many other things going...
Anyway, I went to watch the much hyped "Sepet" today. (Warning: possible spoilers ahead!) And perhaps it was so hyped up for me, I came out with less than great feelings about it. The thing that stood out most was the stilted conversation. It has this in common with most of the other Malaysian-made media I've seen or heard - the fact that the conversation seems forced and unnatural. The direct, supposedly lovey-dovey, conversation came out cliche and false, and only the read bits from poetry and letters sounded real. (Or maybe I'm jaded.) Actually, not only the conversation, but some of the scenes looked forced, like they don't have any place in the fabric of Malaysian society. And the mixing of languages, eg. the first part where the mother speaks in BM and the son replies in Cantonese, is unsettling. Logic states that two people would converse in the same language (unless with interpreter), so why mix the languages up like that? The plot also is unsettling with its holes - some things happen with no apparent reason, and the ending reeks of weird-ness, like someone wanted to finish the movie off in a hurry. Why touch on the after-life when you're barely dealing with it at all? I'd rather the ending be more believable and logical.
Yet, this film is great in other ways. Many of its scenes portray typical Malaysian life - the pasar malam, the houses, the oddities and perceptions of the races, etc. You watch the show and you laugh at the scenes because you, or you know people, who've been in that position before. (Although sometimes it feels like they are going out of their way to portray Malaysian life. We live the Malaysian life everyday! We don't need it to be underlined and highlighted and shown to us in films... They could do it in a more understated way, instead of slotting in unrelated clips as breaks between scenes... like the old man beggar clip.) It also puts Ipoh in the limelight for what a lovely place it is. I especially love the lake with its wooden jetty surrounded by the lush green-covered mountains. If anyone knows where it is please tell me! Cinematography-wise they had some nice shoots as well - the one in Hospital Besar Ipoh where they shot people coming and going through the stairs was genius; and the opening credits were so cute!
Some issues were touched on effectively (not like the after-life thing above) as well, which probably gives it its kudos. For me the defining moment would be in the hospital when Ah Loong/Jason and Keong talk about Peranakans last time, and someone (I forget who) comments on how easy it was last time to marry between races, and now, when we're supposed to be more civilised, it's so much harder to do so. That just reeks of truth - about that issue, and others as well. Other points in the film would be the consequences of what Ah Loong and Maggie did that led to Ah Loong's loss of Orked, and the closeness of the helper to the family in the case of Yam and Orked's family - sort of reminds me of my kakak and my family. :)
All in all, I'd say it's a good film. Go watch it. (By the way, the guy's okay-looking, but the girl's pretty. ;> )