The Voice Triumphs (Sunday People)

First published in New Sunday Times
28th December 2008

The Voice triumphs
MAX KOH


There’s nothing simple about Russell Watson’s rise to fame. Undaunted by his battles with two devastating illnesses, the English tenor shares his story with MAX KOH



HEARING Russell Watson’s story, one may easily surmise it as a typical rags-to-riches tale. The English tenor whose nickname is “The Voice”, was a humble factory worker in Salford who beat 400 contenders to win a local radio talent competition.

He then pursued his dream of becoming a singer but not before toiling as a musical apprentice at the local working men’s clubs for years.

His big break came when he was invited to sing at Old Trafford before the 1999 Manchester United’s Premiership winning match. He received a standing ovation for his performance of the World Cup theme, Nessum Dorma.

His prestigious audience included the President of United States, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Yang DiPertuan Negara and the late Pope John Paul II.

At 42, Watson could not be more thankful for his life now. In 2003, he faced a career-threatening situation when doctor found a growth in his vocal chord.

He was lucky to recover with his voice intact but a few years later he was faced with a new threat. In 2006, Watson was diagnosed with tumour the size of two golf balls in his brain.

The next three years was a battle: “Battling with cancer for the past three years has been tough but it was a real awakening. It certainly made me appreciate life even more. It changed my priorities and made me appreciate relationships, friends and most importantly, my two daughters.”

While Watson successfully underwent a surgery to remove the growth, he could barely walk and the tumour affected his pituitary glands which controlled hormone levels. His mood swings went from ecstatic to suicidal.

However, he eventually recovered and released his fifth album, That’s Life, in March 2007.

“It was a very emotional time for me. When I listen to the title track, I can hear the meaning of the words. It certainly changed the way I sang the songs.”

However, disaster struck again. The cancer returned when he was recording his sixth studio album, Outside In in late 2007. An MRI scan showed that a regrowth of his brain tumour was bleeding into his brain.

Again, Watson recovered after another life-threatening operation.

He was recently in Kuala Lumpur after the release of his latest album, People Get Ready (Universal Music Malaysia), which sees him tackling Motown classics such as Me And Mrs Jones, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Soul Man and House Of The Rising Sun.

“The previous two albums saw me spending half of the time in the hospital bed while recording. With this album, I am looking at a new chapter in my life and moving on from the turbulent years.

“There are two distinct sounds you can hear in the album. One is a slick sound with strings section which was recorded in Capitol Studios, Los Angeles. The other, which is a little more ‘roguish’, was recorded in London with the same backing band as Amy Winehouse’s. It sure is a nice contrast of both the angry and soulful man in the new album.”

The different musical styles do not elude his fans as he is known to sing from Italian arias to Irish folk tunes to rock numbers.

“It is not really a departure, although, perhaps it is time for me release a classical album.”

As a performer, Watson believes that the cancer has changed his perspective: “I definitely have a more matured performance now. You can really relate to the story and it reflects the life you have lived. Singing is, after all, more than just perfecting the techniques. It’s about how to channel your soul into it.”

Yo-Yo Ma and Friends: Songs of Joy & Peace

First published in New Sunday Times
28th December 2008

Music Review: Yo-Yo Ma and Friends: Songs of Joy & Peace (Sony Music)
MAX KOH



I ALMOST leapt with joy when I saw this album. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has enlisted some of the most accomplished musicians today — including Edgar Meyer, Chris Botti, Alison Krauss, James Taylor, Chris Thile, Dave Brubeck and Diana Krall — for a holiday album focusing on joy and peace. How could I not be excited?

The songs may not be familiar at first glance, but they sure put you in the spirit with its heart-warming tunes and impeccable musicianship.

From the classical opener Dona Nobis Pacem, Yo-Yo Ma takes you on a wonderful sonic journey through different genres; Celtic (with fiddler Natalie MacMaster on A Christmas Jig), jazz (with Diana Krall on You Couldn’t Be Cuter and Chris Botti on My Favourite Things), bluegrass (with Alison Krauss on The Wexford Carol), Latin (with guitarists Sergio Assad and Odair Assad on Vassourinhas) and Eastern (with the Silk Road Ensemble for Kuai Le).

However, the songs are still tied by a common theme which makes the album a thoroughly enjoyable listening affair as it sheds light on other holidays around the world — Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and so on.

Personal favourites include Yo-Yo Ma with Dave Brubeck on the jazzed-up Joy To The World and the variation of Dona Nobis Pacem with bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolin player Christ Thile.

Songs of Joy & Peace offers lovely compositions. At RM25.90, it’s a great buy.

English Mad (Sunday People)

First published in New Sunday Times
21 December 2008

English-Mad

Children at the ‘Crazy English’ boot camp


HOW obsessed can you get with learning a new language? Would you go around talking to every foreign tourist you meet on the street? How about attending a ‘Crazy English’ boot camp where thousands yell out English lessons at the same time? 

As crazy as it sounds, these are some of the things you will see in Mad About English, the latest documentary by award-winning filmmaker Lian Pek. 

The former CNN correspondent takes the viewers on an enlightening journey as she interviews various characters in China in their quest to master the English language, once considered the forbidden tongue of the “foreign devils”.

They changed their mind when they won the bid to host the Olympic Games for 2008.

You’ll meet, among other people, a police officer who speaks with an uncanny New York Bronx accent (“Forget it, man. Put the gun down!”) 

“I was filming in China at one point when I realised that there was a big interest in learning the English language,” says the Singaporean filmmaker whose previous documentaries include Sayonara Changi and Born Again Buddhists. 

Her quest led to James Yang, a 74-year-old who had formed two English clubs where old folks like him learn English together. 

On the national linguistic fervour: “I guess before the Olympics, it dawned on the Chinese that there would be half a million people who would descend onto their country. They were hungry to do business and to trade with the foreigners.”

Mad About English was filmed in China in places like Beijing, Guangzhou and Yunan.

It premieres tonight on Discovery Channel (Astro 551) at 10pm.

Top of her game (Sunday People)

First published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
14 December 2008

Top of Her Game

MAX KOH was enthralled by theatre heavyweight Faridah Merican’s performance in Bottom Top.

Mark and Faridah in Bottom Top.

THE name, Faridah Merican, is synonymous with local theatre. Referred by some as the First Lady of Malaysian Theatre, her contribution to the industry is immeasurable.

For 50 years, she has dabbled in the theatre scene by acting, directing and producing works. She and husband Joe Hasham founded The Actors Studio and are still the power couple in the local theatre scene.

However, it has been some time since Faridah charmed the crowd onstage.

So, hearing of her return to the limelight in Bottom Top, a play written by Mark Beau de Silva and directed by Hasham, was surely a must-see event.

It came as no surprise that tickets for the show were quickly snatched up.

I was mesmerised by the quaint and detailed set which depicted the couple’s home. It was warm and indicative of the mother and son’s relationship in the play.

Faridah played 52-year-old Bertha who was about to remarry. The 90-minute play saw Bertha having a funny but poignant discussion with her gay son, Melvin, as they prepared the guest list for the wedding.

When Bertha tried to get Melvin to invite his “special friend” to the wedding, he educated her on the social construct of his world.

Dressed in sexual innuendos and delightful wordplay, the observations of his world where mates were judged to be “bottom” or “top” was unravelled gracefully.

The subject could have come across as crude if not for Mark Beau’s script and the chemistry between the playwright and Faridah.

Watching Faridah for the first time, I was enthralled.

That was not to say that Mark Beau was not incredible himself.

Both actors imbued the characters with endearing presence, breathing life into them, making the audience feel like they were not merely eavesdropping but are part of the conversation.

There were laugh-out-loud moments in the play including a part where the disco lights were lowered, and Bertha delighted the audience with a bit of booty-shaking.

However, the play turned solemn at times as we pondered with the characters about relationships, social roles and love.

Bottom Top was a delightful comedy with acute contemplations on matters of the heart.

Faridah’s return to the stage was nothing short of breathtaking and certainly whetted my appetite for more of her stage skills.

What Drives Gyorgy the Prodigy

First published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
7th December 2008



(click on pic for better view)

Mak Yong Showcase (Sunday People)

First published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
22 November 2008

Mak Yong Showcase
by Max Koh

The traditional mak yong is modernised for the new audiences. MAX KOH speaks to the director and lead dancer of Endeng Tejeli

THE words of the mak yong seem to echo through the ages as lead dancer and student Rosnan Abdul Rahman sings with his melodious voice: “Hai, ghoyak hile gak, Bele berio nok timbol gak laa, Ee, timbol sangat dengar nak ghoyak gak, Kalau soghe mu ghajo la cik we, Bele sebuah negeri gak tue we” (Of a Raja and a Minister, The Raja, he has an appellation, The Country, it has a designation).

I am at the Istana Budaya cafeteria as Rosnan, with his teacher, Fatimah Abdullah, explains the riches of the traditional Kelantanese dance-theatre form. Fatimah also directs the Endeng Tejeli production.

“Mak yong is an ancient dance-theatre form that incorporates dance, acting, singing, and storytelling. Endeng Tejeli tells the story of the titular character who must save Puteri Gak Petra, to be presented to Raja Sulong.

“However, the road is not easy as Endeng Tejeli must face the Nenek Sepat Petala Naga (dragon) and Raja Gergasi (giant) in his adventures,” explains Rosnan.

Endeng Tejeli is one of 12 core storiestold in the mak yong repertoire. These stories are told with the help of traditional Malay instruments such as the rebab, gendang, gong, canang and kesi.


Rosnan, the lead dancer in Endeng Tejeli

Mak yong has five main characters in its stories: Pak Yung (king), Pak Yung Muda (hero), Mak Yung (queen), Puteri Mak Yung (princess), Peran (clown), and Dayang-Dayang (court dancers). Rosnan plays the titular character while Fatimah plays the king in Endeng Tejeli.

“This is the third time we are staging the story. The first time we performed this was in Kedah and the show was sold out when we staged it at the Istana Budaya,” explains Rosnan who is part of the Kumpulan Mak Yong Seri Nilam Istana Budaya.

“All our dancers are resident dancers at Istana Budaya. The group (Mak Yong Seri Nilam) was started three years ago to help senior dancers learn and focus on the traditional dance style.

“We train them in hope that one day someone will carry on the tradition of this art form,” says Rosnan.

A new generation of mak yong teachers is a main concern for Fatimah who was raised in the dance form since birth. Her father, Abdullah Awang, owned of a mak yong group in Kelantan.

“I was born in Terengganu when my father’s group was on tour there. Traditionally, the group would stay at a town for three months before travelling to another venue. They would perform in and around the town during that time,” explains Fatimah.

Fatimah first performed at the age of 10 with the Kelantan Mak Yong Children’s Group in 1969. Her passion for the arts soon grew as she understood the grit and hard work involved in keeping the art form alive.


Mak yong doyenne Fatimah plays the king

“Back then, the dancers faced a lot of trials. The toke (group owner) often had to use his own money to keep the show, even at the verge of bankruptcy. I have seen this with my own eyes and it motivated me to study hard and bring the art tradition to the next level,” explains Fatimah.

Fatimah, who officially became a teacher at the age of 40, saw her dreams come true as her performance was documented in a Unesco World Heritage recording in 1994. Fatimah has also since performed before the Thai king and has seen her students perform overseas.

Rosnan, who has studied under her for eight years, has performed the mak yong in Paris and New York.

“For this show, the traditional elements are retained. Perhaps compared to the old days, the arrangement on the stage today is much neater with better lighting, make-up and costumes. But the set is still very minimal as we want the performers to carry the story,” explains Rosnan.

Endeng Tejeli will feature seven to eight songs including the mengadap rebab which lyrics were featured at the beginning of this article.

“This is really a shorter format as the traditional performance can last up to four hours and include 20 to 30 songs,” he says with a laugh.

“Originally, there was no script during the performance. The performers will follow the arc of the story and they can improvise the dialogue or sing as they want.”

While mak yong has evolved with the times, Fatimah is still concerned with the future. “We still need a generation of pelapis (mediators) to carry on the legacy.

“People have come and learnt the art form but there is still a need for those who will carry the mantle of the discipline and teach the next generation.”

What she said next was a revelation to me: “In every generation, two of three will be chosen to sembah guru and carry on the art form.

“After that, the guru cannot reveal his teachings to anyone anymore. It is the new heirs who can finally become teachers and carry the art form.”

After this show, the group will perform Raja Besar Senyaya in January which is the sequel to Endeng Tejeli.

“Mak yong is just like Harry Potter, except that it is the Malay version. There is a continuity in the stories and there are giants, dragons, heroes, and magic,” adds Rosnan, with another laugh.


Catch Kumpulan Mak Yong Seri Nilam performing Indeng Tejeli on Nov 28, 8.30pm-10.45pm, as part of the Mak Yong Extravaganza organised by the Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara. The extravaganza runs Nov 27-30 at the Malaysian Tourism Centre, Jalan Ampang,

Kuala Lumpur. For more information, visit www.heritage.gov.my or call 03-20523600
ext 3616.

The Splendour of Love (Sunday People)

First published in New Sunday Times

8th November 2008

The splendour of love
MAX KOH 

Touring theatre group Footstool Players examines the different sides of love. MAX KOH gets the lowdown from director Colin Kirton

Love, sang Nat King Cole, is a many splendoured thing. The many different sides of love, courtship, marriage and family are explored in touring theatre group Footstool Players’ production, A Crazy Little Thing Called Love, now showing in Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac).

Comprising short sketches that range from comedy to drama, the play addresses both the joyous and difficult sides of relationships.

“In this day and age, it is very easy to be cynical and jaded about love,” says Colin Kirton who directs and produces the play. “We hope that this play will give people hope about love and a new fresh start on the idea of it.”

The play comprises little sketches — a trademark of the theatre group — that not only focuses on courtship, but also relationships in the context of marriage and family.

“We are not trying to hide the pain or struggle but want to show that there is still new hope for difficult relationships,” says the Chinese-Scot who also acts in the play.


Colin Kirton

In other words, A Crazy Little Thing Called Love is more than fluff entertainment. “Our audience will ponder on love, life and relationships.”

While the title may borrow its name from a Queen song, the play was inspired by the realities of people’s relationships.

“In 2004, the non-governmental organization Focus on the Family asked us to come up with some sketches for their seminars.

“We came up with 25-minute sketches and took the show all over the country,” says Kirton. “It touched a lot of raw nerves. At that point, we knew that we wanted to expand on this theme.”

But Kirton who also acted in Broken Bridges – The Musical and Julius Caesar was only able to focus on this project at the end of last year.

In producing the play, the team members displayed unwavering commitment and passion. They had to attend rehearsals and performances unless there is an important family emergency. Rehearsals would intensify from once a week to every night when the performing date approached.


Scenes from two of the sketches

But of course, challenges were bound to happen. Kirton recalls an example: “One of our actors, Soon Ee Wei, was posted to Penang as part of his job during one of our performance run. Every weekend, he would fly down to one of the towns we were performing and fly back to Penang on Monday morning.”

Established in 2001, the Footstool Players began as a drama ministry in Subang Jaya Gospel Centre. It soon grew to become an inter-denominational team that performs in churches nationwide. Its previous productions include Runaway Bride and Walk His Trial.

“We are just a theatre group that is committed to our art form. We are here to share stories with the general public. This is a show about love and not faith.”

Besides churches, the team has also performed in schools and colleges.

“We can’t operate as a commercial organisation because it costs a lot of money. However, a financial burden was lifted when KLPac offered to sponsor the venue. “That was really a push factor for us.”

With more a sophisticated venue, Kirton emphasises that the focus is still on the performance.

“We don’t use a lot of props in our plays. Our set is minimalist as we put the onus on the actors to carry the story.”

This minimalism is due to its nature of touring to different venues in previous productions. In fact, before the performance in KLPac, the team has already performed the play in various venues in Klang Valley.

I had the opportunity to watch one night and left with something to think about my relationships in my life. There were instances I laughed out loud and times I silently pondered.

“The collection of little sketches is a trademark. This gives us the flexibility to talk about different facets of love in different periods of people’s lives,” says Kirton.

• Catch A Crazy Little Thing Called Love at KLPac’s Pentas 2 until Nov 16. Tickets: RM30 (adults)/RM20 (students, senior citizens, disabled). Call 03-40479000 (KLpac) or 03-20949400 (The Actors Studio @ BSC) or visit www.klpac.com. Also visit www.footstoolplayers.com.

A Tale of Two Strong Women (Sunday People)

First published in New Sunday Times
2 November 2008

Two Tales of Strong Women
Max Koh

As I watched a group of seven-year-olds gather outside Pentas 2 in KLPac, I was bemused by a sign that read: “Contains adult content”.

Surely, the children were at the wrong play. However, it was no fault of theirs. The poster for Kisah Gadis looked cheerful enough — a minimalistic design with splashes of striking pink that was sure to capture the eye. And there weren’t any warning labels on it.

Their elders had probably thought it was a Scenario kind of play and the children were probably there to learn to appreciate theatre for the first time.

Oh, how they would be surprised. I could see it was going to be amusing.

As we entered the hall, we were greeted by a man asleep on what appeared to be a bus-stop. The set was minimalistic, with just white-painted wooden planks framing it, rendering focus to the actors’ performances.

As the lights dimmed, the man woke up from his slumber. Mangli was the first play of the double bill and told the story of two long lost friends who stumbled into each other at the bus stop.


Scene from Mangli with Ashraf as the transvestite Idayu and Faisal in the role of the deranged and delusional Aris.


The sleeping man was the deranged and delusional Aris Mat Tam, played by Tuan Faisal (aka Tapai). Carrying a wooden plank with him at all times, the dishevelled figure appeared to have made the bus stop his humble abode.

As he played and talked with the plank, transvestite Idayu Sa’ayah, played by Ashraf Zain, came in. The “gadis” had just been robbed of her handbag and she began to confide in Aris about her terrible ordeal. However, as they catch up on old times, the reason behind Aris’ fall from grace was slowly unravelled before the audiences.

There were comic moments which drew much laughter from the audience. Ashraf’s comic timing was acutely executed, and there were jabs at the National Registration Department and the public transport system. At one time, a disco ball was lowered as the two actors belted out a song, much to the audience’s delight.

However, the play soon became dark as conflict arose between the two leads. At this point, as Aris’ psychological facade is unravelled, I could see the seven-year-olds begin to shift uncomfortably in their seats.

Hurtful words were exchanged. Mangli was more than just comic interplay between two strong actors. It actually explored how one could fall from grace into derangement. And how a friend’s genuine concern was futile when not welcomed.

Mangli was the maiden effort of playwright Adiwijaya. Although the script lacked direction at some points, the actors were able to carry the play through with their strong performances.

The second play, Gadis Jalan Burmah, was a 45-minute monologue filled with wit, humour and anger and was carried entirely by the talented Sherry Abdullah.

Sherry played a 42-year-old unmarried woman named Kartini Shuib who, whilst baking her own birthday cake, began to contemplate whether or not to date an insurance salesman, as suggested by her mother.



The very talented Sherry in the monologue as Kartini.


However, memories of past lovers – a Chinese doctor, a doktor haiwan, an American expat and her high school crush began to return to haunt her.

Sherry played the character with aplomb. There was subliminal depths in her performance amidst the loud and big gestures. In fact, the play would not have been as effective without Sherry.

However that was not to discount the script, wonderfully written by Shahredza Minhat, which gave acute and startling insights into the thoughts of Kartini Shuib.

The character could not have been so amazingly fleshed out by Sherry if the script was not strong. The character was very believable and as Sherry reminisces about past relationships, it showed the journey of a woman being shaped by her experiences.

Finally, Kartini decides to call the salesman, showing that despite past hurts and disappointments, everyone needed to be loved after all.

While both plays were wonderfully executed, a minor complaint was the use of harsh language in the presence of kids. But then again, the play contained adult themes and these words were necessary to flesh out the characters. And there was a warning sign outside.

It was just unfortunate that the kids were there.

I’m not sure what the seven-year-olds took home with them from the play.

Their first exposure to theatre could either come as a wonderful experience or a rude awakening to their innocent ears.

Either way, I’m sure the adults left with something to think about. After all, life is never a bed of roses, as exemplified by the two plays.

Kisah Gadis was Megat Sharizal’s second attempt at directing. His directorial debut, Tat Nenas, won him a Best Director Award in Theatre Festival Malaysia in 2004.

After four years, he returned to the director’s chair to bring us these two relatively unknown plays because he felt they needed a bigger audience.

I could understand why he chose these two plays. Branching out from the usual comedy fluff, the plays had depth and posed themes and questions that were thought-provoking.

It challenged the stereotype perceptions of Malay women and made us ponder over how experiences had shaped the identities of women today.

For a play performed in Bahasa Malaysia and Manglish, Kisah Gadis was a welcome departure from the fluff and shallowness of mainstream Malay offerings.

Let’s just hope that this would be a start for more thought-provoking plays from Megat, Adiwijaya, Redza and their ilk. Kisah Gadis certainly bodes well for the future of theatre.

His Right Step Forward (Sunday People)

First published in New Sunday Times
12 October 2008

His right step forward

MAX KOH signs up for a night of dance lessons with famous Austrian dance teacher Reinhard Polt, and leaves enamoured.

ALONG Jalan Tun Razak, while the traffic was moving at a snail’s pace, another dance was happening inside a BMW showroom.

Renowned Austrian dance teacher Reinhard Polt, garbed in a grey suit and pants, grabs hold of his young partner and begins to teach the floor how to do the waltz. “Lift your hands up, and hold her close to you,” he instructs gently. “Forward, side, close; back, side, close.”

As the music begins to play, the gentlemen take their partners’ hands and begin to dance their night away. “You need to hold her close to you,” he quipped at a nearby couple who was standing too far apart.

Among the dignitaries, parents, sponsors and guests, there I am holding my partner’s hand as we attempt to do the waltz together. Am I nervous? Yes. Fearful? A little.

Never in my life did I think I would learn ballroom dancing, let alone in a BMW showroom in downtown KL. And I have two completely useless left feet when it comes to dancing.

But thanks to Polt’s exceptional tutelage, and after countless stomps on my partner’s foot, I can now do the basic waltz steps!

As the night progresses, we also learnt the basic foxtrot, cha cha, rock and roll, and the Midnight Quadrille.

That’s my favourite. It’s a form of line dancing where couples stand in two lines facing each other. Then everyone begins a ritual that involves a lot of curtsying, bowing, circling around and exchanging partners. It’s like something you see in Victorian-era inspired films like Pride & Prejudice.

The free dance lessons were hosted by the Austrian Embassy Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the Viennese Ball to be held on Oct 25 for the second time here. The Viennese Ball will see hundred debutantes performing the polonaise, quadrille and Viennese waltz during the opening of the traditional Austrian event. These couples aged 15 to 23 years old were selected out of many hopefuls and the best couple of the night will be given the honour to dance at the Vienna Opera Ball in Austria next February.

“We decided to have these classes for the non-debutantes because we want the guests to dance together with us during the ball. It would make the evening more fun!” says Polt who has trained debutantes from Athens, Berlin, Beijing, Tunis and Singapore.

Among the guests that evening were dignitaries as well as guests from the media. Some debutantes also attended the night in order to learn more from Polt, dubbed as the Dancing Ambassador of Vienna.

The ball, which originated as a traditional public ball in the 18th century, can be enjoyed by anyone across the world. It has been held in Abu Dhabi, Athens, Brussels, Shanghai and New York.

“Today, almost everyone in Austria takes part in a ball. The engineers will have their own party while the accountants will have their own,” says the debonair Polt in his melodious voice.

Well, we certainly had a ball too, with smiles and giggles while everyone tried to coordinate their feet to the music.

The ball is a strictly “black tie” event, commemorating Austria’s National Day. For more information, visit www.vienneseball.my.

Theatre: Tale of Two Women (Sunday People)

First published in New Sunday Times

27 September 2008

THEATRE: Tale of Two Women

Kisah Gadis explores the lives of several women as they reflect on the road travelled and the journey ahead. Director Megat Shahrizal speaks to MAX KOH about the double bill featuring Mangli and Gadis Jalan Burmah

FOR two plays that examine the lives of two women, it seems ironic that they should be written and directed by men.

But actor-director Megat Shahrizal is unfazed by this. Instead, he looks at it as a challenge; not only directing a woman’s perspective, but also working on two relatively new plays by emerging playwrights.

It is also Shahrizal’s second attempt at directing after a long hiatus since his award-winning Tat Nenas in 2004.

However, the time to direct his second play could not have come at a more opportune time.

Director Megat Shahrizal

“I was really fortunate to have won the Best Director Award (for Tat Nenas) for the Theatre Festival Malaysia in 2004.

“However, after that, I decided to focus on my acting as that is my first love,” says the 30-year-old who has acted in plays such as Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical, P.Ramlee, and films such as 1957 Hati Malaya and Jarum Halus. He played former Prime Minister Tun Dr Ismail in 1957 Hati Malaya.

“After four years, the time is ripe for me to direct again or I might lose the touch. It’s really good timing because I’m not too busy, my friends are not too busy and the right scripts came along,” says Shahrizal who is pursuing his masters in performing arts at Universiti Malaya.

Kisah Gadis is a double bill production that explores the lives of two women as they reflect on the road travelled and the journeys ahead.

The first play, Mangli, tells the story of two longlost friends whose paths cross again at a bus stop after many years.

Their meeting forces them to rediscover each other and soon the conversation veers from pleasant to hostile, and the revelation of an attempted psychological suicide.

The second play, Gadis Jalan Burmah, features the monologue of a 42-year-old unmarried woman filled with anger, wit and humour.

Written with the local Malaysian context in mind, the protagonist Kartini Shuib contemplates about her past loves, her imminent future, and whether to go out with that prospective insurance salesman Kassim Rahman.

But what drew Shahrizal to these two plays?

“I chose these two plays because I want to see new writers getting attention in the theatre circuit,” explains Shahrizal.

“Having watched these plays before, I felt that they deserve a bigger audience.”

Mangli is the maiden effort by Adiwijaya and has only been performed thrice to a small audience.

“Adiwijaya is a friend of mine. After all, the theatre circle is so small that everyone knows each other. For years, we have been pushing him to write a play as he is an accomplished short story writer. After so long, he finally wrote a play and I decided that I must direct it... and get as many people as possible to watch it,” adds Shahrizal.

On the other hand, Gadis Jalan Burmah, is the fifth script penned by Shahredza Minhat (Redza), also an accomplished actor, having appeared in Otak Tak Centre, Romeo & Juliet and TOAST!

“These two scripts are really strong and I hope that I can bring it to a bigger audience,” said Shahrizal who studied Business Management but quit after getting bored in the industry.

On how the script is going to be interpreted by men, Shahrizal is totally taken aback that no women have given any input in the practice sessions yet.

“It’s seems really interesting that after so many practices, no one including the production crew said anything like ‘Wait, this is not how a woman thinks’. I supposed the script is really strong enough,” muses Shahrizal.

“In fact when I presented the script to Faridah Merican, she really liked it and agreed to be the executive producer.”

Shahrizal deems the two plays as a light production with a twist at the end of Mangli. The cast includes Ashraf Zain, Tuan Faisal and Sherry Abdullah.

This double bill marks the second instalment of The Actor Studios’s Teater Rakyat programme. The first was Anak Bulan Di Kampong Wa’ Hassan by Gene Sha Rudyn.

Being billed under the Teater Rakyat banner, Shahrizal is quick to offer his definition of the term.

“When people hear the term Teater Rakyat, they immediately think about traditional theatre. But that perception does not restrict me.

“To me, it simply means a play that is written by a Malaysian that is accessible to the Malaysian audience regardless of language or race. As long as it can connect to the audience, it is Teater Rakyat.”

Kisah Gadis will be staged at KLpac’s Pentas 2 from Oct 22-26, 2008. Tickets: RM25 (adults)/RM10 (students). Special preview night on Oct 22 and Saturday matinee on Oct 25 at RM10. Call 03-40479000 (KLpac) or 03-20949400 (The Actors Studio @ BSC) or visit www.klpac.com.

The Tao of Loi's Dance (Sunday People)

First published in New Sunday Times

26 April 2008

The Tao of Loi’s dance

After four years, dancer Loi Chin Yu returns to the stage in a solo performance to explore the meaning of Taoism and its rituals. MAX KOH writes

SEATED by the quiet lake at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in Sentul, Loi Chin Yu doesn’t come across as a sage or a spiritual guru despite the religious nature of his upcoming dance. Dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans, Loi tells me that he is just a seeker.

He is back on stage in My Calling My Stage, My Act after a four-year-hiatus. In this performance, he says, he explores the meaning of Taoism and his internal struggle for spiritual balance and peace.

By exploring the movements derived from Taoist ceremonial acts — speaking in tongues, chanting, ceremonial scriptures and such — Loi hopes to internalise the sacred scripture of the Tao Te Ching and find spiritual balance in his inner man.



"During my break from the stage, I was able to find the time to read the Tao Te Ching, the scriptures written by Lao Tze more than 2,000 years ago.

“Having grown up with so many Taoist practices around me, the book opened up a new understanding of Taoism which is of a different level than the rituals,” says Loi whose family house in Klang stood next to a Taoist temple.

“This spurred me to want to say something about Taoism. The message behind Tao Te Ching is that we need to return to Nature to find our spiritual balance. More than 2,000 years later, the message is still relevant today.”

Loi believes that truth and love can only emerge when the heart is settled.

“In every person’s life, there is a need to maintain a spiritual balance. Very often, we get ‘stuck’ in a certain emotion and state which arises from situations and circumstances in the past. We will never find the peace until we channel out (what’s) stuck in our hearts.

“Some of us find it in yoga, tai chi, or a hobby. For me, I find my balance on stage.”

It is precisely this reason that has brought Loi back to the stage. This is his way of internalising Taoist philosophy in his life.

“These four years has made me realise that I miss the passion of dancing and performing onstage. Dancing has always been my healing therapy. Without it, I find an imbalance in my spiritual side.”

Loi believes that everyone has to find their own way of self-therapy. “The spiritual man is like a tree. Without water, it will become dry and eventually wither away.

“Dancing rejuvenates my spiritual man.”

While the performance dwells on spiritual matters, Loi is adamant that he is not there to preach or impose his beliefs on other people.

“It is very much a personal journey.”

What Loi hopes to articulate to the audience is this: “If your heart is calm, then you are a god. When your calmness is strong like a mountain, you will find your own way to spiritual balance. It is your own journey. No one can tell you how to attain it.”

Loi’s love affair with dance began when he watched the Kwangsi Association perform at the Petaling Jaya Civic Centre in 1989.

“I was then in Form Five. I was taken aback by the contemporary and Chinese style of the Kwangsi Association. I found that the movement suited my body. Before this, I only dabbled in lion dance as the ball-bearer being chased by the lion. I was in high school then.” He laughs.

Loi joined the association and trained under Vincent Tan. Loi became a pioneering member of Nyoba Dance where he worked regularly with acclaimed dancer Lee Swee Keong.

Loi is also a fine arts graduate and designer of stage sets and domestic furniture.

His dance credits include The Tree, Lady White Snake — The Revenge, When Durian Meet Banana, Red Banquet, Four Men One Face, and SeeSaw. He has also appeared in several independent films including Man From Thailand and Survival.

Loi has also been involved in many musical productions including Puteri Guning Ledang, P. Ramlee – The Musical, September Tales (Dama Orchestra) and Little Mission Impossible.

When not dancing, Loi is an award-winning set designer. He won the BOH Cameronian Award for Best Set Design for Leave Me Along (Dua Space) in 2004. He owns the company Five E Production and designed the set for My Calling My Stage, My Act.

“I will be building a square platform similar to the one monks use to meditate in the mountains. The only difference is that it will be indoors. It’s going to be big and serious.”

My Calling My Stage, My Act will be showing at KLPac, Sentul Park. Shows begin at 8.30pm on May 2-3 and 3pm on May 4. Ticket prices are RM25/RM15 (students, senior citizens & the disabled). Call 03-4047 9000 for bookings or log on to www.klpac.com.

Lars And The Real Girl review (gua.com.my)

by Max Koh
28 April 2008

Ratings:
7/10

Title:
Lars And The Real Girl

Cast:
Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson, Nancy Beatty and R.D. Reid

Genre:
Drama, Comedy

Review:
‘Lars and the Real Girl’ is an eccentric comedy that is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

What would you do if a family member brought a sex doll to dinner and introduced her to the family as a real person? Would you play along or send him to the mental institution?

When faced with such a conundrum, Gus (played by Schneider who bears a striking resemblance to Adam Levine) and wife Karin (Mortimer) chose the former. And they managed to convince the town folks to play along too, treating the wheel-chair bound sex doll as a real person – taking her out on outings, talking to her, washing her and even cutting her hair.

All this is done out of love for Lars (Gosling), an extremely introverted young man who is the darling of the town.

Lars likes to keep to himself, and since the death of his father often stays alone in the family garage. Still, he seems really normal until the day he brings home a life-sized sex doll for dinner to Gus and Karin’s home.

He treats her like a real person and thinks he has a deep and meaningful relationship with her. He introduces her as Bianca, a missionary from Europe, who is wheel-chair bound.

At first the family is taken aback but upon the advice of the family doctor who say that Gus is working out through some personal issue, they soon play along.

The word eventually spreads, and Lars slowly turns from the ‘wierdo’ to the ‘guy everyone cares about’ thanks to the support of key individual people in the town. People fall in love with Bianca and have no qualms over playing along. In fact, the town soon begins to enjoy this new activity, a break from the monotony of everyday affairs and begin to make Bianca the star attraction of the town much to Lars’ distress. This of course, causes some problems in Lars’ relationship with Bianca.

Although the sex doll (which is anatomically correct, by the way) comes across as creepy at first, it slowly becomes an endearing figure to both the townsfolk and the audience. You can’t help but be drawn to the enigmatic presence of Bianca.

However, the film’s main focus is on Lars who manages to invoke a sense of empathy with the audience. Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of Lars is so powerful and lyrical in its subtleties and nuances, drawing you to him but never letting you too much into his inner psyche. This makes him an enigmatic character of loneliness and familiarity.

For that, Gosling was rightly nominated for Best Actor in the Golden Globe awards last year. He lost it to Daniel-Day Lewis (no arguments about that) but deservingly won the Satellite award for it.

Not overshadowed is the wonderful supporting cast in the film. Schneider evokes a familiarity and closeness as the stiff-necked brother while Mortimer is the endearing sister-in-law who cares too much.

The underrated Kelli Garner plays Margo, the office colleague who is secretly in love with Lars.

The cinematography is sparse and simple in its execution and supports the storyline beautifully; no unnecessary embellishments and aesthetics. The small town is indeed a character of its own in the film.

And just like the passing seasons that are being juxtaposed with Lars’ inner turmoil, the film spans out very nicely, drawing us to his soul and heart.

‘Lars And The Real Girl’ proves three things: Gosling is a talented actor that deserves more recognition, a film does not need a big budget or special effects to carry a story, and that a little love goes a long way. And it takes a sex doll to teach us that.


Did you know?

The film was awarded an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. The film received a standing ovation when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and showed again twice at the Boston Film Festival, where the director took questions from the sold-out audience after the first screening.

Definitely Maybe review (gua.com.my)

by Max Koh
14 April 2008

Rating:
8/10

Title:
Definitely Maybe

Cast:
Ryan Reynolds, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Kevin Kline, Marc Bonan and Derek Luke

Genre:
Romance, Comedy

Review:
‘Definitely Maybe’ is a witty, intelligent and undeniably charming film that appeals not only to the heart, but to the head as well.

Packed with an emotional depth that is not often seen in romantic flicks, ‘Definitely Maybe’ deals with relationships in a very human and realistic way.

The foibles of relationship are deftly handled and portrayed, thanks to the genius that is Adam Brooks, who wrote and directed the film.

Brooks does away with all the schmaltz and sugarcoating that plague most romantic comedies (the repeated story arc of boy meets girl, boy doesn’t see eye-to-eye with girl, boy eventually falls in love with girl, trouble brews, boy and girl separate but get together in the end) and chooses to shed light on the very complex problems that besiege relationships in the modern era.

You know how relationships fail and falter in real life. How divorces are real and magic is but only the stuff that you see on films. And true love continues to be the Holy Grail that seems to elude many. (Yep, realists continue to scoff at such films)

‘Definitely Maybe’ conveys that love is a working commitment and involves a lot of heartbreaks, disappointments, misadventures, try-outs, fall-outs, make-ups, break-ups and searching. It may sound depressing but ‘Definitely Maybe’ is by no means a depressing film. It just gets you thinking and offers a realistic view on love and life. And yes, as much as the film defies convention in romantic flicks, there is a happy ending after all. One that is more realistic than most.

Quintessentially, ‘Definitely Maybe’ has a story that feels real. No Prince Charming or knight in shining armour. No magic formula. Just a heartfelt and sometimes complex love story.

Ryan Reynolds (in a very much grown-up role and a far cry from his days as Van Wilder in ‘Two Guys And A Girl’) plays a 30-something Manhattan dad Will who is in the midst of a divorce. One night, his 10-year-old daughter Maya (Breslin) asks him about his love life prior to marrying her mom.

With his daughter tucked comfortably in bed, Will begins to unravel the mysteries of adult relationship and how it is a “very complex thing.”

His story brings us back to the 1990s- the age before e-mail, hand phones and TV reality shows. Will was then an aspiring politician fresh out of university in Wisconsin who dreamt of becoming the President of United States of America.

His ticket to glory was working for the Clinton campaign that saw him leaving his university sweetheart Emily (Banks) in Wisconsin for the big city of New York.

As he slowly worked his way up from being the toilet paper guy to being one of the big guns, he met the apolitical but outspoken April (Fisher) who turns out to be his longtime best friend and confidante. Along the way, he also meets the free-spirited and feisty journalist Summer (Weisz).

So what follows is a guessing game as Maya tries to figure out which of these three women turns out to be her mother (Will changed the names of the women). Thanks to the wonderful script, the audiences are left to guess along as well with no obvious enough hints or pointers.

There are seductions, disappointments, unrequited love, and betrayals but at the end- it is all played out very realistically. And you will find yourself rooting for one woman over the others at any point in the film.

Ryan Reynolds seem to have grown up from his Van Wilder days, playing the sensitive and doting father with ease and confidence. Breslin, the cutie-pie in Little Miss Sunshine, shines as the inquisitive and bright Maya. Considering her other role in another recent film, ‘Nim’s Island’, one can surmise that Breslin is going to be one shining child star. Her chemistry with Reynolds comes across as believable and charming.

Isla Fisher is simply likeable and will have you falling in love with her in no time. Equally alluring is Weisz as the sexy and confident Summer.

All in all, ‘Definitely Maybe’ is a film that is not afraid to explore the different quandaries and complexities that exist in relationships. And it is done with an equal dose of heart, wit and tenderness all bundled up in a film that deserved to be seen by more than just the average romantic comedy junkies. There are no ‘maybes’ about that.

Nim's Island review (gua.com.my)

by Max Koh
18 April 2008

Rating;
7/10

Title:
Nim’s Island

Cast:
Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Alphonso McAuley and Michael Carman

Genre:
Adventure, Fantasy

Review:

The last time we saw Gerard Butler in ‘300’, it was hard not to turn our attention away from his rock-solid abs and witty one-liners. He had the character down pat, playing King Leonidas who led 300 Spartans to defend their Greek state from the impending armies of King Xerxes in the Battle of Thermopylae.

In his latest movie ‘Nim’s Island’, Butler sheds his masculine posturing and them perfectly sculpted six packs to take on a doting and fatherly role. But worry not ladies, he is one hot paternal figure. And wait till you hear his lilting Scottish accent ...

Butler, however, isn’t the only one with the charms in the movie. There is his young female co-star, Breslin. She has certainly grown in dramatic strength since mesmerising us with her performance in ‘Little Miss Sunshine’. She holds her own when sharing screen time with Hollywood heavyweight Foster and her chemistry with Butler comes across as heartfelt and genuine. (Those who love Breslin must also catch ‘Definitely Maybe’ where she stars alongside Ryan Reynolds and Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz.)

Breslin plays the 11-year-old titular character who lives with her marine biologist dad Jack (Butler) on a secret island somewhere near Borneo. Even though they are the only two people on the island, they are self-sufficient and lead a simple but contented life. Jack has his research while Nim has her animal friends – a dancing seal, squeaking lizard and a smart pelican – coupled with her vivid imagination to keep her company.

When her father goes missing at sea, Nim enlists the help of her favourite author, Alex Rover (Foster), whom she imagines to be some adventure-seeking Indiana Jones-like character. Unfortunately, Rover turns out to be a neurotic writer who is apprehensive even about stepping out of the house to get her mail and is afraid of almost everything under the sun.

When Nim’s plea for help becomes desperate – she has to defend her island from opportunists who wants to turn the island into a tourist attraction – Rover decides it’s time to conquer her fears and help her little fan. At the same time, Jack struggles to get back to his daughter.

Foster steps out from her usual strong female characters to play the reclusive Rover, which she does with much aplomb. Who would have thought that Foster possesses great comic timing and her antics would easily get the kids laughing aloud. It is a wonderful change seeing her in a comedy after the string of tough roles in ‘Panic Room’ and ‘The Brave One’.

While the actors were great in their roles, the storyline unfortunately loses steam halfway with its uninteresting subplots. Thankfully, it picks up towards the end. So be prepared to find ways to ‘sedate’ (no, I didn’t say that) your boisterous kids during those boring parts for the sake of other patrons in the cinema.

The film was shot mostly in Australia with scenic views of the island. Drawing influences from the children’s book it is based on, the film also boasts some very charming storybook-like visuals at the start of the movie. It lends a nice touch to the film and should definitely appeal to the kids.

‘Nim’s Island’ is a light-hearted children affair that will appeal to kids aged eight and below with its saccharine storyline infused with moral values. Families with young kids can go no wrong with this. However, those with older children would have better luck with ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ or ‘Horton Hears A Who!’

And if you really want to see Butler, go buy the ‘300’ DVD instead. This is a kid’s show, so don’t expect a half-naked Butler showing off his abs, even though the premise of Butler getting wet and stranded on a boat in the middle of the sea sounds enticing. But I am disappointed to announce that it doesn’t happen here. So, get your fix somewhere else.

Did You Know?

During shooting, Breslin forced Butler to fill up a jar with coins whenever he used a bad word. The money was later donated to charity. How adorable!

Across The Universe review (gua.com.my)

by Max Koh

Nov 26, 2007

Ratings: 

8/10

Cast:

Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Eddie Izzard, Martin Luther Mccoy, T.V. Carpio and Bono

Genre:

Musical, Romance

Review:

“I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus. Goo, goo g’joob.”

Any Baby Boomer growing up in the 60s would recognise that line from I Am The Walrus, a mind-boggling Beatles number filled with nonsensical ramblings (something about yellow mustards and pornographic priestess) and references to the drug LSD (of which Lennon claimed to be high on while writing the first two lines of the song).

For most of us born after that era, listening to that song will only make you go “What the ----?” before you find the chorus lodged in your subconscious and replaying itself over and over again. Goo, goo g’joob. Get it?

You don’t need an acid trip to find out what the Fab Four were saying in that song; just watch Julie Taymor’s wonderful film as she takes you down… not Penny Lane or Strawberry Fields but through the tumultuous 60s, where flower power, anti-war movements, and social revolution was the order of the day (at least in the good old United States of America).

In the film, U2’s Bono gives a stirring and psychedelic rendition of the afore-mentioned song as counter-culture spiritual guru Dr. Robert. How psychedelic? Let’s just say, you don’t need your weeds for this one.

Across The Universe follows Liverpool-bred Jude (Sturgess) who travels to America to find his biological father but gets acquainted with the free-spirited Max (Anderson). And he soon falls for Max’s sister, Lucy (Wood) “when he saw her standing there”.

With a little help from their friends – in the form of the Janis Jolin-esque Sadie (Fuchs), the Jimi Hendrix-styled Jo-Jo (McCoy) and the lesbian cheerleader Prudence (Carpio) – we are transported into the Beatles-dominated universe filled with the songs for the sappy (While My Guitar Gently Weeps, If I Fell), the psychedelic (For The Benefit of Mr. Kite, Happiness Is A Warm Gun), the cutesy (All My Loving, I Want To Hold Your Hand), and the rollicking (Come Together, Helter Skelter).

And what a ride it is! Sure, some scenes merely exist for certain songs to be sung but when you have Eddie Izzard’s bizarre but brilliant circus-performance on Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite, you overlook the shortcomings. 

The director has taken liberties in reinterpreting and rearranging some of the songs. An example is the delightful sing-a-long I Want To Hold Your Hand transformed into a lovelorn ballad. Or the classic Let It Be revamped into a soaring gospel number with a choir thrown in!

If you are a true-blue Beatles fan, you may enjoy the new interpretations. If you are new (or casual) fan, you might just get converted into Beatles devotee.

The songs are that good! The director has done a great job of retaining some of the quintessential Beatles numbers and tweaking several for a new generation. Word is they used period instruments to get the original sound of that era. 

And the stunning cinematography (ranging from High-School-Musical-type choreographies to graphic-heavy visuals) makes the film a visual fest. One memorable scene (among others) is when Max and some US soldiers carry the Statue of Liberty across the jungles of Vietnam. Cryptic?

Running at over two hours, you’ll probably get a sore bum at the end of the movie. But it is worth it, as what you get is a magical tour through the slamming 60s, where nothing is real so there’s nothing to get hung up about. Goo goo g’joob! Get 

it?

Did you know? 

Across The Universe features 31 Beatles songs, spanning from the lesser known Hold Me Tight, Why Don’t We Do It In The Road to the more famous Hey Jude, Blackbird, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

Also look out for references to other Beatles songs (and characters) in the script. Trust me, you will be able to spot all of them before you turn 64.

Joe Cocker does a ‘Nutty Professor’ by playing three characters when singing Come Together. And Bono is brilliant as the Neal Cassady-type spiritual guru Dr Robert. And did I mention that the sizzling Salma Hayek makes a cameo as five sexy, dancing nurses? Yes, five!

Kingston Hits Town (gua.com.my)

by Max Koh

19 April 2007

Teenage sensation Sean Kingston, who was in town recently as part of his ‘Beautiful Girls World Tour’ to promote his self-titled debut album, had a showcase at Zouk KL.

The 18-year-old Jamaican American reggae singer and rapper got the crowd worked up as he sang some of his big hits “Beautiful Girls”, “Me Love” and “Take You There”. Unfortunately, as he only performed for half-an-hour, some came away feeling short-changed. He sang six songs and left the crowd wanting for more, if not cheated out of the RM80 that they paid to get into the club.

Nevertheless, American Chinese rapper Jin, who was featured in ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’, made the buck worth the bang as he impressed audiences with his adroit vocal acrobatics and sharp free styling. Word y’all. Now who says Chinese boys can’t rap? He was the night’s opening act.

Earlier that day, Kingston appeared at Menara Maxis for a meet and greet with fans. During the press conference, 40 lucky Maxis customers got to meet their young idol. In a short interview session with the press, Kingston said he was happy that people were showing him love and buying his albums. He also revealed that he is working on a new album.

“I am currently working with Timbaland on my new album. I also hope to work with people like Kanye West, Pharell, Flo Rida, Ne-Yo and Fergie,” said the Miami-based performer.

Recently, Kingston covered Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” on The Today Show. The video which was subsequently posted on YouTube has to date received over 336,000 views.

What many people don’t know is that his grandfather used to produce songs for the legendary Marley. Therefore, he claims to be the real deal.

“I am glad to be part of the music and doing this,” said Kingston whose real name is Kisean Anderson. He changed his second name to ‘Kingston’, as it is the capital city of Jamaica and he thought his real name sounded lame.

Well, Anderson or Kingston, the boy sure knows how to get the crowd moving. With two crew members and a DJ, he hit the stage running with the song “Me Love”. He then performed some songs taken from his album such as “Kingston”, “I Can Feel It” and “There’s Nothing”. He got the most cheers, of course, when he performed “Beautiful Girls” before ending the short love affair with the slow and uplifting “Dry Your Eyes”.

Kingston performed the next day at Coco Banana, Sunway Pyramid.

Backstreet Boys: Unbreakable (gua.com.my)

by Max Koh

19 Feb 2008

Album:

Unbreakable

Discography:

Backstreet Boys (1996)

Backstreet’s Back (1997)

Millennium (1999)

Black & Blue (2000)

Never Gone (2005)

Futher Listening:

Take That 

Westlife

Boyzone

911

98 Degrees

Genre:

Pop

Review: 

Before Britney, Eminem, Simple Plan or even Avril Lavigne came to inspire the impressionable pre-teens and teens demographic in the late 90s, kids listened to boybands.

Yup, there was a time when 911, Boyzone, Take That and 98 Degrees ruled the airwaves. When teenyboppers screamed and flailed their hands at the sight of boy-idols such as Nick Carter, Ronan Keating, Nick Lachey … and plastered their mugs all over the bedroom walls.

“I’ll never break your heart…” Ah, yes, when lyrics were all about sweet, innocent love. Nowadays, it seems like every hit song has a dubious reference to body parts or objectifies women as sex objects (“Will you shut and drive while you check my lovely lady lumps?”) 

But I digress.

While most boybands have long expired their shelf life (anyone remember Five or Code Red?), Backstreet Boys continues to churn out new materials for their faithful but now slightly older fans.

And thankfully, just like their loyal fans, the boys too have grown, evident from their sixth studio album “Unbreakable”.

Their songs may still revolve around love and its various manifestations: unrequited love (“Inconsolable”, “Everything But Mine”, “One In A Million”), lost love (“Trouble Is”, “Panic”), true love (“Unmistakable”, “Helpless When She Smiles”) but they have never been delivered with so much panache until now.

While the music veers towards the pop rock genre that is strangely refreshing with all the Timberland/Neptunes-produced ditties making their rounds nowadays; the boys have never sounded so confident.

It’s nothing groundbreaking, but “Unbreakable” should satiate old fans that still have a crush on the boys (sans Kevin Richardson who left the group). I don’t think it would attract any new younger fans though.

Backstreet’s back but they’re just all right. Their fans may no longer be teenagers, but I suspect a lot of working adults would play this during their daily commute to work.

And blimey, if they still have their posters plastered on their bedroom walls!

What others say … 

“There are only four of them now, and two are in their thirties, but they are still Boys, and they are more thoroughly bland and cheesy than ever.” Rolling Stones

“Minor complaints aside, pound for pound and song for song, “Unbreakable” may just be the best pop album of the year so far.” Sputnik Music

Charlie Wilson's War (gua.com.my)

by Max Koh

28 Feb 2008

Title:

Charlie Wilson's War

Cast:

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty, Emily Blunt, Om Puri and Ken Stott

Genre:

Drama, Comedy

Review:

What do a womanising congressman, God-fearing Southern socialite and renegade CIA agent have in common?

How about staging the most successful covert operation in history. An unlikely scenario?

Well, ‘Charlie Wilson's War’ is based on a true story that brought these three very different personalities together to help bring down the Soviet Union and end the Cold War in the 1980s.

Tom Hanks brings the titular character to life. Charlie Wilson is a Texan playboy congressman who is infamous for his promiscuous ways and famously called "Good Time Charlie". Beneath that façade, however, is an as astute politician with a deep sense of patriotism and a compassion for lost causes in the world.

The film begins in Las Vegas as Charlie is sharing a bathtub with pretty women. A television news report on the Mujahideen freedom fighters in Afghanistan comes on (by the legendary news anchor Dan Rather, no less) and soon captivates Charlie's attention.

The Red Armies are invading Afghanistan. Like animals, they are slaughtered without mercy and chased to neighboring countries like Pakistan.

The feeble weapons of the Mujahideen are no match for the high-tech Soviet planes and choppers. What they need are hi-tech weapons to combat the Red Armies.

Urged by longtime friend, frequent patron, and sometimes lover Joanne Herring (Roberts), Charlie then travels to Pakistan to visit the President and the refugee camps.

What he witnessed there is enough to spur Charlie to accomplish the impossible: secure funds and weapons for the Mujahideen to combat the invading Communist forces.

Helping him out is CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Hoffman); a no-nonsense operative who is often dismissed by his bosses in the agency.

Together, the trio form an unlikely alliance with Pakistanis, Israelis, Egyptians, lawmakers and a belly dancer to organise the largest (and most improbable) covert operation in history against a

common enemy: the Red Commies.

Their success was remarkable. Over the nine-year course of the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, United States funding for the covert operation went from US$5 million to US$1 billion annually. Subsequently, the Red Army retreated from Afghanistan.

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by George Crile, the film manages a fine balance between politics and humor. Hanks and Hoffman (both Academy luminaries) make a formidable team onscreen. Their comedic timing is spot-on and their chemistry is magic. You will have your eyes riveted on their performance especially in the first scene they were together. That alone is worth the price of the ticket.

Hanks is amazing as the flawed but likeable Congressman. But Hoffman deserves accolades for transmitting the ghost of the character through his performance. No surprise that he won an Academy for his performance in ‘Capote’ a few years back. Here, he is a far cry from the shy, shaky character that is Truman Capote. He was nominated for an Academy this year again but lost the prize to Javier Bardem who plays a serial killer in ‘No Country For Old Men’.

’Charlie Wilson's War’ also marks the first collaboration between Hanks and Roberts (believe it or not). Roberts appears much older in this film than we are used to but otherwise does a satisfying job as the God-fearing, Communist-hating, rich Houston socialite.

For a political film, ‘Charlie Wilson's War’ is surprisingly funny. The film is cleverly written (kudos to the screenplay writers) and has some of the wittiest lines you'll ever find in a political film. Expect to be engaged from start to finish and get an interesting insight on how politics in the mid-eighties contributed to the political realities in America and the Middle East today.

Charlie Wilson best sums it up at the end: "These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world ... and then we f**ked up the endgame." Sound familiar?

One scene was rather poignant. After winning the covert operation, Charlie tries to get the Congress to approve a US$5 million fund to build a school in Afghan but to no avail.

The government was willing to inject US$1 billion to fight their war but not a few million to build a school. Afghanistan is left to pick up the pieces while the US washes its hands clean of any responsibility. Today, US forces appears to have no exit strategy for Iraq, as yet again another country is left in shambles ... but I digress.

The film has also received criticism for insinuating that the CIA-led operation funded Osama bin Laden and ultimately produced the 9/11 attack.

The film has also received criticism for insinuating that the CIA-led operation funded Osama bin Laden and ultimately produced the 9/11 attack.

George Crile clarifies: "By the end of 1993, in Afghanistan itself there were no roads, no schools, just a destroyed country -- and the United States was washing its hands of any responsibility. It was in this vacuum that the Taliban and Osama bin Laden would emerge as the dominant players. It is ironic that a man who had had almost nothing to do with the victory over the Red Army, Osama bin Laden, would come to personify the power of the jihad. In 1998, when bin Laden survived US$100 million worth of cruise missiles targeted at him, it reinforced the belief that Allah had chosen to protect him."

Hmm… food for thought indeed. But who am I kidding? Isn't it just a film after all? Let us fix our attention on another more pressing issue like, which movie really deserved the Oscar for Best Picture: ‘There Will Be Blood’ or ‘Country For Old Men’? Hmm…