TALENTIME
Malaysia, 2009, 120 minutes, Colour.
Mahesh Dugal Kishor, Pamela Chong, Mohd Syafie Naswip.
Directed by Yasmin Ahmad.
Malaysian writer-director was very serious about telling stories that were cross-cultural and cross-religious in a Malaysian context with films like Mukhsin and Septem. Tragically, she died at age 51 in 2009 after completing this film.
Malaysia is a Muslim country but it has many Hindus and Christians – which sometimes makes for contentious relationships and enmities. The Romeo and Juliet archetype can be very important for this society and Yasmin Ahmad made popular films, geared to a younger audience, drawing on the age-old story. She also incorporated the variety of language (and songs) that are used in Malaysia.
Talentime (or, it could be Tale n Time) appeals to contemporary young people (in this case, especially, romantically minded teenage girls). It is the 21st century everywhere around the world now with popular music and dance, talent shows and cyber technology. The central youngsters here are Hindu, Indian Muslim and Chinese and Malays (and there is a grandmother who comes from Yorkshire).
Taking a cue from Fame and High School Musical, this is the story of a school's seventh talent show so the teacher responsible holds the usual auditions (some terrible performers for whom the response is a vociferous 'Next'!) and wants seven performers and seven students with motor bikes to bring the performers to rehearsals. One girl (Indian Muslim with the British grandmother) is assigned a Hindu boy who is hearing and speaking impaired, the Romeo and Juliet of talentime. Another boy, Muslim, writes songs, is clever, comforts his dying mother and incurs the jealous hostility of a Chinese boy. Plenty of ingredients for drama, melodrama, music and young love.
One hopes that Yasmin Ahmad's films contribute to harmony in Malaysian society. In their popular way, they show outsiders stories which help them understand some of the complexities of the country.
1.The director and her intentions? Race issues, religious issues, cultural issues? The variety of languages used for the different characters and situations? Songs in different languages? A picture of Malaysia?
2.The settings, the differing cultures and traditions, the contemporary city? Global influences and global styles, especially for the young? Clothes, language, songs? Technology?
3.The musical score, the variety of moods, the songs, love, death, pathos? Inserted into the action of the film?
4.The target audience, the young, female, romantic?
5.The opening, school, the exams, Debussy music? The supervisor? The teachers talking, gossiping about the event? The brother reacting to them being together – and the later joke, suspicions? The meeting with Miss Adibah? The flashback, the talent time, the atmosphere, the seven-year anniversary, the seven students, the seven cyclists? The raffle – and the teacher having organised it, with himself to win? The touch of Fame and High School Musical?
6.Mahesh, his relationship with his sister, his mother? Her story? Harshness, the shouting, the sister teasing her brother? His Hindu background? The mother’s sister, the nurse, smoking, criticised by the mother? Ganesh, his coming for the visit, talking things over, the preparation for his marriage, at age thirty-five? His back-story, wanting to marry, being forbidden, the girl dying without marrying, his regrets? The importance of the email?
7.The ceremony, the washing, the repartee during the ceremony, Mahesh and his uncle asking him about having a girlfriend? The later ritual for Ganesh’s funeral, cremation?
8.The family, the bonding, the Indian Muslims? The English grandmother? The father, genial, enjoying things with his children, song and dance? The mother, her fussing? The role of the maid, her reprimanding the wife, her concern about the children, her conversion to Islam, worrying about Mahesh and Melur? Helping them, bringing them in? Her playing the piano, Debussy? Teaching the mother how to cook and prepare condiments? The girls, their ages, clashing, playing together? Modern, dancing? The preparation for the audition – the younger sister blurting out the information? Melur and her playing, singing, her parents’ song? Success, the letter coming to the home? Meeting Mahesh, the cycling, her reaction, his not saying anything, saying he was rude, Hafiz explaining that he was deaf? Her reaction and repentance? The attraction between the two, the visit to the house?
9.Hafiz, his ability at the exams, the statistics about betting? The Chinese boy and his seeming jealousy? Criticism? His mother, her illness, the background of her husband leaving her? Her being ill, the vomiting, the visitor – considered the Angel of Death, talking with her comforting her, giving her the strawberry symbolising a pleasant death? Hafiz and his song at the audition, playing, attracted to Melur? The clash with the Chinese boy, being reported to the teachers? His undergoing further exam tests and passing?
10.The Chinese boy, his friendship, jealousy of Hafiz, feeling inferior? Reporting Hafiz to the principal? The fight, his talking about his father’s expectation and seeing his father demanding on him? His change, playing during the Talent Time, the reconciliation?
11.Mahesh and his uncle, his uncle’s death, the accident, the violence of the Muslims, the reaction of the Hindus? The mother, being withdrawn, her venomous comments on the Muslims and their Indian background? Her sister and her caring for her – and seeing her in hospital with Hafiz’s mother? The daughter? Mahesh and Melur, the attraction, at the house (and the family gone off to the countryside in comic style)? The maid seeing them, inside the house, lying on the floor like Ying and Yang, the mother’s reaction, Mahesh’s mother and her outbursts? Melur’s mother and trying to make peace?
12.Hafiz’s mother, her illness, the story, love for her son, talking with the Angel of Death? Her death? Inspiring Hafiz to sing?
13.The two teachers, not succeeding, Miss Adibah’s reaction?
14.Miss Adibah, her exuberance, speaking in English, the auditions, the variety of the auditioners, the night itself and success?
15.Melur, playing, her not wanting to, stopping, Mahesh watching, their going off together, the father urging the mother to let them stay, remembering their own young love?
16.Hafiz playing, the Chinese playing with him, the reconciliation?
17.The range of messages for the racial melting pot, language and religion melting pot of Malaysia?
