Haru biru (2007) watch online HD

READING the synopsis of the film Haru Biru is like reading passages from a cheap romance novel. However, the script by theater maverick Adlin Aman Ramlie boasts strong character development, and to back it up, the main cast underwent a three-month training under Adlin himself. That makes all the difference.

The story revolves around three good friends: a young male executive Kid (Que Haidar), a beautiful model Ariana (Dynaz), and a freelance photographer Dani (Ijoy Azhari).

Kid gets cozy with Ariana while Dani, putting friendship above all else, hides his feelings for Ariana.

Then another part of the story is about Suzi (Betty Banafe), Kid's ex-girlfriend who is a mistress to a mysterious Big Daddy. Despite living a luxurious life, it is not too long before she feels exploited. She is unhappy, and hankers for Kid to save her. Kid, a reluctant party, eventually relents, but with terrible consequences, as Abang Kecik (Eman Manan), Big Daddy's henchman, is sent to teach Kid a lesson.

This is not your usual local feel-good movie: a lot of scenes considered taboo in local films are thrown in, such as the youngsters' hedonistic drinking and drug-taking exploits, a heavy dose of expletives, and suggestive touchy-feely scenes between Kid and Ariana.

Kid, a complex character, goes on a cocaine-snorting rampage whenever life disappoints him. The crowning glory of this film is the scene where Abang Kecik crushes Kid, mafia-style. As a result, the film's atmosphere takes an intense, uncompromising stance.

It is no wonder that five scenes were taken out of the film, including one where the youngsters resorted to making ice, and an explicit sexual scene between Betty Banafe and Eman Manan.

If I have to make a comparison, I would say that this is a combination of violent B-grade Hollywood flick a la City of Industry and teen television series a la Beverly Hills 90210.

Haru Biru is not exceptional in terms of story or quality, but it is refreshing to see a production that doesn't pander to the industry standards of what constitutes a "commercial, viewer friendly film".

This piece of work was shot in digital format in 2004, and was intended for television. It was only at the coaxing of film director U-Wei Saari that its executive producer, Raja Azmi, decided to push it for the big screen and transferred it to 35mm format.

The soundtrack is also worth a note. Produced by Roslan Aziz, the songs are sung by Garring, aLi and Joe Flizzow.

It is a God-awful film, a self-proclaimed film made to portray the 'typical Malaysian middle class citizens' living in Malaysia.

I found this film as a 'acid test' to FINAS, the censorship board which oversees the censorship of film and drama series in Malaysia. The producer tried to push the limits to what the FINAS deems appropriate and to what extend the Malaysian public can tolerate.

Producer Adlin Aman Ramli said in an interview that this film is made to show the darker side of Malaysians, the sides which are not widely acknowledged in this country. He further said that he wanted to educate the public, and to make this film as an education tool so that the Malaysian pubic would not indulge in this hippie way of living.

What the producer did was totally opposite to the objective he intended to accomplish. Instead of making the public aware of the social ills, he glamorized it. And he didn't show any moral to this film, either. I guess his true intention is not to educate the public, but to make huge profits out of this pathetic film.

The film itself is awful, I felt nauseas throughout the film. A score of 1 out of 10 is too good for this film. Adlin, Thank God that IMDb do not allow rating lower than this.

"Haru Biru" has a great idea behind its production, the ideals to make a movie 'for young adults, by young adults' and to give a narrative of the norms and values of today's youth. The camera (shot on DV) delves into the lives of middle-class Malaysia, and many viewers would probably relate to the film.

The decision of the filmmakers to use images and shots which are considered taboo in Malaysian cinema is interesting. For example, the use of drugs is blatantly shown on the screen and both leading men smoked! Performances that stand out include that of Que Haidar who provides a good balance between being despicable and a victim. Eman Manan, a veteran in the local scene, also stands out, proving that acting is not limited to what you say on screen but the feeling the viewer gets when you appear on camera. The slightest facial expressions on Eman Manan reflect the vast experience this actor has had on camera.

"Haru Biru" is definitely the effort of a new breed of Malaysian filmmakers who are taking some chances with the medium and deserve some support. Haru Biru also is the first indie film shown in a mainstream theatre. And it is so raw, it's beautiful.