Thanks to the magnificent suanie and her connections, I was invited to the press screening of the local comedy SELL OUT last night. So horng, Suan, and I reached Mid Valley Gardens last night to find Gareth and Joshua among the few attendees to the screening who neither participated in the movie itself nor attached to any traditional media outlets.
GSC Signatures is my favorite cineplex currently, and it would be great if there are more movie screenings there. Then again, I shall be grateful for not having to pay to watch screenings and premiers, beggars can’t be choosers.
SELL OUT! (2008), directed by Yeo Joon Han
SELL OUT! is a movie about two person, Rafflesia Pong (yes, it’s a comedy) and Eric Tan who work for FONY media and FONY electronic division of the same conglomerate respectively. Rafflesia is a TV personality while Eric is a product designer, both of them share the same two unreasonable and demanding bosses.
Rafflesia’s show about local artists were going nowhere; at the same time, Eric Tan invented a soya bean machine but met with resistance by the two bosses in marketing the device. The advanced on a different direction with Rafflesia getting a break after filming her dying fiance’s final poem on TV while Eric Tan split into two after being exorcised by a particular medium (ala multiplicity style).
The story then proceed on and ended with one (or both of them) selling out after a lengthy process of quite a lot of nonsense that are, well, very humorous at times.
Jerrica Lai played the role of Rafflesia brilliantly, while the Peter Davis was slightly disappointing as Eric Tan, the character was just a bit flat and “kayu” in my opinion. The format of the movie was very bold, with plenty of songs ala musicals in between that, well, could have been executed in a better way (they should be shorter, mostly).
While a lot of the jokes in the movie were very funny and original, some of them were overused and got old after the 4th time. In fact, instead of nearly 2 hours, I really think that the movie would have been excellent had it been edited down to, say, an hour.
That said, Sell Out! is still a pretty watchable movie. Being a local film, it is also expected that the colors/lighting and audio are not always perfect, there is no exception here but at least it was kept in a tolerable manner. I would place Sell Out! in between The Red Kebaya and Mualaf (which I watched in Singapore since it was banned in Malaysia).
Related Posts:
- KY review – Cinta (movie)
- KY reviews – Dunia Baru the Movie (it’s great!)
- KY review – The Prestige (movie)
- KY review – Iron Man the movie is the awesome!
- KY saw – single voice dubbing on Vietnamese TV
By Huai Bin on Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
Hmm…I hardly ever watch local productions, especially comedies or (God forbid) horror flicks. This one seems a bit like the Singapore stuff that Jack Neo churns out though. Promising.
By ShaolinTiger on Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
It’s worth a watch, it’s no masterpiece but it’s a bold piece of movie making.
By KY on Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
Huai Bin,
Gotta support local production once in a while, else it’s the whole chicken and egg problem.
ShaolinTiger,
Yah, agreed.
By Mellissa on Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
Rafflesia is such a cute name, haha
By McGarmott on Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
Hey KY, I was the one who invited Gareth and Suanie to come (and Suanie in turn begged me to let you come … okay, nolah, she asked very nicely :p). Incidentally I had zero involvement in the making of the film as well.
I have to say though, the audience wasn’t laughing as much as I had hoped … e.g. one of the funniest thing to me was the camera blocking the singing character and rack-focussing to the nurse scratching her leg.
By eiling on Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
Since you recommend, ok la, I go watch.
By binn on Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
owh maybe i should try this one out… for locals, I would say SEPET was the great one up till today~
By joshuaongys on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
the name tony chow chee fai is still going on and on in my mind weh…
By KY on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
Mellissa,
Hahaha yah biggest and stinkiest flower in the world
McGarmott,
Thanks! Oh well I think audience expectations were slightly different after seeing so many mentions and awards this film gets.
eiling,
Yes support local films!
binn,
I must agree that SEPET remains to be the best local film I’ve seen yet.
joshuaongys,
Hahhaa
By Galvin on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
Did the movie live up to it’s title?
By Jade Zheng on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
yee… hmm. nice onot.. =/
By KY on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
Galvin,
It’s actually not too bad.
Jade Zheng,
Boleh tahan lorr
By eyeris on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
FOOYOH! free movie! SELLOUT samore!!!I only get to watch UP…:p
By Yatz on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
hmmm…i wanna watch sepet and gubra~!!! havent watch yet T_T
By suanie on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
i want to smack eyeris
By KY on Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
eyeris,
cis budak ni berlagak lagi!
Yatz,
DVD is your friend
suanie,
I KNOW!
By yapthomas on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
seems like another local production that could be on par with Yasmin Ahmad’s eh..
By hitomi on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
O.o local production??
I thought it is korean movie coz the actor is YEo Jun han haha!!
By Daniel Yap on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
Nice review from public perspective. This is what I need for knowning what is good and worth watching.
I always wasn’t sure about local production film, but I think I got to watch Sepet now after you mentioned in your comment reply.
By KY on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
yapthomas,
Hahaha maybe not yet.
hitmoi,
LOL no laa
Daniel Yap,
Ah, Sepet is very worth watching, do it.
By sotong on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
oh.. I’m not a supporter for local made.
By Incantation Samurai on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
Kinta 1881 was not bad at all too.
We should support local film and also kick out LPFN bygots.
By KY on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
sotong,
Yah you traitor!
Incantation Samurai,
Ooo I haven’t watched that one though..
By McGarmott on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
KY, please don’t waste your time with Kinta!! It’s one of the most atrocious Malaysian films out there …
Or, watch it anyway. Sometimes one has to purposely suffer in order to appreciate the better things in life.
By KY on May 1, 2009 | Reply
McGarmott,
Hahaha, the worst movie I’ve watched so far was “Vampire Assassin”, try it!
By Swifty on May 1, 2009 | Reply
Kinta 1881 is an interesting masterpiece, it’s like the director’s previous film, Third Generation, but with some martial arts, and without Carmen Soo. His style is… incomparable.
By KY on May 1, 2009 | Reply
Swifty,
seems like the verdict is very polarized.. emm