Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzi was quick to send congratulations to director-writer Jin Ong and team, saying the win was a source of pride for the nation, and showed the local film industry could bring international recognition to Malaysia.
Abang Adik beat 15 other films from across Asia, including other Oscar submissions like How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies from Thailand, 12.12: The Day from South Korea, Laapataa Ladies (India), and Meeting with Pol Pot (Cambodia).
Fahmi’s delight is understandable. After all, the film’s latest feather in the cap further vindicates the decision by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), to pick it as the country’s submission for the International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards next year.
It would seem a no-brainer since Abang Adik is undoubtedly the most decorated Malaysian to date, having won at least 20 international awards including Best Film at the New York Asian Film Festival, the Black Dragon Critics' Award, and White Mulberry Award for Best Feature Film at the 25th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
It also did well at the box office in China, Taiwan and Malaysia, especially so in Taiwan, raking in RM14mil there.
Despite its undeniable success, its selection for the Oscars was a pleasant surprise, especially so in the prevailing racist climate where there are certain quarters who would go on the offence at any government-backed attempt to raise the profile or promote anything that is not Malay-centric.
Yet, there hasn’t been any adverse reaction from those quarters. Perhaps it's quite palatable as the title of the film in the national language immediately identifies it as Malaysian and not Chinese, and the use of Malay, together with Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Malaysian sign language dialogue – because one of the men is a mute – actually captures how Malaysians really communicate with each other.
Abang Adik is a gritty, poignant and deeply moving story about two young Chinese men who are not related by blood but consider themselves brothers, hence the film’s title. They depend on each other as they try to survive the harsh living conditions as undocumented people.
It is set in Kuala Lumpur’s underbelly, like the grimy Pudu market and an unnamed tenement with a motley crew of residents. This includes a transgender prostitute, Ms Money, played brilliantly by veteran actor Tan Kim Wang, which is yet another pleasant surprise that the character passed censorship!
The film also features popular actor Bront Palarae as a gangster, and a real Buddhist monk in supporting roles. But the heart of the film belongs to the two brothers, played by Taiwanese actor Wu Kang Ren as Abang and local actor Jack Tan as Adik.
Wu was so convincing as the deaf-mute older brother who desperately tries to save his angry, reckless younger brother, that he won Best Actor at last year’s Golden Horse Awards, Asia’s equivalent of the Oscars, as well as at the Asian World Film Festival.
Abang Adik has also won praise for its cinematography by Indian national Kartik Vijay and its music by Malaysian-Japanese artiste Ryota Katayama. His A Walk to Remember from the film’s soundtrack won the Golden Melody Award 2024 (considered the Grammys of the Chinese-speaking world). The soundtrack also includes a Malay song called Semalam.
While the film has done well in Asian film markets, the question arises as to whether Western audiences are able to relate to it. The answer is yes, going by the reviews from people watching it on Netflix.
Like this one from an unnamed reviewer writing on imdb.com: “I am from Greece. I randomly found this film on Netflix. I am an avid movie film addict, and I must say, this movie is EASILY 100% the best film I have watched this year.”
This person adds that this was his/her first Malaysian movie and declared it “An absolute brilliant masterpiece of a film consisting of issues relevant to any part of the world. Halfway through the film, I forgot that I was reading subtitles. That’s how universal this film was, its motive, its message. Just pure genius. This movie will remain in my heart forever.”
Jennie Kermode, writing for eyeforfilm.co.uk, who gave the film a maximum five-star rating, opined, “There are no weak links in this film, but Kang-Ren Wu’s performance is extraordinary. This isn’t simply a case of exploring disability issues in a way that impresses an unfamiliar audience. He builds up his character layer by layer in a way that blends into the story so smoothly that you won’t notice the power of it until it hits you. A scene near the end where he and Adik sit in silence and look at each other is among the finest moments in Malaysian cinema to date.
“Heavy with social import but first and foremost a character piece, this is a superb piece of work and marks the arrival of major new talents in director Jin Ong and its two leads.”
Richard Kuipers had this to say on variety.com: “A deeply moving humanist drama with potent social and political undercurrents” that is a “mightily impressive first feature written and directed by renowned producer Jin Ong (that) will move many viewers to tears as the brothers’ struggles within the large community of stateless Malaysians and undocumented migrant workers in Kuala Lumpur spiral toward tragedy.”
But what really excites me is Kuipers’ declaring the film as “a standout among this year’s crop of Oscar international feature film contenders.” That is indeed high praise, but whether it can stand out enough to make it as an eventual Oscar nominee remains to be seen because there are 85 eligible entries from countries across the globe.
Still, we never thought a Malaysian actress would win an Oscar, but Michelle Yeoh did at the 2023 Award Awards for her leading role in the wildly quirky yet heart-warming Asian-centric comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All at Once.
We will know whether Abang Adik is listed as a nominee when the Academy announces its full list for all categories on Jan 17, 2025. If it makes the cut, then we will have to wait with bated breath till March 3 to find out whether we have another Malaysian first. Go brothers, go!
The views expressed here are the writer's own.
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