Title : Seri Dewi Malam
Year : 2001
Director : Aziz M. Osman
Screenplay : Aziz M. Osman
Cast : Hairie Othman, Jeslina Hashim, Maya Karin, Danny (X-Factor), Rashidi Ishak, Khatijah Tan, etc.

Reviewer : Meor Shariman (mshariman@nstp.com.my)

Of love, coma and psychic powers

When the sky and the earth meet... be prepared to cry! That should be the tag line for Seri Dewi Malam, a new film from the prolific director, Aziz M. Osman, produced by Grand Brilliance Sdn Bhd. Minutes before Aziz M.Osman unleashed Seri Dewi Malam to members of the Press last Tuesday, ushers passed packets of tissue to the attendees. "No, I don't expect you to cry. This is not a sad movie. The tissue is complimentary from our sponsors," said Aziz in his usual cheeky manner.

Barely 15 minutes into the film, that complimentary packet of tissues came in handy.

And before the end credits rolled, one couldn't help but imagine that the only person smiling in the dark Cineplex was Aziz. So local film fans, get ready for Seri Dewi Malam, a film where the sky and the earth meet, where true love lives forever.

Dubbed Malaysia's Steven Spielberg, Aziz's latest offering is unique, combining romance, the supernatural and science-fiction.

On this outing, Aziz also went to the extent of adding Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) in a few scenes. (CGI is used in many Hollywood films like Jurassic Park and The Cell).

A tragic love story, Seri Dewi Malam tests the talent of three new-comers to the film world – Jeslina Hashim, Maya Karin and Danny (X-Factor). Three other major roles are taken up by well-known Hairie Othman, Rashidi Ishak and Khatijah Tan.

The review
Seri Dewi Malam revolves around brain-dead Seri (Maya Karin) whose love for her husband is so strong that she holds on to life.

The girl had gone into a coma after falling off a tower in an early tragic scene. Her husband Azri (Hairie Othman) refuses to let a doctor, Hanif (Rashidi Ishak) end her life especially when he realizes that there is a way to communicate with her.

Azri communicates with Seri through Dewi (Jeslina Hashim), a blind-girl with psychic powers, whose brother, Izad (Danny X-Factor) works at the hospital.

Azri asks Izad and Dewi to help him get Seri out of the hospital and they hide on a private island where Azri communicates with his wife through Dewi.

Azri slowly falls in love with the blind Dewi and has to choose.

Seri Dewi Malam: An Opinion
It is not easy to make a local science-fiction film and it is even harder to make one that touches taboo subjects like the supernatural.

Aziz has flirted with the supernatural before in Fantasi and got into trouble with the censorship board but it has not stopped him from handling the subject again. Aziz has managed to blend the ingredients of romance, science fiction and the supernatural creatively in the movie.

Seri Dewi Malam is not perfect and is not Aziz's best work but is good enough to attract movie-goers to the cinema. I, however, could not help but notice several similarities, either in story-line or even certain scenes, to certain Hollywood films.

Ghost that made Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze household names in the late 80s had a similar story line – a psychic becoming a mediator between the dead and the living.

The tragic scene at the beginning of Seri Dewi Malam reminded me of Cliffhanger and Vertical Limit, in which the hero tries to save his loved-one from falling.

I also noticed slight similarities to The Sixth Sense, What Lies Beneath and even The Cell. But don't worry, Seri Dewi Malam is not a rip-off.

Depressing and dark are not the right description for Seri Dewi Malam although one cannot help but notice the moody atmosphere.

From the first scene in a bedroom where the main characters, Seri and Azri were introduced, low lighting was used. The same atmosphere surrounded the introduction of Izad and Dewi and throughout the film.

Such techniques cause blurry images and the faces of the actors are not clearly seen.

But such mood proves effective in emotional scenes. One example is when Azri talks to his comatose wife. The scenes involving CGI they are commendable for a local production and a good try from Aziz.

The dialogue is quite mushy and teenagers will surely steal lines and repeat them.

Seri Dewi Malam will attract the younger audience and those who enjoy such tear-jerkers as Suara Kekasih and Sembilu.

The acting: An Opinion
Maya, despite her limited scenes, shines in this film.

She has that screen presence and that reminds you of Julia Rais in her silver screen debut. Maya's acting is commendable but her intonation needs improvement. Give her time and she could well be the next leading lady.

Jeslina has the most to prove to the audience, especially since the role of Dewi was originally created for Amy Mastura. Her Dewi is effective and memorable and her intonation for her dialogue is quite good for a newcomer.

Danny (X-Factor) has all the ingredients of a leading actor – good looks and charisma.

In fact, some have been comparing him to Azhar Sulaiman, who, unfortunately disappeared from the movie scene at the peak of his career.

In Seri Dewi Malam, Danny runs away from his fun and mischievous self and does a good job getting sympathy from the audience through different facial expressions.

Unfortunately, fans will notice that in some scenes, his voice is over-dubbed.

But he could still go far and prove the critics wrong.

Hairie gets into the role comfortably even during difficult scenes that require him to play with emotion.

Source : Malay Mail Online 12/5/2001