I HAD a good laugh when I took three sexagenarian friends to watch Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan at a cinema in Shah Alam last week. I had texted them earlier to dress down and wear a cap, if necessary, as I was taking them on an exciting excursion.
All three told me that they had to offer a good excuse to their spouse to go out since it was still early in the day.
I had to give in as they did not want to hurt their spouses' feelings. I texted back that I was taking them to watch Mat Kilau at I-City Mall.
They were super excited, not only because the film was a box- office hit and because of the reviews and criticisms surrounding it, but also because they had not stepped into a cinema hall in years.
They obeyed my instructions. They dressed down and wore T-shirts and caps, a departure from their usual jubah (robe) and skullcap, the attire they usually wore for prayers.
Hj Kamil said: "I feel like we are going on a fishing trip or bird-watching minus the fishing rods and binoculars."
Hj Zainal, who is in his late 60s, said his wife and children laughed when he told them that he was watching Mat Kilau with his surau buddies.
"Abang buang tabiat ke gi tengok wayang. Umur dah senja," his wife teased him.
Dr Latiff had no trouble explaining to his wife about going to the movies because his spouse gets bored with him around the house.
We were surprised to see a good number of old men and women with their families.
"You see, it has been eons since I watched a movie, sitting on this plush seat munching popcorns," Hj Zainal whispered.
Later, as we were having meals at a restaurant after spending two hours watching the historical-action film, I asked them about their thoughts on director Shamsul Yusof's interpretation.
"First off," said Hj Kamil, "the historical narrative is wrong. I don't think the scriptwriter did enough research on Mat Kilau and his struggles. A huge historical figure is involved here and Mat Kilau's character is portrayed so superficially in the film."
Hj Kamil said Mat Kilau was a pious man who had his own kitab, a combination of religious knowledge and silat, the Malay art of defence, to make him and his disciples stronger and disciplined.
Hj Zainal opined that the film was a grim reminder of the current politicians and how disunity among Malay leaders could lead to a fractious community, and loss of political power.
"The weakened political structure led to the intervention of the British in the Malay states. Many Malay pembesar (chieftains), like today, were power hungry. Same old story."
Dr Latiff did not like the dialogue.
"They sound so theatrical and operatic as if I'm watching a stage play. The conversation between the characters is not normal and the dialogue is preachy. It's about patriotism. The director shouldn't have overpushed the message."
"What say you, then?" Hj Kamil asked me.
I told them the action flick lacked historical facts, to begin with. It did not lend justice to Mat Kilau, a great Malay warrior whose adventures were larger than life.
The film did not trace Mat Kilau's personal history and his struggles. The film failed to depict his exploits in fighting the colonial master. More importantly, the film did not delve into how he survived the British dragnet until his death in 1970.
"Yes, I was expecting more of Mat Kilau's exploits as history has been written about his guerilla tactics when he was pursued by the British in the thick jungles of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan," Dr Latiff interjected.
For me, Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan is merely an action flick. Nothing more, nothing less — just like Shamsul's previous films Evolusi KL Drift and KL Gangster that earned him multiple accolades in the film industry.
The film could still have been a box-office success even if he did not use Mat Kilau's name in the title.
What we desperately need are well-researched and engaging patriotic biopics on Malaysian heroes.
The writer, a former NST journalist, is a film scriptwriter whose penchant is finding new food haunts