Film Review: IMAGINUR (2022)
.jpg)
So I watched IMAGINUR with my friend F recently. The movie reminds me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in terms of subject matter and editing. Everything feels like a dream... but what if it actually is? Or worse,...what if it isn't?
The story follows Zuhal, a middle-aged writer trying to navigate his world which runs like a broken record (or, in the words of a hypnosis specialist in the movie - like a burger in which he is stuck) as he faces people and situations that make him question everything and everyone he thought was real.
If you like sci-fi dramas with a dash of philosophy/existential crisis, it's worth watching!
The Basics
About the film:
- Title: Imaginur
- Director: Nik Amir Mustapha
- Duration: 1h 30m
- Genre(s): Sci-fi, drama, romance, fantasy
- Main cast: Beto Kusyairi, Diana Danielle, Nadiya Nisaa, Afdlin Shauki, Rahim Razali, Fatimah Abu Bakar
- Release Date (Malaysia): 23 February 2023
- Synopsis (simplified): A man's everyday life is suddenly disrupted by strange events when he takes his aging father to the hospital for a check-up. Odd coincidences segue through dream logic, patching together scenes from his past while hinting at his fate. Enigmatic signs lead him to an eccentric hypnotherapist to address his fleeting grip on reality.
Source: IMDB
My Thoughts
(Spoilers ahead!)
An insightful exploration on trauma, memory loss, and grief, IMAGINUR is a visually stunning film where the audience is taken on a surreal journey through the eyes of a man whose everyday life seems to be in a dream-like state. The title is a portmanteau of the word 'imagine' and 'nur', which means light in Arabic (it's also the name of the protagonist's love interest).
In the story, Zuhal is hounded by his inability to escape the convoluted loop of dreams and fragmented memories he is stuck in since the beginning of the movie. At one point, reality and illusion become almost indistinguishable to him, which led to him to try hypnosis to become 'normal' again.
Watching Beto Kusyairi (Zuhal) break down while giving his father with dementia a shower for accidentally leaving him at the store was very emotional for me. The part where he gets sudden panic attacks and nausea in particular also gave me flashbacks when I was diagnosed with panic disorder years ago. As someone with ageing parents and who is terribly afraid of losing their memory, these scenes hit me hard.
Here are a few things I really like about Imaginur:
- The protagonist's name, Zuhal, is the Malay word for the planet Saturn. As an astronomy dork, it's a unique name I've never heard anyone use before, so it's a peasant surprise.
- The movie has stunning cinematography and visual effects - the breathtaking natural landscapes juxtaposed against pseudo-science surrealism alongside chill music adds to the dreamyness of the story.
- The acting by the main cast is superb especially Beto Kusyairy (Zuhal). I feel like Afdlin Shauki (Dr Ramli) deserves a special mention as well because he's a natural funny guy on screen, heheh.
- The movie is honest in depicting the cruel realities of living with unhealed trauma in a world that glorifies productivity and efficiency (even at the expense of creativity and passion), of how capitalism isn't compatible with the emotional needs of a human being when dealing with grief and loss.
- It might not be intentional, but my literature-student heart is intrigued by Zuhal's (i.e. Saturn) fascination/obsession with Nur (i.e. 'light') - besides the obvious interpretation of Zuhal's existence being far from Earth's reality, his visions/memories revolving around Nur makes me think of Saturn orbitting the Sun - natural and unyielding attraction until the very end. Also, it feels symbolic that the Sun wants Saturn (which is known as the planet with the most rings) to retrieve the ring he gave to his ex-fiancee so that he could return to his normal self... and that he becomes disoriented again around the time he gifted the ring to Nur. Hmmm.
There are some things about the movie I feel could be explored further and/or could have been presented better, though. For example:
- The ex-fiancee's role in the film (which I assume is one of the red herrings to confuse the viewer on the traumatic point that results in his mind recycling the same memories) feels like a too-convenient addition to the plot, and why/how Zuhal and Nur managed to break into her room to get his late mom's ring is left unexplained. So strange.
- The use of manic pixie dream girl trope for Nur is cringey, especially in a relationship dynamic between full-fledged adults. There is some character development for Nur near the end of the film though, where she is shown to be more complex than we have been made to believe, with more depth in personality and emotions (albeit after an elderly Zuhal slowly reconnects with reality and accepts Nur's passing).
- Zuhal and his sister's relationship feels antagonistic throughout the movie, so the ending doesn't feel realistic. Her lines make her sound mean and bitter, so when it turns out that she was the one who stayed by his side until the end, considering how she was never shown to be nice to him and there's no emotional investment in their relationship throughout the story, it's a bit hard to imagine why she was so adamant to 'save' him.
Note: Since this movie essentially revolves around memory (and I presume the events/characters are based on Zuhal's personal values and/or state of mind, whose grasp on reality is unreliable), in a way it makes sense why the above characters are caricatures of female stereotypes - the bitchy gold digger ex, the whimsical freespirit girlfriend, the naggy sister/wife. This is a common issue for many movies so it's not something that particularly surprised me, but it's kinda a shame that they were written like this... them not being fully-fleshed makes it harder to empathise with them.
Characterisation of supporting characters aside, the overall story, acting, cinematography, and music are definitely still worth watching on the big screen. Please do go watch it in the cinemas if you can! :)
My Verdict
As I was on my way back home from the cinema ruminating over the story and how complex yet feeble our brain is, I was reminded of this quote from one of my favorite plays:
"Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details; others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for memory is seated predominantly in the heart."
- The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams
Although watching this film did make me feel uneasy at times, being able to see difficult topics like geriatric disabilities and mental health being highlighted in a local show is refreshing.
I hope more local films are as willing to challenge and break the chains of mainstream movie formulas.
My ratings out of 10:
- 🎠Acting 8.5
- 🎥 Cinematography 8
- ✨ Interestingness 7
- 🎵 Music/sound 8
- 📈 Plot/writing 6
Last Updated: 2023-02-27
Comments
Post a Comment