KAMI: The Movie

As soon as the credits began to roll to Meet Uncle Hussain's "Lagu Untukmu", the audience at the media premiere of KAMI: The Movie burst into applause. True, it wasn't The Dark Knight but it was obvious to everyone in the hall that the film they had just watched was a labour of immense love from creators and co-directors, Effendee Mazlan and Fariza Azlina Isahak.

No doubt, the movie has been a long time coming. First introduced as a TV series, KAMI captured the attention of audiences with its story about five friends - Lynn (Liyana Jasmay), Ali (Syarul Ezani), Sofie (Juliana Evans), Abu (Nas-T) and Adii (Zayanah Ibrahim). Set against the backdrop of the local indie music scene, the gigs and the music served as a reflection of the problems the five characters experience - from drug issues and internet romance, to family struggles and juvenile deliquency. It was a mix that worked extremely well and gained the series thousands of fans. A nationwide gig featuring artistes from the show followed and now, almost two years after its debut, the film.

The movie picks up almost immediately from where the series left off.  Besides working on her fanzine, Lynn begins freelancing for Junk (ahem ahem!!!) magazine. The SPM exams are over and just when she thinks that she can enjoy the blissful months ahead, her peace is disturbed by the re-appearance of Boy (Zahiril Adzim). Abu, on the other hand, runs away from rehab and is desperately trying to keep that a secret from his friends, where else Ali struggles to cope with his parents's divorce.

Without revealing too much of the plot, let's just say that it's your classic coming-of-age tale with local flavour and some welcomed twists. What stood out particularly was how natural and 'real' the script and cast were - nothing was too forced or too cheesy, and there were some subtle jabs at issues that were just so Malaysian (eg, ambulance - watch to know what we mean). There's something familiar in each character, lending the whole movie a very believable air. Nas-T really shines as the joker Abu who can crack a joke even at the most dire of times, and Zahiril Adzim is  downright menacing as the ruthless Boy. Admittedly, the more emotional scenes fell flat but hey, the cast is young with room for improvement. It doesn't take away from the fact that this is smart, solid movie that will offer something different to the selection of Hari Raya flicks this year.

Cast  Liyana Jasmay, Syarul Ezani, Nas-T, Juliana Evans, Zayanah  Ibrahim  Director Effendee Mazlan, Fariza Azlina Isahak Runtime 100 minutes Opens 1 October