Writer: Wahiduzzaman

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Watch this if you liked: "The Eye", "Jangan Pandang Belakang", "Congkak"

At last, the most controversial film from Metrowealth, "Jangan Tegur" gets going this month. Paving its way into local cinemas, the latest eerie flick from budding actor/director/screenwriter has got the box-office records of "Jangan Pandang Belakang" and "Congkak" under the belt, and "Jangan Tegur" is likely to repeat the success.

We now see the maturity in Pierre's work. There is vast improvement from "Jangan Pandang Belakang" and "Congkak". Evidently, a lot of effort has been devoted into the pre-production process to make a movie that holds its own. Its creepy touch is projected with less of the typical horror approach we see in most films. Realistic and convincing, the horror is casually exploited with less exaggeration.

Pierre and backing director Ahmad Idham successfully twist a simple and ordinary plot into an interesting affair. The narration and screenplay for the movie are excellent, with good support from lighting and camerawork. Speaking of cinematography, Indra Che Muda on the camera has done a few experimental shots - especially one memorable scene at the traffic light. Of course, it has no effect to the flow of the story but the technical effort is somewhat admirable. Moreover, several other scenes have been shot creatively.

However, the film is not without its flaws. If you aren't covering your face with your palms, you might catch them!

Julia Ziegler has delivered her best effort playing Natasya, considering this is only her debut film. But, it looks like she can do a lot more acting than what is projected. Isn't it a waste? On the other hand, Pierre Andre's role opposite her as Kamal is ordinary. He must have been putting his effort into the film's direction and technical aspects rather than his own acting. This is forgivable since the highlight of the story rests on Julia Ziegler. Nadia Mustafar and Ellie Suriaty on the supporting roles exhibit some semi-convincing acting - it's not entirely credible but it's something to look for. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast (Almy Nadia, Kaza, Rozita Che Wan and Azri Iskandar display only a forgettable acting). Rozita Che Wan stands out as a rather terrible actress - she's stiff and too flamboyant as a doctor.

One sickening point in "Jangan Tegur" is the overdone sound effects. A simple advice to Brian Ng on the sound - please bin the same old trick which has been used in "JPB" and "Congkak" because it's no longer effective today. The poor sound effect only degrades his commendable touch on the film's editing. The make up and costume also doesn't blend - the ghost isn't always consistent.

Overall, "Jangan Tegur" is however a commendable piece that might get you rethinking the local-made horror flick. The well-exploited authentic elements (including the instruments for the scoring and local supernatural belief) are finely designed.

Cinema Online, 10 April 2009