Writer: Ezekiel Lee Zhiang Yang

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Watch this if you liked: "Pocong Dendam", "Pocong 2" and "Pocong 3".

Not again!

Yes, again. Rudi Soedjarwo has always been too good for his handheld camera, it is commonly said. He and close pocong ally Monti Tiwa had invented the 7-day shooting spree that is becoming a genre of film on its own - minimalist films that are shot within a shoestring budget and an even ridiculous time frame.

Having watched all the pocong progeny except the banned parent, "Pocong Dendam", one can easily see the appeal that these movies provide. With a clever mind, one realises that it does take very little to make a movie. Monti Tiwa and Rudi Soedjarwo are masters in fleshing out skeleton stories with the right mix of ridicule, urgency and humour. This time however, the calls for Rudi Soedjarwo to graduate from his indulgent anti-establishment ways are getting louder.

For those who agree that "Pocong 2" was a small cinematic gem and a celebration of minimalist entertainment, "40 Hari Bangkitnya Pocong" is probably the worst of the lot. The absurdist humour is missing. The tight editing is gone. The creativity in making something out of nothing is also nowhere to be seen. This is considerably sad; that Rudi would go to great lengths like dragging a legless beggar from the streets to play a ghost in the movie, yet he has neglected to keep the story sharp and progressive.

One of the better aspects of this film would be Sabai Morscheck. The Indon lass is a better watch than both Revalina Temat in "Pocong 2" and Francine Roosenda in "Pocong 3". Perhaps she's not as arrestingly beautiful as the former or as grittily in-character as the latter. However, I've never seen so much white on a girl's eyes since Angelica Lee! Her characterisation reminds one of Christina Ricci. It makes her a great subject of interest. The same cannot be said of the men in the movie, whose decent acting is let down by poor direction.

Rudi Soedjarwo is good at mocking himself and the audience. In this recent effort, the "40 Hari" could have easily denoted the time taken for someone to be in a vegetative state having watched it. Go back to the basics, Rudi.

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008