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‘Abang Adik’ Review: Malaysia’s Oscar Submission Is a Touching Tale of Brotherhood and Identity
Jin Ong’s outstanding feature directing debut, ‘Abang Adik,’ depicts the plight of undocumented workers and marginalized members of Malaysian society.
First and foremost an engrossing character piece — one that should connect with audiences and encourage them to empathize with those less fortunate — Ong’s carefully crafted screenplay succeeds in shining a convincing light on the realities of daily life for those invisible people living on the margins of one of Asia’s more prosperous societies. Set in the throbbing Pudu Market district that’s home to a sizable sector of the city’s unofficial population, Ong’s film introduces 40-ish Abang (Wu, “Fly Me to the Moon”) and 30-ish Adik (Tan, “Shuttle Life”) as Malaysian orphans of Chinese descent who lack the required paperwork to obtain the national IC (identity card). Kind-hearted softie Abang seems resigned to his fate and wants only to keep looking after little brother Adik, an angry young man who engages in sex work with despondent female client Wendy (Alison Khor), and is mixed up with Kamarul (Bront Palarae), a crime boss selling fake documents and false hope to illegal migrant workers who flock to Kuala Lumpur from across Asia.
Or read this on Variety
