SHUIB TAIB reviews KAYANGAN, directed by Raja Ahmad Alauddin, a romantic comedy about a motorcycle-riding prince and a village girl. Starring Nurfazura Sharifuddin, Teuku Zacky Azwar, Dynaz Mokhtar and Opie Zami

DETAILS do matter. At the sneak preview of Kayangan, a debut flick by Raden Pictures Sdn Bhd, the first thing I noticed (and applaud) is the correct use of English. The pronunciation, emphasis and grammar.

I remember once pointing out to a producer glaring grammatical errors in his movie, which he felt were “minor errors”. Well is this a minor error: “A and I are just a friend!” It just makes me cringe every time I hear that.

Thankfully, Kayangan, whose characters switch between Bahasa Malaysia and English, had none of this, which allows you to enjoy the movie without having to scrutinise language usage.

Kayangan is a romantic comedy about a kampung girl named Maseira (played by Nurfazura) who bumps into Tengku Amir, a prince.
Tengku Amir (played by Indonesian actor Teuku Zacky Azwar) rides his new bike at full speed through a small village only to skid and land in a heap of cow dung! Initially, the villagers think he’s a criminal on the run but are pleasantly surprised to learn of his status, and that he’s from a royal family who have been treating them nicely. In gratitude, Maseira’s family offers her for a job with the prince.

What is refreshing about Tengku Amir, who already has a girlfriend Erina (played by Dynaz Mokhtar), is that he does not take advantage of Maseira, though she’s a beauty and a kampung girl. Neither does he cheat on Erina, even though Erina whose favourite pastime is shopping can be a real pain.

You like the fact that the director gives enough time for the characters to grow before something happens. However, the pacing could have been improved; some scenes just happen too fast. Example: the scene where Maseira meets with Abang B (Razali Hussin) who intends to make her his wife; this could have been given a bit more time for it to be felt. Another scene is the lunch between Maseira and Tengku Amir which could have been embellished.

A love story between two people from different backgrounds is nothing new. Tan Sri P. Ramlee did it in Antara Dua Darjat and many others followed suit. Still, Kayangan can stand on its own for its different approach.

Fancy dress costumes, line dancing, blogging and the Negri Sembilan dialect are elements in the movie which spell originality. Yes, folks, check out Fazura’s Negri dialect, which sounds authentic.

Although there are no big stars in the movie, the cast generally give a sterling performance. Nazril Idrus was convincing as the playboy and Dynaz’s annoying character came through.

If nothing else, Kayangan The Soundtrack performed by award-winning artistes such as Siti Sarah and Datuk Siti Nurhaliza is worth checking out.