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JJ Lin Jun Jie's Short Film The Killa |
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Written by Charmaine Tay
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When one is asked to describe the image of local Chinese singer Lin Jun Jie a.k.a JJ Lin, a sweet faced boy whose earnest appeal has won the hearts of many, would usually come to mind.
Even with his foray into punkish, rock music over the years, this image has more or less been stuck with him. However, 'The Killa', a 21-minute movie starring the singer himself, has probably scraped this squeaky clean image for good. HOOKED tells you why.
'The Killa' aimed to showcase another dimension to JJ's character, one that is darker and more passionate.
As his fans know, 'The Killa' is actually the name of JJ's song from his latest album Westside. The track has generated much hype with its music video showing some rather gruesome scenes. This short film thus shows the extended version of his music video with a lot of extra footage.
The short film opens with a rather calm and typical scene of the protagonist playing the piano, with his hair being gently ruffled by the wind...however, this scene is hardly a harbinger for the mood typifying the rest of the film.
In fact, it is quite the opposite as the film quickly delves into the world of the protagonist's deranged mind. JJ plays a writer with a multiple personality disorder, who becomes obsessed with a beautiful exchange student, recently moved into his neighborhood.
He spies on her at first, but soon moves on to kidnap her, fueling and fulfilling his passion by committing twisted acts of mutilation on her body, all of which is done to express his love and urge for the 'purest form of love'.
What makes it even more perturbing is the fact that he does it in such a reverent manner, leading to the final showcase of his masterpiece.
The film also emphasizes on the multi-faceted nature of the character as his scenes of madness are constantly interjected with his sane self trying to fight against his darker side. This movie seeks to explore the duality of good and evil that exists in each individual, as well as the existence of the darker emotions within the human psyche.
JJ Lin himself has admitted that this film was a way of expressing a different side of him. Not that he has murderous tendencies of course, but that he is not just another one of those fresh faced, cutie boy singers that crowd the music scene. This film showcases JJ in a deep, dark and passionate way that has never been seen before.
The short film is also a sensory feast, pairing graphic visuals with the barely audible sounds of seemingly insignificant actions such as the clicking of the keyboard. All these add up to the surrealism of the film, enabling one to be fully engrossed with the story.
To say that this film was scary is a given; it's not a 'boo' in your face type of fear, but a slow, sickening one, that seeps unnoticingly into your consciousness as you watch the story unfold in silent horror.
The film was shown in a private media screening on the 4th of September and is rated R21. Though there are no definite plans for the future, you may still be able to watch it online. If you do, prepare to be stunned, shocked and disturbed.
Here's the music video, for starters. HOOKED
HOOKED's rating: 4/5
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Written by Guest on 2008-03-16 09:21:30
 . nice review |
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