SHINING A GRITTY LIGHT ON CORRUPTION
THE first scene of this gritty film set in the Klang Valley’s slums best sums it up. Children who enjoy playing police and thief have little knowledge of the real world, until they grow up.
This homegrown neighbourhood game sees players take turns to be police and thief — the police chases the thief, who avoids being caught by running to a designated safe haven.
Each time the game begins, players utter “police and thief, one two jaga, police mati, thief jaga”, hence the title.
Children are taught into believing that there is a clear distinction between good and bad — police are law-abiding heroes while thieves are the law-breaking scum of society.
However, the real world is not that simple. What if the bad guys are not all that bad, and the good guys are not all that good?
When housemaid Sumiyati (Asmara
As a drama that deals with corruption and illegals, One Two Jaga blurs the lines between right and wrong.
It conveys the message that nobody is an angel especially the law enforcers, and that “bad apples” always exist amongst them.
Viewers are able to sympathise with Hassan and Hussein on one hand, and Sugiman and Sumiyati on the other, but the story does not elaborate much on the supporting characters’ motives, and some of them appear unnecessary.
Zahiril’s Hussein and Rosdeen’s Hassan give convincing performances that bear an uncanny resemblance to Jake and Alonzo (Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington respectively) in Training Day.
Ario nails it as tough yet vulnerable Sugiman, while Amerul shines with his realistic Indonesian accent, street-smart bravado, thuggish threats and rabblerousing as Adi.
Chew is in his element, making James every bit the gangster disguised as a law enforcer, while Asmara and Izuan give the story its rare elements of humanity.
Mohd Helmi Yusof’s cinematography superbly captures the ugliness of urban slums, where foreign workers live side-byside with mountains of garbage and life is incredibly fragile.
While violence and gore are kept to a minimum, scenes that depict death and injury “hit” viewers hard when they least expect them.
Director Nam Ron, who has a brief appearance as a rich Datuk, evokes a brilliant social commentary that conveys the message that corruption happens in all levels of society, and results in a vicious cycle that ruins everybody’s lives.
Minor loopholes aside, One Two Jaga is entertaining from the start, and this worthy effort tactfully tackles the scourge of bribetaking which is arguably the biggest social ill in every nation.