SLIFF 2016 Review – APPRENTICE

APPRENTICE screens at 2:45 PM on Friday, November 4 and at 8:45 PM on Sunday, November 6, both at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas as par of the  St. Louis International Film Festival. Ticket information can be found HERE for the November 4th show and HERE for the November 6th show.

With elections less the a week away, we’re still be bombarded by ads from candidates campaigning on a tough “law and order” platform. So, a film addressing these issues couldn’t be more timely. APPRENTICE looks at the subject from an international perspective, as it primarily concerns the prison system in Singapore. But, it’s also a family drama, and a tale of a most unexpected friendship. The main focus of the story is twenty-something Aiman ( Firdaus Rahman), who we first meet as he applies for a new job. After an awkward interview, it appears that he will soon be working as guard at a massive correctional facility. This upsets his older sister Suhalia (Mastura  Ahmad), who cooks and cleans the modest apartment they share in a run-down building. We soon learn why: their father was executed at the same prison. The two were adopted after the family tragedy, so Aiman could hide his past from his new employers. Aside from earning a living, Aiman has another purpose there. He wants to read the files on his father, but they’re locked away by the prison hangman. Aiman learns that his name is Rahim (Wan Hanafi Su), a gruff silver-haired bear of a man. Aiman helps him with getting supplies (strong rope fo his duties), and soon the two men form almost a father-son bond. Rahim  then asks Aiman to be his assistant, and grooms the man to take over  after he retires. But can Aiman really aid him without revealing his inner motives?

APPRENTICE actually tackles many of the same themes as the 2001 Oscar-winner MONSTER’S BALL. Especially in the scenes of Rahi befriending those on “the last mile”, acting like a concerned
grandfather as he arranges their last meals and drops off their burial clothes. There’s also some discussion of the harsh punishment system there, as many are being hung for drug-related offenses. Rahman’s strong performance truly anchors the film as he deals with his sister’s desire to begin a new life in Australia with her boyfriend, and as he forces himself to perform his new job’s gruesome rituals. The most compelling character may be Hanafi Su whose Rahim can almos turn on a dime, from kindly papa to a seething ball of fury (he takes out his aggressions behind the wheel). APPRENTICE is engaging drama that will give audience much to discuss and ponder after viewing.