Films focusing on eroticism, much less S&M are not exactly common in titles coming from ASEAN countries, and even more so from Malaysia, one of the strictest countries in the area regarding what is depicted on cinema. Joon Goh, however, manages to present a film that deals exactly with that, in a style that both implies and is eloquent about what is going on.
Ayu works for Cecilia at her family's furniture store. But there is something else going on in their relationship, and over lunch break, the two play out a wild, sadomasochistic sexual game that exposes their power dynamic in a completely different fashion. Ever more so, since it is not exactly evident who is the one giving the orders here.
Joon Goh plays with a number of aspects in his 9-minute short, starting with the title, continuing with the concept of S&M and closing with the dynamics between bosses and employees, which are repeatedly turned on their heads here. At the same time, there is a permeating sense of humor, in the ways the two women interact in extremity, which also crosses into the field of horror on occasion, in an amalgam that is equally smart, intense, and entertaining.
The rather polished cinematography by Tan Teck Zee creates a very appealing antithesis with the subject matter, with him pulling no punches in depicting what is actually going on. Gogularaajan Rajendren's editing results in a relatively fast pace that also fits the general aesthetics here. Lim Mei Fan as the boss and Mia Sabrina as the employee have a wonderful chemistry that is exhibited throughout, with the latter having the more difficult role and delivering to the fullest.
Probably the only issue with the film is that it is not exactly clear what happened in the end, although even that actually plays to its positive aspects, in an overall quite intriguing and pleasant to watch short, which, once more this year, highlights the progress of Malaysian cinema.
