Tiger Stripes (2023)
Growing up is hard. As one begins to transition from childhood to adulthood, both physical and emotional changes only add the new complexities of life that often can feel like violent acts of diastrophism for one's everyday experience and identity. Through art, this time is a natural experience to explore with some choosing more inspired options for how drastic these moments can be. Selected as Malaysia's official Best International Feature submission for the 96th Academy Awards, Amanda Nell Eu's Tiger Stripes follows an 12-year old girl named Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal) who begins to go through puberty and finds herself with the unique ability to transform into a tiger. Serving as the newest addition to a long tradition of media using animalistic transformation to represent these emotions, Tiger Stripes takes a well-established gimmick and enhances it using a new cultural perspective.
For every unique segment and gimmick held within the film, there is no doubt that Tiger Stripes is a film belonging to Zafreen Zairizal. Bringing the main character of the film to life, Zairizal is immediately given a complex task of finding both an innocence and venom within her character who is consistently attacked by those around her only to have these moments of extreme anger where she lashes out with her transformations. For any actor, much less a younger performer, this balance is one that can be hard to manage yet Zairizal is excellent here. Both in her quieter moments and her flashes of deeper anger, Zairizal brings a natural power and presence to her role that feels natural and authentic, even within the film's more fantastical segments.
The transformation sequences themselves are also quite capable. While it is obvious the film is working around a smaller budget and lack of resources, this is especially clear in some of the weaker displays of CGI seen throughout the film, the movie wisely will often use more sparring visuals and use more concrete filmmaking techniques to display the power of these moments. The cinematography, by Jimmy Gimferrer, especially shines here with an intense and focused hand that finds the film's most iconic shots by simply focusing on Zairizal's face and bringing the audience closer and closer to her displays of emotion.
The one concern with these scenes is simply the weight behind their ideas. As mentioned, the gimmick of using animalistic body horror to display these ideas is nothing new. Even Disney has warmed up to the idea with their 2022 film, Turning Red. For those who have interacted with this type of media in the past, it is hard to say many of these displays within Tiger Stripes truly feel that memorable or unique. While there is a power here, one that will especially relate to those who have shared the lived experience being shared throughout the runtime, it is hard to claim that the film is at all revolutionary in this expression.
The one clear piece of the film that does expand itself beyond this fate is the cultural identity. One of the richest and most valuable parts of exploring global cinema is discovering the diverse perspectives and worlds that many live in. Finding both what is different and what is similar about different cultures and lives is extremely valuable and can open one's mind to new ideas and understandings of the world around them. Tiger Stripes takes place in a small rural community in Malaysia where religious belief is dominant. As is the case with many religious communities, the rules and standards are especially strict towards young women as the world is quick to villainize their bodies and intentions while giving extra pressure on them to behave modestly and respectfully. The cultural exploration of this space within Tiger Stripes adds a unique and effective weight onto Zaffan's shoulders that gives a unique gravitas to her journey.
While it is hard to say that the gimmick of Tiger Stripes is overly new or complex, this allegory remains overall effective. Largely thanks to the power on display from Zairizal and the deeper cultural lens the film uses, the feature remains worthwhile and engaging with the deeper emotional moments still landing a decently strong punch.
For every unique segment and gimmick held within the film, there is no doubt that Tiger Stripes is a film belonging to Zafreen Zairizal. Bringing the main character of the film to life, Zairizal is immediately given a complex task of finding both an innocence and venom within her character who is consistently attacked by those around her only to have these moments of extreme anger where she lashes out with her transformations. For any actor, much less a younger performer, this balance is one that can be hard to manage yet Zairizal is excellent here. Both in her quieter moments and her flashes of deeper anger, Zairizal brings a natural power and presence to her role that feels natural and authentic, even within the film's more fantastical segments.
The transformation sequences themselves are also quite capable. While it is obvious the film is working around a smaller budget and lack of resources, this is especially clear in some of the weaker displays of CGI seen throughout the film, the movie wisely will often use more sparring visuals and use more concrete filmmaking techniques to display the power of these moments. The cinematography, by Jimmy Gimferrer, especially shines here with an intense and focused hand that finds the film's most iconic shots by simply focusing on Zairizal's face and bringing the audience closer and closer to her displays of emotion.
The one concern with these scenes is simply the weight behind their ideas. As mentioned, the gimmick of using animalistic body horror to display these ideas is nothing new. Even Disney has warmed up to the idea with their 2022 film, Turning Red. For those who have interacted with this type of media in the past, it is hard to say many of these displays within Tiger Stripes truly feel that memorable or unique. While there is a power here, one that will especially relate to those who have shared the lived experience being shared throughout the runtime, it is hard to claim that the film is at all revolutionary in this expression.
The one clear piece of the film that does expand itself beyond this fate is the cultural identity. One of the richest and most valuable parts of exploring global cinema is discovering the diverse perspectives and worlds that many live in. Finding both what is different and what is similar about different cultures and lives is extremely valuable and can open one's mind to new ideas and understandings of the world around them. Tiger Stripes takes place in a small rural community in Malaysia where religious belief is dominant. As is the case with many religious communities, the rules and standards are especially strict towards young women as the world is quick to villainize their bodies and intentions while giving extra pressure on them to behave modestly and respectfully. The cultural exploration of this space within Tiger Stripes adds a unique and effective weight onto Zaffan's shoulders that gives a unique gravitas to her journey.
While it is hard to say that the gimmick of Tiger Stripes is overly new or complex, this allegory remains overall effective. Largely thanks to the power on display from Zairizal and the deeper cultural lens the film uses, the feature remains worthwhile and engaging with the deeper emotional moments still landing a decently strong punch.