Polis Evo & Ghaz Abu Bakar

Polis Evo has become the Malaysian highest grossing Film. theSun have got the director of Polis Evo, Ghaz Abu Bakar to pick his ten favourite cop action movie. Here is the full article.      

A scene from Polis Evo 

Headline: Drawing Inspiration From The Best 
By Bissme S 

Ghaz Abu Bakar ... the director for Polis Evo

MOHD GHAZZALI ‘Ghaz’ Abu Bakar’s highoctane action drama
Polis Evo has made history by becoming Malaysia’s highest-grossing local film at the box office, collecting RM17.96
million thus far.
The film centres on two police officers, Inspector Khai (Shaheizy Sam) and Inspector Sani (Zizan Razak) who come from different backgrounds. Khai is a city cop while Sani is from a small town. Their opposing personalities put them
at loggerheads. Yet, they must put aside their differences to bring down a drug syndicate.
The film’s explosive action shots have put Polis Evo a class
above other local productions. Recently, theSun managed to pin down director Ghaz to list the movies that have inspired him in his directorial effort.

*Bad Boys

Ghaz says when he first saw this Michael Bay’s film about two detectives assigned to protect a murder witness while investigating a case concerning stolen heroin in 1995,“I was stunned by the action, the camerawork and the awesome soundtrack”.
He adds: “When Astro Shaw approached me to make Polis Evo, I knew this film was going to be one of my biggest influences.”
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*Lethal Weapon

“I remembered watching this film for the first time when I was 14.”
Ghaz says before the cameras began rolling on Polis Evo, the
producers asked him to re-watch this buddy cop movie.
Directed by Richard Donner, the film is about a veteran officer forced to partner a young suicidal cop as they attempt to stop a gang of drug smugglers.
The producers had wanted him to capture the spirit of the two cops’ relationship for Polis Evo.
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* The Other Guys

“I love the comedy in this film, and Mark Wahlberg is awesome at displaying subtle comedy while Will Ferrell is fantastic at delivering funny one-liners with a deadpan face.”
The two actors play New York City detectives trying to crack
open a major case in an attempt to achieve fame and respect with hilarious results in this Adam McKay comedy.
Ghaz admits that to a certain degree, he modelled Zizan’s
Inspector Sani after Ferrell’s character in this film.
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*Hot Fuzz

“[This is] another buddy cop film that takes action, comedy and gore to the next level,” says Ghaz.
This Edgar Wright film is about a London cop (Simon Pegg) who is transferred to a quiet English village where he soon
finds a sinister conspiracy among the residents of the village.
“I love the twists towards the end, where an ordinary comedy
film becomes a violent action film, with some graphic visuals.”
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* Seven

Ghaz says he loves the cinematography and the dark atmosphere of this David Fincher film about two detectives hunting a vicious serial killer, with an ending that sends shivers down your spine.
“I tried to apply a similar atmosphere in Polis Evo.” 
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* Die Hard: With a Vengeance

This John McTiernan film from the Die Hard franchise is about a police detective (Bruce Willis) and a store owner (Samuel L. Jackson) trying to stop a terrorist from robbing the Federal Reserve Building in New York.
“I really love the fact that in this film] a cop teams up with regular guy to stop a crime from taking place, and the friendship between Willis’ and Jackson’s characters really stands out in the film.”
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* Mission Impossible III

The third film in this franchise has Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom
Cruise) hunting a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer (Philip
Seymour Hoffman) who threatens him and his fianceé.
“I love how J.J. Abrams made this film, with fast cut editing, fast-tracking shots and intense close-ups,” says Ghaz.
“I applied a similiar method in Polis Evo. I wished I had the same budget he had [for his film]!”
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* I Saw the Devil

This Kim Jee-woon film focuses on a top secret service agent’s hunt for a dangerous psychopath to exact revenge for the murder of his fianceé.
“My inspiration for the villain, Izrail, in Polis Evo came from the villain in this film. My dream one day is to make
a dark revenge thriller.”
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* A Bittersweet Life

For Ghaz, he finds that Korean filmmakers have interesting ways of telling their stories. In this film by Kim Jee-woon
about the right-hand man of a crime boss who turns on
his employer over a woman. Ghaz says he loves the film’s production design.
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* Training Day

This Antoine Fuqua film is about a rookie cop (Ethan Hawke) who goes on a nightmarish 24-hour training course with a rogue detective (Denzel Washington) who is out to make his life a living hell.
“If you love Denzel Washington, then you should watch this film,” says Ghaz. 
“The more you watch it, the more you love it.”

Polis Evo

 

Shaheizy Sam & Zizan Razak

Yesterday the sun published the interview I have done to promote the film Polis Evo which will hit the cinemas on Sept 17. Below is the full article 

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Headline: On The Side of the Law

By Bissme S 

You might think having two big stars acting together in one film will end up with a clash of egos. But that was not the case on the set of Polis Evo, Ghaz Abu Bakar’s latest film.

The director says he did not face any such problem with his two leads, popular comedian Zizan Razak and award-winning actor Shaheizy Sam, both of whom enjoy a huge fan base. To prevent any conflicts on set, Ghaz said he made sure the script was fair to both his lead actors.

“I gave them equal screen time and equally challenging roles,” says the director, who has worked with Zizan a few times – in Hantu Kapcai (2012), Tokan (2013) and this year’s Cicakman 3.

“I made sure I did not give more attention to one actor over the other,” says Ghaz.

"Nobody felt neglected on my set.”

Moreover, Ghaz has known both actors long before this film project started.

“They respect me as a director and a friend. They are professionals and listen to what I have to say.”

Both actors agree there was no enmity on set between them.

“I do not believe in overshadowing my costars,” says Sam, who has acted in more than 20 films.

“It always takes teamwork to make a scene effective and believable.”

He stressed that an actor’s job is to make his role look convincing and not to plot on how to steal the thunder from his co-stars.

In fact, to create chemistry between their characters, Sam made it a point to hang out with Zizan off- camera.

“We would go for meals and discuss our characters,” he says.

Their intense discussions motivated the actors to give better performances. Zizan also sings high praises of his co-star, adding that he has always admired Sam as an actor because he feels Sam always puts his heart and soul into any character he plays.

Polis Evo also marks the first time the two actors have worked together on a film. This buddy cop action film isproduced under the Astro Shaw banner and centres on two police officers, Inspector Khai (played by Sam) and Inspector Sani (Zizan). The two come from different backgrounds – Khai is a city cop, while Sani is from a rural area. Their opposing personalities and styles put them at loggerheads, yet, they must work together to take down a drug syndicate.

According to Ghaz: “Both characters are smart but their method of solving crime is totally different.

“They also have big egos and this prevents them from becoming friends. However, they have to put their animosity aside to solve a crime.”

According to Zizan, the experience on this film has been really memorable.

“Sam is never stingy in sharing his knowledge with me,” he says,

adding that this role also allows the audience to see a different – more

serious – side of him, where his jokes are more subtle.

“What I like best about this film is that it does not focus on the

action scenes alone. It also emphasises the relationship between the two cops as well as that of their family members.”

For Sam, his character Khai is a serious cop who is good at his job but not good in forming relationships with other people.

“Secretly, I think Khai is a little jealous of Sani because Sani has family and friends who love him.”

To get into the skin of his character, Sam bulked up by spending five months in the gym and eating a strict, high protein diet.

“What I am doing is nothing new,” he says as he strongly believes that an actor must mould himself to fit into the character that he is playing,

whether it’s working out or gaining weight.

His role in Polis Evo also has a special meaning for Sam, as his late father was a policeman.

“Most of the time, my father went to work very early in the morning and came home late at night,” he recalls.

“As a result, I did not get to see much of him. He was a disciplinarian and did not talk much. He died when I was hardly 12. I did not get a chance to know my father well. But I remembered I wanted to be a cop just like him.”

Indeed, playing this role has allowed him to fulfil his childhood dreams and, in a way, get to know his father a little better.

“Now, I know how it feels to be a policeman,” he says.

Polis Evo will be in cinemas starting from Sept 17.

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Scenes from Police Evo