Note (2015) - full transcript

Kamal and Erin, a couple facing midlife crisis after prolonged lack of real communication, caused by years of failure at trying to have a baby. On their 10th year anniversary, they decide to have a trip to Bako National Park where they had their trip over 10 years ago to reignite their bond of love and marriage.On their way to Bako, Erin inadvertently discovers that Kamal is drafting a note that implies he is planning to end it all. Shocked, she starts feeling sorry for Kamal and also feels guilty about the situation. But later she finds out Kamal's secret, that makes her infuriated and upset, so she begins to plan the perfect murder, using his note as strong evidence of his death. Her plans goes awry, once a local Sarawakian, Jemat, their boatman to the isolated National Park comes into the picture...

"Nota"

Ten years, you know, Mayumi?

Everything looks so different.

So you guys are planning to go back to the
same national park?

For your tenth anniversary?

Why?

You told me, you guys don't even
talk to each other anymore.

I know.
I just...

I just thought...

...maybe we can go back to...

...where it all started.



Back to the beginning.

Oh, you thought?

And it's your idea, isn't it?

Oh, I...

I didn't want to say anything.
I just don't want to get disappointed.

It's beautiful.

Yeah, it is.

This is where we got engaged.

You guys were not...

No, not at the time.

He proposed to me right there.

Let's go sit down!

-I want some.
-Do you want some?

Oh, please. Stop blaming yourself.



Not having a baby is not your fault, Erin.

We've discussed it many times, remember?

You can always adopt one if you want.

I know.

Sometimes it's harder to talk to people
that I've known for ten years...

...than...

I don't know, you, I've...

I've known you for three
or four months only.

Yeah, it happens, I think.

I don't know much about marriage, but...

...couple starts just
being strangers, right?

Or the magic words like
destiny, mate, soulmate...

...become meaningless after a while.

Love is just a fairy tale, someone said.

Just strangers, huh?

We are born alone and die alone.

Being with someone special is just a...

...momentary dream.

Gone in a blink of an eye.

And we all have to
wake up to reality.

Sooner or later.

That's a little bit negative.

Is that some kind of
Japanese way of thinking?

I don't know. I think I've
just learned it the hard way.

Are you talking about Eric?

I told you he was no good.

I once saw a Spanish girl, she wanted
to kill him with a kitchen knife.

You didn't tell me that.
I didn't know.

Knife do.

You know, Erin.

I think there is a very...

...a very fine line
between love and hate.

I don't mind using
a chainsaw on him.

It's quite nice not to
work anymore, but...

...sometimes it does
get lonely and boring.

Yeah, I guess.

Do you want to come over sometime?

Yeah.

You like nasi lemak, right?

-I'll make it for you.
-Sounds like fun.

Yeah, let's do it.

Maybe when you get back from Sarawak.

Eat.

Tomorrow we're going to Sarawak.

Take care.

There's a fine line...

...between love and hate.

-Wait, dear.
-Where are you going?

You see this?

Help, this crocodile got me!

Come here!

Stand there.
Okay.

Pose nicely.

There you go.

Okay, come on.

Come here.

-Please, don't!
-Don't run away!

Honey!

It's like a dream.

This is not a dream.

You don't want this?

This is a seashell.

-Sir? Where to, sir?
-Bako.

Bako? No problem.
Tourist's spot!

I can take you there.
Came alone?

-Your wife?
-Yes. How much to Bako?

60! Other drivers charge 80.
Very cheap!

Get in, please.

Get in.

Please.

I'll help with bag.

Please, sir.

If you go to Mulu Caves, you
will see a lot of dragonflies.

You know dragonflies, right?
Thousands of them!

You didn't know that, right? Right?

You must go to Mulu Caves
to check them out!

Dragonflies there are
huge like real dragons!

Just joking!

Actually you will see bats,
thousands of them...

No flowers bloom forever...

Then, it was light, but now, an eclipse…

Now we have reached the end…

No flowers bloom forever…

Then, it was light,
but now, an eclipse…

Strange. I know where
this torture ends.

The answer is…

...where the sky and the ocean meet.

Willing to let go…

...for your happiness.

Willing to sacrifice…

Willing to let go…

...for your happiness.

Willing to sacrifice…

Sir, why don't we go to
my uncle's restaurant?

They have everything,
prawns, local veggies…

The food there is the best in the world!

-Shall we go?
-Hey! Where are we going?

-Just a shortstop.
-No, just stop here!

-Please stop here.
-A fast meal, a very shortstop! Okay?

-No need.
-Okay, as you wish…

My God! Stupid driver!

Do you know how to drive?

Here he is, boss!

Where are you going to run?
Forgot about your debts?

I'm driving a taxi to pay you off.

You gamble all your money away.

Think I am going to
believe a gambler?

Hit him!

Take this!

Hurry!

Stop!

Faster! Run!

Hey, what are you guys fishing for?

What bait are you using?

What bait?

Guys, where's the main road?

Hey.

Okay, guys.

-Sir?
-Yes.

Can you help us? We seem to be lost.

-Where are you from?
-Kuala Lumpur.

Where are you heading?

-Hopefully, find the main road first...
-Then?

-Maybe, go back to Kuching.
-Then?

What?

Then what?

Tomorrow morning, we'd like
to go to Bako National Park.

I was right.

Nothing interesting here in the village.

There must be a reason why you
didn't make it to the park today.

Our taxi had problems, so
we have to get a new taxi…

I understand.

So will you take us
to the main road?

Come, follow me.

Thank you, sir.

You just finished your prayers?

No. Just met a friend.

That's good.

There is no taxi at this time of day.

Even if there is,
be careful of the driver.

The driver might take you to the jungle...

...and chop off your
heads like chickens!

Sir, are you taking
us to the main road?

No.

Where are you taking us then?

My house.

Look, if you have a car,
just send us to Kuching.

I don't have a car...

Only a plane!

Alright, if it's like that…

No phone signal here...

Look.

I have a boat...

...and my job is sending
tourists to the park.

I can send you there
tomorrow, no problem.

Sir, can you possibly
send us there now?

Tide is still low.
Stay the night at my place.

Sir, we cannot stay
at your place...

Where else will you sleep?

There are no hotels here.

You are in difficulty.
You are in my village.

What else can I do?

Well, it's up to you...

Look over there!

Smell this!

Hungry?

I'll cook you something special.

Come.

Poor thing…

My flowers are dying...

Not enough rain this year.
So sad...

Yeah. No flowers bloom forever, huh?

Come and eat.

This is mashed pufferfish.

My favourite food.

Pufferfish...

Usually they are thrown away.

Because they are poisonous.

They must be cooked the right way.

Don't worry, I took out the poison.

She doesn't eat fish.

I have some squid.
I can cook it, if you want.

Never mind.

How many nights in the park?

Two nights.

First time?

No, second time.

Can I ask you something?

What do you do in KL?

A doctor.

Doctor? You must be rich.

Well...

-You killed that crocodile?
-Yes.

In my lifetime, I had
to kill three of them.

That's the largest.

In 1977,...

...my boat's engine was down
in the middle of the river.

I was repairing the
engine in the water...

...it came to attack me.

Attack?

Yes...

First, it tried to attack me from behind.

It caused the injuries on my
back and tried to bite my leg.

I struggled to keep it away...

Luckily, my leg was not torn off.

I managed to get on the boat…

It climbed on the boat too.

Half its body was in the boat.

I don't have any choice.

I grabbed a knife and stabbed it...

...in the eyes and head,
again and again...

...until it stopped moving.

A lot of crocodiles in the river?

Yes, there are.

Just last week, a girl went missing.

Because of crocodiles (men)?

Your wife has a strong imagination.

Be careful....

Crocodiles love lurking in calm waters.

Please eat more.

Kamal...

What?

I want to talk to you
about something.

About what?

About the note you wrote...

Why didn't you tell me?

Why didn't I know?

Kamal...

You should have told me earlier…

Sit nearer, boat is lop-sided.

To blow away the cobwebs!

Hey, what are you doing?

"A taxi driver died in an accident"

"A taxi driver died in an accident"

What are you thinking?

Any problems?

No, nothing.

Have a drink first, we
have a lot of time.

We won't leave now?

No, tide is still low.
We wait for high tide.

My temperature is up.

What?

I'm ovulating, so...

-...maybe, tonight, we can...
-Drink?

-Ice lemon tea.
-And you?

Milk tea.

Why do we have to wait so long?

English, please.

Why do we have to wait so long?

I told you, right? I have no time.

I have to be in Kuching
by tomorrow evening.

I got a plane to catch to KK.

Up to you. I'm sure
you will be stuck.

You told me I can push a boat.

Yeah, we cannot miss Kinabalu mountain.

We spend a lot to make the reservation.

Okay, but don't complain later.

Hey, we've been stuck here for hours.
Bring me there now!

Okay, let's go.

He's so slow!

What do they know?

Foolish tourists...

They will be stuck in the river.

Our lives in this village are
carried out according to time.

Things keep changing...

…constantly.

According to time?

Yes, according to
time and seasons.

We live with the flow of time.

High and low tides.

Weather changes.
Sometimes hot, rainy sometimes cloudy.

The moon is at times full,
at times crescent.

Living in the village is full of cycles.

If you break these cycles...

...there will be a
price to pay later.

Cycle between husbands
and wives too.

Like the monthly
cycle of a woman.

Thank you.

To entertain you, while waiting...

...I have a story to tell.

Want to hear? Huh?

This is story about a
Sarawakian woman, long ago.

In the beginning, she was happily married.

Until she found out that her
husband was having an affair.

Ridiculous story.

Listen first.

First...

...the woman got jealous.

Then she realized how badly
she was hurt by her him.

How not to be hurt?

Her husband was unfaithful.

From this feeling of betrayal,
she started to plan something bad.

She actually planned to kill her husband.

But in a very subtle way...

That won't cause any suspicions.

How to kill the husband?

Then she remembered
her goat which died...

...after it accidentally
ate some bamboo stings.

She used the same way
to kill her husband.

She cooked his favourite food.

Chicken cooked in bamboo...

She shaved bamboo stings...

...and mixed it with the food.

My goodness!

The husband ate the food in gusto.

He didn't suspect anything sinister.

Guess what happened to him?

His insides were full of pus...

...caused by the bamboo stings.

After six months of suffering...

...he died quietly…

Women.

Very smart.

Fine in manner and looks...

...like the bamboo stings.

But dangerous, when scorned.

Don't worry. I'll turn back.

Why you stopped the engine?

So as not to disturb them.

Disturb who?

Look at that tree over there.

What about it?

Remember the story I
told you last night?

That's where I was attacked.

Be careful...

That place almost became my grave.

What?

I am willing, if I die there
at the hands of the crocs.

Willing to sacrifice?

Yes!

I'm proud to be known as the
protector of the Bako River!

Can you keep quiet?

What were you muttering anyway?

I was communing with the crocs.

They can hear us from afar.

They even can hear us
tear a betel leaf.

So if we float a perfect betel leaf...

...it tells them that we...

...enter their space in peace.

How long do we have to wait?

Not long, just wait for
the tide to come in.

It's just a part of the cycle.

High and low, right?

The tourists must not be too far from us.

They have been stuck since
they left the jetty?

Look over there!

I can see them. We can overtake them.

Want a race?

It's shallow.

Look there.

I guess they have to
push their boat as well.

Ladies and gentlemen…

Get ready.

Take a deep breath, hold on tight...

Here we go!

Go!

Go!

Look, the boat went crazy!

What did you do to the engine?

I will come to pick
you guys up later.

Welcome.

I know where this torture ends.

The answer is…

...where the sky and the ocean meet.

Willing to let go…

...for your happiness…

Willing to sacrifice…

I will go register for the hike.

Kamal?

I have to tell you.

I have to tell you.

I read your note.

I didn't know you felt this way.

Kamal, we have to talk.

I know there must be a
solution, I know it.

I won't fuss about how
you arrange furniture.

Or noise from typing…

We have to talk things through, Kamal.

I know we tried before,
we have to try again.

We have to try again, Kamal.

Please Kamal, we have to work this out.

Kamal?

Kamal?

Kamal?

After so much has gone
wrong with my life,...

...I don't think anything
going to scare me, baby.

You know, I have accepted
so much that's wrong.

But you make everything perfect.

Baby, look. I know
it's only been a few months,...

...but that one night
we had together.

It's just changed my whole
perspective of life.

You make me feel so alive, baby.

What?

You're what?

You're pregnant?

Oh, my God!

We're going to have a baby?

I can't believe I'm going
to be a father, baby.

It's everything I've
ever wanted in life!

No, I'm not going to jump
off some stupid cliff, okay?

I can't believe I wrote that note.

Look, let me clear this
trip with Erin, okay?

No, I promise. I will clear
everything for you and the baby.

Okay?

I guess that moon stone brought
us luck and happiness.

I can't wait to see you, baby.

I love you, okay?

I've got to go.

Bye.

Have you registered?

What?

Registered or not?

Yeah.

Good morning.

Hope you guys slept well.

Good morning.

We meet again.

Yeah.

Which trail are you taking today?

Not too far, just want
to enjoy the scenery.

Okay, see you again.

No flowers bloom forever…

Then it was light, but now an eclipse…

Now we have reached the end…

Baby, look.

I know it's only been a few months,
but that one night we had together.

It's just changed my whole
perspective of life.

Look.

Let me clear this
trip with Erin, okay?

No, I promise.

I will clear everything
for you and the baby.

I guess that moon stone brought
us luck and happiness.

You know, Erin.

I think there is a very...

...a very fine line
between love and hate.

The answer is…

...where the sky and the ocean meet.

So pretty.

For you.

Will you marry me?

Kamal.

Willing to let go…

...for your happiness…

Willing to sacrifice…

Willing to sacrifice…

Thank you.

Mrs. Erin.
Get in.

Where's your husband?

He wants to stay one more day...

...alone.

Hope that Mrs. Erin didn't
leave anything but footsteps.

That's what all tour guides say.

What do they know?

Oh, I forgot.

Mrs. Erin doesn't like my chanting.

I thought you were an
expert about tides.

Nothing is constant.

Seasons, tides.
Things always change, Mrs. Erin.

Can you stop calling me Mrs?

I apologize.

I have a story to
entertain you with...

Please don't share any
of your stupid stories.

You don't want to
hear my stories, huh?

What if I tell you a story about...

...a note?

Interested?

What are you saying?

A note...

What note?

You know what note.

And I know how you
are going to use it.

Now I know you want
to hear my story.

If you have to tell, go ahead.

Okay. But...

I don't know which part of this
long story that will interest you.

I can tell the story of
a man in the village.

He lives alone by the river.

His life is lonely, empty...

But he loves telling stories.

And his life suddenly changes…

...when he meets a rich couple from
the city who got lost in his village.

He can sense that something is...

...wrong with their relationship.

He can sense that it has been
happening for a long time.

Until the wife plans
something sinister.

Do you know what she planned?

She planned to kill her husband.

The wife hates the husband so much?

Not only that.

Maybe the husband has life
insurance worth millions?

Interesting story...

But maybe you might have
over-estimated their wealth.

Maybe...

But I know you're going to use
the note as proof that...

...you didn't kill your husband.

Now...

Your story...

...has become mine to tell.

So, what do you want?

It's more than what I can hope for...

Hope you enjoy the
beautiful scenery, dear.

There will be lots of time
for more storytelling...

Help!

Help!

Look at them! They are
pushing their boat together!

Look at them!
Loser!

Loser!

Loser!

See you later, alligator!

Take him.

Take him.

Take him.

Dear.

Puffer fish?

But, that's poisonous!

Yes, it is.

But you guys eat it too, right?

Yeah, but we don't cook by ourselves.

I learnt it from a local fisherman.

The authentic way.

Maybe you can try it sometime.

Okay.

So, how's your husband?

Did he enjoy the trip?

I don't know.

He wanted to stay longer, alone.

Maybe it's better this way.

Maybe it's what we needed.

I almost forgot.

I have some nasi lemak for you.

I've cooked it this morning.

Fantastic!

Smells good.

High tide brought the body to the beach.

Low tide exposes everything.

"Police"