Personal Selection - Favourite Malay Comedies / Musical (Films / Coloured)

1. Mekanik (Othman Hafsham) – Azmil Mustapha, Julie Faridah, Yusoff Haslam, Susan Lankaster & Ahmad Termimi Siregar.

- During the 80's, the local cinemas were filled with many typically slapstick comedies starring AR Badul, Hamid Gurkha, Yahya Sulong, R. Jaafar and the likes. The introduction of "Mekanik" came like a breath of fresh air - fast-paced, extremely intelligent, full of wits, and a very spot-on social satire. Othman Hafsham was well-known for his debut comedy "Adik Manja" a few years earlier. With "Mekanik", he made a star out of Azmil Mustapha and Susan Lancaster. The beautifully sketched plots were so smartly entertwined with comedic bits, and it was endearingly supported by a host of great actors and cameo appearances i.e. Yusoff Haslam (as the Mafia Head, complete with an Italian slang), Ahmad Termimi Siregar, Yasmin Yusoff, Omar Abdullah, and a special appearance by the great Mokhtar Dahari. The movie was also remembered for the many 'double entendres' that kept on running all throughout e.g. the scene where Azmil and Julie Faridah singing and dancing (in the rain) to the tune of "Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai" ended with a remark "... saya dah basah"... which could have easily been interpreted 'in a different manner'. Hafsham continued to produce comedies hereafter, but none came close to the success he had with "Mekanik" - a gem of a comedy.

2. Ali Setan (Jins Shamsuddin) – Azmil Mustapha, Ogy Ahmad Daud, Ebby Saiful, Shah Rezza & Izi Yahya.
3. Adik Manja (Othman Hafsham) – Dharma Harun Al-Rashid, Noorkumalasari, Shasha, Adibah Amin & Noraini Hashim.
4. Buli (Afdlin Shauki) – Afdlin Shauki, Nasya Aziz, Hans Isaac, Sharifah Shahira & Patrick Teoh.
5. XX Ray (Aziz M. Osman) – Aziz M. Osman, Faizal Hussein, Vianney Anastasia Lee, Sharmaine Farouk & Edika Yusoff.
6. Kolej 56 (Ahmad Fauzee) – Ahmad Fauzee, Salwa Abdul Rahman, Ariff S. Shamsuddin, Shah Rezza & Zee Muzakkee.
7. Marah-marah Sayang (Johan Ibrahim) – Isma Aliff, Ebby Saiful, Shah Rezza, Suhaina Yahya, Norlida Ahmad & Liza Abdullah.
8. Cinta & Lagu (Jamil Sulong) – Hail Amir, Noor Azizah, Yusoff Haslam, Nozie Nani & Jamil Sulong.
9. Baik Punya Cilok (Afdlin Shauki) – Afdlin Shauki, AC Mizal, Hans Isaac, Awie & Harun Salim Bachik.
10. Puteri Impian (Aziz M. Osman) – Amy Mastura, Cico, Nur Aliyah Lee, Hairie Othman & Sofea Ibrahim.

Personal Selection - Favourite Black & White Malay Comedies (Films)

1. Pendekar Bujang Lapok (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Aziz Satar, S. Shamsuddin. Roseyatimah & Wak Mustarjo.

- During the era of Black & White, as far as I could remember, only P. Ramlee produced great comedies. And his comedies lasted for decades... No other directors during these era came close to personifying what P. Ramlee had ventured within the lines of comedy. Among his films, the "Bujang Lapok Series" may well be the best remembered. Although all 4 of the "Bujang Lapok" movies are listed here, the best of all would be "Pendekar Bujang Lapok". A few reasons why: -

a. Great songs - "Malam Bulan Di Pagar Bintang" (P. Ramlee & Saloma), "Pok Pok Bujang Lapok" (P. Ramlee, Aziz Sattar & S. Shamsuddin), "Maafkan Kami" (P. Ramlee, Aziz Sattar & S. Shamsuddin).
b. Great one-liners - The most popular is "Cobaan", "Hai, mambang tanah, mambang air, mambang api, mambang angin...", "Ernie, angkat kain jemuran, hujan dah turun...", "Berapa besar lubang hidung, dah? Macam serombong kapal"... and many more.
c. The 'Belajar Mengaji' scene, and the trio's own definition of Jawi Letters. This scene never failed to create huge laughters.
d. The 'Waking Up In The Middle of The Night to Creep Into The Next Room' scene, replete with various croaking sounds of sleep. Another hilarious scene.
e. A memorable baddy i.e. Allahyarham Ahmad Nesfu. Always a great actor with a great range of theatrics. Played the over-protective father in "Antara Dua Darjat" with great elan, and the supportive father-in-law in "Madu Tiga". Always comfortable in both Drama and Comedy.
f. And of course, not forgetting, one of the most beautiful leading ladies of the Golden Era, Roseyatimah. She may have a rather limited range of acting, but she was indeed a sight for sore eyes.

2. Bujang Lapok (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Aziz Satar, S. Shamsuddin, Normadiah, Zaiton, Dayang Sofea & Siti Tanjung Perak.
3. Tiga Abdul (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, S. Kadarisman, Haji Mahadi, Sarimah, Mariani, Dayang Sofea & Ahmad Nesfu.
4. Labu & Labi (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, M. Zain, Mariani, Rahimah Alias & Udo Omar.
5. Ali Baba Bujang Lapok (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Aziz Satar, S. Shamsuddin, Sarimah, Normadiah & Ibrahim Pendek.
6. Seniman Bujang Lapok (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Aziz Satar, S. Shamsuddin, Saloma & Ahmad Nesfu.
7. Madu Tiga (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Sarimah, Jah Mahadi, Zaharah Agus, M. Rafie & Ahmad Nesfu.
8. Nujum Pak Belalang (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Hashimah Yon, Ahmad Nesfu, Shariff Dol & Bat Latiff.
9. Musang Berjanggut (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Saadiah, Ahmad Nesfu, Malek Sutan Muda, Udo Omar & Wak Mustarjo.
10. Ahmad Albab (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, A.R. Tompel, Saloma, Karim Latiff & Mariani.

Personal Selection - Favourite Malay Dramas (Films / Coloured)

1. Layar Lara (Shuhaimi Baba) – Ida Nerina, Sidi Oraza, Azean Irdawaty, Man Bai & Shazleen Shahbi.

- Shuhaimi Baba has always been a bold and inventive filmmaker. Her TV Movie, "Maria", captured my attention years before she ventured onto the Big Screen. Her first official Film was "Selubung", but she topped herself with "Layar Lara". And personally, she never quite managed to capture such form ever since. The storyline and the acting were superb. One of those rare Malay Movies, at that point in time, to use the Direct Sound Recording method. Great performances from Azean Irdawaty (as always), Ida Nerina (always dependable to deliver over-the-top performances) and the rest of the supporting casts, especially Man Bai, Shazleen Shahbi, and the group of Veteran Actors. But I will always remember this movie for two reasons - one is the "gedik" act by Ida Nerina, singing over the phone while talking to Maman... and the other involves Sidi Oraza lashing out his anger towards the indisciplined Ena Manjalara (Ida Nerina). Sidi Oraza had a wonderfully controlled emotion that erupted at the very right moment. Sidi is a brilliant actor who had earlier won the Best Actor accolade in the Festival Film Malaysia (FFM) for his portrayal of a mental patient in "Sayang Salmah". He won his 2nd Best Actor award for his portrayal of the Director in this movie. Unfortunately, his career was rather short-lived. If you are given a choice of only watching 3 - 5 Malay Movies that could give you a glimpse of what Malay Movies are all about, than this should definitely be one of those.

2. Sepet (Yasmin Ahmad) – Sharifah Amani, Ng Chen Seong, Ida Nerina, Harith Iskander & Adibah Noor.
3. Abang (Rahim Razali) – Rahim Razali, Ahmad Yatim, Noorkumalasari, Ahmad Termimi Siregar & Ogy Ahmad Daud.
4. Leftenan Adnan (Aziz M. Osman) – Hairie Othman, Umie Aida, Shaharuddin Thamby, Farid Amirul Hisham & Rusdi Ramli.
5. Fenomena (Aziz M. Osman) – Ramona Rahman, M. Nasir, Amy Search, Abu Bakar Omar & Afida Es.
6. Sepi (Kabir Bhatia) - Afdlin Shauki, Vaneeda Imran, Tony Eusoff, Eja, Baizura Kahar, Pierre Andre & Nasya Aziz.
7. Bukit Kepong (Jins Shamsuddin) – Jins Shamsuddin, Hussein Abu Hassan, Yusoff Haslam, A. Rahim & Suhaina Yahya.
8. Perempuan Melayu Terakhir (Erma Fatima) – Eizlan Yusoff, Vaneeda Imran, Azri Iskandar, Nanu Baharuddin & Ahmad Yatim.
9. Selubung (Shuhaimi Baba) – Deanna Yusoff, M. Nasir, Liza Othman, Ida Nerina & Hattan.
10. Hati Bukan Kristal (Raja Ahmad Alauddin) – Erma Fatima, Ridzuan Hashim, Julia Rais, Zaiton Sameon & A. Rahim.

Personal Selection - Favourite Black & White Malay Dramas (Films)

1. Antara Dua Darjat (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Saadiah, Ahmad Nesfu, S. Kadarisman & S. Shamsuddin.

- "Antara Dua Darjat" boasts perhaps one of the best lists of original songs in any Malay Movies, e.g. "Getaran Jiwa", "Alunan Biola", "Selamat Panjang Umur". P. Ramlee and Saadiah gave one of their best performances ever as Ghazali and Engku Zaleha. P. Ramlee displayed true gentlemanship during the earlier parts of the movie, and later wonderfully displayed a distressed and an emotionally disturbed man with a masterstroke. But the thespian who captured the most attention has got to be S. Kadarisman, whose portrayal as the sinister and egoistic Engku Mukhri led to one of the best confrontations towards the end of the movie. The quote from the film, "Irama dan lagu, tak dapat dipisahkan", became immortal hereafter...

2. Ibu Mertuaku (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Sarimah, Zaiton, Ahmad Mahmud & Mak Dara.
3. Semerah Padi (P. Ramlee) – Nordin Ahmad, Saadiah, P. Ramlee, Daeng Idris & Salleh Kamil.
4. Sarjan Hassan (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Saadiah, Jins Shamsuddin, Salleh Kamil & Omar Rojik.
5. Anakku Sazali (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Zaiton, Tony Costello, Hashimah Yon & Ibrahim Pendek.
6. Lela Manja (Jamil Sulong) – Jins Shamsuddin, Aziz Jaafar, Zaiton, Ahmad Mahmud & Rosnani.
7. Hang Jebat (Hussein Haniff) – Nordin Ahmad, Latifah Omar, M. Amin, Abdullah Sani & Mahmud June.
8. Batu Durhaka (Omar Rojik) – Jins Shamsuddin, Aziz Jaafar, Sarimah, Saamah & S. Kadarisman.
9. Isi Neraka (Jamil Sulong) – Ahmad Mahmud, Saadiah, Salleh Kamil, S. Kadarisman & Haji Mahadi.
10. Penarik Beca (P. Ramlee) – P. Ramlee, Saadiah, Saamah, Udo Omar & Salleh Kamil.

In Retrospect: 2007 - Best Performances (in Hindi Movies)

1. Shahrukh Khan as Kabir Khan (Chak De! India)
2. Abhishek Bachchan as Gurukant K. Desai (Guru)
3. Darsheel Safary as Ishaan Awasthi (Taare Zameen Par)
4. Tabu as Nina Verma (Cheeni Kum)
5. Irrfan Khan as Monty (Life In A Metro)
6. Konkona Sen Sharma as Shruti Ghosh (Life In A Metro)
7. Kareena Kapoor as Geet Dhillon (Jab We Met)
8. Deepika Padukone as Shantipriya (Om Shanti Om)
9. Aamir Khan as Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Taare Zameen Par)
10. Aishwarya Rai as Sujata (Guru) / Shreyas Talpade as Pappu Master (Om Shanti Om)

In Retrospect: 2007 - Best Hindi Movies

1. Taare Zameen Par (Aamir Khan)
2. Chak De! India (Shimit Amin)
3. Om Shanti Om (Farah Khan)
4. Life In A Metro (Anurag Basu)
5. Guru (Mani Ratnam)
6. Jab We Met (Imtiaz Ali)
7. Welcome (Anees Bazmee)
8. Apne (Anil Sharma)
9. Dhamaal (Indra Kumar)
10. Saawariya (Sanjay Leela Bhansali)

2008 - Best Performances (in a Malay Movie)

1. Rosyam Nor (Kala Malam Bulan Mengambang)
2. Afdlin Shauki (Sepi)
3. Zul Huzaimy Marzuki (Wayang)
4. Ruminah Sidek (Pensil)
5. Adlin Aman Ramlie (Susuk)
6. Eman Manan (Wayang)
7. M. Subash Abdullah (Pensil)
8. Baizura Kahar (Sepi)
9. Ida Nerina (Anak)
10. Liyana Jasmay (Histeria)

2008 - Best Malay Movies

1. Sepi (Kabir Bhatia)
2. Kala Malam Bulan Mengambang (Mamat Khalid)
3. Wayang (Hatta Azad Khan)
4. Cuci (Haans Isaac)
5. Susuk (Amir Muhammad)
6. Pensil (M. Subash Abdullah)
7. Kami: The Movie (Effende Mazlan & Fariza Azlina Isahak)
8. Histeria (James Lee)
9. Congkak (Ahmad Idham)
10. Budak Kelantan (Wan Azli)

2008 - Best Animation

1. Wall-E (Andrew Stanton)
2. Kungfu Panda (Mark Osborne & John Stevenson)
3. Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman)
4. Bolt (Byron Howard & Chris Williams)
5. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath)

2008 - Best Comedies

1. Tropic Thunder (Ben Stiller)
2. Vicky Christina Barcelona (Woody Allen)
3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller)
4. Burn After Reading (Joel & Ethan Coen)
5. Yes Man (Peyton Reed)
6. Zack and Miri Make A Porno (Kevin Smith)
7. Happy Go Lucky (Mike Leigh)
8. Be Kind Rewind (Michael Gondry)
9. Semi Pro (Kent Alterman)
10. You Don't Mess With The Zohan (Dennis Dugan)

2008 - Best Action-Oriented Movies

1. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
2. Iron Man (Jon Favreau)
3. Wanted (Timur Bekmambetov)
4. Quantum of Solace (Marc Forster)
5. The Incredible Hulk (Louis Letterier)
6. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (Guillermo del Toro)
7. Speed Racer (Andy & Larry Wachowski)
8. Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg)
9. Hancock (Peter Berg)
10. Cloverfield (Matt Reeves)

2008 - Best Performances (by an Actress)

1. Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz (The Reader)
2. Viola Davis as Mrs. Muller (Doubt)
3. Cate Blanchett as Daisy (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
4. Penelope Cruz as Maria Elena (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
5. Dakota Fanning as Lily Owens (The Secret Life of Bees)
6. Anne Hathaway as Kym (Rachel Getting Married)
7. Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Doubt)
8. Marisa Tomei as Cassidy (The Wrestler)
9. Angelina Jolie as Fox (Wanted)
10. Amy Adams as Sister James (Doubt)

2008 - Best Performances (by an Actor)

1. Heath Ledger as the Joker(The Dark Knight)
2. Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus (Tropic Thunder)
3. Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski (Gran Torino)
4. Tom Cruise as Les Grossman (Tropic Thunder)
5. Mickey Rourke as Randy 'The Ram' Robinson (The Wrestler)
6. Sean Penn as Harvey Milk (Milk)
7. Frank Langella as Richard Nixon (Frost / Nixon)
8. Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
9. Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Father Brendan Flynn (Doubt)
10. Dustin Hoffman as Harvey Shine (Last Chance Harvey)

2008 - Best Movies of the Year

1. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
2. Iron Man (Jon Favreau)
3. Tropic Thunder (Ben Stiller)
4. Wall-E (Andrew Stanton)
5. Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle)
6. Vicky Christina Barcelona (Woody Allen)
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher)
8. The Reader (Stephen Daldry)
9. Doubt (John Patrick Shanley)
10. Wanted (Timur Bekmambetov)

I'm back...

After a considerably long hiatus of almost a year... I'm back.

And this time, I promise to provide more insights to the movies, being a huge fan of them since birth...

I will start with the standard "LISTS" of favourites - movies, actors, actresses, & all those stuff...

Cheerios...

The Blonde Bond

As I recall...

What a miracle it was, that after all these while, in the midst of my indubitably hectic schedule, I managed to grab hold of a seat in the cinema to actually cherish the cinematic feeling of watching the latest Bond flick, Casino Royale.

From the words of mouth and the reviews of critics, and not forgetting my ever-dependable sis-in-law, Casino Royale is said to be different from the normal formulaic nature of the 007 Spy Series previously handed over to cinema fans on a golden plate. This time around, they said James Bond is brasher, more masculine and macho, and merciless to the point of making Pierce Brosnan looked like a sissy.

From the opening sequence, I must say, those words were sneeringly true.

Bond was no usual Bond. This is a Bond whom we have yet to grow accustom to for he was still at his infancy, a spy but not quite a "00-kind" of spy. In order for him to attain the license to kill (and to thrill), he had to accomplish the penultimate requirement of “slaughtering” 2 assignments. In the opening sequence, we get to see the two, in a fleetingly gritty fashion.

Bond was no usual Bond. This is a Blonde Bond, no typical black, prim and proper hair. This is a crew cut version of what we used to come to know of a debonair and dashing super sleuth, with an irresistible English accent, fortunately still intact.

Bond was no usual Bond. He is this time a heartless killer, gruesome and frighteningly brutal when it comes to slicing and dicing his opponents - blowing up Embassies, bashing up dozens of henchmen along the way, doing his own stunts without much help from any typical and usual Bond Gadgets and Gizmos. This time, Bond decides to kill off his opponents largely with his bare hands.

Casino Royale blasts us with a difference in approach and style. Just like any other franchises e.g. Superman, Batman, producers are heading for the roots or the basics nowadays. Batman Series went back to the fore with Batman Begins, while Superman decided to Return to where it all started. Same goes here. James Bond in Casino Royale is a Bond who has no need for technical wizardries (hence Q was not included in the original line up), could not be bothered whether the Lemon Dry Martini is shaken or stirred, and underneath that ruthless demeanor, has a soft spot for a charmingly beautiful lady, played overwhelmingly and deliciously tasteful by Eva Green.

The producers must have had a stronger-than-Brosnan (and obviously Moore) personality in mind. Hence, the reason why Daniel Craig (of "Munich" and "Road to Perdition" fame) was chosen for the role. And by gosh, he fits the role like a glove.

And though I sincerely felt that no one could overtake Sean Connery as the ultimate Bond ever, after all he made the character his with his also rugged and smoldering demeanor, Daniel Craig to me came distinctively a close second.

The World In The Eyes Of Fink... Barton Fink

For the year 2008, I plan to review all the movies that I have been wanting to watch but couldn't for reasons whatsoever... Hence, I kicked off the indomitable plan with "Barton Fink" - the 4th movie to be co-produced, co-written and co-directed by the Coen Brothers i.e. Ethan & Joel Coen.

They have just won the Best Picture Award at the Oscars recently for their latest feature film "No country For Old Men", and it's only fair that they should be the subject of my new venture.

Looking back in retrospect, just like any of their other movies, the title of this movie itself sounds catchy and original. Now, who in the world would have thought of such a title in the first place? Barton Fink? Is he Jewish or what? Judging by the character played by the ever-so-reliable John Turturro (in his best form ever), Fink could easily be recognised as a Jewish lad. These siblings from Minnesotta really knew their stuff...

"Barton Fink" is essentially a story about a new Writer struggling to make an impact in Hollywood. Having had a one hit wonder in Broadway, Fink was summoned to Hollywood by a giant (in every sense of the word) Movie Producer a.k.a. Movie Mogul, Jack Lipnick (played by the Oscar nominated Michael Lerner). He was at first reluctant, but he had ambitions that would dare him to take up the challenge.

It pretty much sums up The Coen Brother's background themselves, having had the opportunity to appear on the Big Screen with "Blood Simple" and moved on with Arty-Farty and not too commercially successful flicks. It's like they are raging their own war against the Hollywood Studios who often dictate what sort of movie they should be making.

In this movie, Fink was asked to produce a 'Wrestling' picture for Wallace Beery - the most popular actor of the time. Set in the early 1940's / 1950's, the Art Direction and the Cinematography by Roger Deakins (the Coen Brother's most faithful collaborator) were luscious and beautiful - carefully setting the mode, the mood and the tone of the movie, which started off with an awful lot of promise and ended up with a rather dark, sinister tale of human morality and quiet ambiguity.

Fink, who was struck with a 'Writer's Block' syndrome, in an effort to overcome his chronic depression, managed to attain the assistance and support of his 'mysterious and over-friendly' neighbour, Charlie Meadows (John Goodman, in one of his utmost convinving fashion), a sexy and generous Personal Assistant to a famous Writer, Audrey (played with much needed angst and sensuousness by Judy Davis), and Fink's highly adored but eternally drunk Writer, W.P. Mayhew (played by the almost unrecognizanle John Mahoney).

Throw in a couple of odd characters, played by oddball, zany character actors like Steve Buscemi, Tony Shalhoub and Jon Polito, what we have here is a totally unpredictable tale of clever 'whodunnit' and artistic featurette in the highest order.

I enjoyed watching "Raising Arizona" and I thought "Fargo" was a much better movie than "The English Patient". I have respect for these 2 brothers and the kind of film they made over the years. And after 20 years in Hollywood, finally they deserve all the recognitions they got for "No Country For Old Men".

But "Barton Fink" is where they gained they first few recognitions in Hollywood and overseas. It garnered 3 Oscar nominations, and won Best Picture, Best Director for Joel Coen and Best Actor for John Turturro at the Cannes Film Festival. Deakins, the cinematographer, himself got a few nods and Awards from several Film Critic Societies.

It's the kind of film that warrants your attention and glues you to your seat while you savour the deliciously written script.

Cheers to the Coens!

Recap - A Storyteller at Her Best...

I seldom have the opportunity or the so called luxury of watching a movie at the cinema. It is often either Astro, VCD or DVD. If you don’t believe me, ask my wife. She’ll vouch for it 100%.

But, a few months ago, and if I could still remember exactly, it was on a Saturday, March 10, 2007 - I was inclined to run away from home with my wife, leaving my 3 year old boy with the Maid, and took a sneak peek of the latest Yasmin Ahmad flick, Mukhsin at the GSC Hall, One Utama.

We were late. So late that the movie was supposed to start at 8.45 pm and we were still at the lines queuing for tickets at almost 9.00 pm. We thought that it would be over and my 2nd option was The Bridge to Terabithia. Luckily enough for me, and I knew for sure that the movie will not start until 15 minutes later, we got two tickets for ourselves and ran all the way to Cinema Hall 9. We got one of the best middle seats in the Hall and the movie was just about to begin, as Adibah Noor was singing the Keronchong together with the Kampung fellas at the Serambi.

Mukhsin, after all the hype in the news and on TV, was a must-see movie for me, as I am an unofficial movie, retro music and soccer fanatic (not that many would know about it). And to tell you the truth, as I’ve seen many movies up till now, Mukhsin is definitely one of the Top 10 Malay movies of recent times.

The storyline was so simple and sweet that when I left the hall, I was left with a little smile on my face.

When I first saw Yasmin's debut effort, Rabun, I felt it was a bit too self-eccentric. A good movie but a bit personal. Sepet was the one that really raised the bar for me. She came up with a story telling method that was non-conventional yet it had an appeal to mainstream moviegoers. It did not do too well in the Box Office but it alerted so many people about the emergence of this great storyteller in the midst of the resurgence of Malay Movies. Gubra came next but it felt a little too much compared to Sepet. Two different and intricate little stories to be told within a movie can sometimes be a tad too much. Yet her trademark wit and cynicism were there in abundance.

What took me for a ride in Mukhsin was the fact that her dialogues were very straightforward and applicable to our current ears. Not too melodramatic like most Malay movies, not too "sempoi" either but just nice. Her character build-ups were also impressive as it builds upon you and leaves you with a strong sense of empathy towards the characters, especially the two main leads Mukhsin and Orked. And the two kids were so good in their roles that we were taken in by surprise when it was announced that it was their feature debut.

Just like in her previous movies, Yasmin crafted wonderful supporting characters, and above all the character actors that came in and out of Mukhsin, Adibah Noor and Rozie Rashid shone the brightest. Rozie was so impressive in Gubra that when she downplayed her role here in Mukhsin, we can immediately relate to her. That's how good she is - a truly remarkable and underrated actress.

Sharifah Aleya may not be able to emote or express her feelings like Ida Nerina but she did quite okay. And the guy who played the "Abah" was funny most of the times. A Harith clone but not quite Harith.

Above all, I just love the simplicity, the magic and the chemistry that Mukhsin exudes in abundance. The feel is totally "arty-farty", worthy of it's accolades overseas. And when the Keronchong Tune was re-rendered at the end of the movie, efforlessly sung by Yasmin's parents and later on joined by the whole crew, it was a fitting end to a complete trilogy.

Yasmin is indeed a true wonder in Malay Cinema...

SUMOLAH vs. SPIDERMAN

First and foremost, I must congratulate Ahmad Idham and David Teo for breaking the the Sembilu 2 barrier and become the highest grossing Malay film ever after more than 12 years. It was a long wait, and indeed if it were ever to happen, one could only expect that such a feat could only be emulated if not broken by our Super Duper Successful Producer, David Teo. His Metrowealth Movies are success stories of their own - sometimes daring, bold, although never to Critics' flavour or interest, the bottom line is David knows WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT.

Knowing and understanding what people or audience want is what Moviemaking is all about. After all Moviemaking is a Business, a thriving Business, and Business is all about money making merriment. Hence, the success of cinematic movies nowadays could only be through Marketing, Marketing and more Marketing.

Which is why Sumolah, no matter how good the Critics praise about the movie (and the spirit of Malaysian-ness that it brings along with it) and after a long hype, still could not gather enough steam to topple the barrage of on-going Summer Blockbusters that kept on bursting into the local cinemas including the current flavour Spiderman 3.

We all know what Spiderman 3 is all about. We've seen the first two episodes, hence audience flock to see the movie out of curiosity and loyalty towards the prequels. We love watching Tobey Maguire in the red-blue outfit, and we adore Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of the ever-so-sweet Mary Jane Watson. And we can't wait to see who could top Willem Dafoe or Alfred Molina when it comes to battling our Friendly Neighbourhood.

Afdlin Shauki on the other hand created a lot of buzz with his promotions via an aggressive tele-communications' campaign, and we were seriously looking forward to see what this "huge fella" could conjure after his earlier successful stints via his provocative and funny (in a very Malaysian way) Buli Series and Baik Punya Cilok. They were all money spinners. Afdlin, at one time, could do no wrong. With Sumolah, it looked as though it could be his Cash Cow.

But guess what? Moviemaking is so strange. Sometimes a darn good movie can't seem to find an audience in a huge market (e.g. Crash, Letters from Iwojima, Pan's Labyrinth), and sometimes a so-so movie but with a darn great marketing could blow the top of the Box Office Charts like nobody's business (Hint: The Pirates of the Caribbean Sequels).

That is just a fact we can't deny. And as a movie maker, no matter how difficult for him to fathom, Afdlin may just have to be strong and have faith in the system. He may not be rewarded with the cash, but who knows along the way, he may be awarded with some merits.

But then again, isn't movie about money making...???

What's the fuzz about FFM19?

Eli Benjamin once said, "you have to have VISION, GUT & PASSION".

I had to agree with that. And I reckon Yasmin Ahmad is a firm practitioner of the above three. Which is why her movies, apart from being very personal in their views of the world, represent her vision of what should transpire in our society, clearly demonstrating her chutzpah and fortitude in breaking the norms of Malay Moviemaking, and above all, showing to the world how wonderfully talented and passionate she is in doing what she loves best - telling stories.

The fact that she had won the Best Picture award two years in a row (in the Malaysian Film Festival) proved not just my points, but also the fact that other people are weighting her movies far and above her counterparts.

Last year, "they" quarreled over Sepet and Puteri Gunung Ledang - obviously one was produced with the most limited of budget and the other superseding the standard financial outlays. And of course, one was clearly stronger in substance and the other immaculate in style. And the winner was of course ... Sepet.

It reminded me of the year when A Beautiful Mind beat The Lord of The Rings to the podium, or earlier when Driving Miss Daisy became the best film. It was when the juries decided that a small film could deliver better messages compared to a bigger blockbuster. There's nothing wrong with that.

And again, this year, when Gubra was announced as the winner again (making Yasmin one of the rare winners to repeat her victory twice in a row - the other luminaries include Dato' Rahim Razali when he won for Matinya Seorang Patriot and Tsu-Feh Sofiah), "they" once again mumbled and complained.

Frankly, and personally, no other films deserve to win that night. The closest nominee was Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam 2 (PHSM 2) and Gol & Gincu. While Pontianak was technically superior, Gol & Gincu was too light hearted, albeit a well made film with wonderful story telling and deft scriptwriting.

Probably, "they" were referring more to Amani's acceptance speech. That might have convoluted "their" minds and caused a little scar to Gubra's perfect pitch. No one should argue the fact that Amani deserved her trophy but she was deemed too brave or gutsy in her speech delivery. That have caused a lot of uneasiness especially among the elder crowd.

But the rest of the awards - no qualms. Afdlin, Hans and Sazzy were probably the best options in their categories. And Shuhaimi Baba as Best Director, was in lieu of her technical achievement in producing PHSM 2. And when they announced Baik Punya Cilok as the winner of the Best Story category, I felt that it was very encouraging to see that the current juries are running away from the typical run-of-the-mill manner of voting.

It proves again my point - there is nothing wrong in being bold and courageous. You just have to appeal to the public and do it not just in style but with a lot of substance.