SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

parameswaranrajendran Ola Bola movie is fully occupied of human emotion themes such as pain, struggle, happiness, glory, hard work. The movie also occupied unity & patriotism themes. The best thing is that, this movie by Chiu is an inspiring for our Malaysian. "Kita menang sama-sama, kita kalahpun sama-sama. This film is a winner when the climax made my eyes to drop tear without even my consent. I will give 10/10 for IMDB rating.

dvc5159 I want you readers to pay attention to the plot outline describing this film: 'A team of Malaysian footballers struggle and rise through all odds to qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.' The keyword here is struggle. Readers and audiences who know their history will realize that Malaysia boycotted the Moscow Olympics following the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Although that knowledge looms with dread over the suspecting audience member throughout the film, I had not imagined what actual feelings went through the minds of the football team the moment they realize they were competing for a Pyrrhic victory. This film, and the obligatory "inspirational speech" that comes with all sports movies, captures that moment quite beautifully.Chiu Keng Guan's "Ola Bola" is a film that won't just be described as very good solely in Malaysian cinema terms, but also very good, period. This pleasantly surprising underdog soccer/football story by born filmmaker Chiu is blockbuster filmmaking of superlative calibre; about as viable and inspiring as other major Hollywood sports films such as "Hoosiers" and "Rudy", and even better than some entries. This perhaps is the first mainstream local film of our generation to be proud of, proudly showcasing just what our country has to offer alongside the big boys in the global cinema arena.Yes, it does tick off the sports genre tropes; that speech at the end is a must; but dial it back a notch and think for a while. Those American sports films focused on ragtag underdogs defying all odds and ultimately winning the grand championship. That qualifying match between us and South Korea was the only chance we got in entering a major football/soccer arena, and was sadly blown to hell due to a political boycott. A quick glance at Wikipedia shows that the Malaysian football team had not once qualify for the FIFA World Cup. So the odds are pretty much stacked against us there.For Malaysian cinema, this is an important film – it comes at a time when there is clear political strife within the country (and it would be a bald-faced lie to ever think otherwise), and racial tensions feared simmering to a boil. It would not be a mistake for the cynical and jaded to proclaim this film a callback to the "good- ol-days", a nostalgia for the days of old where racial unity was prevalent but never paraded. But it is also false not to call this a rally cry for hope – for us to come together as a nation again; it is an unabashedly patriotic film – that wonderfully – does not condescend its audience with saccharine overtones. When things get tough – they really get tough. But the rally cry in the film stands tall and true – "we win together, or we lose together".Truly - without the slightest ounce of sarcasm and cynicism - Malaysia Boleh.

Wei Jay Tan Original Score:3.5/4 Movie: ****1/2 (4.5/5) Quality: ****1/2 (4.5/5)"Malaysia! Malaysia! Malaysia! Malaysia!""Goal…! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal!"That's how the fans of a soccer team cheer when a goal is scored by their team, isn't it? Or is it just once? (That is: Goal…!) Note the long stretch of tone during the first "Goal..!" , then the next ones that follow are shouted out in quick succession. How would you choose to cheer your team on? It doesn't matter. But I will talk about what does matter later.Ola Bola (2016) is a Malaysian Sports Drama film directed by Chiu Keng Guan (Director of "The Journey (2014)") and is a film inspired by true events. This isn't a historical drama film. It is a film that is inspired by true events, and the characters are entirely fictional. (The opening title card will remind you of that.)It is about Malaysia's National Football Team. When the disagreements between the team members cause them to lose a number of matches consecutively, they must set aside their pride, personal problems, differences and train hard to regain their lost glory. Not just their glory; they don't just fight for their glory, but for the glory of their country as well. That is Malaysia, the country where I live.Let me see, where do I begin to talk about the film?As I have said above, the film is inspired by true events, and the characters within it are all fictional. But get this: "The characters are multicultural. Including the side characters. (Family members of each of the team players, the coach of the team and many other supporting characters of the movie.)Our nation, Malaysia, is a multiracial country. Now the Malaysian Football team featured in the movie is a (Fictional, yet inspired by true events.) multiracial football team, consisting of Chinese, Malay and Indian team members. In spite of their racial differences, they still work together as a team throughout the matches than are shown on screen. (Different Skin Color, but they can still be brothers and teammates.) Such is the importance of teamwork.However, the film is also multilingual. In other words, it is not just in the English Language, but there are moments of Chinese, English, Malay and other languages that I cannot understand. If I understand that particular language, I will listen. If I do not understand certain words spoken in the film, I will read the subtitles. Well, this is the first Malaysian movie that I saw in Cinemas. It is energetic, well performed, emotional and filled with energies of sportsmanship.Oh, did anyone notice the writing? I did. It's got a lot of sportsmanship written within, meaning that there are a lot of positive messages about working as a team, the importance of teamwork, the dark sides of ego and so on and so forth. Then there is humor written into the dialogue of the film as well. How so? Well, I myself saw some of the audience (And myself as well.) in the cinema laughing at many moments of the film, the humor is what lightens the mood as well as provide the audiences with moments of enjoyment throughout the film. Did I forget to mention the brilliant performances given by the cast of the entire film? From the main actors to the extras, they all captivated me with their acting that I literally forgot that this was just a movie. I felt that it is as if I am watching a real football match. While the Malaysian Football team are playing a match, especially at the final rounds, the Malaysian crowd are cheering the team on (Crowd Chanting: Malaysia! Malaysia! Malaysia! Malaysia! Malaysia!). And they perform so well that you'll feel as if you're watching a real football match itself. But may I remind you that this is a fictional story modeled and inspired by real events. Wow, the film is both exciting and breathtaking to watch. It's not just the scenery of the Stadium that is breathtaking, but also the scenery of the Nature of the nation of Malaysia as well. And at the same time, it is uplifting, meaningful, emotional, and philosophical.To all Malaysian Audiences out there, give this film a go. Try it, it's an emotional journey that the film will take you on, and the actions (and words) of the entire multicultural cast that will emphasize the importance of teamwork, achieving one's dreams, letting go of pride and accepting other's no matter the racial difference, etc. This is really a great film about sportsmanship! Anyway, this is written from the experience of a single viewing of the film, that is what I have learned. What will you learn? That's for you to find out for yourself, and the only way to find out is to watch this movie.

Azari Mat Yasir Let's be honest, most recent Malaysian films are catered for one demographic or another. There have been attempts at targeting the general Malaysians before, but none as successful as Ola Bola.Ola Bola is inspired by a true story. It's not exactly a historical account. So don't expect accurate historical drama. It took liberty here and there, but left enough reference to the inspiring story that anyone who grew up in the 70s and 80s can relate to them immediately. There are some interesting character development going on, but juggling ensemble films aren't easy. Suffice to say the director manages to get the balance right, although it isn't stellar.The only downside I found in this film is several cringe-worthy dialogues. In fact, we could see how the actors struggle to deliver those lines, particularly in the earlier part of the story.But that aside, this is a very moving and inspirational story with enough juice to draw the audience in and enjoy the journey.