Dennis Chua looks back at some favourite Hari Raya Aidilfitri movie releases
Lagi-Lagi Senario (2001)
1This Aziz M. Osman film is the third in a series of Senario movies he directed. The first was Senario The Movie (1999), followed by Senario Lagi (2000). The film addresses the issue of unethical business rivalry and focuses on two roti canai stall operators, played by Azlee Jaafar and Mazlan Ahmad. It is one of two films, including Cinta 200 Ela (2002), which starred television personality Wardina Safiyyah.
Bilut (2006)
2Directed by Bade Azmi, Bilut pays tribute to Felda settlers who pioneered the Lurah Bilut settlement in Pahang. Datuk Rosyam Nor plays Yazid, one of the pioneers, who faces several tragedies. His best friend dies while felling a tree and his youngest son is killed by a tiger. The story is told from the perspective of his eldest son, Felda executive Yusof (Que Haidar) who is helping his friend Gabriel (Jericho Rosales) make a documentary about Felda. The film received 13 nominations at the 19th Malaysian Film Festival, and won the Best Musical Score (Fok Sin).
Empat Madu (2010)
3A collaboration between Associate Prof A. Razak Mohaideen and Saiful Apek, this comedy tackles the issue of polygamy. Saiful plays twin brothers who will inherit their late father’s RM50 million fortune on condition that they marry four women within three weeks. The first woman has to be an orphan, the second, physically challenged, the third, a divorcee and the last, a woman of their choice. Entertainment journalist, producer and TV personality Zainal Alam Kadir cameos as a marriage counsellor.
Magika (2010)
4Directed by Edry Abdul Halim, this KRU fantasy film won seven awards, including for Best Film, in the 23rd Malaysian Film Festival. It also won Best Film in Anugerah Skrin 2011. It is about Ayu (Diana Danielle) who enters a magical world beyond the woods while searching for her lost brother Malik (Fimie Don). On the way home after finding him, they bump into characters from Malaysian folklore, including Badang (Mawi), Nenek Kebayan (Ziana Zain), Puteri Gunung Ledang (Ning Baizura) and Pak Pandir (Datuk Aznil Nawawi).
Karipap-Karipap Cinta (2011)
5Directed by Othman Hafsham, it is adapted from a novel and marks the big screen debut of Melia Aimellia. Gambit Saifullah (of Kabir Bhatia’s Cinta) plays Ali, a magazine photographer who falls in love with Sarah (Melia), a cartoonist and ustazah. He learns that she is a graduate of Al-Azhar University, Egypt, and pretends he had studied there, too. Celebrity chef Datuk Redzuawan Ismail cameos as himself in the movie.
Hantu Bonceng (2011)
6One of comedian Zizan Razak’s most popular movies with a box-office collection of RM8.5 million, it is directed by Ahmad Idham. It’s about Amran (Zizan), an office boy who meets Maya (Juliana Evans). He gives her a ride home but along the way, they meet with an accident and she dies on the spot. Later, Maya reappears as a ghost bent on revenge but the ghost is actually that of her evil twin. It is the first of two collaborations between Zizan and Juliana, the other being Mael Lambong (2012).
Raya Tak Jadi (2011)
7Directed by A. Razak Mohaideen, this comedy is a first for Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan who plays twin brothers. Saiful Apek and Johan play taxi drivers who stumble upon an unconscious man (Jalaluddin). They then learn that he is a kidnap victim. Corrupt businessman Leo had attempted to kidnap the Keeper Of The Rulers’ Seal (Jalaluddin) to delay Hari Raya, because of poor fruit sales. However, he ended up kidnapping the wrong twin.
29 Februari (2012)
8This KRU movie directed by Edry Abdul Halim tells the story of Budi Halim (Remy Ishak), born on Feb 29, 1896. He is gifted (or cursed) in that he only ages a year every four years. He lives through major historical episodes but loses loved ones and friends who age naturally. Remy sang his first theme song, Kelip-Kelip, while Izzue Islam and Jojo Goh won Most Promising Actor and Actress, respectively at the Malaysian Film Festival 2013. The film is in 3D stereoscope.
Adnan Sempit 3 (2013)
9While award-winning Shaheizy Sam is best known for serious roles, this movie by Ismail Hashim helped establish him as a comedian. This is the third instalment of the Adnan Sempit series, which began in 2010 and continued in 2012 with Adnan Sempit 2. The story continues with the titular character Adnan, the bike-loving despatch boy who is now married to his sweetheart Nadia (Intan Ladyana) and manages his father-in-law’s noodle business in Malacca. When he spends less time with Nadia and more time with his attractive assistant (Shima Anuar), drama ensues. Although the first two Adnan movies collected RM7.7 million and RM6.8 million respectively, this took in only RM3.9 million.
Sam (2013)
10The first feature film of Syafiq Yusof, the movie earned him the Best New Director award at the Malaysian Film Festival 2013. The title means Saya Amat Mencintaimu (I’m So In Love With You) but it is also the name of the mentally disturbed Sam (Shaheizy Sam), who is obsessed with his colleague Lisa (Lisa Surihani) and will harm those who get too close to her. Syafiq’s brother, Syamsul, plays Jeffri, Lisa’s former boyfriend, with Fimie Don making a star turn as young Sam.