Given how popular the sport is among Malaysians, one can hardly discuss football without mentioning the national team, Harimau Malaya. Now, fans can look forward to ball-kicking action on the big screen with “Harimau Malaya: The Untold Journey”.
The movie is inspired by true events including the appointment of South Korea’s Kim Pan Gon as the team’s coach following Tan Cheng Hoe’s resignation, and how Kim guides them to qualify for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup finals after 42 years.
Directed by Afdlin Shauki, “Harimau Malaya” boasts a star-studded local cast, while real-life national footballer Faisal Halim even makes an appearance.
The movie kicks off (heh) with the team performing poorly in Singapore, leaving fans enraged. With Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Hamidin (Tony Eusoff) conspicuously absent to attend his daughter’s graduation in the UK, calls for his resignation ensue.
Viewers are given a glimpse into how torn Hamidin must have felt for having to choose between a milestone in his child’s life and his commitment to the team. He contemplates quitting but his wife, Norliza (Erra Fazira), convinces him to stay.
Meanwhile, footballer Rashdan (Meerqeen) has a hard time getting along with his teammates. He later learns that his mother, Maimon (Vanidah Imran), is suffering from a serious health issue, which leaves him devastated.
These scenes, performed adequately by the 23-year-old actor, offer insights into the personal challenges that affect athletes, and how the pressure they feel can be exacerbated by too many eyes watching them closely.
All this ties in with director Afdlin’s goal of highlighting the fact that no matter how skilled a player is, they could face other issues that could affect them mentally and lead to an off day on the field.
Meanwhile, veteran actors Eusoff, Erra and Vanidah continue to light up the screen, while funnymen Douglas Lim and Kavin Jay bring their signature comedic touch as members of the Ultras, a group of ardent Harimau Malaya fans.
Amelia Henderson plays Inaya, a tomboyish woman who hangs out with the Ultras but isn’t allowed to join them because she is a female. Notably, the usually glamourous actress appears with simple make-up on in most of her scenes – a nice touch that highlights her natural beauty and talent.
Unfortunately, viewers might feel there are too many plots going on. For instance, in addition to his mother’s health woes, Rashdan faces problems with his girlfriend, Karina (Sophia Albarakbah) – a romantic subplot that disrupts and stalls the action.
Then there is team captain Taufiq (Aidil Aziz), who suffers an injury before a big game, and journalist Aldi (Namron) who’s hot on FAM’s heels, determined to catch the team in an inopportune moment.
As a result, much of the supporting cast feels underdeveloped. More screen time could have been given to how Kim (played by South Korean actor Lee Chan-ju) improves the team’s performance, while delving into the issues he might have faced.
For instance, how did he initially get along with his new team? Were there cultural barriers he needed to overcome? Were there moments when public and media scrutiny got to him?
It might have been a timely, even if unintentional, tribute to the real Kim, who resigned as Harimau Malaya’s coach last month.
All in all, while “Harimau Malaya” might benefit from a tighter storyline, it is nevertheless an entertaining and feel-good watch that may leave viewers musing about the power of football in uniting Malaysians – a fitting theme, perhaps, with which to commemorate Merdeka Day.
As of press time, ‘Harimau Malaya: The Untold Journey’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.