Film Critique : Ola Bola

To critically assess the cast design and their individual character. Was the cast designed well? Did all characters have a purpose? Were the individual characters well explored? Or lacked depth?

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JC Chee as Chow Kwok Keong or Tauke

Chow Kwok Keong (Tauke) is a protagonist in this movie. He, as the 26-year-old captain of the national football team and Asia’s best defender, he is also the eldest in his family. Thus, he feels a great responsibility towards providing for his family and his girlfriend.

He had a dream to be in the Olympic qualifier. The 1976 defeat to South Korea was a painful memory for him, and he swears to do all he can to be in the Olympic Qualifier of the 1980 Games. And it makes him torn between wanting to give his family and girlfriend a good life and pursuing his dream in football. Because it is difficult for him to satisfy or achieve both since he came from a poor family. He have to carry all the responsibilities to earn money and take care of his family. But if he wants to be in the Olympic qualifier, he have to pay more attention and time in football practice.

Other than that, he made me feel that he was a very stubborn and a bad temper person in this movie because he demonstrated he did not want to accept the order from his new coach which is Harry Mountain, and ordered Abu to execute his order but the coach. It makes Abu gets involved in an internal quarrel and ends up getting punished by the coach. I think it is because Tauke is TOO wanted to be in the Olympic Qualifier due to this is his last chance to get into qualifying.

Besides, Tauke is a protective and considerate man as he tried to hide the news of the Malaysian government's decision to boycott the Olympic in protest of the Soviet Union's invasion against Afghanistan from his teammates due to he does not want his teammates to be disappointed and sad.

However, I think that he is a unresponsible captain at first due to he quit the football team during the conflict period. This impulsive choice made the football team into a downturn.

Luqman Hafidz as Ali

Ali, the mirror character who has to fight against his own ego to earn the number 10 jersey, is a 20-year-old striker of the national football team who has dedicated his life to the game of football. He is a person who willing to pay and hard work to achieve his dream as he trained hardly in football practice during daytime and even at night. His fiery ambition has made him one of the rising stars in the national team.

However, this has also turned him into an arrogant over-achiever. He appealed against the decision of the coach which the coach (Harry) had chosen Eric (the new teammate) to replace his stricker position. Ali think that he is competent enough to stricker position because he trained harder and harder everyday, but Eric unable to do it.

Besides that, Ali relatively easy to be emotional impact since he misunderstood that the coach dropping him from the squad due to Eric did not want him to be in the match in order to threaten his(Eric) position. This is because he had assumed that Eric is the only one who knows his feet had injured. And this made them began quarrel.

Saran Kumar as Muthu

Muthu, also a mirror character in this movie. He is the best goalkeeper in the national team. This 22-year-old’s football ambitions have caused a rift between him and his father about the torn between the responsibility to his family and his passion for football. However, he refuses to give up and strives to prove to his father that he has what it takes to make it in football.

Moreover, I think that Muthu is a person who loves his family. This is because after his three brothers being involved in an accident due to helping him to send coconuts, Muthu had decided to quit the team as he realised that he had guilt for following his passion instead of staying back to help his father, although he did not quit the team at the end.

For me, I think that he play a very important role in this movie although he is not a protagonist. His optimism infected others as he encouraged and lead others to not give up easily during the last match. And, he also successfully rouse up their morale and lead them to win the last match.

Bront Palarae as Rahman

Rahman is a mirror and minor character. Bront Palarae who brilliantly portrayed rookie sports commentator Rahman is both humorous and undeniably enjoyable to watch as it seems that he enjoyed his role as the fast-talking witty commentator, describing each kick and pass with loving detail. While it’s clear that Bront has undeniable on screen charisma, as the core of the story centers around the football players. His acting skills made me felt that he is the highlight of the whole scene.

He is humorous, energetic and passionate about his career. Full of determination and persistence, he always stays positive no matter what the situation. He practices his commentating skill with his twin daughters at home after working in order to improve his commentating skill with his humorous to make his commentating more attractive to the audiences as well as get approbate by his boss and everyone.

Lim Jian Wen as Ong Tian Cai

Cai is a mirror and minor character. He is a substitute in the national team. However, he is optimistic, humble and hardworking. Althugh he is a substitute for few years, he still keep practicing hardly to hope that he can play football in the match one day. And he is the lucky one that could get support from his family, same as Rahman.

Within the team, he is the life of the party. His exaggerated and funny behavior always bring joy to people.

Mohamad Taufiq as Abu

Abu as a mirror and minor character, he is the midfielder of the national team. He is peace-loving with an easygoing personality. Unfortunately, he gets involved in an internal quarrel and ends up getting punished by the coach because of his easygoing personality. Abu does not know who should he execute the instruction. The coach? Or Tauke?

Eric Teng as Eric Yong

A mirror and minor character. Eric plays a 20-year-old Sabahan from a wealthy family, he is chosen by the coach to be the striker in the national team. This appointment eventually creates rivalry among the team members.

Mark Williams as Harry Mountain

Harry Mountain is the mirror and minor character in this movie. He, as the new coach of the national team of 1980. He is strict and hardly ever compliment his players. But he is bold and strategises very well, and is acutely observant of his players. And this, allows the team of each role can perform to their fullest potential.

Harry is a sensible and reasonable man. He could make the right judgements, which rationally arrange the position of everyone in the match as well as allow Tauke return to the football team although Tauke contravenes his order and quit the match.

Daphne Low as Chow Mei Ling

Mei Ling play as mirror and minor character as well as Kwok Keong’s second youngest sister who has a very tough personality. Without any regrets, she sacrificed her future for her family despite having good academic achievements. She loves her family and is a caring person although she is not good at expressing.

Katrina Ho as Tan Siew Lee

Siew Lee play as a romance character. She is Kwok Keong’s girlfriend who has been with him for a couple of years. She is kindhearted, thoughtful and independent, a conservative lady who is very supportive of Kwok Keong.

In my opinion, I think that the cast design of Ola Bola are well planned as I can really feel the emotion of the character and the message that they want to express. Dissapointed, sadness, struggle, love, happy, and more. It led my emotions. I had shed a tears when I watch this movie, and also had laugh out loud.

In this movie, I especially feel that the family members who clearly don’t feel the same way they do about their passion, which made the torn between their family and their passion and also the love and support from family, which is simple but strong.

It really makes me feel surprise about Malaysian actress and actors about their acting skills. They really did so well. Thanks to my lecturer who ask us to watch this movie, or I think I will miss it.

Arena Cahaya (Ola Bola OST) | Zee Avi

Ola bola trailer