Lelaki harapan dunia

A bright entry -- the film begins positively, full of hope and optimism. Easy to feel a connection with the characters through excellent acting (especially from Wan Hanafi Su & Azhan Rani), fascinating cinematography and well-written script. It serves as a satire of the rural Malays stereotype which the Director carefully blends into Malaysia's socio-political dimension.

Yet, halfway through, this witty film turns into a silly comedy -- which is an outright disappointment. In a swift turn, the film loses its personality. It runs out of ideas when the film is about to climb to its climax — before gradually falls into comatose and succumbs to dreariness.

As a whole, Lelaki Harapan Dunia is a dim spark in this hopeful revival of Malaysia's once-celebrated film industry. I'm not a film connoisseur but I'd say that this one leans slightly towards singkong (cassava) rather than keju (cheese).