Eight years ago, Malaysian director Chiu Keng Guan scored a winning goal with “Ola Bola”, a critically acclaimed film about Malaysia’s national football team and their journey to the 1980 Summer Olympics.
With its poignant narrative, compelling characters, and heart-pounding action sequences, that movie won the hearts of local audiences, and even aspired a musical adaptation soon after.
Now, director Faisal Ishak’s “Padu” focuses on the Malaysian women’s national basketball team and their triumphant rise to win the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.
This 97-minute film tells the story of team captain Nur Izzati Yaakob (Fify Azmi), vice-captain Hui Pin Pang (Jojo Goh), player Kalaimathi Rajintiran (Thanuja Ananthan), and coach Yoong Sze Yuin (Lim Mei Fen), and how they dribbled their way from the ashes of defeat to the championship in 2015 through sheer grit and determination.
Given that “Padu” tries to draw audiences in with a formulaic rise-to-glory narrative, featuring characters who grapple with doubt and team drama, comparisons to “Ola Bola” are inevitable.
And sadly, for a new release, the creative treatment and storytelling don’t quite match up to the eight-year-old “Bola”.
Still, some characters in “Padu” are compelling. Fify shines in her portrayal of team captain Izzati, capturing the nuances of a talented player haunted by doubt and past disappointments.
Similarly, Lim’s portrayal of coach Yoong is a standout. On the court, she’s fierce, rallying the squad like an older sister and relentless in fighting for her team’s rights. Lim’s resemblance to the real Yoong adds authenticity to her performance.
The action sequences during high-stakes tournaments and training sessions are indeed pulse-pounding. Rapid camera movements, quick cuts, and an intense soundtrack will have you on the edge of your seat.
Basketball, after all, can be a brutal game, and “Padu” captures its intensity well enough.
However, the film’s overall narrative arc often feels incomplete. While we get glimpses into the lead characters’ family lives and struggles, these often feel disconnected from the larger story.
Certain creative choices, too, are questionable. For instance, following the team’s failure at the 2013 Sea Games, Izzati’s mother (played by veteran actress Umie Aida) reminds Izzati of her late father’s advice.
Later, during a training session, Izzati has a flashback about her father giving her that very advice, which fuels her to do better. Perhaps if the earlier scene with her mother had been removed, this flashback – at this critical juncture to lift Izzati’s spirits – could have been more powerful.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of stereotypical mean girls (Melissa Campbell and Charmaine Chew) serves the shallow purpose of adding unnecessary drama. Their overly earnest performances only make the characters feel very two-dimensional.
The film’s biggest faux pas, however, is in glossing over the winning tournament. More time spent on the climactic game, building up the drama, portraying the players’ and coach’s doubts and fears, showing Malaysians glued to their TVs, and making us feel the team’s struggle would have elevated the film.
This really was a missed opportunity, which is a pity.
So, is this movie worth your time? Well, warm family scenes, the redemption arc of a problematic team member, and the drive of the women’s basketball team make it a pleasant viewing experience.
But given how it feels rather dated in its creative treatment and execution, “Padu” ultimately falls short of being the winner it could have been.
As of press time, ‘Padu’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.