Writer: Wahiduzzaman

Writer Ratings:
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Effects: NA
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Watch this if you liked: "Cinema Paradiso", "9 September", "What Happens In Vegas"

Lovely and cute! This is what best describes "I'm Not Single", the second and latest flick from rising director Pierre Andre, who also wrote the script. Though the story itself is rather ordinary; it dwells on the story of a young couple Maya and Adam who loathe each other because they are forced into an arranged marriage by their parents, despite the fact that Maya already has a steady boyfriend, Dani. With the wedding date looming closer, Dani has to try and figure out a way to stop it from taking place and losing Maya forever. Isn't the story so ordinary?

BUT... presentation wise - the narration of such a simple story on film deserves two thumbs up. I must admit that Pierre is a creative bloke who is capable of visualising his 'ordinary' idea and transform it into a fascinating platform. Throughout the movie, the audience would be transfixed by the adorable story-telling, which is very light, natural and amusing altogether.

The trio who play the lead - Farid Kamil (Adam), Lisa Surihani (Maya) and Awal Ashaari (Dani) performed very well - natural, spontaneous and witty. Farid Kamil, with ample acting experience under his belt carried out some undeniably cool acting. Yes, his experience really helped him to dwell in his character rather well. Awal Ashaari is another potential young actor who carried his weight as the romantic boyfriend Dani who is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his lover's. But to my surprise, Lisa who is a newcomer to the feature film (unless you remember her brief role in "The Goodbye Boys"), impressed me with her performance. Playing Maya, Lisa carried her role pretty effectively and is full of surprises to the end, which proves that she's no ordinary beauty. She's a beauty with talent.

The rest of the supporting component i.e. Dato' Jalaludin Hassan, Aznah Hamid, Hafizudin Fadzil, Fadzilah Mansor and veteran Ruminah Sidek add vibes to the movie. Amusingly, the cameo appearance by Ahmad Idham, producer David Teo and Cat Farish can be described as an effective and simple comic relief to the plot. Acting wise, the performance by the cast in this movie is generally good and suitable to the flow.

Indera Che Muda, who helmed the cinematography aspect, invites a fine mood to the film. His skill with the angle and shots were just nice and gave weight to the narration of each scene. It's simple, creative and it fits the theme of "I'm Not Single".

But then again, this movie only applies to those who enjoy romantic comedy, particularly the ones that resemble the Hollywood mould. For this kind of audience, you would definitely enjoy it!

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008