Ombak Rindu (2011) User Reviews

At least its a better quality cliché

[CaffeineJunky · 5/10 · 13 January 2012]

I would have to say that this film contains the common cliché that most Malay or Hindi films have. For that, the director is not to blame because this film is based on a novel. But the directors did a great job at choosing the right talent for the 2 main casts and that stops me from watching it half way.

Aaron Aziz & Maya Karin did a wonderful job playing their roles. Their convincing and realistic acting makes me forget that the plot is similar to most Hindi films. Unfortunately, the rest of the casts are such a contrast that it can become comedic when its not supposed to be so.

Another area I would like to compliment is the beautiful cinematography. The choice of scenic locations just adds on to enjoyment of this film. Unfortunately, the close-up cameras reminded me of the awful sinetron that my grandma loves to watch.

Sorry but I cannot stop commenting until I get to mention about the most irritating part. What the hell is wrong with the soundtrack? First of, it is too loud!! And secondly, why the hell does the soundtrack keeps repeating itself? Why keeps repeating the same loud song over and over again? Why Why Why??

This film is not without its flaws (and there are a lot of them especially the part where Izzah was about cry even before the news mentions her husband's name) but Aaron Aziz & Maya Karin performance is the reason why I am able to watch it the whole way through.

Ombak Rindu: A criminal cinematic TRASH to justify RAPE

[nusrathowardmoore · 1/10 · 29 August 2012]

Anybody who does not mention the word RAPE when reviewing or talking about Ombak Rindu is either a) a chauvinistic man who subconsciously does not think that RAPE is a crime b)is an oxymoron c) didn't see the movie and is just lying his way through.

Ombak Rindu is a story of a spineless woman tricked and sold off to a whore-house, gang raped, passed on to a regular client who rapes her again to whom she pleads not to leave her. She becomes his personal whore because she gets to live in a nice villa overlooking the sea. She is most disturbed only when the 'hero' and rapist gets a second wife. In Malaysia this is a box-office movie and people actually think nothing of the continuous RAPES but instead see it as heartbreakingly romantic. In essence it is a cinematic attempt to rehabilitate a rapist into a hero and in Malaysia, unfortunately it works. But that MUST NOT be permitted to be the case anywhere else in the world because it is a blatant glorification of RAPE, subjugation of women and all things Taliban. Horrifyingly, it was adapted from a book that to date has been reprinted 29 times due to the popularity of the film, written by a woman.

It is also an attack on Islam because it portrays the imbecile victim, Izzah as a religious teacher of the Quran but one who does not even attempt to defend her dignity and flee as a real Muslim woman would have done. Instead, Izzah sits demurely waiting for her RAPIST pimp and would-be-polygamous husband at a bus-stop in broad daylight to come pick her up in his posh car after the first rape encounter to take her home and be his whore. She submits to zina (illegitimate sex) with not much resistance at all before he agrees to marry her.

The locations are lovely. The cinematography is acceptable. The acting is POOR. Maya Karin, who was once a good actress shows not much emotional depth in this film but her standard cliché expressions.

Bronte Parlare, an otherwise excellent actor is horribly amateurish especially in the opening scenes, which were terribly corny.

Directors' heads must always roll first when there is poor acting. Given that Bronte Parlare was so bad, it just indicates that the director was a complete and absolute failure. Further proof of his total lack of skills in this movie is the glaring continuity errors such as when Hariz, the RAPIST is drenched by rain but when he goes into the whore house, he has towelled off.

The biggest and absolute FAILURE of this movie is the screenplay, adapted by Mr. director extraordinaire. To portray a woman who has just been raped by a total stranger begging to follow him home is the most perverse form of Taliban literature and most audacious attempt in the world to justify RAPE - 'she asked for it'.

This could well be the most revolting movie in terms of CONTENT and MESSAGE on the planet and I am not kidding you!

I love the wave of love....

[fluffset · 8/10 · 14 December 2013]

For a long time since 2011 I keep this movie in my pc, this movie is too popular at that time and I wonder why, I'm not so into drama/romance so its sure took a long time for me to watch this movie. So exactly in the evening of 14 December of 2013 I watch this movie, finally. First, this is not a comedy movie but I'm laughing a lot along this movie. Why? I'm trying to stop watching this movie in the first 10 minutes because I found it really cliché, like everyday TV drama in Malaysia. But then, I just discover something new, something movie. The story is so good and unpredictable, usually I can guess what will happen next in malaysian TV show but this one, I surrender. It got a lot of awesome twist that I never wonder. I'm laughing just because it feel awkward to see something different in malaysian cinema. Although my country got a lot of bad movie every year, this one is worth for you all check out too. Maybe this movie is not suit for international audience because of its culture theme but every malaysian very love this movie.

delusional rapist fantasy

[lainieyeoh · 1/10 · 3 November 2014]

It is now 2014, and my face is finally starting to un-cramp after the extreme second hand embarrassment and grimaces from watching this film when it was first spurted out into our unfortunate local film industry.

On the other hand, I forged strong friendships with near-strangers after the film, by being able to share our mutual horror at how this could have been produced at all. If you watch this with a stranger, you too could huddle after the show in post-traumatic stress.

This is the kind of film that (without any sense of irony) portrays rape as something a woman can/should suffer for the sake of her unrequited love. As in, someone comes, buys you as property (because I suppose the filmmakers think slave-trading is also acceptable), rapes you — and you are supposed to suffer in silence and await the day he falls in love with you.

Possibly the most worrying thing about this film is that it managed to be made at all — didn't anyone bring to the production team's attention how terrible the direction was heading? And with a finicky, almost creepy and ultra-sensitive censorship board, this film still got through — I am not for censorship, but it says a lot that I can't watch Daredevil in cinemas here because of the word "devil", but glorified slave-owning rape fantasy gets through with no issues whatsoever.

If you watched this film because a Malaysian recommended it to you as a good film, I sincerely apologise. Please smack that monster.

Ombak Rindu/Gila is incredible ... in a VERY bad way

[nurazeem · 1/10 · 2 October 2014]

Welcome to the weird and wonky world of Ömbak Rindu, where the hero is the most slimy character (he will be referred to as The Maggot from here onwards) and the heroine is the personification of a doormat (and she will be called thus).

But before I begin with the actual review, consider this alternative storyline:- The Doormat escapes from The Maggot after earning his trust, and attempts to seek justice through the court system (i.e. The Maggot is charged with partaking in human trafficking, kidnapping, and rape), with the help of a lawyer who offers to represent her pro bono. She may have been a naive village girl, but she is inspired to do all she can to assert her rights and regain her human dignity. As in the original movie, she is religious and gains inner strength through her faith that Allah is on her side. The court case garners international scrutiny and The Maggot is eventually guilty as charged. Meanwhile, The Doormat's love interest from the village resurfaces in the city and gives her his full support. He truly loves her. The movie ends with the two returning to the countryside and planning to wed.

What actually happens in Ombak Rindu is quite the opposite, where The Maggot marries a very-willing Doormat. It is not possible to overstate the fact that this movie is marked by the lackadaisical handling of grave issues, namely human trafficking and rape. After putting these subjects to the fore, they are then summarily dismissed as insignificant, because what matters most is the love between the two insipid protagonists. *pass me the barf bag*

It is unfortunate that the makers of Ombak Rindu had squandered away the opportunity to make a more cerebral piece that could have reached a much wider audience (perhaps in foreign film festivals). Instead, they have settled on the easier, "senseless fluff" route, which could only appeal to a very limited market, namely women who are so blinded by their infatuation with the actor who plays The Maggot, or the idea of a fantasy-romance with a rich guy. (I have to think of reasons why this movie has proved to be so popular in Malaysia.)

A movie's social role in propagating ideas cannot be underestimated. That being said, let's go through the lessons gleaned from this seemingly innocuous film :- (1) It is fine to buy women as sex-slaves and rape them. (The Maggot did not experience any negative consequences.) (2) It is fine to be violent and harsh to women, as they will fall in love with you. However, to be fair, there is a caveat; this would only work if you are rich and good-looking. (3) Being good in character does not pay off when it comes to getting the woman of your heart, when you are poor and from the village. (4) The ideal Malay-Muslim woman is passive, pious, and pretty, as well as android-like, as she can go through being sold and bought, and raped and physically-abused without bearing any psychological trauma.

In short, Ombak Rindu is a misogynistic piece, which attempts to normalize crooked values. It is a really sick fantasy-romance.

p.s. There is a chance for redemption, though. A sequel, which reveals The Doormat as a gold-digger par excellence who has been scheming to have her revenge all along, would shed light on her befuddling behavior in the first movie. Still donning that hijab and oh-so-meek demeanor, she plots to take possession of The Maggot's wealth, before kicking him to the curb. Sadly, this is just wishful thinking.

Bad Everything

[mad_crow66 · 1/10 · 5 January 2012]

Bad acting, bad script, bad directing, bad editing and generally bad everything. The only redeeming quality is that there are loads of unintentionally funny scenes due to the combination of the over-dramatic nature of the scene and bad acting + cheesy dialogue. We have the girl, Izzah who meets Harris in a brothel after a hilarious mix up when her uncle decides to sell her because that's how he rolls. Even after Harris says, he plans to buy her in order for sex, Izzah acknowledges all this as her fate and that God will somehow show her the way. Even after Harris attempts to rape her (keyword is RAPE) she still falls for him due to what I can only conclude to be by Stockholm Syndrome.

Yes, Izzah and Harris fall in love with each other and get married. But all is not well when Harris' fiancée, Mila comes back from her studies overseas. And uh-oh Harris' mum, who is a cliché of all the Malay drama evil mums, naturally wants him to marry Mila for to 'jaga status'. It's just overridden by such cheesiness and overwhelming cliché, that the movie feels like a parody of love dramas.

Watch if you need a good laugh. My sis, bro and dad enjoyed the comedic nature of the film (my mum left after 30 minutes) which we'll continue to remember until the next bad local movie comes out. Good as a comedy, bad as anything else.

Btw, I'm Malay so don't come out with that crap that'I didn't understand the film'. Frankly, I was insulted.

NOOO this movie is just a no.

[nurhaziqahhamidi · 7 October 2021]

If you think that this movie is good or you could say that it's romantic, it is not. This movie normalizes the relationships of a rapist. WHY??? Because he rapes her, relationships need consent but he did not ask her for consent at all, this is called rape. He touched her without consent and she ask him to stop touching her but he did not. This is so wrong how could you fall in love with your rapist. She kena rogolkot. And yes Aaron Aziz in the movie played Harris, he is so hot but what he did to Izzah is not forgiven at all.