Who’s marrying who?

It's just a question of how much money the film will make in ticket sales.

This romantic comedy proves two heads are better than one, especially if they belong to Datuk Yusof Haslam and Aziz M. Osman - two of the most successful filmmakers in the country.

Yusof is well known for producing box-office hits while Aziz is also known for his golden touch, especially in making comedies for the family.

Who can forget Yusof's 'Sembilu 1 and 2', 'Gerak Khas The Movie 1 and 2' and 'Maria Mariana'? Local movie fans can definitely still recall Aziz's 'Senario' trilogy, his two 'Puteri Impian' movies as well as last year's 'Idola'.

'Gila-Gila Pengantin' combines Yusof's ability to enthrall the masses with Aziz's creativity in directing a comedy. The result is a movie that can be enjoyed by viewers from all walks of life.

As if the two most influential names in local movie industry were not enough, 'Gila Gila Pengantin' ensures its box-office domination with the presence of Malaysia's most successful actress, the lovely Erra Fazira.

Erra is helped by Yusof's latest find, Juliana Banos, and Aziz's two leading men, Norman Hakim and Hairie Othman. Norman was the lead in Aziz's 'Idola', while Hairie was the lead in Aziz's 'Leftenan Adnan'. Juliana was introduced to the local movie world by Yusof in 'Gerak Khas The Movie 2'.

The supporting cast is also a combination of actors and actresses who had appeared in either a Yusof Haslam or a Aziz M. Osman film.

They are Syanie, Salleh Yaakob, M. Rajoli, A. Galak, Aimi Jarr and Osman Kering, with special appearances by A.R. Badul and the band Les Sekinchan.

The Synopsis This is Malaysia's version to Hollywood's My Best Friend's Wedding and the more recent My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

'Gila Gila Pengantin' begins with a flashback of two kids who, due to a traumatic experience during a bersanding ceremony, were scarred with the fear of stepping on the pelamin (the altar made for the bride and groom).

That childhood incident also resulted in them going their separate ways. But as fate would have it, the two - Aleya (Erra) and Johari (Norman) - would meet again 15 years later.

Aleya is a lonely kindergarten teacher looking for Mr Right, while Johari is a successful dentist who has yet to find his princess.

Early on in the film, the two meet through a chat-room, but since Johari is cautious, he asks his friend Borhan (Salleh Yaakob) to meet up with Aleya.

After meeting with Mr Wrong, Aleya decides not to meet up with the next chat-room friend face-to-face, and asks her cousin Wanda (Juliana Banos) to check him out first instead.

That next man happens to be Johari again, who after a lengthy chat with Aleya finds that she might be his princess, especially as she too fears the pelamin.

Wanda has a fiance, Harun (Hairie Othman). Despite that, when she meets Johari, they fall in love.

But Johari does not realise that Wanda is not his the girl he met on the net until a few days before their wedding, when Wanda surprises him by wanting a bersanding ceremony.

At the same time, Aleya is caught for khalwat (or close proximity) with Harun, and their two families agree to marry them off. The two couple's weddings are set for the same date and time.

However, just hours before their wedding, Johari and Aleya realise that their partners are not their dream mates; thus begins a hilarious journey of finding Mr and Mrs Right and sorting things out.

A Critique - 'Gila-Gila Pengantin' is a very entertaining feel-good film. I can guarantee that viewers will walk out from the cinema refreshed.

But like other Aziz M. Osman films, 'Gila-Gila Pengantin' borrows quite a few elements from Hollywood and Bollywood films.

I can see a few similarities in several scenes in this movie to films like 'You've Got Mail' and 'Sleepless In Seattle', which is a good thing since both films are among the best love-stories ever made by Hollywood.

'Gila Gila Pengantin' is a fun movie. It has a simple storyline that one can easily follow without having to think too much.

In fact, if you have just had a bad day at work - or in my case, suffering from writer's block - this film will help you to release your stress. After all, laughter is the best medicine.

Indeed there lots of jokes and witty dialogue in this movie.

It is not easy to come up with a good film that can satisfy all age groups. Aziz did it with his 'Senario' trilogy, but many have said that the success of that trilogy was due more to the comic group.

Last year, Aziz gave us that perfect movie, 'Idola'. Critics loved that film but unfortunately, viewers did not feel the same.

'Gila Gila Pengantin' lies in between 'Senario' trilogy and 'Idola'. It is as slapstick as the former, yet not too heavy in social issues like the latter.

The Acting Erra's Aleya is an independent woman. The role is quite different from the other characters she has portrayed. Erra proved that she could do light comedy in 'Soal Hati' and 'Soalnya Siapa?'. 'Gila Gila Pengantin' further cements her status as Malaysia's most versatile actress.

Norman Hakim as Johari is as good, but personally I feel that Johari is similar to Norman's character in 'Idola'.

In 'Gila Gila Pengantin', Norman has to make people believe that he is Mr Charming, a man who can steal the heart of any woman at first glance.

But despite being charming, he also fumbles, which makes him your everyday guy. Yup, Norman manages to pull that off, and his comic timing is spot on.

Hairie Othman did not have much to do in this film, but it is fun to watch him move away from his "Mr Macho" image.

In this film, he is madly in love with Wanda, and is willing to do anything - including begging - to win her heart.

In 'Gerak Khas The Movie 2', Juliana Banos received lots of criticism about her acting. Some said that she was good, but most said that she could not act.

Luckily, Juliana shines as Wanda, a character that viewers will fall in love with. Wanda is quiet irritating, yet adorable nonetheless.

Each time she whines about her fiance, viewers will cringe. Of course, this is not for long since she is a character that viewers will find hard to hate.

With enough guidance, she can be as big as other singers turned actresses such as Amy Mastura and Ziana Zain.

The Verdict - 'Gila Gila Pengantin' will do good business. It might also set a new trend in the local film industry - the partnering of two filmmakers to come up with a winning formula.

I will not be surprised if 'Gila Gila Pengantin' will spawn a sequel, or even start a local "wedding film" trend.

‘Gila Gila Pengantin' which is produced by Skop Productions and Ace Motion Pictures Sdn Bhd - opened nationwide on Jan 30.