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Komen Puteri Impian dalam NSTP [Cinema Review by Sajahan Waheed]:-

PUTERI IMPIAN
[Directed by Aziz M Osman]

Starring Amy Mastura, Hairie Othman, Chiko Harahap Rashid, Nur Aliah Lee, Haznina Jureen Hanif, Nasha Aziz, Sofia Ibrahim, Ngasrizal Ngasri and Azwan Ali

EVERYONE can dream but not all of us can realise our fantasies. And indeed, should our dream come true, how prepared are we to embrace a new lifestyle?

This is what director Aziz M. Osman explores in his ninth movie, the romantic comedy Puteri Impian. Though it may not be a gem, it should be successful just like Aziz's previous efforts XX Ray, Fenomena and Fantasia. Aziz has managed to keep his fairy tale realistic. The opening scene gives a perfect start. It features a flashback of a young girl playing a princess in a children's drama. This is followed by a monologue from the girl, Nora (played by Amy Mastura), now a young adult. She says she is far from achieving her dream of being a princess. Instead, she is a factory worker.

Her dreams eventually "come true", however, when she is selected to appear in a TV show a la Benson and Hedges Golden Dreams. Nora is given 10 days to live her dream of being a princess. However, she has to bear with cameraman Zul (Chiko Harahap Rashid) who trails her everywhere for the show. Naturally, Nora is not too happy with the arrangement, especially since Zul is a fault-finder. But during this time, she meets a real prince, Tengku Faizal (Hairie Othman).

One thing leads to another and they fall in love. However, after they are engaged, Nora learns that Zul is actually smitten with her. With her short stint as a princess coming to an end, Nora has to choose between becoming a real princess by marrying Tengku Faizal, or return to her old days as a factory worker.

Puteri Impian's strength is in the acting, humour and music. But what steals the thunder is its beginning and climax. The first scene is essential as it gives the audience a better understanding of why Nora harbours dreams of being a princess. The movie's climax reflects the maturity and calibre of director Aziz, who also wrote the script. An inexperienced director might not have been as creative in giving the ending a twist. Whether the viewer can accept Nora's ultimate decision is questionable. Aziz might have his reasons for the ending, but viewers need not necessarily agree with Nora's decision.

As for the acting, all four lead characters -- Amy, Chiko, Hairie and Nur Aliah Lee (as Nancy, the producer of the TV show) -- do justice to their roles. This is Amy's fourth movie -- the others are KLU, Impian and Tragedi Oktober -- and she looks natural. The same can be said of Hairie who appears in a rather soft role. The surprise here is Chiko, the son of singer-actress Uji Rashid. Last seen in a supporting role in Kekasih Awal Dan Akhir (in 1993), he has successfully transformed himself from a child actor to be the hero in Puteri Impian. He is impressive and natural. He is able to draw the audience's sympathy, especially when Nora does not reciprocate his love. On her part Nur Aliah, whose acting career so far is nothing much to shout about, does well inPuteri Impian. Puteri Impian's score by Azman Abu Hassan is a delightful icing to the movie. All the six songs-- cover versions of Gema Rembulan and Kasihku plus new efforts Di Antara Cinta, Akar, Mimpiku and Cinta Misteri -- fit the scenes well. With good camera work by Badaruddin Azmi, Puteri Impian (produced by Grand Brilliance Sdn Bhd) could well be one of the year's better romance comedies.