Can I enter a Movie Review here?

Please excuse this newcomer question. But ...


I just saw the film Malaya (1949) and it just knocked me out. It didn't get a very high rating on IMDB. I was shocked by that. The only possible explanation is that someone at IMDB either didn't watch the same movie I did or they slept through it.


Nonetheless, I went to the "Reviews" page on your site but couldn't find any way that I could create a new review for this movie.

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FYI, here is the first draft of the review I'm writing:


Malaya (1949) "A modern army runs on rubber."

Adventure Drama Film Noir

Something very special happened to me last night. For the first time in more than ten years, I saw a movie that was good enough to add to my list, "Top 100 Favorite B&W Films".

This movie was only rated 6.7 on IMDB. I would have rated it 8.0. But perhaps that would only apply to lovers of Film Noir.

This film is a masterpiece. I don't understand why I've never before seen it in anyone else's Top 100 lists.

It stars Jimmy Stewart, Spencer Tracy, Sidney Greenstreet and a lady named Valentina Cortese. I had never previously remembered Valentina Cortese. But she is just as alluring as Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca or Marlene Dietrich in any of her many films. Although it was only made 5 years later, I failed to recognize Valentina from The Barefoot Contessa (1954) with Humphrey Bogart. The only reason I can think of for my failure to remember her is that whenever Ava Gardner stars in a movie, my eyes are entirely on her. She starred in The Barefoot Contessa with Bogart and if you recall what Ingrid Bergman did for "As Tears Go By", Valentina does much the same for "Blue Moon" in this film.

Interestingly, the producer/director of this film (directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Edwin H. Knopf) do not show her singing the entire song. They just show a limited portion. Just enough to burn the sound and image of her singing that song into my mind so that I will never forget it. This is a wonderful film. After a single viewing, I not only added it to my Top 100 list - I also added it to my Top 10 list. After watching it the second time.

The story begins in 1942 - just one month after Pearl Harbor. The US is desperate for rubber. Almost all the rubber produced in the world comes from Malaya (now called Malaysia) which is under the control of the Japanese.

But Malaya is not fully under Japanese control. There are many factions in Malaya who are fighting against the Japanese occupation. Enter Jimmy Stewart and Spencer Tracy. They are tasked by Uncle Sam to go to Malaya and get all the rubber supplies that have been hidden from the Japanese and to pay gold to bring it back to the US. They meet up with one of Tracy's old friends played by Sidney Greenstreet in his final (and also his finest) performance that I have ever seen.

This isn't really a war movie although it was set during wartime. But even if you are not a fan of war movies and even if you are not a fan of Jimmy Stewart or Spencer Tracy, this movie is worth seeing just to see Sidney Greenstreet's performance. It is nothing like the many films he made with Bogart - The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), Across the Pacific (1942), Conflict (1945) and Passage to Marseille (1944). His performance in this film is worth seeing entirely on its own merits.

I loved this movie. I ranted. I raved. I came to MovieForums.com and posted my first ever review.

P.S. I don't exactly understand the rating system here. But I give this movie the highest rating possible.

Write it up in a post via the GO ADVANCED button and at the bottom of the screen where you enter your text you'll see a checkbox "Suggest this post for inclusion in the Reviews area". Check that when finished and before hitting POST REPLY.

Yeah, as Chyp says^^ , also, welcome to MoFo!

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@Bluemax you can edit a post anytime, you can even click the checkbox "Suggest this post for inclusion in the Reviews area" after you have written the post. You do need to use the popcorn rating system for a review to be official logged into MoFo's review area. Here's how to do the Popcorn Box Ratings

Oh add a photo too, it's nice to see a photo in a review.

The helpful people here have beaten me to it. Love it.

This does highlight, for me, the necessity of making it more obvious how some of these things work, though, so thanks for that. I'll see about adding a quick how-to on the Reviews page itself.

Thank you all very much.



I suggest you consider starting an Internet group called, "The Helpful People".


Heh Heh. Just kidding. I have to say that because I find most people usually misunderstand my strange sense of humor and they think I'm making fun of them.


But I'm not making fun of you. I honestly appreciate your help.


I will go finish my review and then add a picture and then check the checkbox. Thanks again!

Helpful people on here are usually just called "MoFo"

That's a pic from the movie promos btw. There is already a dedicated pet pic thread somewhere around here.




Ok sorry. I had to get that out before Chyp noticed. Please excuse me entertaining myself. I will see myself out, stage right...

Very nicely written review @Bluxmax, it reads well. I especially liked that above paragraph. I think most people at MoFo who read reviews like to hear the reviewer's personal reaction to the movie.

I've not heard of Malaya (1949) before and I do love old films too, your review has me now wanting to watch it.
A 5 rating is the highest you can rate a film using the popcorn boxes . You'll be a MoFo movie reviewer when you have that rating code memorized

There's a lot of great movies at IMDB that get lower ratings than they deserve. I read some of the negative reviews of Malaya, and it seems some reviewers complained it wasn't realistic. Maybe that's an unfortunate generation gap thing?...As today people tend to view movies as realistic=good. But back in the day it was understood that movies weren't real life. Maybe we can blame the French New Wave cinema with their emphasis on realism in movies for placing realism as a must in audiences minds. But how realistic is the Indian Jones series of movies? Not at all, but people love them because their fun, exciting and rewarding. And I bet Malaya is a bit like that.