Reality hits screen with R&R dream

Sunday, February 05, 2006
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When was the last time you watched an Indonesian film and still talked about it for hours, or even days afterwards -- and not because the lame dialog, dim-witted storyline and absurd plot (paging Sembilan Naga and Garasi) left you so traumatized that you wished you could reclaim those two hours and had never watched the film in question.

No -- but because the film is so real, so honest, so true to itself, so high-spirited and so hilarious at the same time.

Enter Realita, Cinta dan Rock 'n Roll (Reality, love and rock 'n' roll).
The title may sound dead pretentious. The premise also invites eye rolling and head scratching: Two angst-ridden boys, rebels at school and at home, bump into harsh reality as one turns out to be adopted while the other turns out to have a transsexual father -- all while caught in a love triangle.

Judging from the disasters produced in the screenwriting department from which too many local movies have suffered, it has seemed that there is no way that a local filmmaker could make a good film out of such material.

Director Upi's past productions also seemed to indicate this. She wrote and directed 30 Hari Mencari Cinta (30 days seeking love) and wrote Lovely Luna, which were among the endless list of crappy teen flicks that have inundated movie theaters in recent years.

But boy, I've never been so happy for being proven wrong and for prejudging something.

A few directors have made an attempt to make a coming-of-age film but failed miserably, portraying teenagers as either too dumb to live or too wise and mushy to be real.

Only Realita has come up with a true-to-life depiction of teen boys, complete with their angst, stupidity, anxiety and silliness -- perhaps amazingly, as the writer/director does not have any testosterone to be able to understand a boy's world, never mind speaking their lingo.

Upi has managed to come up with a great script that succeeds in turning the cringe-inducing premise into a believable and enjoyable story.

The characters are well developed, and theatrical characters -- like a transsexual father and a New Age-obsessed mother with her hippie boyfriend -- enriched the film instead of impairing it.

The dialog is natural and funny, although there are moments when it slips into a soap opera cliche, along with some scenes. The story also drags a little in the middle, but the script is solid overall.

Occasionally, the small budget also lets Upi down, particularly in terms of poor sound quality and blurry camerawork. Seems like the production budget to make this movie came from the wrong hands.

But as a whole, the film is a delight to watch. Its flaws are also compensated by the two young and barely experienced actors, Herjunot and Vino. They really shine in their roles as two silly boys who actually have good hearts.

Meanwhile, their aspiring to become rock stars but not really having the skill will just crack you up. The chemistry and friendship between the laed actors are strong and touching without being sentimental.

Newcomer Nadine Chandrawinata, also Miss Indonesia 2005, is not disappointing either as a troubled teenage girl. And after his good comeback in 2005's Janji Joni (Joni's promise) as a chatty taxi driver, former action star Barry Prima again delivers an excellent performance as the transsexual father.

Realita really compensates for the recent poor fare -- some of which were from celebrated filmmakers.

Thanks to Upi, we can regain our hope in the local film industry -- let's just hope Upi does not get into the hype. *** (out of ***)

Labels: Film, review

Posted by hera at 9:01 PM | Permalinks | Comments

High expectations overwhelm 'Gie'

Sunday, July 10, 2005
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Gie; Drama, 2 hours 27 minutes. Starring Nicholas Saputra, Jonathan Mulia, Sita Nursanti, Indra Birowo. Directed and written by Riri Riza; A Miles Films production (Bahasa Indonesia). **1/2 (out of ****). Opening on July 14.

Gie was one of the most anticipated movies of the past year for a few reasons, but mainly because the majority of local productions have ranged from plain bad to abysmal, with very few exceptions.
Another reason is because the emerging contemporary film scene, after it was crippled during the 1990s, has been dominated by (bad) teen and horror flicks. So, a mature drama about an uncompromising political activist who died young was expected to bring some depth and a drop of inspiration to the scene.
Furthermore, the film was made by Riri Riza, the most celebrated figure in the local industry, whose films, whether his involvement was in direction or in producing (count Rumah Ketujuh/Seventh House out), have been milestones for their quality.
Recently, a local film observer and critic even accused the Cannes film committee of cronyism, as the committee had picked a not-so-stellar Singaporean film over Gie. The critic admitted he had not seen the latter, but for the aforementioned reasons, he thought it had to be a great film.
After watching the movie, however, it's clear that the people at Cannes are not stupid.
This movie, sadly, falls flat due to its lack of focus, lame screenplay and dialog, as well as its skin-deep approach to Gie's character and Indonesian politics.
This is very unfortunate because Gie, or Soe Hok Gie, was a legendary student activist whose sharp and critical writing has been immortalized in several books.
Born in 1942 during World War II, Gie came into the spotlight as a student at the University of Indonesia's School of Literature, when he was actively involved in the 1960s student movement against the Soekarno government.
A prolific contributor to several publications at that time, Gie was daring, frank and unbending in his ideals; a quality unmatched in his successors until today.
Leading a modest life, he once sent a lipstick and a mirror to former fellow student activists who sold out later and became the very legislators they used to criticize.
His idealistic approach, however, often left him isolated, but he could not care less. An avid mountain climber, Gie died in 1969 while scaling Mount Semeru in East Java.
Riri Riza's film is the first to portray Gie's life.
It begins in Gie's teenage years, set in a Chinese-Indonesian neighborhood. The film started out well and continued so for the first half-hour, although the pace was too slow, and the audience finds out the critical, idealistic and anxious character of the young Gie (played quite well by newcomer Jonathan Mulia).
These traits are revealed in how he sticks up for the poor, how he stood up for his best friend, Han, who was physically abused by his family, and other scenes.
The excellent cinematography, the intricate setting with great details promised that better things lay ahead over the next two hours.
Unfortunately, it does not deliver. The characters are portrayed in a superficial manner -- for example, Gie likes to read, speak up, watch art films -- distancing the viewers instead of letting us relate to him, let alone be inspired by him.
Gie is also overwrought by lame and preachy lines about politics, which leaves the impression that the filmmaker does not really have knowledge on this subject, but is hardly trying to cover it up.
Perhaps Riri should have focused on, say, the friendship between Gie and Han, the latter of whom was a victim of the massacre of Communists, as he was a sympathizer of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Or maybe he could have focused on the friendship between the activists, or Gie as a rare-breed activist hailing from the Chinese-Indonesian community.
Instead of focusing on a specific theme or event, it appears Riri was trying to tell too many things at once, that the movie became a montage of events and is often confusing, not to mention dull.
In a bid to humanize Gie, Riri also inserted some mushy romance, which only made the characters even more flawed.
The actors are not damaging to the film, but are not really convincing in their portrayals either, particularly Nicholas, whose average work here only reminded of criticisms as to why a Eurasian actor was picked to play a Chinese-Indonesian.
Even the thematic score and songs on the original soundtrack are baffling. The already unimpressive music should have been subtle, but instead it often drowns out the narration. And then suddenly, a rock song blares on screen and (gasp!) it's Bob Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone -- which is very much not in tune with Gie's rigid portrayal and the tone of the film.
Nearing the end of the film, all we were waiting for was the moment Gie dies. Which is, needless to say, really, really sad.

Labels: Film, review

Posted by hera at 12:49 AM | Permalinks | Comments

On the Record

Sunday, April 10, 2005
Artist : Beck
Album : Guero (Universal Music)

Beck surprised lots of people with the release of Sea Change three years ago, going from white hip-hopper with tongue firmly in cheek, to bluesy and drowned in sorrow following the end of a a long-term relationship.
Now he has gone back to his earlier sound, with songs immersed in funk, sound effects and random shouts and rhymes about nothing.
However, Guero does not sound like recycled songs from old Beck albums. The turntables, guitars, psychedelic bossa nova beats and everything else are all smashed together, and come out sounding great.
It is a fun and amusing trip from track to track: From the raucous single E-Pro, to the folksy Farewell Ride, the '70s R&B inflected Earthquake Water and the ballad Broken Drum.
This may not be Beck's best work, but it is still a good album. -- Hera Diani

Labels: music, review

Posted by hera at 1:00 AM | Permalinks | Comments

Djenar's story collection naughty but not so nice

Sunday, February 08, 2004

---------------------------------------------------------------Jangan Main-main (Dengan Kelaminmu) By Djenar Maesa Ayu, PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, 2004; 122 pp Rp 30,000; In Bahasa Indonesia ---------------------------------------------------------------
Do not blame Djenar for still harping on the sex theme, because it sells. Take note of the lucrative career of Britney Spears, for instance.
A sophomore effort after 2002's Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet (They Say I'm a Monkey), Jangan Main-main (Dengan Kelaminmu) (Don't Play (with Your Genitals)) is a compilation of 11 short stories, 10 of them previously printed in several local publications.
Like its forerunner, infidelity, fornication and sexual decadence pour out in gritty words and description, with Djenar saying she wanted to poke at the hypocrisy in society.
She also seeks to take the side of marginalized people (the prostitute in Ting!, for instance) and the betrayed (the wife in the title story).
Menyusu Ayah (Suckling Father), meanwhile, is about child abuse while Cermin (Mirror) tells about a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship.
Unlike the previous book, there are barely any metaphorical words and strange creatures (four-legged people, men or women with any animal's tail or head you could think of) appearing here.
Instead, Djenar plays with repetition, working the same sentence or paragraph over and over again to emphasize the point.
Metaphors or repetition become tiring and irritating when overworked, rather than amusing, moving or shocking.
The only people who will be shocked, perhaps, are teenagers, so the publisher better get rid of the "for adults only" blurb on the cover.
If taking aim at morality or hypocrisy is the intention, this book fails in that department, too, as it lacks depth and delicacy, and force-feeding of sex renders it superficial and forced.
The "testimony" of a penthouse used for orgies, the poor girl who seeks refuge in cheap porn books her father sells, the revenge of a mistress -- even a romance novelist knows better than this, and the latter's works are more enjoyable.
In fact, Djenar shows more prowess when she does not try too hard to bring sex in. Examples are Waktu Nayla (Nayla Time), a contemplative story about a woman with cancer, which appeared on the first book, and Cermin, although the story needs more shaping.
But, hey, there is always a market for titillation. And if it leads to more hype than recognition of talent, then who can blame Britney, or Djenar?
-- Hera Diani

Labels: literary, review

Posted by hera at 2:15 AM | Permalinks | Comments

'Eliana-Eliana': The film we have been waiting for

Sunday, June 16, 2002

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Eliana Eliana *** (out of ****); Drama, 83 minutes; Starring Rachel Sayidina, Jajang C. Noer, Henidar Amroe, Arswendi Nasution, Marcella Zalianty; Directed by Riri Riza; A Miles Films production (Indonesian language)

Will we be able to say "finally" at long last?

That was the big question before seeing this much-anticipated movie, a winner at the recent Singapore Film Festival.

Will we be freed from the curse of pretentious art-house films mistaken for good cinema? Or will we still have to put up with the fact that the best that local filmmakers have to offer is children's movies or teen flicks?

Breathe a sigh of relief, because the answers are both in the affirmative for the first two questions, and "not anymore" for the third.

And while that "finally" is yet to be the kind written in capital letters and followed by exclamation marks, it is safe to say that this third film directed by Riri has again succeeded in bringing local moviemaking to another level, which is an exhilarating fact in itself.

Finally, someone has come to his senses and is making movies that people can relate to. This film, which opened in theaters on Friday, is the one for adults that we have been waiting for, the kind of movie that filmmakers should have been able to make a long time ago.

It is also more proof of Riri's talent as a filmmaker, after the huge success of 2000's Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure) and this year's Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What's With Love?), the aforementioned kiddie and teen flicks.

He directed the former, and acted as producer for the latter. But while both films are light, entertaining and slick, Eliana is raw, grim and a deeper exploration of its subject.

It tells of a love-hate relationship between mother and daughter, which is similar in theme to last year's Pasir Berbisik (Whispering Sand) without the dull vistas of sand, the big budget and the snoring of the audience -- and with the addition of some logic.

Its quality belies the fact that it qualifies as a low budget film, with production costs or only Rp 800 million (about US$80,000), small even by local standards (Petualangan cost some Rp 2.5 billion, while Ada Apa was Rp 4 billion).

Even on its tight budget, one-camera production, 14-day shoot and in digital format, Eliana succeeds in depicting a difficult relationship played out against the backdrop of the big bad city.

And, unlike most films these days, the relationship does not include raging hormones.

Eliana (Rachel) ran away to Jakarta from her hometown of Padang, West Sumatra, to escape an arranged marriage. Five years later, she is struggling with her job and dodging her landlord in her slum neighborhood when her widowed mother (Jajang) arrives with plane tickets to take Eliana home.

The meeting leads to an all-night taxi ride as Eliana looks for her housemate, Heni, who suddenly disappeared.

The ride is also a journey of disclosure, revealing many things between Eliana and her mother that have been buried throughout their lives.

Some filmmakers here believe that the less dialog, the better, and Riri is in this group with Eliana Eliana. But while his colleagues fail to fill those gaps where the words are supposed to be, the images speak for themselves here.

The gloomy, ugly face of Jakarta also is not only mere background: It is the story itself and adds its own poetic moments. Sometimes, it is stronger than the main plot, as we get to see the corners, the people, the dreams turning into nightmares in the urban sprawl.

Of the cast, Rachel cannot fulfill the demands of playing a rebellion with no direction in her life, acting as if she is back on the set of a soap.

Fortunately, Jajang is brilliant, testament to her long experience in theater and film.

She breathes life into the character of the defiant widow, making it natural, believable and real, whether she is scolding a taxi driver and trying to bring almost everyone into line, or finally letting go of the facade when she breaks down at seeing her reflection in the mirror of a dirty public toilet.

There are some other shortcomings, including lapses into pat dialog. Sometimes the plot drags, including in a confusing scene where Eliana meets Ratna (Marcella) as she searches for her friend.

It also turns out that the taxi driver's son is a photographer and filmmaker, which is simply unbelievable (especially as dad is working for one of the most notorious taxicab companies around).

Still, despite the faults, Riri shows that he is on his way: The three-star rating is not given merely for this film, but also for the proof of promise that even better things lie ahead.

Labels: Film, review

Posted by hera at 12:53 AM | Permalinks | Comments