Sociable Movie Guy
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A Classic Action Film that Looks Stunning but Feels Bland Indonesian cinema has been loaded with plenty of action films since The Raid burst into theaters back in 2011. Now comes Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza (both are very well known for their previous films such as ‘Petualangan Sherina’, the phenomenal ‘Ada Apa Dengan Cinta’, ‘Laskar Pelangi’, and ‘Sokola Rimba’ to name a few) producing their own action film titled ‘Pendekar Tongkat Emas’ or ‘The Golden Cane Warrior’. Directed by Ifa Isfansyah (best-known for his award-winning ‘Sang Penari’), the film tells the story of Cempaka (Christine Hakim) as the legendary warrior and owner of the great golden cane. She wants to inherit the golden cane to one of her four students, Biru (Reza Rahadian), Gerhana (Tara Basro), Dara (Eva Celia), and Angin (Aria Kusumah). But then betrayal appears and the golden cane is stolen. Some of her students must find the only person who can help them retrieve the golden cane, Pendekar Naga Putih or The White Dragon Warrior. The film is shot in East Sumba, Nusa Tenggara Timur which is famous for its exquisite scenery. And the film really does justice to that place! The cinematography by Gunnar Nimpuno is nothing but amazing. The costume design by Chitra Subiyakto is also very beautiful to look at and complemented by the film’s decently detail production design. But the champion here is the choreography that looks real and convincing. Kudos to Xiong Xin Xin as the choreographer and the committed actors and actresses in preparing and doing all the action scenes. One of the actors, Reza Rahadian, is reportedly spent 7 months just to prepare for this film. 7 freaking months! Things are going well in the acting department too. Christine Hakim is as charismatic as always despite her limited amount of screen time. But the most valuable player in this film is Eva Celia. She steals every single scene she’s in. The way she delivers her lines, which are not easy due to the heavy use of formal words, is so smooth. She embodies the portrait of a young and determined woman warrior so good you just can’t take your eyes off of her. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast give watchable performances.
Unfortunately, the script by Jujur Prananto, Seno Gumira Ajidarma, Mira Lesmana, Riri Riza and Ifa Isfansyah is just too weak to hold all of the greatness I mentioned before. There are quite much plot holes that make the film less enjoyable. It’s like all of the events occurring in the film are not sewn neatly which lead to some questionable and confusing moments, such as (SPOILER ALERT!) the sudden appearance of Gerhana's child in the climax fighting scene. All in all, 'Pendekar Tongkat Emas' is a technically sophisticated film that may not be able to touch your deepest emotions. But still, the film is nonetheless another breath of fresh air for Indonesian cinema. Score : 3/5
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A Bold and Smart Adaptation of Best-Seller Novel The time has finally come for me to review my first ever Indonesian film! I’ve always wanted to do this but I waited for the appropriate film, and Supernova certainly is the one. Directed by well-known Indonesian director Rizal Mantovani, ‘Supernova : KPBJ’ is adapted from novel of the same name written by Dee. The film tells the story of Dimas (Hamish Daud) and Reuben (Arifin Putra), a couple who makes a promise out of their encounter to create a novel about a Knight, Princess, and Shooting Star (Ksatria, Putri, and Bintang Jatuh translated). At the same time they write the story, another events occur that resemble the one they develop. Are the events really happening? Or are they only the reflection of Dimas’s and Reuben’s mind? First of all, let me compliment the team involved in bringing ‘Supernova : KPBJ’ to the silver screen. A very, very, brave move! Although I haven’t read the novel, but I can tell from its reviews that it is not the easiest literature to adapt to. The scope is very broad and not the simplest one to understand (it is actually the first novel of a ‘Supernova’ series, so the scope will eventually get even bigger). Not to mention the aforementioned characters are gay, something that is still widely considered as taboo in Indonesia. The film itself has an exceptionally wide scope. Ranging from infidelity to science aspects that I haven’t even heard of (you should have taken more seriously those science books in high school, Dan!). But Rizal Mantovani and scriptwriter Donny Dhirgantoro successfully wraps it in a way that is not only clever and dynamic, but also engaging for the brain to digest. The cinematography by Yudi Datau is to die for which makes the film really beautiful to look at. There are also some scenes with visual effects which are well-executed, if not perfect. Another noteworthy aspects from this film are the score and soundtrack that really add up to the film’s gloomy mood. Now let’s move on to the acting department, something that really gets me going. ‘Supernova : KPBJ’ is filled with excellent performances particularly by Herjunot Ali who plays Ferre and Hamish Daud. The last time I saw Herjunot Ali on screen was a long time ago in ‘Realita, Cinta, dan Rock&Roll’ and seeing him in ‘Supernova : KPBJ’ has shown me how much he has developed and improved as an actor. His every gesture and emotion as Ferre, a somewhat troubled but very successful young man are perfection. His deliverance in each line is nothing less than top-notch (trust me, those lines that given to him are not easy). I sense that this performance will be heavily-recognized in the next award season. Hamish Daud gives an equally award-worthy performance too as Reuben’s partner. The way he gazes and speaks his words are very convincing. It is indeed a supporting role, but nonetheless still as effective as it gets. Like any other things in the world, ‘Supernova : KPBJ’ is not without faults. One of them is the last one third of the film feels like being rushed. The problem is that part is filled with so many heavy content so it would be better if it is delivered in a more relaxed manner. Another thing that can be considered as a lower part of the film is Paula Verhoeven’s accent as Diva. The thing is, she is given the most crucial lines in the film and the way she delivers them can somehow be distracting. But given the fact that this is her first attempt in the film industry, her performance is far from unwatchable.
All in all, ‘Supernova : KPBJ’ might not be for everyone’s taste. But it is undoubtedly a well-made film that serves as a breath of fresh air for Indonesian cinema. Being said that, the film really deserves your attention, so go watch it at your nearest cinema! Score : 4/5 A Dialogue-Driven Drama About Life ComplexitiesIt’s been too long since the last time I posted something to this beautiful baby of mine. I know no excuses would make up for my abandonment. But still, I apologize for postponing this particular post that should have been done weeks ago. Let’s move on to the review, shall we? ‘Winter Sleep’, or originally titled ‘Kis Uykusu’, is a Turkish film which won Palme D’or, the most prestigious award in this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, who is no stranger in the festival. He previously won the Grand Prix (the second-honor award in Cannes) twice for his ‘Uzak’ (2002) and ‘Once Upon A Time in Anatolia’ (2011) and snagged a directing prize for his ‘Three Monkeys’ (2008). ‘Winter Sleep’ tells the story of Aydin (Haluk Bilginer), a former actor who owns a small hotel in Anatolia. He’s also the landlord for some of the properties around his hotel. One day, he deals with one of his tenant who is apparently having a hard time to pay the rent. While solving that problem (which eventually snowballs into something larger), he must also face his estranged relationship with his equally estranged wife Nihal (Melisa Sozen). And it doesn’t stop there. The hotel occupant includes his recently-divorced sister Necla (Demet Akbag) and he too, must face endless and somewhat tiring arguments with his sister who apparently has very exciting views in life. The title of this review says it all. This 3++ hours film is literally driven by tons of dialogue from the characters involved in the story. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the film is dead boring. The result is totally the opposite. Ceylan successfully crafts his film into something very compelling. All of the lines thrown by the characters are magnetic and witty. The topics are so varied I can’t even spill each of them (ahem, this might also works as my justification to the fact that I actually forget the details of what they are talking about in the film). The performances also make this film worth to watch. Of all the fine performances, my favorite goes to Serhat Mustafa Killic who plays Hamdi, the local Imam who is also a family member of the aforementioned tenant. He plays a man trying to save his family so effortlessly good. The way he reluctantly begs Aydin, his forced smile, and his gesture are all on point. I must admit that ‘Winter Sleep’ is not a film for everyone due to its weighty content and challenging duration. But the film is actually enjoyable once we can open our mind a little bit. So, open and relax your mind then join the ride that Ceylan has prepared for us!
Score : 4/5 Note : once again thanks to Jiffest for bringing this film to town. Can’t wait to see what you guys will bring next year! |
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AuthorA self-acclaimed movie guy who likes to socialize |