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Last Knights (2015)
Much better than what many critics said
I feel compelled to write down this review after reading so many bad reviews. Here is why.
One, there is nothing wrong that it is actually based on 47 Ronin, even though the producer seems to be a bit shy to admit that openly. 47 Ronin is indeed a timeless tale and this movie is paying a great tribute to it. I even find that this movie is way better than the "official" home of 47 Ronin by Keanu Reeves. Even though it is set in fantasy land, but it certainly captured the spirit of 47 Ronin better than the Keanu's one. Keanu's 47 Ronin is too deeply entrenched with the fantasy tale that it lost its grip into the reality, even though it is staged in a historical Japan land. Last Knights is staged in a land of fantasy, but it is a more realistic grip by giving up all the magic and dragon, which in my opinion bring a more powerful story. Not to add that Morgan Freeman is actually doing a better job at portraying a staunch believer in honor and justice, a true noble man that we all missed today.
Two, there is nothing wrong that the fighting scene is a bit idealized than realistic. Not to mention that it is actually set in a fantasy land. Their fighting skill is indeed a bit over the edge. Please do not compare it with Game of Thrones just because you have many gruesome deaths. Both movies have their own merit.
Three, there is nothing wrong with a fantasy movie without magic and dragon. As long as it is true to the story line, it does not matter whether there are actually dragons or not.
Maybe it is not an excellent movie, but it is a good movie of chivalry and sword fighting. The characters is not too well developed, except Lord Bartok and Raiden. All the others seem like just companions to die. But in the end, I am quite satisfied with the movie. Maybe it would have been better if they stick with the original 47 Ronin, when all of their rank are executed. It certainly would bring a stronger tone of how corrupted the country actually is.
Sang Pemimpi (2009)
Riri Riza low point
This movie is an adaptation from a popular novel by the same title (Sang Pemimpi a.k.a The Dreamer). It portrays two village boys with a dream of traveling to Paris, to study at Sorbonne University. Being a movie about dream, it failed to capture the audience to follow the story and get attached. It fails much behind movie with similar theme such as the much acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire or even the modest Pursuit of Happiness. The characters are poorly developed so the audience doesn't get attached to the character.
More over, it also failed to represent the culture, Malayan culture, which it portrayed. Following a dream is not a major theme in Malayan culture. The culture is more on interested in wandering, adventure and myth. Pursuing happiness, such as stated in American Constitution, is not really in the mind set of the people. Maybe it enters the writers mind because the writer is an European university graduate, therefore he was exposed to such culture.
The acting was also poorer compared to its prequel "Laskar Pelangi". Luckily the acting of the epilogue part is quite good, thanks to the star performance of Lukman Sardi, an award winner actor, and a surprisingly good performance of Ariel Peterpan, who is well known as a singer, not an actor. Because of their performance, I still give this movie a SIX instead of FIVE. Their performance as the adult version main characters is quite convincing, compared the the main story which depicts the teenage life of the main characters.
The story line is boring and not focused. It tried to build a story about dream, and also wanted to show a movie about a dedication of a father, and in the end failed to achieve both.
It looks like the the director and writers need a major overhaul if they want to make the sequel (Edensor). Miles production cannot depend to much on the popularity of the novel. A movie is a movie, a novel is a novel. You can make good movies out of a bad novel (not an easy task, but still possible with major changes, for example Julie and Julia). And you can make a bad movie out of a wonderful novel.
Garuda di Dadaku (2009)
A hint of Nationalism in A Sport Movie
The theme of this movie is very common in Hollywood pictures, a boy's dream to become a sport star, but this theme is rarely explored in Indonesian movies. This makes it very special in the history of Indonesian cinema, especially since it depicts the most popular sport in Indonesia, which is football (or in American English: soccer), while being the most popular sport, Indonesian national football team never again reach its peak in 1950-s era, when the team successfully held Russian team 0-0 in the Olympic Games.
The movie is lightly written, and lightly delivered, but the directors succeed in delivering all the potential of the movie. Yes, the story line look a bit too good to be true, but come on, it is a children movie, all of them are too good to be true.
The other compliment for the movie makers are their success in depicting children world as it is. You have friendship, puppy love, and sneaking out, and so on. A character in the movie which is a driver plays as the comic to add up to the cheer of the movie. All the children actors acted naturally and beautifully. It is the performance of the adult actor that is not at the highest point, especially for the coach character.
But it still lack of some magical ingredients to make it an extraordinary movie. It is a common movie about a common dream of a common kid, in a common country. It's the story itself that limits the movie, to be compared with Slumdog Millionaire or Spiderwick Chronicles for example. But nevertheless, the team has work very hard and successfully to deliver it to the max.
This movie really lights the day in Indonesia cinema, which too full of low quality horror movies, or low sexual comedies, and it brings the dream that one day, our football team can be a great team, and can compete in World Cup. It is a dream of all Indonesian, children and adults.
Lari dari Blora (2007)
Running from Reality
The idea was very good indeed, even surprising, to see that an Indonesian developed the same idea as Henry Thoreau, the idea of Civil Disobedience, more than 100 years ago, therefore built an isolated community that bears his name, Samin. And the movie tells about this.
But unfortunately, the idea fell into bad script, bad directing, and bad acting. What a waste. The story line is incoherent while trying to be too smart, and the acting barely surpass drama class students (or even below).
There are interesting teaching of Samin that can be explored further and woven into the movie. But the plot just seems not working. The character is not well designed, so there are many inconsistencies. A supposed idealist teacher looks more like a bureaucrat, a bureaucrat that sounds like an anthropologist. Why don't they switch place from the first time. And the appearance of a foreign researcher doesn't add anything to strengthen the plot.
Di Bawah Pohon (2008)
A Snapshot of three women under the banyan tree
Garin has done it again. As always, his movie is not a narration, but a poetic description. This time the story took place in Bali, a magical place, where everyday lives is penetrated by the mystical aura. The entire movie is filled by traditional chanting that really gives the spirit of the movie. Thanks god I watched the movie in subtitles, otherwise it will be totally unintelligible.
The drama is described by the lives of three women, a traveler seeking spiritual answer about her relation to her mother played by Marcella Zalianty, a radio broadcaster who faced a dilemma of abortion played by Ayu Laksmi, and an orphan who lose direction of live and trying to find guidance played by Nadia Saphira. All of them in one way are connected to motherhood, either longing for a mother, being a mother, loosing a mother, conflicting with mother, etc. All of them find their roots in Bali, either as resident, descendant or just traveler.
The movie doesn't tell a story line, a beginning, a climax, and an ending. It simply brings you to a situation faced by those women. It tells you that being a woman is not a simple business. It lets you think by yourselves, what if you face those dilemma on your own. And the movie doesn't provide any solution. For normal movie viewers, it might look like a very boring movie. There many many symbols in the movie that makes the movie digestible. For instance the Calon Arang plays, that shows a mother's love, that surpass anything even though her offspring is a villain. And also the story of Gandhari of the Kauravas, whose jealousy to Kunti gave birth to the hundred sons of the Kauravas. Not all dilemma are mystical and complicated. One is very simple, a story of a jealous woman, which portrayed brilliantly as well as comically in the movie that bring spontaneous laugh.
Initially I wonder, what is the relation between to movie to a tree. Until I realized that there are banyan tree in the surrounding, and they all lived literally under the tree. The tree is the mother, the mother of all nature.
This movie is featured by many leading Balinese artist, the 90-years-old Ni Ketut Cenik, the 70-years-old Ni Ketut Arini, the beautiful doctor-dancer Ayu Bulantrisna Djelantik, and the exotic I Ketut Rina, and also all the kecak dancers. It also accompanied by the brilliant performance of two male actors, Dwi Sasono and Ikranegara.
Laskar Pelangi (2008)
A-Not-So-Complete Depiction of Belitung Island
This is the most anticipated movie in Indonesia, in 2008. It is a movie about a small poor school, that has only two dedicated teachers and 10 pupils, struggle for survival.
One thing is very common for movie critics in Indonesia. They tend to give more credits if the movies being reviewed contain good moral values. The same thing happens with this movie, Laskar Pelangi. Many reviewers acclaim this movie, and I choose to be on the other side, to see the movie as an art, regardless of the moral values within the movie.
To say that this movie is a bad one of course is not true, but to say that it is an extremely good movie is an over-statement. It is good, up to certain aspects. The beginning is beautifully rendered, and will bring back memories to anyone who has been at Belitung Island. The siren sound in the background that signal the end of the work hour sure is a brilliant addition. But then, as the story goes, it looses grasp that has been so well developed in the first 15 minutes.
Another weakness is that the producers are not brave enough to take risk to use local talents, they still use movie stars. The 10 local kids that play the central role are showing their talents, and of course they don't have to struggle to speak in local dialect, not like the other movie star. Yes, some of the movie star play their role flawlessly: Robby Tumewu played remarkably well as "baba toko" (Chinese shop owner) to haggle all the time with the buyer, a common sight in Belitung; Slamet Raharjo Jarot also, as a sympathizer of the school. But the other I will rate as average, some even below average. But the central roles I admit are well acted.
The main weakness is the ambient of the movie. It lacks sights and sounds that brings the feel of being in Belitung. It focuses too much in the dialog, and miss the important shots that really shows what does it look like being in a small island in Belitung. The only one that gets quite good shots is the shots in the beach, which is beautiful, naturally.
The scenario which is based on a best seller novel of the same title also lacks the sense of integrity. It jumps from one scene to another. Yes, it is difficult to transfer the book to movie-script, because the book itself is too fragmented. The writer should be braver to invent new plots, in order to create a wholesome picture.
As conclusion, it could have been better, seen from the eye of myself, which has spend my entire childhood in this island.
Quickie Express (2007)
A Smart and Sexy Comedy
It has been a while for Indonesian audience to enjoy this kind of movie, a sexually-packed-comedy, since the dynamic trio Warkop DKI's movies. No wonder that the director of this movie said that this movie is a tribute to Warkop. And following the Warkop tradition, spiced up with a good and intelligent script, you have a guarantee of a full ride of laughter along the movie.
Overall, sex is the main theme of this movie; it's a movie about gigolo. Some will think that it resembles Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo, with Indonesian style. In my opinion, they are quite different, since they have different tone as well as story line. And for most Indonesian viewer, this film is one of the most sexually explicit movies, so please keep it out of reach from children.
The weak part of this movie, if I have to mention one, is that it is kind of losing momentum in the middle, which has been build up superbly by the trio since the beginning of the movie. The script concentrates to much on building the story rather than maintaining the laugh. Maybe it is indeed a difficult choice for the writer to pick whether to entertain the audience further and risking to lose the story line.
I personally give my credit to Lukman Sardi, he succeeded again. I think he is one of the most promising actors, among the young actors in Indonesia.
Just like the title of this movie; it's a quickie. Just enjoy it. I came, I watched and laughed, I went home. It doesn't need to be digested further and inspire you. So, just enjoy it, and you won't be disappointed.