What's so unique about 'Wah... Cantiknya'<\/p>\n
By Tony Ryanto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Imagine Tom Cruise playing a mentally disabled
\nman lucky enough to have Catherine Zeta-Jones tell him she wants
\nto marry him because he is the only one she loves.<\/p>\n
Well, something like this is happening in the TV drama-comedy
\nWah ... Cantiknya, which for several weeks has occupied the
\nnumber one position in AC Nielsen Indonesia's weekly ratings.<\/p>\n
Given a wide range of teleserials to choose from, the plots of
\nwhich are more or less alike, Indonesian viewers, men and women
\nof all age brackets and social classes, are flocking to
\nCantiknya, which like Pernikahan Dini is said to contain
\n"something unique".<\/p>\n
Playing the fictional Cruise-like character is Anjasmara, one
\nof the nation's leading heartthrobs who is often cast as the love
\ninterest of not only one but several beautiful women.<\/p>\n
In a role that at first seems too difficult to believe, he is
\nCecep, the mentally disabled son of Ibu Sar (Nani Wijaya) who
\nonly a few women care to be associated with.<\/p>\n
So when the beautiful Tamara Blezynski (playing the role of
\nKartika) tells Cecep she loves him and wants to marry him, Cecep
\nfaints.<\/p>\n
The question that immediately comes to mind for viewers is
\nthis: "Why would Kartika want to marry Cecep, even if he is
\nsincere, childlike and good-natured?"<\/p>\n
Well, the answer is something like this. Kartika hates men
\nafter Ronald (Ponco Buwono) breaks her heart. But her father
\nWiryo (HIM Damsyik) wants her to get married as soon as possible.
\nObviously, she objects to this.<\/p>\n
Kartika thinks everything will be all right after her father
\npasses away. But no, his will stipulates that she will not
\nreceive her inheritance until she gets married. And there is a
\ndeadline attached.<\/p>\n
So Kartika, in a move that shocks everyone, chooses Cecep to
\nbe her husband, thereby galvanizing Ronald into an act of
\nretaliation.<\/p>\n
And for Kartika, her father is not really dead because she can
\nstill communicate with him, leaving other characters wondering
\nwhy this beautiful women often talks to herself.<\/p>\n
The casting of Nani Wijaya in the role of Cecep's mother is
\nperfect because playing Ibu Sar is a complete departure from the
\nusual roles that have been entrusted to her thus far: dignified
\nelderly ladies.<\/p>\n
It's like seeing Margaret Thatcher taking a turn at some Jim
\nCarrey or Adam Sandler-like comedy.<\/p>\n
On top of everything, the screenwriter introduces Kartika's
\ntwo aunts, Maya (Misye Arsita) and Moni (Arum Puspitarini), who
\nmight remind viewers of the mother and butler characters in the
\ncomedy series The Nanny.<\/p>\n
Says Dhamoo Punjabi of Multivision Plus: "The story is like
\nthe ingredients of a special dish, the director is the cook and
\nthe actors constitute the packaging, the glitter and the come-
\nhither appeal of the end product.<\/p>\n
"If the ingredients are bad, the cook cannot do anything about
\nit. If the cook is bad, excellent ingredients will not be put to
\ngood effect. And if the casting is bad, the end product is a
\nmess."<\/p>\n
Asked why he accepted a role that could negatively affect his
\nimage, Anjasmara said he wants to be a full-fledged actor, which
\nis understandable.<\/p>\n
Cecep, however, is a very difficult role, so much so that in a
\nnumber of instances exaggeration and over-the-top acting can't be
\navoided. But again, this is understandable.<\/p>\n
One thing is as clear as day: there are a lot of things in
\nthis series that make you want to laugh. First Anjasmara; second
\nDamsyik, who is said to be perfectly cast as a ghost; third the
\nIron Lady in a no-holds-barred all-out comedic role; and fourth
\nthe two aunts.<\/p>\n
Wah ... Cantiknya is aired every Wednesday at 8 p.m. on SCTV.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/whats-so-unique-about-wah-cantiknya-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }