What's up with 'Eiffel... I'm in Love'<\/p>\n
Tony Ryanto, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Eiffel... I'm In Love, like Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What's up with
\nLove?), is a teen romantic comedy -- a genre which has been well
\nreceived here for its effortless absorption, appealing narrative
\nand elements of pop culture.<\/p>\n
What do the two flicks have in common? First and foremost the
\ncool detachment of their male leads. Nicholas Saputra in Cinta
\nand Samuel Rizal in Eiffel.<\/p>\n
Saputra is taciturn and handsome. Rizal is like Hollywood
\nactor Vin Diesel and suffers from the misconception of others
\nthat he is harsh, unfeeling, indifferent...<\/p>\n
In Rizal's case, this is to conceal the naivety, artlessness
\nand other shortcomings of Adit, the character he plays.<\/p>\n
This, however, doesn't mean that the female leads are not
\nworthy of commendation. In Cinta, Dian Sastrowardoyo is a young
\nwoman of high principle and in Eiffel, Shandy Aulia, though not
\nas stunning as Titi Kamal (Intan) in Cinta, is a character that
\nwe empathize with.<\/p>\n
But the real magnetism of the two films lies with Rizal and
\nSaputra. This means that audiences most likely to feel the earth
\nmove (beneath their cinema seats) are young women not young men.<\/p>\n
Eiffel, was produced by U.S.-educated, 25-year-old Sunil
\nSoraya, the son of veteran producer Ram Soraya. Sunil was
\ninspired to turn teenage-novelist Rachmania Arunita's story of
\nthe same name into a film after reading it two years ago.<\/p>\n
After his dad gave the green-light, Sunil asked Nasri Cheppy
\nto direct. Two weeks of the 75 days of shooting took place in
\nParis.<\/p>\n
Thus, it is in Paris that Adit (Rizal) and Tita (Aulia) agree
\nto temporarily end their quarrel. Love blossoms amid the cool
\nnight air -- (for anyone but lovers the night was probably just
\ndark and cold) -- and the 300-meter tall Eiffel Tower -- ever
\nsymbolic of romance -- is the perfect backdrop.<\/p>\n
The story starts with Adit, who is studying in France, flying
\nto Jakarta to stay with Tita and her parents. Tita is made to
\nunderstand that she is destined to be Adit's wife, because their
\nparents "want it that way".<\/p>\n
In the interim, the two are free to enjoy their youth. Tita's
\nboyfriend is Ergi (Yogi Finanda) and Adit's girlfriend is Intan.
\nTeen comedies generally follow a predictable path. All
\nrelationships (bar the leads' romance) are stepping stones to the
\nmain event.<\/p>\n
When Adit and Ergi go to buy drinks for their partners, Intan
\nconfesses to Tita that Adit is her former lover. She also tells
\nTita that Adit love her. In due time, Intan continues, Adit will
\nreveal his true feelings toward Tita and prove that his rough
\nexterior is simply a guise.<\/p>\n
Audiences may struggle to understand what planet Intan has
\ndropped from, so pure hearted and so inexplicably kind.<\/p>\n
The narrative of Eiffel is played out well; there are a lot of
\nmemorable scenes. The slow-motion sequence of Intan's arrival in
\nParis is reminiscent of Halle Berry rising from the sea to be met
\nby Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day.<\/p>\n
Tita's bed and bedroom in Paris are showered with white roses.
\nThis scene has parallels with Sam Mende's American Beauty, in
\nwhich Kevin Spacey envisions Mena Suvari covered with roses.<\/p>\n
Eiffel... I'm in love is playing at selected cinemas in
\nJakarta with Dolby Digital sound. The soundtrack is arranged by
\nhusband-and-wife-team Anto Hoed and Melly Goeslaw -- probably the
\nbest music producers in the country -- and recorded by Mark
\nBlackwell and Antonio Rojas at Soundfirm, Fox Studios, Sydney.<\/p>",
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