'Arisan!' an achingly funny slice of life

--------------------------------------------- Arisan! Drama/Comedy, 129 minutes Starring Cut Mini, Tora Sudiro, Aida Nurmala, Surya Saputra, Lili Harahap, Rachel Maryam; Directed by Nia Dinata; A Kalyana Shira Film production (Bahasa Indonesia) *** (out of ****) --------------------------------------------------

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Director Nia Dinata's 2002 debut Ca-Bau-Kan was another case of a local filmmaker running around with big ideas and a colossal theme -- to the detriment of the technicalities.

Adapted from Remy Sylado's novel about the love story between a poor native Jakartan woman and a rich ethnic Chinese man, set in the first half of the last century, it ended up as a badly structured, weakly scripted costume drama.

But Nia learned her lesson. For her second effort, Arisan!, she turned to the world she knows best -- cosmopolitan city slickers -- and put the emphasis on the script she co-wrote with Joko Anwar, The Jakarta Post's regular movie columnist.

And boy, do we love a good surprise.

Arisan! is often witty and sometimes touching; it has been a while since we've seen a local film that we can laugh with, not laugh at. At times, we even laugh at ourselves, because the film tells of real people with real problems.

The title refers to the popular form of regular social gathering, whose members contribute a sum of money and take turns at winning it.

Like everything in life, there is much more involved than an egalitarian sharing of the money pot, and the gatherings are often criticized as a waste of money and an opportunity for housewives to have a good gossip and show off.

Nia uses the gatherings to make fun of high-class society, and as a plot device to connect the film's three main characters, 30- somethings Meimei (Cut Mini), Sakti (Tora Sudiro) and Andien (Aida Nurmala).

Meimei is a successful interior designer who tries everything to get pregnant, hoping that a baby will save her shaky marriage.

Her best friend and business partner is Sakti, whose widowed mom (a wonderful performance by Lili Harahap) is busy playing matchmaker, unaware that her son is a closeted gay.

Both Meimei and Sakti are part of an arisan held by Andien, a control freak housewife whose life goes into a tailspin when she finds out about her husband's affair.

These developments are the starting point for each of the three characters to try to put their lives in order, sometimes leading to more personal disasters.

Meimei becomes obsessed with pills and books on pregnancy. Sakti's efforts to become "normal" fail as he meets and falls for film producer Nino (Surya Saputra), while Andien seeks revenge by dating younger men.

The seemingly complex and intricate storylines are woven together smoothly, without being melodramatic or condescending, retaining humor in satirizing the troubles of the rich while never deriding them.

There is also natural, sometimes unexpected development in the characters -- it's only at the end of the movie that we realize Andien is a voracious social climber.

Most of the actors are making their debut, except for Mini and Surya, both of whom have been regulars on TV soaps and sitcoms, but the cast is impressive.

There are also several scene-stealing actors in small but important roles, especially Rachel Maryam (Eliana Eliana), who plays Lita, a rough-around-the-edges girl from the province who Sakti's mom tries to fix him up with.

Also catch cameos from noted actors like Jajang C. Noer who plays a shrink, Ria Irawan as a writer/intellectual snob (a barely veiled take on a high-profile woman author), as well as entertainers Nico Siahaan and Tika Panggabean.

The script also pokes fun at local filmmakers by parodying recent films, including Biola Tak Berdawai (Stringless Violin), which Nia produced.

Much of the attention about the film has focused on a same-sex kiss, but more important is that this is the probably the first local movie to portray homosexuals in an unsensational, objective light.

For once, they are not limp-wristed, lisping queens, but goodhearted, intellectual and decent, as many of them are in real life.

Sure, some audience members will be disgusted at the kissing scene between Sakti and Nino, but those with gay friends and colleagues will find their relationship true and touching.

Unlike many films, Arisan! does not take the easy way out with a three-hankie tragic ending.

Sure, there are flaws here and there, such as a few patches of rough editing, exaggeration in some characters, especially the rich women at the gatherings, and a couple of jarring lines of dialog.

The shortcomings do not mar the film as a whole. In the end, you look back with enjoyment at this honest work from the heart.