'Battle of Love': Strong performance, weak story

'Battle of Love': Strong performance, weak story

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The music was good, the choreography utterly entertaining, the
stage setting and props awesome and the costumes amazing.

However, the latest production of modern dance company
Eksotika Karmawibhangga Indonesia (EKI) left little impression
afterward.

The audience was most likely happy and entertained by the
performance but it would not be a show that they would discuss
passionately with friends afterward.

Nonetheless, the mixture of on-screen show and on-stage
performance was an interesting idea.

In the colorful, modern 90-minute performance, the actors and
dancers worked well, entertaining an audience of hundreds who
almost filled Gedung Kesenian Jakarta on Tuesday, for the first
night of Battle of Love, When Love Turns Sour.

Many uttered sounds of warm appreciation while giving a
standing ovation when the show concluded. The performance was
said to have cost Rp 500 million -- mostly for the movie -- and
boasted over 100 crew on-stage, off-stage and on-screen.

Indeed, actors and dancers performed very well, although some
had fixed, fake smiles that are usually found on the faces of
backing dancers in pop or dangdut music performances.

EKI seasoned dancer Takako Leen was the sexiest creature on
stage. Meanwhile, Sujiwo Tedjo, although among well-built
dancers, was the only slightly built person on stage; still, he
managed to astound the audience with his thunderous voice while
singing eight songs from his third album, Syair Dunia Maya
(Poetry from the Virtual World).

If only the story idea had been more elaborate and the script
of the on-screen comedy more witty, the show could have been
awesome.

With a string of popular names like fashion designer Samuel
Wattimena (costume), actresses Ayu Dyah Pasha and Ingrid
Wijanarko, and Bintang Indrianto (music), the plot revolved
around a divorced couple, Sujiwo Tedjo (Nanang Hape) and Tantri
Wong (Melissa Karim), who battled for custody of their daughter,
Nala.

The story seemed to emanate from the simple idea of rolling
out problems from raising a child in modern days, where women
have retained their right to be independent and do what they
want.

"Things have changed. Raising a child is not a treat like it
used to be. Parents now hire babysitters," Rusdy Rukmarata, the
on-stage and on-screen director of Battle of Love, who also
initiated the story, said on Tuesday.

"Some can live with that, others cannot. I just want to
communicate the problems. I'm not trying to offer a conclusion,
though," he added.

The story idea could have been an interesting investigation
into current problems faced by a lot of urban dwellers.
Apparently, EKI did not intend to delve into the issue deeply, so
the story was bland and the script far from witty.

The jokes mostly focused on three judges in the court, who
looked like complete fools (all three actors performed well,
though), which made the story seem to mock Indonesian courts
rather than commenting about love that has turned sour.

However, as a staged art piece, Battle of Love, like other EKI
productions, is a significant production within the Indonesian
stage.

Thanks to the dance company's blend of artistic dance, Sujiwo
Tejo's unique music and pop style, Battle of Love managed to draw
a particular audience, different to the regular crowd that
frequents staged performances in Jakarta.

The audience at Tuesday's show mostly had up-to-date knowledge
on fashion and style, and were well-groomed types who usually
crowd cineplexes for Hollywood movies and stay away from
theatrical performances.

The audience was clearly amused by the Battle of Love.

After all, who wants to round off a week of toil by watching a
serious performance?