British films: Free, monthly and back again

JAKARTA (JP): The hard-working taxpayers of Britain, whether they know it or not, are inviting anyone who wants to come to the cinema. On a once-a-month basis.

Their generosity is being channeled through Indonesia's British Council, fulfilling the part of its mission to showcase "the best in modern British arts". And, of more direct relevance to the aforementioned taxpayers, promoting Britain as a cool study or tourist destination.

Pusat Perfilman Haji Usmar Ismail (PPHUI) on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, has been chosen as the venue for the screenings. The country's film theater, it has a purpose-built auditorium with 500 seats. Mindful of the spectacular success of the Jakarta International Film Festival, full houses are expected.

Eying the demands of increasingly film-literate Indonesian audiences fed up with Hollywood blockbusters, the films will, according to the council, represent the "best of British (films), not necessarily the newest". Those wanting to see the latest films are advised to wait for the British Film Festival, scheduled for the first week of July at Taman Izmail Marzuki arts center (TIM).

Tickets for all the showings are free. In a bid to stop people from taking tickets and not using them, however, advance bookings can only be made by members of PPHUI's Kine Club. Filmgoers are strongly advised to book in advance, though they may also try their luck one hour before the films are shown.

First up, on March 25 and March 26, are three romantic comedies. A month later, the theme is coming of age, with the highly acclaimed Hope and Glory and Venus Peter, followed by, at the end of May, a weekend devoted to the fantastic worlds of Terry Gilliam.

Martha meet Frank, Daniel and Lawrence is the first of this weekend's offerings. Martha, a feisty but dippy American girl, arrives in London on a mission to start a new life. On the plane she meets Daniel, a successful young music executive; at Heathrow airport she meets his friend Laurence. Shortly later, she meets their buddy Frank, an out of work actor. Unbeknownst to each other, all three fall quickly and completely in love with her, something that tests their friendship and results in some amusing situations.

Shot almost entirely in London, the film at times appears as if it might have been made by the British tourist board, such are the amount of shots of the city and its buildings, parks and landmarks. These serve to flesh out the plot, which at times is a little too twee for comfort. All said, it is easy watching, with just enough quirkiness (watch out for the psychiatrist) and real laughs to recommend it. It will be shown on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Bahji on the Beach (a bahji is an Indian snack) has more bite to it. Recounting a trip to the traditional seaside town of Blackpool by an Indian women's community group, it manages to be funny, thought provoking and moving. Its central device -- juxtaposing a quintessentially English day out and setting with a group of traditionally dressed Indian women with all the preconceptions of their behavior -- is handled sensitively, and is used to comment on and poke fun at both cultures.

Written and directed by an Indian woman, the film explores contentious issues within her community, in particular by focusing on the lives of the diverse community group. The degree of assimilation between the cultures, the differing views of older immigrants and the younger ones, to whom India is a faraway country, and abusive husbands are all explored. It is a feel-good movie first and foremost though, from its opening version of Cliff Richard's Summer Holiday in Punjabi to its happy ending. Highly recommend and showing on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.

Peter's Friends, the last of this weekend's shows, has an all- star cast, boasting the comic duo of Stephen Fry and Hugh Lawrie. The latter plays the owner of a country house where six members of a university cabaret troupe stage a 10-year reunion. Each of the characters brings along a problem: a rocky marriage, infidelity and loneliness, among others, which combine, come to a head and provide the film with its humor.

The increasingly hostile nature of the gathering is only forgotten when Peter makes a shock announcement toward the film's end, which serves to bring the group as close as they once were. The British middle-classes, with their hang-ups, conceits and insecurities, are on display for all to see, though the film never explicitly criticizes them. It is, instead, content to remain a good-natured farce. Showing on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

All films have no subtitles.

-- Chris Brummit