'Janji Joni' a simple comedy adventure

'Janji Joni' a simple comedy adventure

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Janji Joni *** (out of ****); Comedy/Adventure, 85 minutes;
Starring Nicholas Saputra, Mariana Renata, Rachel Maryam, Surya
Saputra; Written and directed by Joko Anwar; A Kalyana Shira Film
production; In Bahasa Indonesia

If you were a first-time director, unless you are Francois
Truffaut, it is best to avoid running around with big ideas and
colossal themes.

Especially when making movies with limited resources in the
film industry that barely exist, where even scriptwriting is a
skill that only few have mastered.

First-time director Joko Anwar, also The Jakarta Post's
regular movie columnist, knows his limits and has tried not to be
bigger than he really is.

Although he has written Arisan! (Gathering), an urban satire,
which became a hit 2004 and the winner of last year's Indonesian
Film Festival (FFI), Joko opted to hit a lighter note with his
first feature film Janji Joni (Joni's Promise).

While Arisan! is a drama of cosmopolitan city slickers, which
include closeted gays and betrayed housewives seeking vengeance,
Janji is a simple story about a delivery boy trying to make it on
time.

Yet, like Arisan!, Janji shows meticulous work on the
scriptwriting front with good attention to detail and
characterizations.

It is a simple comedy adventure in a one-day span, which is
basically about nothing, but makes for a fun, fresh and enjoyable
entertainment, all in a witty and heartwarming action film.

The idea is pretty original, about Joni (Nicholas), a film
reel delivery boy who has to go back and forth between two movie
theaters which share reels.

While it has not occurred in the United States since the 1970s
or so, sharing reels between cinemas still exists here, as
illustrated in the beginning of the film (including through
animation).

One day, Joni falls for a beautiful stranger he met at the
cinema he works at, who would only reveal her name if Joni
promises to deliver the reels on time.

Alas, it seems that the whole city conspires against Joni that
day, as he stumbles upon one obstacle after another in his
motorbike journey.

Accidents happen, character after character pours in, but
impressively, they are woven intricately into a plot that is
carefully treated, does not drag nor jerk, and is strangely
believable.

In technical terms, Janji is even an improvement on Arisan!,
as the editing is pretty good and the pace is mostly correct.

Praise also on the art direction, a the whole retro atmosphere
and feel are captured quite well, and thumbs up for the excellent
music score and soundtrack from a good selection of indie
musicians. Although in some ways, it felt like too many songs
were forced into the movie.

The downside is the dialogs and gestures, which are obviously
and overly influenced by American films.

There are also too many characters and cameos. It would not
have hurt if most were removed, as it would not have disturbed
the plot, but instead would make it a more focused story.

Speaking of cameos, it was a great comeback for Barry Prima, a
B-movie action flick star, who for the first time shows his comic
side as a chatty taxi driver and does it well.

As for the main actors, Nicholas is not bad, and believable as
a naive and goodhearted young man, but too often he delivers
lines like delivering an ad lib stand-up comic gig.

Meanwhile, casting Eurasian model Mariana here is not as
damaging as putting Sofia Coppola in The Godfather: Part III. But
Mariana's accented Indonesian and stiff act makes for a hollow
character that is a bit offensive to women and an annoyance on
screen.

Yet, as a whole, Janji Joni works quite well. Traces of first
time directing show (luckily, it is in tune with the raw and
gritty atmosphere), but it is far more fluent than most recent
releases from more experienced directors.

Hopefully, and quite possibly, it is a sign of good things to
come for Joko and the movie-going public.