Local films come back into their own

Local films come back into their own

Rifan Adrian, Contributor, Jakarta

Die-hard fans of every little morsel Hollywood tosses our way are probably going a bit hungry right now. At one multiplex in Central Jakarta, only one of four screens is playing an American entry.

News flash: Local movies are back on the attack!

That is good news, but even more pleasing is that these local outings have been well-received by the audience, evident from the long queues of people who want to see, not Kill Bill vol.1 or Scary Movie 3, but Eiffel ... I'm in Love, Arisan!, or Biarkan Bintang Menari (Let the Stars Dance).

Since the revival of Indonesian film in 2000, marked by the huge success of children's musical Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure), local film production has shown a significant increase.

Four films were released in 2001, eight in 2002 and 13 in 2003.

Though still a paltry number, there is room for optimism as local filmmakers become more and more competent at their craft, as well as astute at making movies with the audience in mind.

Almost half of the local movies released this year are well- produced, despite a few profit-oriented entries that were D.O.A., such as the appropriately named Peti Mati (The Coffin).

In an attempt to cash on the commercial success of their cinematic stroke of luck, Kafir (Unbeliever), released last year, the producers quickly rolled out Peti Mati.

They thought they could once again dupe moviegoers with a poorly made low-budget trash wallow offering zero production values. They got a rude awakening, however, due to the fact that audiences are becoming more and more demanding, and the movie was a complete flop.

Movies released this year are more diverse than last year; there is the requisite horror, but also romantic comedies, teen flicks, animation, religious comedy, art-house, and musical.

Let's take a quick rewind of this year's local film scene.

The romantic comedy Rumah Ketujuh (The Seventh House) was released on Valentine's Day to a lukewarm response from critics and audience alike.

The movie benefited from the fact that it was produced and directed by people responsible for the highest-grossing local film in recent memory, Ada Apa dengan Cinta? (What's Up with Love?) released early last year.

The light story, about a girl obsessed with astrology, could have been played for laughs, but the filmmakers overreached, with dialog trying to hard to sound intelligent.

Worse, the movie was shot on video because it was initially intended as a TV movie. The look and feel of the medium conflicted with the intention of the filmmakers to make a glossy, urban romance with a nice jazzy soundtrack by Indra Lesmana.

The horror movie Tusuk Jelangkung was produced as a follow-up to the highly successful Jelangkung released last year.

Directed by music video director Dimas Djayadiningrat, the movie is low on coherence and credibility, playing like a long, boring music video and far inferior to its low budget predecessor. Nevertheless, it attracted local teenagers and did very well at the box office.

Art-house entry Biola Tak Berdawai (The Stringless Violin) followed in April, generating mixed reviews and low return despite the presence of teen heartthrob Nicholas Saputra in the lead role.

The story of a woman who runs an orphanage for children with disabilities, the movie was high on art but low on entertainment value, plodding along at a turtle-like pace.

Although local audiences stayed away, the movie found its audience at international festival circuits.

Janus Prajurit Terakhir (Janus The Last Warrior) was an ambitious project, combining 3-D animation and live action. The filmmakers seemed to concentrate on the animation (no threat to Disney) but forgot to put effort into writing a better script.

It had a very short lifespan at theaters.

Religious-themed romantic comedy Kiamat Sudah Dekat (Doomsday is Near) did not deserve to be a box office failure since the well-scripted movie offered more entertainment value than most of its ilk released this year.

Produced and directed by veteran actor Deddy Mizwar, the often hilarious movie suffered at the box office due to a lack of publicity and low production values.

If nothing else, Novel Tanpa Huruf R (A Novel without the Letter R) is in the running for the most pretentious movie ever made.

The incoherent story about a young man obsessed with violence is intended to mock society, but instead the laugh was firmly on its sobering ineptitude.

The filmmakers decided not to show this at mainstream theaters. But even if they had wanted to, chances are the theater owners would have rejected this ugly, mean and unrewarding vehicle.

Cinta 24 Karat (24 Carat Love) is a best forgotten mess disguised as a movie. Produced, written, edited and directed by music video director Richard Buntario, it was billed as a comedy and shot mostly in Australia with seemingly no concept.

It got a resounding thumb's-down from critics and the public.

Teen flick Untukmu (For You) is a sincere effort but unfortunately sincerity is not enough to make a good film. Talent is still the main requirement.

The embarrassingly bad script tells the story of a college girl who is ridiculed by her friends for being ... an adopted child!

Made on a relatively high budget, the film still manages to look very cheap, with the art department seemingly working blindfolded. Wooden acting and hammy lines do not help, either.

Eiffel... I'm in Love, on the other hand, is a surprisingly entertaining, well-made teen movie by veteran director Nasry Cheppy, who has made a decent comeback after several years' hiatus from his heyday in the 1980s.

The story is strictly for kids, however.

Despite being overlong, the movie continues to add to its already high box-office return.

Biarkan Bintang Menari is a nice attempt at a musical although not entirely successful. Weak choreography with songs which generate only a little zest prevent it from being an outright winner.

The story deals with a girl from the sticks who moves to Jakarta to study in college and learns that life in the city is not for her pure heart.

Arisan! is the only local movie this year targeting a mature audience. Critically acclaimed and well-received by the audience, the movie satirizes life in urban Jakarta.

It also created a splash for being the first mainstream Indonesian film to deal with homosexuality without sensationalism.

The year closed with the release of yet another horror flick, The Soul, which will be a test of the belief that horror always sells.

The past year has been an interesting time for the Indonesian film scene as local movies earn the trust of once skeptical filmgoers. We can only hope that filmmakers will now do their best to keep the trust in their future efforts.