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.