'Telegram' fails to deliver its message

'Telegram' fails to deliver its message

Joko E.H. Anwar, Contributor, Jakarta

Some filmmakers would blame the audiences if their art-house
movies failed to get enough attention. They would say that public
was not ready to appreciate their movies which require more
brains to digest than pop films.

Others would say they were aware that their films would not
perform well at the box office since the genre only attracted
small audiences.

Sometimes they are right to say either way. That is when the
films they produce really reach the quality of a good movie,
regardless of genre.

Local filmmakers have only managed to produce a few excellent
art-house style movies. They include the haunting Revolusi
Harapan (Revolution of Hope) which was directed by Nanang
Istiabudi, who has not been heard from since.

Despite high praise for all of his films, art-film director
Garin Nugroho, arguably, has only made one film which is really
satisfying. The movie is the hypnotic Surat Untuk Bidadari (A
Letter to an Angel) which will take you to a place never before
imagined.

Watching these films is really a rewarding experience despite
the fact that you have to make your brain do extra work to digest
what the movies try to say.

Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about the latest release
by prominent director Slamet Rahardjo Djarot.

Telegram is one of those movies which you will hate for having
been funded by some generous international art organization but
ended up only satisfying the filmmakers themselves.

It is only the kind of movies which will win some award in
some less prestigious film festival for having pictures which now
have been recognized by film audiences abroad as trademarks for
Indonesian films: slums or sands.

The film is bleak and completely unrewarding.

Reporter/singer Sujiwo Tejo stars as a journalist named Daku
who, like many of us, thinks that life stinks.

His only sanctuary is a woman named Rosa (Ayu Azhari) whom he
made love to about 3,000 times(!), and his 11 year-old adopted
daughter named Sinta.

Oh, he is also a regular customer of a prostitute named Norma
who works at a red-light district near his office.

Once in a while, the Daku character will receive a telegram
from his family in Bali informing him that his mother is sick.

The film is fatally slow-paced which does not only lull but
also makes the audience lose their interest for the movie.

You will have to try hard not to laugh out loud when actors
say supposedly poetic, deeply meaningful words which only come
across as corny dialog.

The film supposedly tells the story about the clash between
traditional cultures and modern practical beliefs.

Daku is worried that the next telegram will contain the news
of his mother's death. This would mean he must to return to Bali
to arrange a traditional Hindu ritual which is very expensive.

However, this information is only given in the film's press
kit but nowhere in the film!

What we got in the movie is only co-star Sujiwo mumbling words
about his disappointment of traditional culture, in his
underwear. Sujiwo revealed the film initially contained a scene
where he masturbated but it did not make the final cut. Thank
God.

Unlike Slamet's Marsinah which is suspended from release due
to its content which does not seem to please the authorities, the
acting department does not help Telegram.

The actors give broad performances. You will even try to
figure out why actress Ayu Azhari won Best Actress at the Asia
Pasific Film Festival this year.

The story from prominent author Putu Wijaya who co-scripted
the film is hopelessly dated as it asks the audience to try hard
to suspend their disbelief that Daku's family would not use the
telephone instead of telegram.

However, it is only a small portion of the film's many flaws.
The biggest one would be its failure to deliver its message due
mostly to the film's poor structure.

The filmmakers and co-star Sujiwo Tejo seem wanting to
challenge the pretentiousness of the society and tear it to
pieces. Let's hope that they will be aware that they are about to
be backed up by their own nemesis.

I-BOX:

Telegram, ** out of four stars
Starring Sujiwo Tejo, Ayu Azhari
Directed by Slamet Rahardjo Djarot
An Ekpraya Tata Cipta Film/
Artcam International Production