SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

Directed by: Malik Bendjelloul
Running time: 86 minutes

I wonder about the love you can't find
And I wonder about the loneliness that's mine
I wonder how much going have you got
And I wonder about your friends that are not
I wonder I wonder I wonder I do

I thought that this year's documentary feature that won in the Oscar will at least fall into 5 Broken Cameras or The Gatekeepers. But it turns out that this one won and I wonder, what do this have that the other don't?

It certainly has no controversy or political and perhaps because of being far from controversy it stood out among other nominee. Not that the other nominees are bad, some I haven's seen and personally I think 5 Broken Cameras should won.

It tells about a mystery surrounding an American singer folksong named Sixto Rodriguez. He made two albums in the U.S. in the 70s and then vanish into thin air. He did not leave a significant mark in America at all. But fame is his destiny. His vinyl arrived in South Africa and he is very famous there from time to time. His songs inspired a divided South Africa suffered from apartheid. But no one know (at the time being) where he is now.

Is it true that Rodriguez had killed himself in a stage? Or died because of drug overdose? No one seem to know for sure and myths start to grow wild, as wild as how fast his record sold in South Africa. Until a handful of South Africans, journalist and record store owner, try their own luck unsolving the mysterious Rodriguez to a very surprising end.

I don't want to spoil you the end since it is better if you knew nothing about this film or Rodriguez himself. It begins in Detroit and end in Cape Town where the Swedish documentarian Malik Bendjelloul, first heard about Rodriguez from the owner of a Cape Town record shop called Mabu Vinyl. Then a series of interviews and artistic scenes help us to solve each mystery of Rodriguez.

As a documentary about music it is filled with Rodriguez's song and as for me, I like it at the first time I heard it. The songs has souls and the lyrics shows the struggle of a working class person in the industrialized world. Most of his lyrics are inspiring and I think he is another kind of Bob Dylan.

Nearing the end, this documentary is inspiring. One quote that I liked, from Rodriguez's daughter (it is not verbatim, I just write the soul of it):  Just because someone is poor it does not mean that they do not have a big dream and not have a rich soul.

It is inspiring for those who tries to make a dent in this universe that if you are not famous in your own country, you can be famous and fabulous in another place. Like Narnia, Asgard or Vulcan. There you can be more fabulous than ever.

RECTOVERSO

Directors: Marcella Zalianty, Rachel Maryam, Olga Lidya, Happy Salma and Cathy Sharon

Starring: Lukman Sardi, Prisia Nasution, Dewi Irawan, Sophia Latjuba, Tio Pakusadewo, Acha Septriasa, Fauzi Baadila, Asmirandah, Widyawati, Marcell Domits

Running time: 110 min

According to wikipedia: "The recto and verso are respectively the "front" and "back" sides of a leaf of paper in a bound item such as a codex, book, broadsheet, or pamphlet. In languages written from left to right (such as English) the recto is the right-hand page and the verso the left-hand page. These are terms of art in the binding, printing, and publishing industries, and can be applied more broadly to any field where physical documents are exchanged."

This one is adapted from the book (a collection of short stories) of the same name, written by Dewi Lestari, a well known writer who is also a singer. I myself haven't read the book (the book itself has 11 short stories, but this film only adapt five of them).

In general, this one is an omnibus since each adaptation was made by different director. But what makes it strong (and a clever thing to patch some weak segments) is how the seamless editing was done. It feels like Cloud Atlas to me, in a good way.

Had it been obviously split like chapters on a book, then the viewers will have a clear opinion which segment is good and which is not. The choice to mixed all segments by clever editing is a good choice.

Omnibus itself are a new trend in indonesian movie scene, last year I have seen Hi5teria (a horror movie) and then there is Jakarta Hati (which I haven't seen at all) and 3Sum (I haven't seen this one too).

The five segments are (hold your breath); Malaikat juga Tahu (Angel Knows), directed by Marcella Zalianty with Lukman Sardi as Abang, an autistic guy striving for love of Leia (Prisia Nasution). Abang lives with his mother in a boarding house and I can't help to make a Star Wars connection with this segment as another character named Hans (Marcell Domits), the brother of Abang. So Hans and Leia in a boarding house? Seems legit. This segment is the strongest, Lukman Sardi gave a brilliant performance as an autistic person and the story is good.

The second one is Firasat (Premonition) directed by Rachel Maryam. Senja (Asmirandah) is a girl with sixth sense. he joins a prophetic club named Firasat that looks like an AA meeting where she fall in love with Panca (Dwi Sasono), the club leader. As for myself this segment feels weird, What on earth is Firasat club? A cult? A discussion group? Political movement? Such AA meting style is not common in Indonesia, that is why I feel disconnected. Perhaps it would be better to include another Star Wars reference here.

Curhat Buat Sahabat (Stories for my best friend) is directed by Olga Lydia. This one can also be titled "Friendzoned" where Amanda (Acha Septriasa) a damsell half distressed, have problems with guys she is dating and as they met in a cafe, she learns that her best friend, Reggie (Indra Birowo) is actually the one who loves her from beginning. This segment is also strong with good acting and I love how simple this one can be. I bet so many men out there have been in Reggie's position and can connect with this sort of story.

Hanya Isyarat (It’s Only a Sign) directed by Happy Salma is a disappointment. The whole story can work in written form, but as visual it fails. How come Al (Amanda Soekasah) who travel with other five guys have never seen Raga's (Hamish Daud) eye all this time? It feels weird. If this is a metaphor of courage to see the one you love then it feels that there is something missing. Actually it can be better if some transitional scenes were inserted to make the interaction between Al and the other male traveler have more soul to it.

Then come the weakest segment of all, Cicak di Dinding (Gecko on the Wall) by Cathy Sharon. It's not bad since the acting from Yama Carlos as Taja, a quiet painter who met Saras (Sophia Latjuba) in a bar and constantly reminded of her is good. So was with Sophia Latjuba who looks beautiful and amazing. But the story lack of logic. How long since the first one night stand and another meeting happened? What happened in between? What sort of person Taja is? The interaction is too fast to be believed. It need some transitional scenes to show that a certain time has passed. It doesn't have to be filled with verbal but several simple scenes can make this segment better.

In general this one is not a disappointment, the scenes are all equally beautiful and smooth but it can be better. Pushing the theme 'unspoken love' and filled with catchy songs, this is a decent film to watch and I think the rest of the short stories in the book can be adapted into another omnibus.

Directed by: Pablo Larraín

Starring: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Luis Gnecco

Running Time: 118 min

I can draw parallelism between this film with the situation in Indonesia in 1998. Although we had no referendum to oust Soeharto, but the fact that people stood up because they are sick and tired of oppression and dictatorship is almost the same. it is also almost a no surprise for me that those who just stood in silent 'enjoying' the status quo are the ones that were ignorant on the fact that although economic developments happened, it must be paid with a steep price of human rights violation.

After 15 years of dictatorship rule in Chile, facing international pressure, Augusto Pinochet's government held a plebiscite (a sort of referendum) in 1988 for Chilean whether to accept or not the continuation for Pinochet's dictatorship. There are only two options; Si (Yes) or No for Chilean and both options have their own camp.

The Si faction are people who support Pinochet and the No are the leftist, opposition and those who suffer under Pinochet's rule. Here, Gael Garcia Bernal plays René, an advertising man who is in the No camp. He must devise (with help from Pinochet's political opponent) a good advertising videos to fill the 15 minute campaign spot in the national television. Meanwhile Rene's boss, Lucho (Alfredo Castro) is on the Si (Yes) camp. They have to come with the best advertising to lure people to vote in which the No camp had it hard, since they also must face intimidation from government agents.

I find it very unique that the boss and the subordinate can still work together although they are on a different political spectrum. The No camp is very creative, they use a dynamic and vibrant advertising to persuade people that dictatorship is bad. Even the Si (Yes) camp start make a parody of the No advertising.

Apart from the good story, technically the film is a breakthrough since it is shot in the video support U-matic 3:4, which was used at the end of the 1980s, to give more realism thus make the blending between the real advertising aired in 1988 and the film smooth.

Nominated for this year's Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscar (together with Amour, Kon Tiki, Rebelle and A Royal Affair), it shows that advertising is a powerful agent of change. Pretty much like a small scale Argo, but happened in South America.

A YEAR IN REVIEW PART II, OR FINALLY I MADE THE LIST

Just like last year and before, I try to make my own list of my favorite movie of the year. As always I did not watch 400 movies a year, not even close to 100. I know there might be some precious jewel out there which I haven't seen at all and perhaps should be on the list, but here are the movies I really like in 2012, not in chronological order. I actually did enjoy 21 Jump Street but haven't got the time to review it.

Personally I am against scoring or star system in judging movies. Does three star for Conan the Barbarian is the same as three star in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days? I believe art is a fluid form and should not be reduced into numbers. So without further ado, here are my list. I did not write the movie title, but just a sentence that describe the movie, together with the link into my own review. Live long and prosper!

The one with cult leader gone mad

The one about fighting against oppression

The chatty spaghetti western homage

The one about finding each other in this cruel world


The one about family and natural disaster

The one with THE TRUE LOVE OF ALL

The one with deep moral consequence

The one about love too

The one that looks like a C-SPAN period drama

The complicated one with amazing music score

The one about teen life in the 90s

The one most likely to win this year's Best Picture at the Oscar

The one about stranded alone in the sea and ponders about life in 3D

The one with so many psychopaths

The one with two buddy cops, found footage style

The neo-realist one from Riri Riza

The most successful spy movie, financially

The dysfunctional scouts of Wes Anderson

The one with the time travel

The hilarious teddy bear

The one asking about the origin of our life

The one with guilty pleasure

THE MASTER

Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Running time: 143 minutes

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my favorite director. I enjoy Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood. So this film (the sixth from this 42 year old director) is the one I am waiting for, but I am unlike those annoying Christopher Nolan fans who brose the internet to read and share every tiny detail about the film before seeing the actual film. I'd rather wait until I watch the film, then I will browse for more information, if necessary.

In post World War II United States, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), is a veteran struggling with PSTD and sex addiction to live in the peaceful society. He tries to be a photographer but involved in a fight with a costumer, then he become a cabbage farmer and intoxicate one of his fellow farmer with his moonshine. It is not until he met Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a leader of a philosophical movement known as The Cause that his life seems to find a light by the end of the tunnel?

But it is not as easy as that since Freddie seems to behave more violently, no matter how hard he tries to 'cure' himself with the help of Lancaster and Lancaster himself is not a 'clean' person. He has once being arrested for money fraud and his method in establishing the cult is questionable.

It is borderline creepy on how a person start a cult based on irrational and illogical belief. What is more creepy is hoe deluded their followers are in following such belief. Perhaps those people just want to fill something empty inside them which is lacking in real life, so they are easy to be duped by Lancester.

The acting was great, Pheonix and Hoffman are amazing and Paul Thomas Anderson shows us beautiful scenery which reminded us of There Will Be Blood. The music by Johnny Greenwood add the element of alienation and sadness. Frankly I do not know how to feel about this film, it is good but somewhat strange and distant. Perhaps as strange and as distant as The Cause itself.