JAVA HEAT

Directed by: Conor Allyn

Starring: Kellan Lutz, Mickey Rourke, Ario Bayu, Mike Duncan, Atiqah Hasiholan
Running Time: 103 min

Once in a while, a certain film located in Indonesia manages to surface. We still remember the boring Eat, Pray, Love which is located in Bali and got a considerable respond. Now comes this one with a very obvious title that this film is located in Java (and not about the coffee).

With names like Kellan Lutz and Mickey Rourke, it surely will attract viewers, especially in Indonesia since any United States-Indonesia cooperation are very rare. With theme of West and East and the island of Java as the backdrop, I have some expectations.

Kellan Lutz, of the ‘Twilight’ saga, is Jake Travers, an American who can use gun and fight. He get to know Hashim (Ario Bayu) an Indonesian police investigating the bomb blast that supposedly killed a pretty Sultana of Java (Atiqah Hasiholan). Soon they are paired like those cops on Lethal Weapon and countless other odd couple police pair, to try to solve the mystery.

Actions happened and truth revealed. In conclusion, the film is just so-so. Just another B-movie adventure. What makes it different that it shows Indonesian landscape in a good way, although for viewers who have no clue where Indonesia is, they can be misled by believing that Java itself is a country.

Some things are annoying. For an Indonesian like me, the police uniform by the police general is ridiculous and an anachronism in itself since that is not how an Indonesian Police General uniform looks like. Not to mention how 'clean' from unit badges Ario Bayu's uniform is. Other scenes are also ridiculous; on how the palace's guards are armed with semi automatic weapon since in Indonesia the palace guards are not even armed at all. Civilians cannot bear arms as freely as in the states; or on how some dialogues are so raw, it feels like a civic lesson being pushed down our ear. It could have been better and sadly this one is just okay.

THE GRANDMASTER

Original Title: Yi dai zong shi

Directed by: Wong Kar-wai

Starring: Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan, Song Hye-kyo

Runtime: 130 min

Once there were abundance amount of films about Wong Fei Hung, but as Bob Dylan's aptly put; Times are changing, now Yip Man is the hot item. Ever since Donnie Yen's version (Ip Man, 2008 and the sequel Ip Man 2, 2010), much interest has been showing.

Having seen the two Ip Man movie (plus The Legend is Born-Ip Man, which is boring in my opinion), I anticipate this one a bit differently since this is Wong Kar Wai, not John Woo.

Roughly 12 years in the making (it is reported that Wong Kar Wai has planned to make this as he shoot 2046), I have to say I really like The Grandmaster since it is on a different level than the two Ip Man from Donnie Yen. Sure, I like the two Ip Man, since it is entertaining but this one is something I also like.

If you are familiar with Wong Kar Wai's films then you will not be disappointed, after two decades in arthouse films such as Chungking Express (1994), In the Mood for Love (2000), and 2046 (2004), he manages to make Tony Leung, his favorite actor, awesome again. Having said that, Tony Leung himself is awesome. You can feel his charisma pouring into the whole scene in every movie.

The Grandmaster tells the story of Yip Man (Tony Leung), his ups and downs in life from his 40s in Foshan in the 1930s, suffering during Japanese occupation, flight to Hong Kong, his meeting with Gong Er (Zhang Ziyi) and several fights he faced.

Somewhere in the middle the story change focus into Gong's story and makes me wonder, is it about Ip Man or about Gong? But towards the end it goes back into Ip's story. There are so much of Wong Kar Wai's trademark here, not only the marriage between cinematography and music, but also the theme. It is not just about how martial arts evolved in China, but it is also about honor, family, philosophy, and last but not least, unrequited love, Wai's favorite theme. All of it molded beautifully and made me think so much about life in general. I think several tracks of Kitaro in this film can enhance the catharsis.

I have no complain for martial arts scene, Leung is amazing and Zhang Ziyi shows that she still got her moves since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). But some will complain the lack of fighting scenes. Well if you expect this one to be a no brainer entertainment, you are wrong since it is more than that. One does not simply watch a Wong Kar Wai film and expect a John Woo one. Expect to have your feelings stirred beautifully.

JOURNEY TO THE WEST: CONQUERING THE DEMONS

Directed by: Stephen Chow and Derek Kok
Starring: Huang Bo, Shu Qi, Wen Zhang, Show Luo, Chrissie Chau
Running time: 110 minutes
Original Title: Xi You Xiang Mo Pian 

The story of Sun Go Kong, or Sun Wukong (I am not familiar with varieties of spelling and dialects, so forgive me if I am mistaken in spelling) is very famous in Indonesia. As a teenager I am familiar with Journey to the West TV series, aired in 1996. Although dubbed, I find the story of a monk, with his three followers, a very entertaining and meaningful one. Not just adventure, but each road trip has a so called moral message in it. The series is very famous in Indonesia and it has been re-run several times.

The TV series is not the only on screen adaptation of the legend, it has been told and re told several times on the screen since 1927. Even this year, Donnie Yen will appear as Sun Go Kong in The Monkey King.

This one is directed by Stephen Chow with the help of Derek Kwok and it tells about the prequel before the monk and his three followers embark on a journey to the west. The central character is Tripitaka, the monk, or Xuan Zang (Wen Zhang), before he is being a monk.

Xuan Zhang is a demon hunter and he believe in compassion and goodness in every demon he encounter. He even try to tame demon with the help of 300 Nursery Rhymes book. His non violence approach is at odds with his fellow demon hunter, Duan (Shu Qi), whose skill is far more better than him.

They crossed path as they try to tame (and capture) each demon. As they keep meeting each other, Duan start to fall for him. As expected, Stephen Chow's jokes are everywhere in it. I myself find the jokes to be funny, fresh and spot on. The part where Xuan Zhang met Sun Go Kong for the first time is also amazing and funny.

If you have seen Shaolin Soccer, Chinese Odyssey and Kung Fu Hustle, plus countless Stephen Chow's movies, you know what to expect. As for those Sun Go Kong fans, this is a re-telling, do not expect a sudden turn to change the story to be more weird, but it is a fresh re-telling and judging from the success in the box office chart, a sequel is guaranteed.

BELENGGU

Directed by: Upi Avianto

Starring: Abimana, Laudya Cintya Bella, Verdi Soleman, Bella Esperance, Imelda Therine

Running Time: 100 min

Psychological thrillers are rare in Indonesia. Most movies are either romantic drama, religous romantic drama, low brow horror stories or another low brow stuff. I myself rarely pay attention to low brow comedies so I have some expectation for this film. This one is a stand out since it is beyond my expectation. Belenggu itself means 'shackle' in English. It has the same name with an Indonesian classic literature written by Armijn Pane, but the story itself is not about the book. The similarity is only on the name.

Elang (Abimana) is haunted by his horrible dreams. As a closed and introverted man he saw a masked figure that seems to be the key of the horrible events, like murders that happened around him. The masked figure reminded me of the horror bunny from Donnie Darko.

Meanwhile his neighbor, Djenar (Laudya Cintya Bella), always seem depressed and it looks like that she had a problem with her husband (Verdi Soleman). In the mean time, strange things happen out of nowhere and the viewers are left puzzled by how and why until gradually the twist reveal itself.

Fans of psychological thrillers can easily guessed what happened (and who done it) but this does not reduce the enjoyment of this brilliantly scored film that can make your heart pound with curiosity. With tight editing, the acting is satisfying and I must give extra credit to the art department for creating a scary atmosphere.

However the film poster at the cinemas is a major turn off, it looks like any generic horror film and sometimes the use of too formal Indonesian language in the dialogue feels weird to Indonesian. If only the poster for Indonesian release is the one this film used at international festival, perhaps it might attracts more audiences.

Written and directed by female Indonesian filmmaker Upi Avianto, Belenggu is so far one of the best Indonesian film released early this year and one of my favorite.

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.

A YEAR IN REVIEW PART I OR, AN ASTON MARTIN TO REMEMBER

Normally people made their personal 'best [insert year] film' in December but as for me I prefer to do it now because I must watch some movies most critics said are the best of the year first and most of them cannot be watched in December. So I can made my own decision on my own 'best' list. Since I have not seen The Master from one of my favorite director; Paul Thomas Anderson, I will write my 'best [insert year] film' list a little bit later. That is why this one has 'Part I' attached to it since the list will be written in Part II. However I think I should write down my very own movie moments of 2012. Here they are;

My hysterical cinema moment
As the Aston Martin car appears in Skyfall I scream in silence inside my head. It's my favorite movie car and the fact that Skyfall released at the 50th anniversary of James Bond makes it more sentimental for me, a lifelong James Bond fan. My happiness lasted for a short while since the car finally destroyed in the climactic scene.

The most annoying hype
I have to say The Dark Knight Rises wins this time. All the hype surrounding the third Batman film from Christopher Nolan makes me annoyed. Every time I checked in at the social networking site I always see people posting tiny tidbits including spoiler speculation on The Dark Knight Rises. People, can you be patient? Can you just barricade yourself from useless obsession and just wait until the movie is released? The less you know about a film the better your experience. I even wrote a piece about it here. What makes me happy is that in the end The Dark Knight Rises wasn't that good. With plot holes as big as the Pacific Ocean, those fan-boys now can cry in shame. Embrace yourself, Man of Steel hype is about to come this year!

The most amazing soundtrack
I like the score from Cloud Atlas, it helps me in writing articles and I don't know why not even Golden Globe acknowledge the genius behind Cloud Atlas.

The most painful movie experience
Watching The Hobbit in 3D HFR 48 fps is painful. The scenes are weird and surreal. Just stop it with 48 fps, or 60 fps or even more. Just stahp!

My very own guilty pleasure
Habibie and Ainun. Annoying product placements and unconvincing make up aside, the 'based on a true story' thing is the real power behind it. It is not a fictional tale but a proven one. Although I still wanted this film to be more political and critical.

My sublime movie experience
I have to say, watching Lewat Djam Malam at the cinema as my sublime moment since it is a rare occasion that  get to see a classic black and white Indonesian film at the cinema. I feel as if I am transported into the past. Not only that, at the cinema only 10 people present. I always liked it when I watch a movie inside an almost empty cinema.
 

The most amazing female actress
Emanuelle Riva. At 85 she acted amazing in Amour. She should win best actress at the Oscar.

The craziest male actor
Javier Bardem in Skyfall is a freak and he should get nomination in the Oscar too. I also like Sam Rockwell in Seven Psychopaths.

I read the book before it was filmed
I already know the end of Life of Pi and put high hopes on Ang Lee. My hopes were paid off since Life of Pi is good.

Movie I really enjoyed but haven't got the time to review it
There are plenty, but  recall a classic titled, La Notte Di Cabiria from Fellini to be the one since I really like it. I am still waiting for my mood to wrote in my other blog.

The one I despised
If 2011 has Transformers 3 to be hate then this year Battleship is the culprit. That film is nothing more than just explosion spectacle mith mediocre acting and a template story we have already seen so many times.
 

The one I missed
I did not remember the last time I watch a film in the cinema which is being projected by a celluloid projector. I missed seeing those scratches on the film, or how a dark dot appear at the top right corner of the film, a sign that a reel is about to be done and must be replaced. Or how a projectionist misplace reel two for reel four, thus ruining the story and how some guy running away in a hurry carrying film magazine to be transported into another cinema, being a reel transporter and worst case scenario, a sign in the screen that says; We are sorry another reel has not arrived yet. Digital projection is good, but sometimes I kinda missed those old school stuff.

My favorite movie dialogue

    Charlie: Put your hands up!
    Hans: No.
    Charlie: But I've got a gun!
    Hans: I don't care.
    Charlie: That doesn't make any sense!
    Hans: Too bad!

Taken from Seven Psychopaths.