Cinema and Me

Cinema & Me


I am writing this note as a boy, a man and a person whose love for cinema remains undying. Until now.

As far as I can recall, my earliest childhood memory always revolves around films and cinema.
I remember my parents often took me to watch latest films of comedy troop Warkop DKI and we had to wait until the "Film Utama" neon sign switched on because I was afraid of the dark! You can read the similar story here.
Back then, we knew whether the film we were about to watch had already been screened inside the cinema or not while we waited outside, thanks to three neon signs that said "Akan Datang" (Coming Soon), "Segera" (Soon), and the aforementioned "Film Utama (The Main Film). Never knew what's the difference between the first two, but then I always thought that the first one was for the films that would play in further weeks than the the second sign.
Of course, as we age, we knew that such assumption did not always prove to be right.

The upgrade from fear to excitement began when the 10 year-old boy daringly braced the age restriction and did not sneak, mind you, but bought ticket to watch Music Box and watched the film alone. All by myself, with companion of snack that I was sneaking into, I stood alone mesmerized by Jessica Lange uncovering the crime her father did during World War II. My mind kept thinking about the film when I strolled along big roads to find "mikrolet" (public transportation) to bring me home.
A year later, the similar experience happened when, again, sitting on a front row, I watched Dead Poets Society alone, struck a conversation with a stranger and we engrossed in talks about the film. Sometime after that, I kept dreaming and wishing of entering all-boy school, which luckily by destiny, it never happened.

Those two, along with many other similar cinematic populists that marked the cusp of my transformation from a boy to a teenager, ushered in many more memorable experiences that had many things to do with cinema:
• watched Dying Young, Mrs. Doubtfire and many other films in fasting month, instead of going to mosque;
• against parents' order of age restriction, I watched The Bodyguard on Valentine's Day, with a date of course;
• watched Forrest Gump with half of classmates the first time. The second time, it was pure coincidence: after defeated from an English contest, me and my fellow team members went home and we said to each other, "let's have some rest." Little did we know that instead of resting, we went to one of the cinemas in town to watch Forrest Gump, and we realized that we all had just watched the same film when we met one another after the film ended!
• always marked my birthday in teenage years by going to cinema. Mobsters, Dangerous Minds, etc.;
• genuinely terrified by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein where Robert De Niro took the heart of Helena Bonham Carter, literally;
• after a day of busy extra curricular activities at school, watched forgettable films like Up Close and Personal and Love Affair that put me to sleep;
and so many others that unfortunately went to haze memory as the book that had the ticket stubs of those films went missing, along with some other bags a few years ago.

Time went by, I moved to a foreign shore for a few years, only to be brought back home with a rejuvenated passion for cinema. As I became more involved in the field, I gained more knowledge, all of which only fueled my belief that I absolutely know nothing about film and cinema, thus make me dying to learn.
God knows how many DVDs I bought, how many films I had in digital format, how many screeners I saw in a year, how many film books I bought, but none can compare the majestic view of cinema. Actually, my Excel database knows the exact amount, but then, who can beat God anyway?

Being a public place, cinema allows us to experience social activities of going out, meet other people or even if we go alone, we see other people. We interact with ticket attendants, concession counter staff, annoying sales people offering products, seeing posters that leave us wondering sometimes with odd photo-editing, and of course, seeing larger-than-life image with collective response.

Only last week I was lucky enough to catch a midnight screening of 127 Hours, and I could hear collective grasp of seeing what James Franco has to do in order to survive living. The collective grasp, which I only heard because I was too busy shrieking and closing my eyes, gave me a sense of excitement because everybody reacted to what they see. The communal activity of screaming or laughing, unexpectedly I encountered in many Katherine Heigl's comedies seen on big screen, have unconsciously driven me to cinema over and over again: to experience the togetherness.

For sure I can always boast that I watched many Criterion titles at the comfort of home, but then, it's only me and my dolls. Nothing beats the joy of seeing how people react together of what they see on big screen. Notice how I repeat the sentence? I can't control it. Google my film reviews, there are numerous attempts of writing "in a darkened cinema hall", because I believe on the power of films being seen on big screen. Again.
Otherwise, I won't be doing what I am doing right now, career-wise. Hard work in months are eased by people clapping at the end of films, or booing, which led to complains and discussions that I still embrace with open arms.

Time has changed, digital means start taking over. We are brought together now by RTs, Like buttons in several online sites, and films became more of a challenge to sit through without temptations of checking how many people reply or forward our opinions.
Yet, in a city with very limited means of affordable public entertainment, cinema remains a popular option. In fact, I can say with little pride, some cinemas in town have gone all the way in giving comfort and technical specifications for audience to enjoy.

Thus, imagine the shock, anguish and surprise (not necessarily in that order) of receiving the news that there will be no more new imported films in local cinema. Each imported film will have to obey new tax rules, i.e. increment of 23.75% of every film brought in the country, in addition to other taxes that have been applied to companies and cinemas.
This is the so-called attempt to revive declining interest in national film development, because cinemas now have to be filled with local films to attract audiences to go.

Really?

As I said, I am writing this as a filmgoer, a common audience who feels deprived of choices. You cannot take the rights of choosing, because people who are not free to choose are people who are imprisoned for the rest of their lives.
Films, regardless of nationalities, are worth watching for being a good on their own, not defined by the languages nor the countries they are made in or by.
As someone who is still believe by living a social and communal life, the dearth of cinema leads to living a life less culturally, especially in a city where, again, there are already limited options of mass entertainment. I don't count texting during traffic jam an entertainment, thank you.

With an exhausted disappointment, I shall end this note in a confusion. A slight of hope in me is still believing that perhaps negotiations between related parties to solve the case is still underway, as cinema chains, especially the one with hundreds of sites, face the threat of closure and leaving many out of jobs in this hard time.
The domino effect is at the brink of happening. The country's reputation is at stake, because nobody is interested to do business here.
Local filmmakers may have greater challenge to up their antes to fill empty screens and bring audiences back to cinema. I have somewhat hope and encouragement in this, that despite limited support in facilities, education and vast human resources, there'll be magic in the making. Hopefully.

In a less eloquent note, I can ask you all: please don't give up on our local cinema. Who knows how long we will have to wait until the dark clouds have been lifted off of the sky, but don't give up. The least of the very least is cherishing the memory for future generations to come that for once, a true filmgoing activity happened and was vividly alive in the face of the town.

Top Films of 2010: The Top 10

The year of living dangerously. 
Oh really?

More like the year of living plainly, with variety of world cinema on big screen continues to move at a stagnant pace, thus creating heavy reliance on other sources of entertainment, i.e. pirated DVDs, online downloads and did I just say online downloads? 
Despite the minister of information and communication’s effort to block several sites, seems that getting films on the internet has become increasingly common these days.

But then watching films on small screen still cannot match the joy of watching films on big screen, albeit constant disruption of flickering lights from our mobile phones. Thus, it takes a film of an extraordinary level to make me and us at the edge of our seats, enthusiastically or sometimes anxiously await each scene unfolds and most of the times the endings that simply won’t go away. Those films that luckily we find this year are:

10. The Ghost Writer (date of watching: April 11, 2010, – my birthday! – at Setiabudi 21)

Brilliant! That's the very first word that came to mind when the final scene, of which something happens to the main character while he is off-screen but still leaves us gasping, ends, and the twists are unveiled. Having done numerous political thrillers on Roman Polanski's rich body of works, topped by Chinatown obviously, The Ghost Writer wraps itself in a much more sophisticated manner, accentuated by the overall look of the film and set designs, than Polanski's previous works. What brings them together is his acute direction that delivers engaging thriller with stellar performances undoubtedly guided by his order. Of all, it is easy to single out Olivia Williams for extracting the juiciest role in the film to a satisfying level. Next is Ewan McGregor, once again showing that once he is faithful to the material, he is willing to go extra miles for that. More subtly is Pierce Brosnan's smooth maneuver from suave to stern throughout the whole film. Plus, whoever can direct Kim Cattrall is always a plus.

9. 3 Idiots (date of watching: January 12, 2010, at Blitzmegaplex Grand Indonesia)

The biggest Bollywood hit of all time turns out to be the funniest and the most educative, so to speak. It may not challenge the convention of typical Bollywood film, with song-and-dancing breakout scenes, yet it manages to bring that to lesser dominance, with the educational content that surely hits the pang of many who have gone through such rigorous educational experience reigns above. The indicator of a good film is simplified by this film: it shall never bore its audiences to yawn. Throughout the entire 3-hour plus duration, not a single sleepy moment.

8. Scott Pilgrim vs the World (date of watching: December 12, 2010 at Kineforum)

A little cheat here: I watched this on DVD at time when the film is confirmed for JIFFest. However, having finally watched the film in its entirety on big screen when the festival ended confirmed my choice. The film takes a comic adaptation to its highest level to date when you see superb, almost zany editing is matched with quirky characters and witty one-liners that will leave you rooting for characters and engrossed in every single scene of the film. If that’s not the definition of a perfectly enjoyable film, I don’t know what is.

7. Incendies (date of watching: December 3, 2010, at Blitzmegaplex Pacific Place)

The shocking, unbelievable twist at the ending shows how this film is carefully crafted, built and delicately made to leave no single viewer unaffected. The fact that it is made from a stage play also shows that you don’t need to be confined to limited staging interpretations when adapting the play. Director Dennis Villeneuve brings the darkest side of human psychology to a very human level that, despite its bleakest moments of torture, the film makes captive of our heart.

6. Buried (date of watching: December 11, 2010, at Setiabudi 21)

The film-geek in me jumped with excitement even during the first few minutes of the film, where nothing but darkness filled the screen, only the sound of a man gasping for air is heard. It is a bravura of filmmaking that leaves one in awe. For filmmakers, it is a dream to be daring in making a film with one set and one character, yet the ability to build tension is good enough to make audiences drawn to their seats the whole time, if not feeling relieved once the house lights are turned on. Who needs 3D glasses anyway?

5. Summer Hours (date of watching: April 17, 2010, at Platinum XXI, fX)

As the film continues to unfold in moving-forward narrative flows, my mind begins to cast backward to personal recollection. In the end, when the film decides to move ahead, so is our mind to realize that in reality, life goes on. The simple idea of a story developed into a superb film with subtle performances, so subtle that is riveting, echoes loud to viewers with families, and those with a special feeling towards the families. In short: everyone. We are truly lucky that everyone involved in the film seems to be all-game in giving their honest, aforementioned subtleness, and convincing contributions to make the film a must-see family portrait.

4. Toy Story 3 (date of watching: June 20, 2010, at Blitzmegaplex Pacific Place)

It's not just a sequel: it's an ode to growing up. No companies knew this better than Disney, having been around for almost a century to entertain kids, and with each passing generation, the company is forced to rethink its strategy by paying respect to the older generation while ushering the new ones. After several failed attempts, Disney found its home in Pixar. In other words, Toy Story 3 may be the most autobiographical film from Disney and Pixar yet. How both companies can come up with the idea is beyond our knowledge, but for a company that puts a good story above all (Pixar), we shouldn't wonder that much. No other recent film captures the essence of growing up more convincingly.

3. Up In the Air (date of watching: February 20, 2010, at Setiabudi 21)

It's been awhile a film could shake us, leave us thinking of our life values and choices, that in the end, we cherish, applaud and be thankful for a film like this comes along our way. In his most mature outing yet, Jason Reitman shows his finest direction and writing that all result in a very human story. This is a film richly filled with metaphors and questions. With that, layer after layer in its story are worth being viewed over and over again. It comes with a bonus of the utmost peak performances from the three-hander: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. It will only make the viewing experience more delightful, and it will make us believe that what we see on big screen is our own lives. Perhaps the most important yet personal film of the decade.

2.  The Social Network (date of watching: November 7, 2010, at Epicentrum XXI)

Why the film is important? Because it captures the birth of how we communicate to others in the present time. It does manage to bring us in to the history in the making that pretty much defines our life. The film carries a high degree of importance, indeed. I don’t mind calling it the defining film of our present social life. But at the heart of it is a love story that we can always relate to. How the film manages to bridge romance, drama, historical importance and a thrilling tension of scientific discovery should be credited to the brilliance of David Fincher. This may be his small-scale drama at its best.

1. Inception (date of watching: July 15, 2010, at Plaza Senayan XXI)

WOW! 

Ever gotten out of mind-bending, puzzling dream that when you wake up, you will be left thinking about the dream all the time? That the thought never leaves you at once and you keep thinking about it obsessively? 

That gives an almost literal explanation about Inception. 

Calling it a high-concept thriller is a grave understatement, for the film, being a genre-bending work of art, rises above possible explanations. Those who wish to leave the dream away will be drawn back to pieces by pieces recollection, be it the use of Edith Piaf's "Non je ne regrette riens", the ensemble cast that forms as a whole inseparable unit, or the mind of Christopher Nolan. Keeping and improving a story for more than a decade do not necessarily make it overcooked. Inception is a film that will be analyzed, studied, interpreted and re-interpreted to uncover its endless layers.

Speaking of layers, from these top tiers, there are others following behind who also gave me memorable times at cinema this year. The honor rolls are for:

a. Let Me In – a loving and very human coming-of-age story that speaks tenderly to us despite its tame gory scenes;

b. The Bad Lieutenant – Port of Call: New Orleans – the most badass film I saw on big screen this year where Nicolas Cage’s over-the-top performance is the sole key to enjoy the film;

c. The Disappearance of Alice Creed – high-concept thriller with minimum cast members and maximum enjoyment of unveiling one twist after another;

d. Kick-Ass – pardon the pun, but I had a high kick-ass time watching flawed action heroes having the times of their lives;

e. When You’re Strange – clearly the filmmakers are somehow The Doors’ worshippers, yet the fan-like attitude helps getting the film made in the right way as the most comprehensive yet lovingly tribute to the band;

f. Peepli [Live] – if Frank Capra is still alive, he would have been proud with this film that bears traces to his best, and we can’t get enough of the gritty images of India;

g. Alangkah Lucunya Negeri Ini – call what you wish, but I am drawn to Dickensian twist of the plot, and the nitpicking views of product placement in the film actually heightens the intended satire;

h. Agora – in a year of religious clashes, a small film like this puts us to re-examining the importance of religion in a very low-key cinematic manner, despite its big-budget scale of production;

i. Le Petit Nicolas – can’t resist the charm of old-school children story that leaves everyone of all ages captivated;

j. Splice & Shutter Island – both misunderstood films that worth revisiting for its, admit it, apparent flaws that perhaps get better by time.

Thus, it was the year of living cinematically. So to speak.

Top Films of 2010: Disappointing Films

Looking back at 2010, local cinemas continued to offer less variety in their programming. Aiming at squeezing big bucks is understood at the expense of us having to settle with whatever available, as long as we get to see them on big screen. Thus, we have become and grown up by the familiarity of Hollywood plotting. As the Mecca continued churning out their products, we have adjusted our seats to accommodate big buckets of popcorn and enough space to check our cellphones during the screening. In other words: the films can be of any quality, as long as we are not drawn in entirely throughout their durations.
Avoiding the mere mention of "bad films" in the above explanation and below, I'd like to share with you all my disappointment over what could have been a good film. Yet, somehow the makers miss the potential of the premises or the concepts. Instead, they drove the whole filmmaking process into something like these (based on the date of viewing):

1. Nine

How can Rob Marshall fail to put sympathy or empathy to the film's characters? Isn't he supposed to be familiar enough with the leading man character, Guido Contini, the film director facing creative fizzle? Being a fan of the musical genre myself, I had had high expectation for this. Who doesn't with the enviable cast? Yet, Rob Marshall makes the film as a distant stage experience, disallowing us to relate to any of the characters, and make them looking like a window display we see from afar. 


2. Clash of the Titans


When you want to make a bad film, make it camp. When you can't remake a camp out of the original film that has achieved cult status despite (suspiciously intentionally) the bad concept, then don't. Supposedly a mindless action flick that left me bored as I kept looking at my watch and wanting the film to end, the film failed to amuse me even a little. No, not even waiting for the infamous "Release the Kranken!" line would make the film worth watching. Totally a crime for such genre.


3. Sex and the City 2

Being a fan of the series with gallery of quote-worthy one-liners, I gave this a second chance, hoping the makers would get it right this time. The misfire on the first attempt sparks a little hope of improvement. But boy, what a total major blow!
Getting a sponsor from a Middle-Eastern country's tourism board allows the film to morph into a promotional video advertisement. For that matter, I couldn't help but wonder and pitying the women forced into walking mannequin of selfish and lifeless persona. Why do we have to care about these women on big screen, again?


4. Tanah Air Beta

After the honest and earnest King, I have a firm hope for Ari Sihasale as a director and his team of filmmakers to actually have a story worth telling beyond the exotic locales. It's okay to have King built similarly along the lines of Denias, the film of which Ari produced. Yet, Tanah was too busy being enchanted by the panoramic landscape views of its set (Flores, and East Timor?), and put proper storytelling aside. As such, we are left wondering why the two main characters keep wandering faithfully to a half-baked set-up and equally anti-climactic resolution. We praise them, but we couldn't help wishing how with a little retouch the film could have had more profound emotional impact beyond looking at postcards sold in museum.


5. Knight & Day

The last time we saw the pairing of Tom Cruise & Cameron Diaz was in slightly messy but hugely watchable Vanilla Sky. The film saw Cameron takes control of every scene she's in over Tom. Important lesson to note? It didn't work otherwise. Or at least, not in the film. Then again, the whole film is already a victim for unconvincing storyline that, despite being a supposedly high-geared action film, never lifts off of the ground. Weird pacing that forces audiences to sit through the end, the film is best left forgotten.


6. Eat, Pray, Love

How can you forgive a supposedly drama/romantic comedy turned into a depressing film that leaves you loathing the film? In what arguably the most annoying character Julia Roberts has ever played, we are left scratching our head, wondering if it is possible to relate and like the character at all, something of a must-have-item for a film of this kind to succeed.
Worse, with the exception of Italy part, Ryan Murphy and team seem to be left clueless on how to capture the atmosphere of India and Indonesia in the picture. The result is bland, but this does not have worse effect than finding the whole film sucking out your positive attitude and energy. I left the cinema in full anger. Bad.romantic.comedy (or whatever the genre film is) ever.


7. Tron: Legacy

If I wanted to listen to Daft Punk electrifying scores only, here's what I do: I'll just buy the CD or download the music files and listen to the scores at my convenience at home.
I don't need to pay premium 3D price to fall asleep.


There goes my disappointment.

Obviously there are other worse films, but those fortunately/unfortunately had not been met with prior expectation or seen as having potential premise on paper. Thus, their thud quality was greeted with indifference.

Come back tomorrow for more positive aura in the best of the year! :)

-- Image of Tanah Air Beta is courtesy of www.thejakartapost.com. For all other images, courtesy of www.outnow.ch. --

Top Films of 2010: Top Filmgoing Experience

Catch up with the introduction here.

The year 2010 actually gave me very few options in local filmgoing experience. The lack of variety in terms of cinema I go to and the films themselves made the whole experience almost forgettable, had it not for these following films (arranged by the date of viewing):


1. Duo Kribo (Indonesia, 1977, directed by Eduard Pesta Sirait)

For the past three years, Kineforum has done excellent work in bringing filmgoers in town to revisit classic Indonesian films through its annual program of Indonesian Film Month.
The program is made in conjunction of National Cinema Day at March 30.
Little did I expect that on one Sunday afternoon (March 14, 2010), I would be sucked in to a psychedelic world of Indonesian classic rock of 1970s, arguably the finest point of the genre historical timeline.
The print bears traces of its recent treatment, which leaves out with purple-ish spots in some scenes. The storyline may be tad simple with no room for subtlety, let alone proper character development.
Yet everyone involved, including then young Achmad Albar and Ucok AKA Harahap, who also penned the film with Remy Sylado, seemed to be taken to the core world of rock-n-roll, and it is a good thing to make a highly ecstatic viewing.
I watched it in the old studio of Kineforum (139 seats) that was packed with audiences, leaving a few sat on the floor. The closest I could get to relive the experience of local classic rock in cinema!

(Image courtesy of www.akumassa.org)



2. Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story (Thailand, 2009, directed by Adisorn Trisirikasem)

What's the next bad thing when your laughter got disrupted by electrical failure? Why, it's laughing at a genuinely funny romantic comedy and got disrupted by electrical failure, of course!
I watched the film for the first time in Blitzmegaplex Grand Indonesia sometime in April 2010. All alone on Thursday evening, I enjoyed the film thoroughly from the get-go, as scenes and characters continue to charm us ... Until the big screen stopped playing the film immediately, house lights were turned on, and after a few minutes, the film started again.
Started at the minute the film had stopped? No.
Being screened in digital format, the film took its time to find the right minute, switched back and forth, eventually we settled at a few minutes before the stopped.
Did the film continue playing smoothly? No.
The cycle of the whole film playing again - then stopped - then house lights were turned on - the film being replayed happened for not less than 4 times. Eventually, instead of laughing, audiences remained cautious, anticipating the power failure. Imagine: watching a romantic comedy with a serious, stern, and smile-less face!
And it happened again. The entire screening was canceled.
Was I shocked? You bet.
It took me three weeks to finally return to the same cinema to watch the film, and boy! I was truly captivated and won over by the film's charm.
It made me laugh, cry, and as far as make-believe necessary in making a romantic comedy work, the film gives a prime example of how magic should be created on big screen. The wholesome package entices you all through the end, and it only made the film dearly placed in my memory for a long time to come.

(Image courtesy of www.enjoythaicinema.com)


3. Piranha (USA, 2010, directed by Alexandre Aja)

Remake of the 1978 film of the same name, the updated version won over the film buff in me by putting Richard Dreyfuss in the middle of a lake, ready to be the first victim of the mammal. Get it? And about the concept of putting the introductory scene of first killing prior to the title, get it? But what I did not expect is the hilarity of the film!
I watched this on Saturday night (August 28) with three friends, and we could not stop laughing, sometimes intentionally pointing at fake corpses, genital parts and other scenes. Too bad we watched it in an upscale cinema in a posh shopping mall (as the norm of how local filmgoing experience is commonly done here). If only we watched it on a drive-in cinema or in a public outdoor cinema, those scenes would definitely induce booing, clapping and cat-calling that indicate nothing but pure fun! Censorship cuts were maniacally excising as many nudity scenes as possible, which in the end was a joke on its own.
Truly fun and riotous, indeed!

(Image courtesy of www.moviecastlist.com)


4. Dawai 2 Asmara (Indonesia, 2010, directed by Endri Pelita, Asep Kusdinar)

This might be the most unpretentious filmgoing experience I have this year.
After 17 years of absence on big screen, not even cameo, the king of dangdut Rhoma Irama returns to the big screen with the formula he knows how: shameless plugs of over-the-top dangdut scenes, keeping the storyline simple, and leave the rest to average-to-mediocre filmmaking at its best. Don't even analyze the half-baked, supposedly pivotal love story here.
Still, that doesn't mean some scenes are hardly original: nobody does musical scene in Jakarta's airport yet, and Indonesian film buff might be in treat for trivia of Rhoma Irama's own filmography!
Gladly I chose the film as my first Lebaran film. Saw this two days prior to Lebaran holiday, a period known as holy grail of Indonesian box office receipts, the cinema I went to was relatively empty, with less than half capacity being filled in.
Still, that didn't deter me from smiling, laughing, even clapping at selected scenes where I can't think of words other than "camp" that is done with genuine faith to the material. You'll be left with nothing but respect to still-under-appreciated dangdut genre!

(Image courtesy of www.21cineplex.com)


5. Soul Kitchen (Germany, 2009, directed by Fatih Akin)

The name Fatih Akin and the genre comedy are two distant entities that we never thought they would come together. But when they do appear in one sentence, we don't expect that it's going to be a madcap comedy that leaves people rolling on the floor laughing so hard it hurts!
Especially one did not expect the roaring laughter to fill a festival venue. Watched this on Monday night (November 8, 2010) during Europe on Screen, I saw a rarity of Erasmus Huis (350 seats) being a full-house venue, despite being an auditorium without proper cinematic seating system. Yet, that did not stop audiences from bringing the house down with laughter, sometimes often commenting on scenes which I did not find annoying. Another rarity, indeed, as if it was a genuine open-air cinema experience (strange: I find the English translation of layar tancap has a less immediate accessible approach) that one does not get to experience in many international film festivals in the country. Yes, critical observation may find the film being, perhaps, the weakest link from Fatih's impressive dramatic filmography. But the light breeze of how the film unfolds seems to show how Fatih might be having a good time making the film, because we, the audiences, clearly have a rollicking good time watching it.

(Image courtesy of www.thefilmstage.com)


6. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall The Past Lives (Thailand, 2010, directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

"If I get to see the film *finally* on big screen, I'll cry!"
That's the statement I made to my friend at the desperate hour of getting the film here. Scheduled for screening at this year's JIFFest, we got the film quite at the last minute as we did not expect that either The Match Factory (the film's distributor) or in fact the director himself, Joe, had actually booked the film for the festival. Then there were the disastrous delays: from Cologne to Goa to Chiang Mai to Denver to finally Jakarta, it was a nightmare for me and my fellow JIFFest team in programming department, as the finally came after being late for a few days, and we switched to another shipping company.
The dramatic moment, indeed.
But such drama was predictably absent on big screen. I saw the film one day after the festival officially ended, as we put up a special screening for Friends of JIFFest on Monday (December 6, 2010). It was a surreal experience indeed. I have to confess that prior to the film, I only saw one film by Apichatpong on big screen, i.e. Tropical Malady. It was weird, challenging and unforgettable. The lack of narrative linear structure allows Joe to invite us in his meditative world, switching back and forth between dream and reality the way Christopher Nolan might not imagine.
Being a mystical and mythical film, watching it on the eve of Islamic New Year's holiday (often referred by Javanese as "Malam 1 Suro" that has been made into urban legends in films and literature works) heightens the otherworldly quality of the film. After all, Joe purely made a subtle horror with equally 'hidden' slapstick comedy approach, which all in all, has made the film strangely accessible to anyone dare enough to open their mind for a filmgoing experience unlike any others.

Thus, it completes the journey for this year.

(Image courtesy of www.tribute.ca)

But what about another films that leave me stunned and speechless?
Intentionally I avoid repeated entries for this year's listing.

Thus, come back tomorrow and the days after for Top 10 Films of 2010!

Top Films of 2010: Introduction

Let's get this out of our chest: it wasn't a great year to remember to start this posting with.

The last year of the first decade in the 21st century has given us, at best, average cinematic outputs.

Add that with constant distraction from rampant pirated DVDs, checking out BlackBerry on very annoying too-often basis during film screenings, and other events, 2010 will not go down as the year I will remember fondly in terms of filmgoing experience.

However, being an optimist as I am and having worked for the past few years trying to get people to cinema, I find that despite the above occurrences, cinema remains attractive.

Watching films on big screen is still the best way to enjoy make-believe stories, an escapade of our mundane daily chores, a place to collectively gather our attention to one singular story in silence, and sitting in a darkened hall throughout an hour or two may be something nostalgic in the future.

Thus, I'd like to hang on to it as long as I can.

Living in a country where variety of world cinema other than the realms of Hollywood, Bollywood, and Mandarin is something of a rarity, we often have to deal and make use the best of what's present.

Turning to illegal products is unavoidable, yet one needs not to look far from the above paragraph that the communal activity of religiously going to cinema completes ourselves as a person. Too much? I just can't live in a city without cinema, that's all.  :)

With the above words in mind, I present to you my selection of Top Films of 2010 in the following categories:

1. Top Filmgoing Experience
There are 6 (six) films I saw in local cinemas this year that gave me purely aesthetic and ecstatic experiences that stay with me long after I left the cinema.

2. Top Disappointing Films
I restrict myself to 7 (seven) films with theatrical releases in local cinema this year, of which all of these films fail to live up to their potential. Thus, they may not be necessarily "bad" or "worst" films commonly featured in the year-end lists. A few may be familiar, though.

3. The Worth-Second-Chance Films
Not less than 8 (eight) films that I would give a second chance in viewing/observing/analyzing again. When I watched them for the first time in cinema, I wasn't quite sure how to make of them. But overtime, the thoughts of these films occasionally popped up in my mind, ensuring myself that they might be worth revisiting.

4. The Honor Rolls
You may call this as runner-up lists of 9 (nine) films that are too close to call with the next category.

5. The Top 10 Films of 2010
Pretty self-explanatory. Can't resist the idea of 10 (films) in the year of 2010. Will there be 11 films next year? We'll see.

But what you already can see from the lists above are films only released in Indonesian cinemas in 2010. Definitely some 2009 releases will be included, and sadly, I'll have to leave out some films released at the end of 2010 that already mentioned in this year's award season's accolades.
There will always be next year.

Also, I intentionally leave out DVDs and screeners, as it would not be fair to the idea of filmgoing experience in cinema.

Until then, enjoy!

It's Good to be Back

After a very long hiatus, I've decided to come back blog again.



Having made writing one of possible means to support myself financially, I didn't realize how far I was removed from the joy of writing nonsense about things I like most, without the burden of pleasing editors and meeting deadlines.

However, the said experience will reflect nonetheless in future entries.
That is another way of saying how age has been catching up on me :)

First things first: before I post new entries, I have to do some sort of cleaning up to this long-neglected home.

Some changes I have planned/thought about:
- No more shoutbox.
Any greetings should be directed to comment section.

- Catching up with the latest features on Blogger dashboard.
This will take some time.

- Keeping the same template, or more or less the same color scheme with a new template, while accommodating the changes.
Whew.

And, since blogwalking has been considered a thing of the past, I hope any wanderers out there who stumble or come across unintentionally to this blog would be kind enough to offer me advise or tips-and-tricks in re-designing blog.

Anyone who offer me Viagra or 1 billion Nigerian dollars is also welcome to my grandma's dinner. She's been dead for decades.

Hope to see some familiar names, be them the returning or the new ones.

Love you all!


Nauval.

PS: In the meantime, enjoy one of my favorite songs sung by one of the greatest legendary singers ever graced the Earth. Been stored long enough in my Favorites tab on Youtube, little did I realize that the title alone reflects the on-and-off pause of the page.

3 Idiots

As much as I have enjoyed watching Bollywood films all my life, never before that the enjoyment is brought to a new height like what 3 Idiots has brought.

The biggest Bollywood hit of all time, so far, turns out to be a pleasing work with the right dose of heart, and firm assurance of its own standpoint. The issue of education being a stepping stone to wealth and prosperity rather than characters building hits home to audiences everywhere, making this easily a critical and commercial cross over success.

As shown in his previous film Lage Raho Munna Bhai, director Rajkumar Hirani believes that as long as the content is able to stand on its own, he can take care of the rest of a film's production values. While many contemporary Indian films try hard to win over foreign markets by slowly distancing themselves from Bollywood fun roots, 3 Idiots does a fair share to make it distinctively Bollywood.

Yet Hirani pumps the film with sleeker and slicker look than Munna Bhai, which viewers everywhere can be lured easily with gorgeously photographed panoramic views. 

It may not challenge the convention of typical Bollywood film in its cinematic look, with song-and-dancing breakout scenes are still kept intact to which one number will please any musical fans with reference to Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire 1930s MGM style.
Still, the film manages to bring that to lesser dominance, with the educational content that surely hits the pang of many who have gone through such rigorous educational experience reigns above. 

The indicator of a good film is simplified by this film: it shall never bore its audiences to yawn. Throughout the entire 3-hour plus duration, not a single sleepy moment.

Add that with the usual strong, believable performance by Aamir Khan, and the ever pitch-perfect comic timing of Boman Irani, in particular when he sees his daughter being taken away, we see a Bollywood commercial, mainstream film that manages to achieve what many films aim to: be inspiring.

A film like this does not come every year.

(courtesy of Filmicafe.com)

(Watched in Blitzmegaplex Grand Indonesia, Tuesday, January 12, 2010. With Edwin, Iskandar, Kenny, and their friends.)

Not Quite Hollywood

The last time I connected Australia and genre film was a few years ago, when I watched Picnic at Hanging Rock, an eerie coming-of-age horror that brought Peter Weir to global fame.
Little did I know that there had been many exploitation films happening in Down Under way before that, and even Picnic did not actually start the revolution. It came on the last remaining years of the genre's popularity in Australia, at the time when the country started to concern about its exported film and started paying attention to literary classics or period pieces.
Thus came Picnic and subsequent films, including My Brilliant Career if we'd like to expand our common brief knowledge of Australian film.

With that preconception of not many people in the world are aware of the country's illustrious film output, Not Quite Hollywood sets itself as a highly informative documentary that never forgets the root of its subject: being unpretentious, gory and fun.

Director Mark Hartley clearly shows his passion in the subject, as evidenced by his no-holds-barred methods in getting direct, many political-incorrect statements from the interviewees.
You cannot get better explanatory work of a country's cinema than from the people who lived the heydays of the industry and the sparks in their eyes still tell how much they care about the film.

It is indeed a labor of love, which in the case of documentary film can be self-indulgent. Yet, extensive research and galore of clips showing excessive force-for-fun and envelope-pushing sex are enough as reminders to keep Hartley on track.
His tight, focused script makes viewing the film like flipping through a well-designed magazine: each chapter is given a clear-cut category, and inevitable crossing-over is presented with determined degrees of importance easy for one to differentiate.

If the sentence tries to outsmart the film, believe me, nothing can.
What else can beat boobs, pubes, kung-fu kicks, buckets of blood, all presented in a sassy style with brain and getting the endorsement from Quentin Tarantino himself? There!

(photo courtesy of Outnow)

(Watched on DVD, Region 4, Sunday, January 3, 2010. Bonus features include a press conference of the film's premiere in Melbourne International Film Festival.)

Sherlock Holmes

Is there anything that Robert Downey, Jr. cannot pull off with his mischievous smile and gorgeous stare? (Even before I finished the question, my mind immediately thought of Chaplin and Gingerbread Man. And to some extent, Tropic Thunder.)


This is a man whose career built from his charisma. Put him together with George Clooney, the world will melt immediately. 
It does not take us that far though, to prove the theory in the grey-ish Sherlock Holmes, where Downey dons his charm to a great degree that we cannot help but thinking: where is the old, pipe-cracking Englishman we've come to know of all these centuries?


It remains there, slightly buried within the screen persona.

At ease with a newly equipped accent, Downey's Holmes is a fresh characterization that balances the words and actions. Helmed by Guy Ritchie, the film is surely filled with fists and elaborate fighting elements with angles that often border Chinese martial art cinema.


Yet the wisdom and wits are left intact, with Downey in equal partnership with Jude Law's Dr. Watson to deliver those convincingly. Alright, wits here may refer to tongue-in-cheek humor instead, which clearly is the product of modern rework on otherwise Victorian-style puns.

Much can be said about the strange inclusion of Rachel McAdams as love interest/damsel-in-distress/supposedly equal kick that turns out to be the weakest link (so weak that I manage to remember Kelly Reilly more, albeit she only appears very few and far in between), however, the film still works as a pure enjoyable entertainment nonetheless.

Footnote: I watched this in Senayan City XXI on a Sunday night, with unbelievable crowd that includes a toddler who cried occasionally, terribly latecomers, and irresponsible audiences who forgot to close the exit door. It was absolutely a devastating filmgoing experience in years. Enough to make the cinema as one of my lower film-outing venue priorities. Truly, inside-the-mall cinemas are defined by the crowd of the mall itself.


(Watched at Senayan City XXI, Sunday, January 3, 2010. With Fahrul. Photo is courtesy of Outnow.)

The Princess and The Frog

One enters the cinema to watch the first hand-drawn animation from Disney in years with caution: will it be as enchanting as Disney's old classics?

After all, the past few years we have seen Disney relenting itself to Pixar, the master of both storytelling and envelope-pushing state-of-the-art visual sophistication.

Thus, the reason why we anxiously anticipate The Princess and the Frog is mostly derived from the nostalgic feeling, longing of the good old days of the old-school animation.

Alas, audiences of my age (25-35) who grew up watching the glory days of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, before questioning the subsequent fiascos Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, are likely those who dwell and highly enjoy the New Orleans-set fairytale.

The expectation came true: we did enjoy the film.

After all, Disney knows how to make its charm works in spinning a classic tale. This time, "The Frog Prince" is transported to 1920s New Orleans, complete with Mardi Grass, old-school street jazz and mythical allegories that serve as the classic battle of good versus evil.

Watching the film now, we cannot help thinking that we see a homage to the glory past works, especially when animals start talking and chanting in dazzling well-choreographed movements. Colors do burst and Randy Newman's familiar yet still marvelous work in scoring is still greatly felt throughout. His numbers are classic of "I am ready to do all it takes to make my dreams come true" that has been told many times before, yet we continue to love them.

This is the first time African-American characters take the center stage in Disney animation. While being confined to practically harmless stereotypes (domestic helpers, voodoo practices to some extent, among many others), The Princess simply aims to please everyone longing for pure entertainment at face value. It shall not leave you thinking. It will leave you grinning and smiling, hardly laughing.

(Watched at Plaza Senayan XXI, Saturday, January 2, 2010. With Dody. Photo is courtesy of Outnow.)

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

While the title reads like a self-help book for depressed souls, the film barely scratched the core of its intended nail-biting satire.
Based on a memoir of the same title by Toby Young, the film points out the price of an underground journalism soul in becoming a part of exclusive show business elites. Albeit the cover-ups, we can easily point out real-life references to the media, the people portrayed, the kind of award shows depicted in the film, and the heartbreaking anguish.


The reason why it is easy to do such is simply because the film fails to engage. Not even Simon Pegg, playing the hopeless journalist Sydney Young, with his curious look served well in his comedic staples, could bring up the film to have fun on its own.


It all goes downhill when we are forced to buy his kooky characters to fall head over heels in the tradition of average romantic comedy to Kirsten Dunst, otherwise semi-pro in the genre. While Dunst bears no burden and struts her presence easily, Pegg has to catch up with her, as his uncomfortable performance grows more noticeable by the minutes.


The film cannot decide whether it aims to be fully social satire, or a romantic comedy. The nail-biting story of media manipulation is enough to stand on its own without having to be forced to a dopey love story. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People makes The Devil Wears Prada a worthy Best Picture nominee, indeed.


If anything worth remembering from the film, it is Gillian Anderson's scene-stealing presence rather than Megan Fox's forced insertion that in the end made us wonder: even in her debut, she manages to bring down the whole film.

(Watched in DVD, Saturday, January 2, 2010. Source: Lia's. Picture is courtesy of Outnow.)

A Jubilant Decade of Indonesian Film

Around ten years ago, the words “Indonesian film awakening” served merely as a jargon with no clear horizon on the sights.

Cut to the present time, the seemingly larger-than-life statement above has turned into reality.

(3 Hari Untuk Selamanya, photo courtesy of Kineforum)

Seeing one Indonesian film title played in two cinema halls (or what we have known as Cineplex) out of five or six halls has become a common view, and hardly a week goes by without a new Indonesian film released.

What once was a rarity now has become a staple that every cinema vies for a share of local film. 

Once shut with full force, with almost two-decade of history recollection when the local film scene was reduced to miniscule as then-New Order government made a certain trade arrangement with the US, now local film dominates the local cinema with common assumption of 55%-60% market share.

The glorifying numbers prove as magnets for many, as many new players have tried to venture to filmmaking business.

Some fail, some have been hailed as champions. 

Some old players expand their businesses making the so-called second-line companies, focusing on either lower-budget production scales or making much more commercial-friendly products, and some even excelled at both.

Yet, some reigning problems remain intact.

The word ‘assumption’ is still used to prelude the numbers above, as on other numbers of box-office receipts, total audiences per film, and many other much-needed data that common filmgoers like we all find it hard to access. 

We are still miles away from gaining transparent information at the tip of our fingers when it comes to local film, as simple as release dates and what’s coming ahead next years. 

Playing by ears, getting personal contacts to exhibitors, producers and filmmakers are still the rules of thumbs to gain access of such basic information, which explain why coverage of local film has become a scarce commodity, against the overflowing of such in local cinemas.

Still, we flock to watch those films in big screens.

At least, some of us who still care and are willing to set aside the fatigue feeling of cramming and watching many local films that, admit it, some of them replicate one another from a similar formula, be it the successful genre or stars.

Be it pride or for some necessity, it does actually feel good to live in a time when local flavors rule above the imported ones. 

The excitement may be reduced slightly, as number of local films grows, unlike the early years when a local film could still be performing strongly. 

Now, as the competition grows stiff, two films in a week could easily kill off another if the box-office results in the first three days are not satisfying.

For filmgoers, though, satisfaction is a very personalized matter, and so is the experience of watching the film itself. 

As such, the following list of film is a highly subjective film-going experience that ranges from cringe to applause. 

It is not the list of the best films of the decade, but these are the films that have shaped the overall course of Indonesian cinema for the past decade.

Recalling memory of what has happened in the past decade is not an easy feat. 

Temptations were bound to correct and revise, yet, what matters most are the films themselves. 
These are the films that stick stronger to the writer’s memory, as I gladly recall the experiences of watching those in big cinemas, and reacted to the films in various manners. 

All of those eventually lead to one feeling of proud and certainty that Indonesian film will do better in many years to come.

In alphabetical order, the 10 defining Indonesian films of the decade are:

1.  ADA APA DENGAN CINTA?

(courtesy of this blog)

Simply put, every high school era should have its own definitive film that is worth remembering and has been standing to the test of time because of the good remembrance. 

Those high schoolers of 1980s had Rano Karno and Yessy Gusman in Gita Cinta Dari SMA, while the 1990s generations were pretty much left with big void of no local films at all, and the 2000s batches should be proud of having this well-made teenage film as, simply put, their own.

The film has given us a staple of young actors with above-average star qualities that are still productive to date, and the poster remains one of the most outstanding artworks of local film posters up to now. 

The minor downside is that we are introduced to Melly Goeslaw, the composer with formulaic soundtracks that get tiresome after a while.

2. ARISAN!

(courtesy of this blog)

The biggest Muslim country in the world could actually produce a nail-biting comedy that features two prominently gay characters in leading roles. 

Beyond that, the film gave a vivid caricature of well-educated and upper-level people in Jakarta that has been almost unparalleled in subsequent years. 

Through this film, a new star named Tora Sudiro is born, a director named Nia Dinata was at her best, and a scriptwriter named Joko Anwar started showing off his witty claws.

3. AYAT-AYAT CINTA

(courtesy of this blog)

Love it, hate it, there is no in-between, mixed-up feeling towards the film.

Seeing the film on a midnight screening on Saturday night, in a plush cinema of downtown Jakarta, where some audiences actually chanted “God is Great” in some scenes have led me to believe that the film managed to do the impossible: tapping the biggest market of Muslim audiences who flock to watch religious-themed drama. 

We were forced to think again how once drama series with ‘religious’ stamps coup big ratings on TV, and the box-office success of the film has spawned followers (including this year’s Ketika Cinta Bertasbih) with no signs of going down yet.

4. GARUDA DI DADAKU & KING

(courtesy of this blog)

(courtesy of this blog)

It’s hard to separate the two, given their close release dates from one another. 

It is no coincidence that the two films, albeit differences in balancing dramatic elements, share the same focuses on sport, sense of nationalism and patriotism, and children. 

Playing to both critical and commercial successes, the two films have given audiences a sense of unabashed romantic pride to the country, and more reason to believe that against big Hollywood summer blockbusters this year, given the right materials that tapped to tireless market of family and children, local films could still perform strongly.

5. JELANGKUNG

(courtesy of 21 Cineplex)

The mother of true modern Indonesian horror of the decade in many years to come, the film still sets the bar high for the genre.  The eeriness has become some sort of Mecca for contemporary chillers.

The two directors, Jose Poernomo & Rizal Mantovani, may have gone on separate ways to make some great horror films, notably Rizal with Kuntilanak series, but it is not the same with the excitement of finding it the first time. 

The word of mouth of watching the film has sparked many mythical urban legends that were given big screen treatments of their own. 

Suster Ngesot (crawling nurse), anyone?

6. LASKAR PELANGI

(courtesy of this blog)

The biggest box-office hit (4.8 million audiences) of all-time is a literary adaptation of the biggest selling Indonesian novel. 

Let’s hope that this is the beginning of a healthy, productive and commercial-friendly affair between big screen and literary sources. 

Also, I shall hope for the beginning of long lists of undiscovered Indonesian tourism spots other than usual portrayals of Bali and Java.

Governments of Bangka and Belitong where the film is set will be forever thankful for the film.

7. MENDADAK DANGDUT

(courtesy of Indosiar)

Rudi Soedjarwo’s career as director has gone high and low, and both each pinnacle and low points often happen very fast that we often lose track of his too-productive outputs. 

The film Mendadak Dangdut was made at the height of his collaborative effort with screenwriter Monty Tiwa.

The result could not be more fruitful: Monty showed his best in delivering punchlines and enjoyable dangdut songs, Rudi brought out the best in all the cast members, and introduced Dwi Sasono as one of the better actors around. 

Rudy and Monty continued to be a dream combo, until their last film together (Mengejar Mas-Mas) before they went separate ways. 

Yet, the unique title goes down well in history as being unusual and often mocked or used in many different creative outlets, and never again in the decade the dangdut music is given the front spotlight like this.

8. MERANTAU

(courtesy of this blog)

Unpretentious, going straight-down-the-line to the core of kicking-and-busting with excellent quality of filmmaking, the film works as a proof that entertainment means not sacrificing production values that come as a package. 

The film gives the  utmost fun experience in local film this year.

9. OPERA JAWA

(courtesy of this blog)

Maybe common Indonesian filmgoers, inclusive of yours truly, are not supposed to ‘get’ Garin Nugroho’s films. 
Maybe he never makes one for them.  

Yet when the two roads collide, the result is actually explosive and, we don’t think we’ll ever use this word to describe an Indonesian film before: magnificent. 

The gorgeous displays of Javanese rituals, dances and costumes come vividly on big screen, and maybe we just need to get that.

10. PETUALANGAN SHERINA

(courtesy of this blog)

The first breakthrough of commercially successful Indonesian film in the past decade, it also combined two rare genres most directors would be scare to death to doing: children and musical.

Forever shaped Sherina’s image, the film also gave bloodline to Miles Films in many years to come, and no other musical attempts came close to the film’s commercial and critical raves.

Alongside of these films, there were some other notable Indonesian films in recent years that, upon seeing them in cinema, we cannot help but marveling at their distinctive visions. These are, in no particular order: 

- Eliana, Eliana, (a very personal favorite) -- still the most heart-tugging film about mother-and-daughter, and about urbanization;  

- Janji Joni, a knowledge on film needs not alienating audiences;

 

- Berbagi Suami, the start of Nia Dinata’s affair on stories about marginalized women; 

- Pocong, the scariest lot of Indonesian horror after Jelangkung; and, 

- 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya, a road trip that actually does feel like one, in a good way.

For more decades to come, cheers!