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Reviews
Opera Jawa (2006)
Best Interpretation of the Legendary Ramayana epic
This was one of the best Indonesian movie in 2006, although received poor sales in domestic market. It wasn't a surprise, as festival and art movies were commonly gained low appreciation everywhere. Anyway, this movie was a good example in interpreting the legendary Ramayana epic. Set in a modern era, Central Java region, with high respect to traditional values.
The main characters were only three persons: The Husband (a very humble man), the Wife (very beautiful, loyal to her husband, but often disappoint with the poor and ordinary life she had), and The Rich Man (very powerful, rich, and obsessed with The Wife). It was solely based on the three main characters from Ramayana: the noble Rama, his wife Shinta, and the evil Rahwana.
All conversations were built in rhythms, chants, sings, traditional songs, and poem. Most visuals were in symbols. If you're into Wong Kar Wai's movies, you'll be delighted with Opera Jawa.
Opera Jawa received many prizes in international festivals, and currently DVD avail from Amazon UK. Quite expensive, but it's worthy. You'll love this art movie. But if you're more into commercial and mainstream movies, you may be difficult to follow the story.
Stratosphere Girl (2004)
Foreign Cartoonist in Japan
Well, it's actually not a movie about a foreign cartoonist in Japan.
I watched this movie during JIFFEST 2004 (Jakarta Int'l Film Festival). A foreign girl left her country for Japan, hoping to find a new life. Back in her city, she had a Japanese boyfriend. He often told stories about Japan, and it made her interested. This girl loved to draw anything, especially things that happened around her, into panels. So it's very close to a comic.
In Japan, I forgot what city, she shared an apartment with other foreign girls. Most (if not all) work in a nightclub. She also worked in the same club, for a living. While she's there, she drew many scenes based on what happened around her. And then something terrible happened...and she made her own investigation...and drew her findings/ imagination/ etc into papers.
What I love about Stratosphere Girl is the ability to portrait a very nice-looking innocent girl, with a very imaginative mind, into a world of deception, crime, illegal foreign workers life in Japan. She followed her instincts to follow the mystery, although it would endanger her life.
The cinematography was very good, and I really like the way it shot night-life in Japan. Her drawings (I don't know if it's actually her drawing, or the director have it for her) were very beautiful, only using colored pencils (if I'm not mistaken). I wished those drawings were available commercially as a comic book.
This movie could fall into a thriller category, not just drama. I wished the director could made this movie more thrilling. But this is not a Hollywood movie=), but the director thrilled us in a different way.
Brodeuses (2004)
Not Convincing
Claire is a young girl who got pregnant. She didn't want to abort the baby and didn't want her boyfriend to pay his responsibility. Instead, she quit her current job at a local supermarket and went to work for Mrs. Melikian, as her embroidery assistant. Mrs. Melikian just lost his only son from a motorcycle accident.
Claire showed her willingness in taking her duties, as well as taking over Mrs. Melikian's private order when she was treated in the hospital (Mrs. Melikian tried to suicide, feeling lost without his son).
I found this movie was a bit boring, as not many conflict arisen during the almost 1.5 hour running time. The Claire character wasn't convincing as a pregnant young woman, whose trying to prove that she'll carry the burden alone. However, the character Mrs. Melikian was superb.
Gegen die Wand (2004)
Culture Crisis
I found this movie to be very interesting as I believe it could've happened anywhere, at any culture. You should notice that the main characters almost know nothing about their original Turkish cultures. They have the Turkish names without knowing the meaning (in most Asia and Africa, your name HAS a meaning, and it represents THE you), they know the their native language, but couldn't speak fluently. Even though they can, the dialect is different. Their religion (which is Islam in the movie) is only a name and they didn't do any rituals. They don't use ethnic clothes during their wedding ceremony. Oh, but they do eat Turkish foods and listen to Turkish music.
In short, they're losing their origin identity.
This could've happened anywhere, at any culture. Knowing our culture is very important, since it is who you are. If you lost your culture, then who are you?