Tenggelam Dalam Cinta

Selamat datang di post pertama saya dalam bahasa Indonesia (yang baik dan benar pula, semoga)! Mungkin akan sedikit janggal, tapi berilah saya kesempatan untuk mengutarakan topik yang harus disampaikan dalam bahasa Indonesia ini. Kemarin tanggal 30 Maret 2015, Indonesia merayakan Hari Film Nasional. Di bioskop-bioskop tanah air dirayakan dengan cara memutar film Indonesia dengan iming-iming beli satu gratis satu. Saya langsung meluncur ke mall terdekat di daerah Serpong yang ikut berpartisipasi dalam program tersebut. Pilihan saya jatuh kepada film terlaris tahun 2013, Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck yang dibintangi oleh Herjunot Ali, Pevita Pearce dan Reza Rahadian. Saya sudah jatuh cinta pada film ini semenjak trailer-nya dirilis untuk pertama kali. Namun karena saya sedang menetap di Jepang, maka saya tidak pernah menonton film ini hingga tahun 2015. Dipersulit dengan kebijakan rumah produksi Soraya Intercine yang enggan merilis DVD dengan alasan 'takut dibajak'. Alasan yang sangat kekanak-kanakan menurut saya.

Filmnya sendiri dibuat dengan detil. Beda sekali dengan kebanyakan film-film Indonesia. Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck sangat memperhatikan detil dan nilai produksi. Tidak seperti film-film lain yang mungkin secara alur dan penampilan akting dipujikan, namun detil kurang diperhatikan, contohlah film terlaris 2012, Habibie & Ainun yang terlalu 'diperbudak' sponsor sehingga muncullah Wardah, gerbang tol otomatis dan Gery Chocolatos atau Merry Riana dengan bintang Chelsea Islan yang walau bertempat di tahun 1997 sudah menampilkan struktur megah Marina Bay Sands. Mungkin kurang adil bagi saya untuk terlalu memuji Van Der Wijck karena saya pun jarang sekali menonton film Indonesia. Namun saya ingin berterimakasih kepada film ini karena sudah menimbulkan minat saya pada film Indonesia. Saya sering tergila-gila pada film Hollywood bahkan juga Bollywood. Bayangkan, dari sekian film Bollywood yang diputar di MNCTV setiap Minggu siang, setidaknya seperempat dari katalog unggulannya sudah saya tonton. Tapi alangkah malunya saya bila saya harus mengakui bahwa paling banyak saya menonton film Indonesia setahun sekali.

Semangat produksi yang diperlihatkan Van Der Wijck mirip sekali dengan salah satu film Indonesia favorit saya, Ayat-ayat Cinta. Saya suka sekali dua film ini karena alasan yang sama: kedua film ini meyakinkan saya bahwa keajaiban film bisa juga dilakukan di Indonesia. Ayat-ayat Cinta bisa mengubah sebuah gereja di Jakarta menjadi pengadilan di Mesir dan Van Der Wijck bisa menyajikan kisah roman klasik luar biasa yang kental dengan kebudayaan Indonesia. Saya sekarang sedang terobsesi betul dengan film Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck. Hal yang saya amat sayangkan dari film ini adalah,  walau budaya tradisionalnya kuat, tapi inspirasi produksi film ini jelas datang dari The Great Gatsby yang dibintangi Leonardo DiCaprio, sehingga terasa kurang orisinil walau kekuatan cerita menjadi tembok pemisah kedua film ini. Dan juga dari banyaknya nominasi untuk FFI dan Piala Maya hanya sedikit yang dapat dimenangi. Itu artinya hanya satu: saya harus menonton film-film Indonesia yang jauh lebih bagus untuk menginspirasi saya lagi. Daftarnya sangat panjang, ada Sokola Rimba, Kapan Kawin?, Belenggu, Sang Penari, dan bahkan saya belum pernah nonton Arisan!

Saya belum membuat resolusi untuk tahun 2015 ini dan saya ingin membuatnya sekarang, disahkan lewat tulisan: saya akan menonton film Indonesia, setidaknya satu film untuk satu bulan. Mari kita lihat hasilnya tahun depan di Hari Film Nasional 2016!


PS.
If you want to understand this in English, please just googletranslate it, it's in perfect Indonesian. *arrogantlaugh

The Whole March Slate

As promised, I gobbled through three major films in the last four days. And as I watched all of them, I realized I have watched the whole March slate. Save for that animated film Home, which looks okay at best and I probably won't see because I'd rather go to the surefire funny SpongeBob Squarepants Movie. Hate me all you want for not wanting to see Home, your rare minority-fronted animated film. Let's stop with all the race issues. I think that when you talk more about race, the more people gets hurt. I don't know, let's just all be courageous and be kind.

Run All Night
Another year, another Liam Neeson kicking-butts film. You see, maybe a Liam Neeson action film is equivalent to what the Saw movies were to Halloween. It is an annual event, except that Liam Neeson can kick butts twice or three times each year. This film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra who made at least two Liam Neeson butt-kicking films, Unknown and Non-Stop is more low-concept compared to those two but it is still stylish and satisfying in almost every level. Liam Neeson plays a henchman to Ed Harris' mob boss. Neeson, the Gravedigger kills his boss' son and his boss vowed for revenge to kill Neeson's son. Honestly, Run All Night is surprisingly good. I was expecting something super low-key given that it is not as thrilling as a mid-air whodunit like Non-Stop or a European spy thriller as Unknown. Liam Neeson is as you would expect these days but the better performance here is delivered by Joel Kinnaman, last year's Robocop and next year in Suicide Squad. Ed Harris is also pretty much what you would expect. Common looks like Denzel Washington in a glimpse but his cold killer character is something like what Peele of Key & Peele did in their skits. Still menacing though but you couldn't help but giggle a bit. The story is pretty good, and it delivered in telling the father-and-son story in the midst of the action scenes. Run All Night: rated 3/4.

Cinderella
In my childhood, Cinderella is one of the films that I watched religiously. Just a couple of years ago, I was exposed to how retarded the film was in its actuality: Cinderella who might have a severe mental problem, the one-dimensional prince, and more. I hated myself to think that of my favorite childhood film. But then come Kenneth Branagh's update on the classic Disney-fied tale. Starring my faves from my favorite TV shows, Lily James/Lady Rose of Downton Abbey and Richard Madden/Robb Stark of Game of Thrones, also boasting incredible supporting cast with the likes of Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter. Unlike Maleficent which butchered the original classic older-than-your-parents Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella is the story of Cinderella, without any major changes but merely improvements. It adds the Prince's side, clarifies what happens when the Prince took Cinderella out of the ball, makes Cinderella stronger and even makes the Stepmother more than just a villain (in Cate Blanchett's hands, you wouldn't expect her being a normal villain anyway). I like that the fact the script has room for self-deprecation too, like "these slippers are made of glass""why not?" Branagh's direction is spot-on, magical and majestic. Something that you would expect from someone so accustomed to the Shakespeare world. Branagh's Thor even remained to be one of the best directed films in Marvel Cinematic Universe. I found Lily James really fitting as Cinderella, and the character's relationship with her parents is very touching. Richard Madden is no stranger to royalty. Cate Blanchett is menacingly great. All in all, I find myself liking this film more than the children whom the film are geared towards to. Thank you for not opting for worthless grittiness or revisionist agenda, it's a fairy tale and it is what it should be. I just wished there were more Downton cameos, I mean, when the Fairy Godmother said footman don't you all just think of Mr. Moseley? Cinderella: rated 3.5/4

Insurgent
If you follow my posts, then you should know that I planned a post that revised my ratings on movies. Divergent is among them for revision, I had that film with a 3.5/4 rating which was barely objective since it was all Shailene. Watching Insurgent today, I don't remember little details on the story. I just remembered that Divergent was a pleasant surprise because my expectations were incredibly low. In Insurgent there's this box that only divergents can open. So Jeanine (Kate Winslet) begin searching for divergents, but it wasn't that easy because apparently divergents also has diverging skills. While Tris, Four (HAHAHA), and others who escaped from the first movie keeps on finding shelters that includes the ones led by Octavia Spencer, another by Daniel Dae Kim and the faction-less by Naomi Watts (amazing supporting cast huh?). Much like Divergent, the best scenes are the actions and the simulators scenes which is just amazingly done. New director Robert Schwentke is clearly more used to action as his execution is pretty much spot-on. And much like Divergent, the movie has nothing to offer for at least 3/4 of the movie. Save for Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller who made this movie infinitely more enjoyable, the others are just cashing their paychecks. Also, considering the talent behind the script rewrites, it is quite disappointing to be honest. And that very YA ending (which unfortunately is so similar to The Maze Runner), which answers the burning question of what kind of human only has one trait in their personality? Hi, my mom is really honest so she's Candor, and I live like a peasant and appreciate random rainbows so I'm Amity? What kind of society is that and what kind of sick society creates society like that? [spoiler to follow] if divergents are the answer, then why do they let Erudites hunt divergents? At least this film leaves the audience a cliffhanger than nothing at all like in the first movie. Insurgent: rated 2/4.

 Some bonuses!

A gun-toting Shailene Woodley, which I guess an annual thing for this blog to feature.

And this show-stopping pic of Lily James circa 2012! 

So, next post might be

Fast & Furious 7!

Hoping to see this one in IMAX!

Yes, that silly movie about racing is now an IMAX event

Caught in the Binge

I have been busy, and lazy for the last couple of weeks. I have the first two sentences to my Focus review but it got buried with other stuff. It was supposed to be a stand alone review post but instead I have to merge it with another film and a TV show (web show?). Sorry. I know I haven't done a stand-alone review post but who's counting? So now I'm binge-ing the reviews because I just binge-watched House of Cards.

Focus
Crazy, Stupid, Love is my absolute favorite of modern-day rom-com. Now directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra made Focus. It stars Will Smith and the always smoking hot and immensely watchable Margot Robbie as conning con men. The premise is sexy and slick. We have Will Smith as Nicky the pro con man and Jess who wanted to be Nicky's protege. Margot Robbie herself is already worth your admission, add that with Will Smith's return to form after his snooze-inducing After Earth (I actually almost fell asleep there), and top them both with an exotic location. For the first forty minutes or so, the two leads are the only elements that keeps the movie watchable, then comes the set piece in the ball game. That gambling scene with the Asian guy must rank as one of the most intense scenes in 2015 for sure. The movie gained some pretty serious steam after that making it intensely watchable as we watch the con surrounding the lovely two leads with their incredible chemistry. But then my only sigh was the resolution. If you think of it as Crazy, Stupid, Love, this film ends during that jaw-dropping-early Shyamalan twist-worthy midpoint. So it is kind of a bummer to have a half-assed ending in an otherwise amazing twisty comedy drama. But come for Margot Robbie, you won't be disappointed. Focus: rated 3/4.

Chappie
I am actually kind of exhausted of Neill Blomkamp's style. In the beginning of Chappie, we see the similar interview-style footage like in his stellar District 9, then we see the setting of the movie "Johannesburg, South Africa". YAWN. Seen that in your last two movies and two short movies. If he makes the next Alien movie in South Africa then someone should sue him. To begin with, Chappie is a strange film to market. I think even Hugo is easier to market. This film is weird. It's about a child robot who's stuck in the wrong neighborhood in the middle of an internal conflict in a weapons company. The trailers wiped the two leads, Ninja and Yolandi of Die Antwoord rap group, who are actually playing themselves in the movie. Weird, but their characters are quite interesting as the story progresses. Hugh Jackman's villainy is pushed aside, as well as Dev Patel's protagonist side is. This film lacks focus. I don't say it often. In the action scenes or the pivotal scenes it's so good: the direction, cameraworks and score are in perfect sync. But in the filler scenes, it's a bit wobbly and that makes the whole film wobbly. Not to mention that Jackman's character is also a bit short-sighted in his plan. The poster sells this film as an explosive robot saga but you're in fact in for some shrouded child abuse film. But huge kudos to Sharlto Copley who's mo-capping as the titular robot. In conclusion, Mr. Blomkamp, I know you're South African and proud but please, it's getting old. It's like why do every alien invasion invades the States, you know. Why? Invade Europe for a change or I don't know, Thailand. Chappie: rated 2/4


Some House of Cards opinion...
I just finished House of Cards season 3, and most of it revolves in this [SPOILER ALERT, sorry I forgot to write it before] ridiculous plan dubbed America Works. I'm pretty dumb (and wholly ignorant) at politics but I think America Works is even dumber than I am at politics. Taking entitlements for 100% employment? I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that. Frank Underwood is smart and his plan to push this plan is making him vulnerable and stupid. Please tell me I'm wrong. I mean those people at his 2016 campaign are asking the wrong questions. Jordan Valley is pretty far from you, and what you should be concerned is that your Medicare and Social Security will be no more to give people you don't know jobs. Jobs that they are not even entitled to, because look at Freddy the ribs guy, he could be kicked out anytime when the program isn't working. People would be coming to the States with AmWorks and that would drain the funds totally if the goal is 100% employment. If Underwood's keeping up with this shit bill, then Dunbar for 2016! I have so many complaints on this third season. Usually my complaint was that the fact it's about American politics that I know jackshit about, so those complaints were for my ignorant brain. But this third season they have a subplot with the writer which is like whaaat the fvck is happening. And don't get me started on Doug's storyline. But hey, House of Cards is still binge-worthy as ever. Frank and Claire is still my favorite power couple as are Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are amazing in their roles. And Magnussen from Sherlock is basically Putin in a very incredible role as Underwood's Russian equal.

Next up another binge-reviews of
Cinderella
Run All Night
SpongeBob
Insurgent

I'm not promising all of them though.
Unless you send me some dollah or eurahs, jk, I accept rupiah too.

Oscars Predictions! and WINNERS! 2015 Edition!

This year might be my best year in catching up Best Picture noms. As of this post, I have watched 6 out of 8 films and might be going to my 7th tomorrow which is Whiplash. While Selma has no sign at all of being released in my country. This year is trickier though. The race is too close to call. Last year I could get 16 out of 17 predictions right (although one being a big gamble as I voted for DiCaprio instead of McConaughey). This year, I'm not confident in repeating that. [Now added with winners on Feb 23 GMT+7)

Best Picture
This year's race is between three: Boyhood, Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Birdman may win all the guilds prior to the Oscars, but I sense that Boyhood is pulling a Braveheart upset.
WINNER: BIRDMAN (0/1)

Best Actor in a Leading Role
It would be really cool to see Michael Keaton win, but really Balem Abrasax is played by an Oscar winner.
WINNER: EDDIE REDMAYNE (1/2)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Carrying that Alec Baldwin's wife goodluck charm, Julianne Moore is finally getting her long-deserved Oscar in a marathon win just like Cate Blanchett won last year: with no competition.
WINNER: JULIANNE MOORE (2/3)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Another shoo-in, J.K. Simmons is going to be the winner for his turn in Whiplash. I'd see him win for playing J.J. Jameson too though.
WINNER: J.K. SIMMONS (3/4)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Another category with no competition, my grown-up Alabama Patricia Arquette is going to win for her 12-year-portrayal of a mom in Boyhood.
WINNER: PATRICIA ARQUETTE (4/5)

Best Director
By far, the hardest prediction to make. I'm going to follow the guild and pick Alejandro G. Inarritu for his stellar direction.
WINNER: ALEJANDRO G. INARRITU (5/6)

Best Adapted Screenplay
If only Gone Girl's here, I'd hand it to Gillian Flynn right away. But then we're stuck with Graham King's The Imitation Game.
WINNER: THE IMITATION GAME (6/7)

Best Original Screenplay
As much as I loved Boyhood, it felt like Best Screenplay Improvisation. So, I'm happy to give it to Wes Anderson for his grand Grand Budapest Hotel.
WINNER: BIRDMAN (6/8)

Best Animated Feature
This probably got old, The Lego Movie should've been nominated and won. Yet I'm also totally fine to see it go to How to Train Your Dragon 2.
WINNER: BIG HERO 6 (6/9)

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman. But Dick Poop--Dick Pope can come on to the stage too.
WINNER: BIRDMAN (7/10)

Best Production Design
I hate to say this but Interstellar will lose to The Grand Budapest Hotel
WINNER: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (8/11)

Best Costume Design
Into the Woods may have better costumes but they are like Bad Grandpa to Dallas Buyers Club here. So, another win for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
WINNER: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (9/12)

Best Make-up
The Grand Budapest Hotel is gonna be having a really big night.
WINNER: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (10/13)

Best Editing
Whiplash gained some support late in the game but Boyhood is still winning.
WINNER: WHIPLASH (10/14)

Best Original Score
Sadly Hans Zimmer's Interstellar is not as good as Johann Johannson's The Theory of Everything
WINNER: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (10/15)

Best Original Song
White guilt chooses Glory from Selma
WINNER: SELMA (11/16)

Best Visual Effects
This be Interstellar's only award of the night.
WINNER: INTERSTELLAR (12/17)


My predictions were off by five categories, I quite understand four of them but most outraged by Big Hero 6's win over How to Train Your Dragon 2. About the show itself, it was pretty okay I guess. Maybe we put too much expectations on Neil Patrick Harris but he carried the show pretty adequately. Some highlights:
- Opening number is very Neil Patrick Harris
- All the best picture nominees are winners! Very fair
- Not enough wins for Boyhood tho
- Best speeches of the night were Patricia Arquette, JK Simmons and Graham Moore
- Meryl Streep shouting in support to Patricia Arquette is one of the best things of the night
- Everything is Awesome song is so good.
- I kept wandering whether Keira Knightley would surprise us by singing with Adam Levine
- Adele Dazeem and Gom Gazingo!
- John Travolta: Creep of the night.
- That House of Cards trailer tho
- Neil's prediction envelope is hilarious, I hope that's a real stunt

So, recap
The Grand Budapest Hotel 4 wins
Birdman 4 wins
Whiplash 3 wins
Interstellar 1 win
American Sniper 1 win
Boyhood 1 win
The Theory of Everything 1 win
The Imitation Game 1 win
Selma 1 win

The Delayeds

Late January and early February this year saw three pushed-back movies. The first one is Warner's ticking time flop that was handed to Universal, Seventh Son. This Big Lebowski reunion was pushed back one year from its initial January 2014 release as a result of the end of Legendary's contract in Warner Brothers and the film is quite shit so that's probably why. Second one is The Wachowskis original science fiction starring Mila Kunis as the queen of the universe and Channing Tatum as human-slash-dog Jupiter Ascending. This film that also starred soon-to-be-Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne was pushed back by Warner from its summer 2014 release citing more time to finish special effects. But reports had it that new action scenes were added to the final cut.  The last one is Kingsman: The Secret Service, Matthew Vaughn's follow-up to X-Men First Class in his increasingly outstanding filmography. Previously titled only The Secret Service, Kingsman was bumped from October 2014 release which makes it Fifty Shades of Grey's counter-programming. That plan didn't work out, but kudos to everyone who saw Kingsman instead of Fifty Shades.

Seventh Son
Legendary's track record has been quite spotless. But 2015 and moving to Universal might be their bullet to the head. With Blackhat and this film flopping, we wonder whether Warner is Legendary's good luck charm. Seventh Son's trailer looks okay, it promises you mindless action-packed fantasy with incredible cast that includes Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges. The story is about a hunter who underestimates a witch, making her crazy with fury and that hunter needs a help of a special apprentice who has to be the seventh son of the seventh son (pretty complicated,no?) to defeat that witch. Seventh Son is pretty forgettable. I'm not going to talk very critically, the action scenes and effects were quite good, but there's just too many stupid going on that not even soon-to-be-Academy Award-winner Julianne Moore can chew enough scenery to save it. But it's an adequate entertainment if you have time to kill. And make sure you're a fan of either Jeff Bridges or Julianne Moore, otherwise you're in it for a bad time. At least you'll walk out of the theatre loving Alicia Vikander though, her costumes are amazing. Seventh Son: rated 1.5/4

Jupiter Ascending
This film has so many unfairness directed at it. You'd expect more respect given to the creators of The Matrix. This film is one of the rare original sci-fi. But Jupiter Ascending wasn't aiming for political undertones or some other overanalyzed analogies or the fifth dimension, it was only for your entertainment. And heck it delivers. Mila Kunis is gorgeous like always, Channing Tatum is pretty cool, set designs are crazy, costumes are breathtaking--it's whatever you wanted for a fantastical sci-fi film. The action scenes are so good, you'd slow things down in your mind and think--I understand that this film is made by the people who made The Matrix. That score by Michael Giacchino is super bombastic it made every action scene way better. The few complaints that I had were that the film, although aiming for epicness, didn't feel that epic and big--the story is quite uneven and add that with very advanced sci-fi lingo those things could be a turn-off. And the lack of memorable villains, sure we had Eddie Redmayne reading lines through his nose or something but he wasn't villainous enough to be memorable. All in all, I'm glad that I watched this in cinema on a really big screen with thundering speakers, because I wouldn't bat an eye if I saw this on TV, heck I would think twice to rewatch this on a small screen. Jupiter Ascending: rated 2.5/4

Kingsman: The Secret Service

One word: YES. This film had it all. Engaging story, full-on crazy cool action, guns, cars, awesomeness, Colin Firth gone badass. Matthew Vaughn is a very dependable director, he made X-Men cool again with First Class after it was 'ruined' by Brett Ratner. He made Kick-Ass and thank God had little to do with the godawful Kick-Ass 2. Kingsman is touted by many as a spoof to the spy-action movies, I saw it differently. It is a whole different take on the spy genre, elevated it from being self-serious and grim to fast, funny and fun. Not to mention it is incredibly foul-mouthed and violent. Bond and Bourne are only PG-13, this film is rated R. What made this film worked is all the actors are cast against type. Colin Firth as a real badass, Mark Strong not as a baddie and Sam L Jackson as a baddie but with a twist..on the tongue. That lisp made Jackson's Valentine way better than it should've been. And the true find is Taron Egerton as the main character Eggsy--he could be on the same level with these veteran actors. The only thing that bugged me is that the talk-of-the-town scene in the church was cut from theatres in Indonesia. So, I have yet to see that scene. But hot damn, Kingsman: The Secret Service is my first favorite of 2015. Kingsman: The Secret Service: rated 3.5/4

UP NEXT
I don't know, Focus maybe?
or Whiplash!