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Critical Eleven (2017)
Visually breathtaking, top notch acting.
This is simply a love story between two people who are facing their worst nightmare, the test for their marriage.
I initially came to cinema only to see how Ale and Anya being portrayed by nation's best actor and actress. I was not really fond of the book, but gladly the movie turned out to be astonishing (seriously, the trailer alone was captivating!). I'm still amazed by its breathtaking cinematography and I love every scene in New York. It beautifully captures the honeymoon phase of Ale and Anya's journey.
I was overwhelmed by the sizzling chemistry between the main leads. I knew they would be great but I didn't expect them to be that amazing. They indeed have done a brilliant job there. Every little detail they showed through their body languages during their exchanges like the touch, the glances, the deep gaze, and the hugs convinced me they're truly a newlywed couple and very much in love. Not to mention they looked so good together. Every scene of them being together was pure gold, and it left good impression to my watching experience.
That aside, although the heartbreaking scenes were done right, there was something unsettling which affected my overall opinion about the movie. I felt there's something that took big part in driving the characters' actions but it was never shown. That important detail like how Ale being 'different' according to Anya's claim was just being told when the couple were arguing. Was that presented subtly? Did I miss that one out? All I could get as the root of the conflict are both were dealing with grief differently, Ale couldn't shut his mouth, and Anya kept her inner struggle within herself without trying to share it to her husband. However, not sure if I was just insensitive while I was watching it, but I honestly found it extremely difficult to relate to them. I watched this twice only to understand the characters better but the impression is still the same. Thanks to the casts' interview clips and the book, I got much more depth about the characters so I appreciate the movie more. To conclude, Critical Eleven could be a hit or a miss. Without trying to discredit the production team (who already did amazing job), I think the main casts, Reza and Adinia, made the movie more appealing in a whole new level rather than the story itself. That said, if you look for a romance drama movie flooded with beautiful view(s), heart-wrenching scenes, and best chemistry, this one is definitely for you.
Kapan Kawin? (2015)
The story of a 33 year old woman put an end to the miserable question about getting married.
The true romantic comedy movie lives up by its brilliant lead actors and solid writing. With the subtle (sometimes straight to the point) touch of values embedded in almost all the dialogues between the main characters, this movie will never bore you. First of all, I LOVE everything about this movie: the actor, the story, the setting, the humor, including its flaws. I'm not gonna lie, I initially watched this for the leads alone because they looked really good together in their previous movie. Kapan Kawin?perfectly owns my all-time favorite movie elements which was such a big surprise. Some might find the formula is cliché, but it has succeeded in presenting the most mediocre premise into something fun and touching. Here are the appealing elements that make me so into this movie.
1. Main characters Satrio: The first impression I got by three minutes seeing him on screen was he is eccentric, weird, and full of himself. He blabbers too much. He is not your ideal husband type. He is far from being a successful man with decent job, tuxedo, or expensive car. However, the more you get to know about him, the more you fall for him. His genuine and true concern towards Dinda, which is one of his charms, makes me root for him. Every time he asks or tells something to her, he really means every word of it.Throughout this movie, we can see how he grows as a character. Dinda: A total opposite of Satrio. She is smart, a professional career woman, a little bit serious and conservative. Or maybe that's her parents who are so conservative. Moreover, she has many layers which I found really interesting. She often hides her true feeling. She is a boring good child who does everything her parents want her to do and tossing her own happiness in the process. Glad that finally Dinda finds the courage to be herself, and tell her deepest inner struggle as an obedient child to her parents.
2. Top notch acting and perfect chemistry between the leads Reza Rahadian and Adinia Wirasti are the main reason in enhancing the quality of this movie into a whole new level. They live their name up by their acting skills. Reza acts perfectly as Satrio. He brings the character into life without fail. His stealing glance or deep gaze to Dinda feels so real (man, he is so good at this). Also, him being a dork is the best thing ever. I laughed out loud with his antics, even when he stood or made a model-like-but-awkward-pose there beside the window while Dinda was lecturing him. On the other hand, Adinia can balance his acting really well. Her facial expression feels natural and rich. I can't imagine anyone plays that character except her. She is wondrous. Whenever Reza and Adinia are on screen together, they sizzle the time and make all the scenes magnificent. They deliver the dialogues as simple as breathing. They bicker most of the time, but it's fun, and sometimes poignant. To be very honest, all their scenes are my favorite. I'm still literally swooned over their funny bickering and romantic moments. I have re-watched the dancing scene that only God knows the number. Their stares, their touches, awkward hug, deep hug, are the best. Their body languages play the important part to convince me that the characters that they're playing are attracted and later in love with each other. I could go on and on talking about them, but I'll just stop here and leave you judge them by yourself (If you haven't seen the movie).
3. The solid plot The premise is really common, but the whole story was carefully written. There is no dull moment. The transition from one scene to another is really smooth. More importantly, the story makes you get an extreme range of feels from being extremely entertained by its humor to being touched deeply by its most poignant moment. Like any other movies, there are flaw and several illogical scenes for example the over dramatic revelation of Satrio's real identity in the middle of anniversary celebration, the speedy changing heart within Dinda 'cause she seems doesn't know Satrio that much but she falls for him in a span of three days?, and Dinda's having no idea her parents were lying to her about the father's illness. I mean, she is told as smart woman and had experienced her parents' antics to make hook her to someone, but why she didn't find anything suspicious with the call from her mom. And by the time she arrived at their house, the father looked obviously faking his illness but she didn't get a clue. The finale scene, while being cute, also threw the logic through the window by making Dinda being a cameo but not getting shooed by the crew. That said, the flaws didn't make Kapan Kawin? being less amazing. The acting and directing cover the flaws and turn it into a gem.
4. By the title alone, one can tell this movie would be either a very dramatic or a mediocre. However, it lightly brings up the most common and problematic issue for among adults in my country, especially with those who have the similar struggle with Dinda. The title might mislead you, but actually it has important and deep message for viewers which is presented in most Satrio-Dinda's exchanges. Another favorite moment is when Satrio told her to make herself happy before her passing that happiness to others. He has noticed it since the beginning, and when he tells her that, he doesn't necessarily insult her. He put the fact on the table and let her decide.
This is by far one of the best Indonesian romantic comedy movies. There writing is consistently good from the beginning until the end. Also, the actors are genius. 9/10