diannndra Reviews

Alice in Borderland (2020– )

Feels like Liar Games + Walking Dead

[8/10 · 30 December 2022]

I love this because i like Liar Games and Walking Dead TV series. The games have similar looks, feelings and tension as Liar Games, plus dead bodies of course. And the everyday is very very similar to Walking Dead, without zombies and less boring of course.

Too bad, the games, scenes, storytelling, and plot in second half of season 2 are rushed, not detailed, no characters development, felt too easy and not complicated anymore, compared to previous episodes. It feels like the makers push to hard to make season 2 to be the last. It ruins everything they've built. With the pace of previous episodes and exactly the same materials, it should've been 3 seasons minimum.

Quickie Express (2007)

Another well made movie by Kalyana Shira

[7/10 · 6 December 2007]

I really think that Kalyana Shira Film is a group of people who really really love movies, and they currently really really know the different between good and bad movie. This movie is the simple example.

The story is about a poor 27 years old Jojo (Tora Sudiro) who couldn't do anything right even in his simple job. After a few job changing, he got recruited to become a gigolo in a club called Quickie Express. The story flows from there. Overall, this comedy movie itself is a fun experience, with some very funny moments.

Unfortunately, there are -some but not all- tasteless low class jokes and slapsticks, just like in 'American Pie', 'Sex is Zero', or 'Van Wilder'. The plot itself flows very smoothly, with many many many plot holes in it. Too many plot holes, I even think the makers do it deliberately, so the movie can be very light and entertaining to wider viewers. -Some but not all- the characters are weak and -some but not all- dialogs are shallow and clearly just 'for the sake of funny moments'.

Fortunately, as I said, this movie is made by Kalyana Shira Film. This is a very well made movie. With some stylish 'Lock Stock and 2 smoking barrels' or 'Fight Club' touch in scenes, cinematography, score, and soundtrack, mixed with total retro designs in modern days. And also some little 'Snatch' or 'Pulp Fiction' twists. With some 'good looking' angle like 'oldboy' or 'in the mood for love'. This can't be a bad movie, and the makers know it.

So, what a movie consists of -some but not all- tasteless jokes, weak characters, shallow dialogs and the 'well making' becomes? A movie that has a potential to become one of the most successful movie in Indonesia financially and in the number of viewer!! It maybe even much more successful financially than 'Berbagi Suami', the maker's previous movie, which, IMHO, is the best Indonesian movie after the 'Resurrection'. But you can't compare the overall quality.

7 of 10 - they have a certain standard.

Three Days to Eternity (2007)

It's not a good move, Mr Riri Riza

[5/10 · 18 June 2007]

I like Indonesian movie industry's progress for the past few years. Since Mr Riri Riza's Pertualangan Sherina, it keeps growing with good movies such as Ada Apa dengan Cinta?, Arisan, Gie, etc (just forget about the unoriginal or low quality horrors and money oriented teen movies). Especially in the last 2 years, I feel the progress by watching Berbagi Suami, Long Road to Heaven, and even Kala. And then I watched 3 Hari untuk Selamanya....

The story is about a journey of two cousins, Yusuf (Nicholas Saputra) and Ambar (maybe, can't remember clearly, played by Adinia Wirasti), from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, to attend Ambar's big sister's wedding. I really think the idea is pretty good. The first 10 minutes that showed why both of them should go together on this road trip is still not bad at all. However, it's the only good part of this film. The 'controversial' 1st drunk scene is followed by 2nd one, 3rd, etc, each with their own stupid and unconnected dialog. The story becomes very very boring on its way to the end. The plot is very very predictable without any climax (if there's one, I can't see or feel it). And there's no surprise at all. You can easily guess what the ending will be, but the hardest part is to endure the boredom. On the other hand, until the end you can't guess what the director's purpose. Whether he tries to make a movie that (1)only describes people in the state of euphoria without any other purposes (spun, fear and loathing in las vegas) or (2)movie that has a story and using drugs is only part of the story (13, requiem for a dream, trainspotting, leaving las vegas). Unfortunately, if he tries to make the number 2, the dialog doesn't support it. Making it worse, you can't feel the chemistry between the 2 main characters. I think the actor and actress can certainly act well, but the chemistry just isn't there.

I watched it with low expectation, and it still didn't help. One of my friend came in late, and later went out to buy hotdog in the middle of movie. When she got back inside, she didn't miss a thing.

My score is 5 of 10, because it's made by Mr Riri Riza. I would give it 6/10 if it's made by anyone else with lower class. It's way bellow your standard Man...

Pulp Fiction (1994)

The one that opens the door for any others

[10/10 · 10 January 2007]

Many say this movie is overrated, many hate this movie very much, and many walk out of cinema before it's even finished. But, like it or not, Pulp Fiction opens the door for other movies that contains one or more of its formulas to either be enjoyable, or have higher rating, or be looked cool, or even be popular.

Those formulas are: (I cannot mention all of them)

1) Short Stories Plots. Pulp Fiction is just like a book that contains short stories where each has their own plot. All the stories are connected one to another by the similarity of characters and incidents. There are stories of a couple who wanted to rob a restaurant, a gangster's wife and a hit-man's trip, two hit men's silly experience, and a runaway boxer hunted by gangster. They all happens around the gangster's environment. The time line of those stories doesn't have to be time wise, which means the story that happens first doesn't have to be the first to be told.

Maybe Pulp Fiction is not the first movie, but later, many movie uses this kind of plot and become successful. There are Amores Perros, Babel, Antares, Sin City, Kill Bill, Intermission, The Dead Girl, Berbagi Suami, and many others with their own variation. Later, one of the variations called 'post-modern plot'. Maybe they don't have any intention to use the same formula or they doesn't even inspired by Pulp Fiction, for example, Chungking Express launched a little bit sooner than Pulp Fiction. But, it is Pulp Fiction who opens the door for them, it makes easier for others to be enjoyable.

2)Many stories with different Point of View. In each of its stories, Pulp Fiction has a point of view of the third person (audience) that follows the main character. This kind of formula was already popular in the novel, long time before Pulp Fiction, Jeffrey Archer and even Sydney Sheldon wrote this kind of point of view. After Pulp Fiction, many popular movies use the same formula successfully, like The Hours, Crash, 21 grams, Syriana, Traffic, and many others including those're mentioned before. Again, Pulp Fiction just opens the door.

3)Satire to violence. Pulp Fiction is a satire to violence. Quentin Tarantino has always been making satire to violence movies, even sooner when he wrote True Romance a year before. He always makes violence look funny in a dark way, to some people who can enjoy it. After Pulp Fiction, there are movies like Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Cidade de Seus, Brick, Shawn of the Dead, Desperado, etc.

4)Independent Spirit. It is true that Stanley Kubrick has made indie movie long long time before Pulp Fiction. But, Independent Movies have never looked that cool before Pulp Fiction, and later, all the Kubrick's are looked even cooler than before.

I love Pulp Fiction. Even it might not be my number 1 movie, but I have a great great respect and appreciation for it.

The Gathering! (2003)

Arisan it's a movie about 3 friends with a different situation. It's funny, it's clever, it's entertaining.

[7/10 · 22 May 2005]

Other than the actors "sometimes" talks stuttered, & a "not so good" sound (especially when the actor "Surya Saputra" talking, cos he's lips looked barely moved, I really couldn't understand What he was saying, thank God, before I bought the VCD, I already saw it in the theater) It's refreshing to have a well made movie from Indonesia,& an added bonus cos it has a clever dialog that you don't see in other "cliche" Indonesian movie. It also break the Dogma that a good Indonesian movies, is the one with a traditional, classical artsy movie, with a longgggggggg dialog & scene. Don't get me wrong, I still like those kind of movies, but sometimes the Director is a bit selfish, to make movie that only good in visual & difficult dialog but not enjoyable for the audiences.

Plizzzz, Indonesian film maker, make more movies like this.

Joni's Promise (2005)

a one day journey of a delivery role film boy

[6/10 · 22 May 2005]

It's was an OK movie (I think it was a short movie, but force to be a long movie). It's entertaining, with a touch of fantasy of what could happen when you try to deliver something.

The things that I like about the movie is the description about the theater audiences reaction when watching a movie. It's so true! The only things that missing is the type of audience that always knocking on the front seat, so it irritates the front seat audience! (hehehe, personal experienced).

It has a great cinematography ( I don't know Jakarta Pusat can look that good), & great soundtrack.

Hey, movie doesn't always have to be a cult break through. Just enjoy & be entertain....