Arisan! (The Gathering)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: B
In looking for intelligent films about adults, it was a
very pleasant surprise to find one of the best recent such comedy/dramas to
come from Indonesia. Arisan!
(2003) is Nia Dinata’s surprisingly good film about relationship sand how a
common cultural gathering gets people to allow their guards to go down too
much. In this case, Sakti (Tora Sudiro)
is a sexually oppressed gay man living with his mother, unable to deal with himself. At the gym, he has become interested in Nino
(Surya Saputra), but avoids him to stay unexposed.
It may not reflect the realities of Indonesia, but that is
not the point of the film. What is
impressive is that the film manages to deal with human sexuality (straight,
gay, lesbian) in an honest, mature, realistic, natural way that uses
full-developed three-dimensional characters in a way that does not have an
agenda, preach anything, and demonstrates some fine depth. Dinata co-wrote the screenplay as well and
the dialogue is exceptional. Note than
most of the words are spoken in Indonesian, but there is more English here than
you might expect.
People talk to each other, not at and this is not trying
to be some fell-good film or formula picture.
Instead, it is ahead of so many films trying to deal with similar
subjects, including many that are only concerned with heterosexual couples
only. That it is made by women and made
well by them is able to actually justify its 129 minutes-length instead of dragging
on like so many Hollywood or independent boutique productions that are just
wasting time. When it does deal with
heterosexual couples, it is as observant and well handled as the gay male
leads. Some may find this too pat or
pleasant, but Arisan! achieves a look into a world we have not seen
before on film and it often reflects part of more familiar ones we do not see
enough.
The letterboxed 1.85 X 1 image is nicely shot by
cinematographer Yudi Datau, capturing the places the characters either call
home (which are always very personalized spaces), work environments that are
not as appealing and outdoor locations that make you want to visit
Indonesia. The colors are consistent
and more colorful than we have seen in many films of late, so it is a shame
this was not an anamorphically enhanced transfer. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no serious surrounds, but is
nicely recorded and plays back well enough.
Extras include 4:52 of deleted scenes, a 23:18 making of featurette,
bloopers, multiple takes of a key sequence dubbed A Special Surprise and
two original trailers for the film.
This is comic enough to be dubbed a romantic comedy, but I
will add that this is the genre Hollywood botches more than any other. This should be required viewing for any future
such film that gets the greenlight.
Dinata could be on her way to becoming a world-class director. We look forward to her next project.
- Nicholas Sheffo
