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Arisan! 2 (2011) Director: Nia Dinata Stars: Tora Sudiro, Surya Saputra, Cut Mini, Aida Nurmala, Rachel Maryam. Nothing is straight in this life. The idea just came over me after finishing the film. 8 years after the first film, which was ground breaking and becoming talks of the country, and the short lived TV episodes, all the characters were brought by the director and the writer of the film, Nia Dinata, to a new phase in their lives. Still glamorous and witty, Arisan! 2 is just classy per se.  Numbers of noisy arisan ladies were reduced significantly, yet casual botox, wrinkles bitching, parties, and well dressed people will entertain your eyes, and mood - if not also bitching about it personally. With the separation of Sakti and Nino, with the death of Andien’s husband, the birth of the fatherless son of Lita, and the single Memei, comes along several new characters which brought the edge of the film. Suddenly everyone is married, and bisexual, and keeping it discreet for - whatever reasons. Wicked menage a troi. Some of those people do exist in the capital city, the big Durian. Dealing with new problems in their own life, the film also brought us to the heavenly scenery of Lombok. A perfect choice. And a nice move to help boosting the tourism campaign of the country too. Somewhat I feel this film is the ‘Eat, Pray, and Love’ of local film. It has that new edge feelings inside. A new character strongly presents this feeling in the film. And Lombok is just the right place to set all the mood up. While dealing with new people, problems, and love, the characters also have to look inside their friendship over an issue which cause an emotional, and physical impact to one of them - which could be the twist of a possible 3rd sequel for the successful films. Nia Dinata also brought the new edge feelings by taking her audiences to Borobudur where Vaisakh ceremony was held and one of the character has to go there to encounter  a new profound consciousness in her life. I love how Nia generally and frequently took wider, and bigger shots of everything. Nothing in the film seems squeezed. And that kind of shots were perfect for scenes in Borobudur, Lombok, and while the characters were snorkeling. This film is not that feel good film, but somehow after finishing it, you will walk out of the cinema feeling good. Again, worry a little bit with how people from other parts if of the country would perceive the film. Cause we are talking about Jakartans, with their odd life. The casts? audiences love them - the characters have perfectly fit them after 8 years of waiting for them to comeback to the widescreen. Yet, minor characters have fallen into - well - forced acting or simply making the screen ‘so noisy’ Relax. It’s all about sex. And how people hide it.
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Machine Gun Preacher (2011) Director: Marc Forster Stars: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan Some people were given second chance in their life. Some even third, fourth chances,some only got two and make the best out of it. After struggling with drug issues, heavy crimes, even murders, Sam Childers - portrayed perfectly by Gerard Butler - sans the round stomache, decided that he will quit his tough life and made serious effort to find God, to bring his life to the…well, peaceful path. With the help of his wife, played by Michelle Monaghan, Sam went back to the church and proposed himself to be baptized. Leaving drugs, cocaine, and such Sam focused on his construction business, which surprisingly turned out very good and he afford the family to move to a better house, leaving their trailer home. A visit from a priest from a Christian church in Sudan brought another consciousness to Sam. His life changed drastically since then. Marc Foster, the director of this film, brought very close the vivid picture of how children in Sudan were becoming the victims of the never ending war. A local war general has been identified as the main actor behind the killing of 400 thousands of people, and more than 40 thousand children have been dragged into sexual slavery or turning them into kids soldiers. Some scenes were graphics, there for this film was not meant for children, or weak hearted ones. Sam, is probably the example of the very few people who have found his purpose in life. He traveled back and forth from Africa to United States to keep everything going - his family - and the children that he has to protect and feed - up to now - in an orphanage that he built solely from his own money. Nothing special about the images, but the sets, and the children who play the parts were awesome.The film itself is categorized into drama despite several shooting scenes, explosions, and murders. Some people, like Sam, have decided that he will take part in the fight to make a small part of Sudan to become a better place for these children - because the world seems to have forgotten this war zone country. And Sam is not the first character in such film where the character somewhat took the oath to set everything’s right in their own way. But to realize that this film was made based on a real life person’s who actually still alive and still travel back and forth - enduring thousands of miles - leaving his comfort zone, raised his guns, used his own money, to bring joy to many unfortunate kids, and made someone else’s fight become his fights is just…
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The American

Director: Anton Corbijn

Casts   : George Clooney, Paolo Bonacelli, Violante Placido

The American is a film that will not complicate your mind with too many dialogues. In fact, probably Clooney find it hard to play his character, Jack, a master craftsman, an assassin. Jack is a real loner, literally. He has been ordered not to make contacts with people, who might hamper his task as assasin.
It is told that Jack fled to Italy for a new assignment, after a harsh ending during his task in Sweden. Jack then promised that the Italy’s task would be his last. Somehow, his vows not to make contacts with people was broken when he seeked out friendship with a local priest and somewhat engaged in a romance with a local woman.
But, the sweden agents who traced him eventually got his marks in that small village in Italy. A faraway village by the hill, long roads, green vineyards, and nice lakes under the summer sun. Anything you always have in mind about Italy.
As Jack phase by phase taking his last assignment, he has revealed himself to the world, the factor that he was not supposed to do. His profession forbids that.
Jack is described as a very private man. Very quiet. Smile is not something his face is accustomed to. Clooney successfuly picture’s Jack lonesome, and somewhat his desire to find a new life. Jack is obviously tired of killing. He is tired of being alone, and sleeping with his gun next to him.
“The American” is poignant. It was poetic, literally for me. slides of beautiful Itally. scenes where Jack did not say things. The village where the film was shot, was equally quiet. Some people might find such place boring. Some might not.
Jack has been tied with human’s eventual effort to escape grief. Grief that as an assasin might not be able to show.
Clooney is accustomed to such role. Private gentleman with their own destiny. Its kind of pity to see that he actually trapped into typical role. For me, Jack is typical for Clooney.  It becomes so hard not to imagine him playing these kinds of roles.
With Oscar in hand, Clooney still has the chance to find another roles to challenge his acting. Overall, this film squeezed your breath. I mean it. Not the type of film you would see with partners, special ones. This is a sad man film.

I like this film, however.

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