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Reviews
Janji Joni (2005)
A truly entertaining, inspiring, and meaningful ride! Highly recommended.
Janji Joni exceeds my expectations, really. When I first read the synopsis, I thought to myself: "Well, maybe a totally wacky comedy would do me good after all the stress of studying..." So, I slotted the disc into my laptop, and the journey began.
For the first few minutes, I did just what I'd wanted to do - I simply sat back and relaxed. And indeed, I enjoyed the light-heartedness of the film tremendously. The comedy is fresh without bordering on slapstick, and its cinematography is really beautiful. The crew successfully presents a nostalgic and charming portrayal of Jakarta. The film's greatest strength, though, is its motley group of characters: the carefree, somewhat naive Joni (acted well by Nicholas Saputra); the avuncular operator of the movie projector; the chatty taxi driver with his pregnant wife; and many, many others. Joni's encounters with these diverse characters are guaranteed to tickle you.
Apart from all the laughters, however, I also discovered a deeper layer of this film. Despite its unrealistically weird premise, Janji Joni actually presents a very potent metaphor of life itself. Life is like Joni's journey - full of unexpected twists and turns, and it doesn't always unfold as we want it to. And I'm glad that I have the opportunity to learn from how Joni reacts to all these situations. He made me re-evaluate my own life and inspired me with a new love of life. And I think that is quite something to take away from a "wacky comedy".
Do watch this film, but don't take it for face value. Go deeper and you may find yourself living your life a little more happily after watching this film. Trust me, we can all learn much from Joni.
Identity (2003)
Brilliant plot in a thriller that dares to explore beyond the common reaches of similar films!
What would you think of when a group of people with unusual backgrounds, copious personal problems, and varying motives are forced to stay together in an abandoned motel situated in the middle of nowhere? In "Identity", the answer is murder by numbers and the setting befits this most excellently - an extraordinarily mysterious and sinister concoction of horror, thrill, mysticism, and frustration.
The film begins with several characters finding their fates intertwined with each other when all of them were trapped in a heavy storm and had to seek protection in a motel. Ironically, they became trapped in a predicament instead. They realised this when one of them was found brutally murdered and mutilated. The characters then decided that before the killing progressed further, they needed to find and arrest the murderer. As they stumbled along their investigation, more of them got killed.
Such a situation makes the audience think really hard about who may be the culprit. Normally, the audience starts naming their guesses as more incidents occur. This is exactly what happens with this film too, but as the plot continues to roll on, the audience will grow even more bewildered and surprised because things slowly become unexplainable. Then the twists come, making the intricate plot even more compelling.
If you stay focused when watching this film, you will find an extremely brilliant plot. It is not merely about murder in a motel, but the plot goes far beyond that to explore the complexities of human mind and their relation to identity. Remember, the film is not entitled "Identity" for nothing.