I should have published this mix right on my graduation day which was about a month ago. I intended to keep it for the right moment but guess what, I just remembered it tonight. I figured I've been posting a lot of film review, oh well not really but yeah okay, a few ones ;) and it's time to take a steer to another matter I love the most which is... music.
It's obvious that Graduation for every beings is a moment where pride is shared, like at last. Especially to our family, friends and lover also. We finally succeeded in surviving through the academic conquest. Though I felt it too, I was quite the contrary. Those 3 years back wasn't just about hours and hours of studying, but in a good other way I met a bunch of wonderful friends. I was blessed by having them around me. Those highly passionate and motivated people who kept me feeling challenged most of the time. No matter how much I want to feel that way again, I can't turn back time. Once graduation was over I felt like, really? Is it 3 years later already? How fast time went by I didn't realize it was over. It got worse that time I was awaken by the fact that I would probably never see my friends again as they'd go on their own directions. And all I could do was wishing them the best damn luck (and an epic reunion of course).
So as those thoughts kept running around in my head, then some neuro whatever told me to make a mix dedicated to all my fellow friends back in Sekolah Tinggi Akuntansi Negara. The mix contains a list of my favorite songs that somehow matches to my gloomy mood at the moment. Some of their lyrics don't really relate to the sad theme but they have that heart-wrenching melody for no reason. So what the hell hahahha.
And to all friends I dedicated this mix to, thank you for being the part of my memory, no matter how bad or good it
was, you'll be sticking here in my brain forever. Like I said before, I
was blessed to having a chance to know you guys and your incredible
willingness and with so many characters that made each of every one of
you is special. I am sorry if sometimes I got insecure then my inner
bitchin' came out and scared the hell out of you guys. Haha really. Deep deeply sorry, okay? :)
At last, I'll say have the best luck and have an
Aufwiedersehen! Because we ain't sharing goodbye for completely leaving
each other paths. But I know we'll see each other again. Very soon.
Blame me in the name of the overly-hyped yet most-talked about film on twitter this week. I am actually a coward. It puts me a lot of courage watching ghost-themed film or anything that will potentially scare the shit out of me for days. I used to go nuts over a creaking door or the edge of the room or under the bed. I had constant hatred to the bolster too bcs it reminds me of.. you know that 'local ghost in plain white sheets'. I got terrified over the sound of sorrowly girl crying in the midst of the night though it's really just a sound of a bloody cat. Then all I could do is sleeping with the lights on or I might need a company throughout the night.
However, my curiosity conquers it all. I finally went to see The Conjuring this Thursday along with my two old friends. We felt pretty much excited because we had been tried hard to take more friends with us but.. nah they're too fainthearted.
The Conjuring (2013) IMDb Rating:8.0/10 Director: James Wan Writer: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lily Taylor, Ron Livingston
Some time in the early 70s, a big family of seven, Perron family, moves to an old rickety farmhouse in the suburb. During the first day, the whole family is in delight though the dog's unusually scared rejects to come into the house. The Perrons keep busy unpacking their furnitures while the kids are happily playing hide-and-clap. Then suddenly, one of the kid inadvertently finds an entrance to a hidden cellar. Now that initiates the whole series of paranormal things. The next day and after, the terror starts happening to one another member of the family and it gets worse each and everyday. Terrifies, Carolyn Perron (Lily Taylor) asks Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) to help them seek the problem in the house. The Warrens' investigation and research to the house's history leads to an awful discovery that afterall the house isn't really the core problem. It is the evil works that has done in the house years ago which makes it cursed. Now either The Perrons or The Warrens have to make a quick move or else someone is going to get killed.
The Review
Since I'm a diehard coward and got startled very easily, I always sheer-closed my eyes with my hands everytime the plot starts to get intense. I screamed almost the entire film too. When it's time to stepped out of the cinema, my body felt a light physical breakdown for no reason. My legs somehow a bit trembled it took awhile to self-adjust. It's weird how a film could make you 'disabled'.
The Conjuring is quite captivating--The Exorcist and The Amityville Horror combined. I'm not gonna give comments about their acting since they did it just fine. But I was pretty astonished to see there were like tons of ghost sightings in the film and it creeped me out. There are several eerie scenes, the one that stuck in my mind is when Carolyn Perron got trapped in the cellar and heard the sound of strange claps. It's real horrifying and I can't imagine myself ever experienced the same thing. And of course, the exorcism scene in the cellar that dominates the whole film.
And about the plot, I must say for a two-hour-ish film, it's a really good one. I got carried on with their investigation, the way they reveal one by one facts about the condemned house. Very exciting. But here's one lack of thing in the plot that I absolutely hate--the ending. It's too obviously explained and it buzzkilled the whole thing. Well, maybe it is what truly happened in Warren's case files but I see this very very very much displeased for a film, especially the horror-thriller one. An ideal horror film should ends up perplexing and make the viewers feels like shit after like, "Wtf? What the hell is happening? Why it ends up like that? Whaaat???" There, so the viewers takes their very own version of why that film ended up, it sucks but it's so much fun, isn't it ? :)
I've watched Stoker, Shame and Prozac Nation which all were psychological themed films the past month. Things have been tied up as I've been interning at a govie treasury office in my hometown. Then I thought that the theme suits perfectly with my current life. Well it doesn't mean I have the exact same psychological problems but I can tell we share the same fundamental value. We're most definitely bored.
Stoker (2013) IMDb Rating: 7.0/10 Director: Chan-wook Park Writer: Wentworth Miller, Erin Cressida Wilson Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney
Sets in nowadays, a coming-of-age India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) has to deal a tragic loss of her father, Richard Stoker (Dermot Mulroney) and a sudden visit of her long lost uncle, Charles Stoker (Matthew Goode). India starts smells some funny business between her mother, Evelyn Stoker (Nicole Kidman) and Charlie after seeing their frequent affection and intimacy around the house. Something mysterious is hidden inside his uncle's mind, she knows it's bad. Though Charlie keeps trying to get to know her better by cooking a dinner for India and her mother, picking her up at school, saving her lives after getting bullied and nearly raped by her school mate. But still, India has to find out a mystery behind Charlie's appearance in the family. The mystery that will change her forever. And all it takes, is the key she got from her 19th birthday present from her dead father.
Le Review
Getting bored is a dangerous state to every beings in life. It'll trick
your mind to do something else, something different than you usually do.
Something that pleases you. An escape from a routine, a reality. If we
talk about sane people, they'll probably take a day off, go for a
vacation, cherish life a little bit. However, this won't be the options
for those who is mentally unstable. I mean not generally, but some of
them will do for sure. Common people have
boundaries of things they want to do when they get bored, while the
sick.. apparently don't share the same idea. It can be worse like
killing, raping, vandalizing, and all the batshits.
Talking about Stoker, it is exactly about the ugly causes of
getting bored. They get bored, they're sick of having poor
expectations. It turns out the other way in real life that things don't
happen the way they want it to be. Hence, they will do 'something
different' just like us, common people, going on a vacation. But this
time... they do 'it' in their very own way. Same thing happens between India and Charlie's relationship, implicitly.
Charlie and India piano duet
This film is dark and puzzling. Creepy but sublime. Just to see Charlie's eyes has given me goosebumps. They look scary and intimidating but preposterously beautiful. Also India's house and outfits seems vintage, you won't realize this film sets in modern day. The horrific classic music and the fairly fast plot.. also roots Stoker's cold atmosphere. Three main actors, Wasikowska, Goode and Kidman performances are well done nicely too. Such great approach by Chan-wook Park, the director, who is also the director of Oldboy (2003). (A korean film, same psychological theme just like Stoker, but a lot more puzzling and the most mindfuck film ever seen. You should watch it too.)
I recommend Stoker if you want a mindblowing puzzled film with a twist ending. Final verdict: 8/10
I know I've been raving about this since mid June in my twitter, you've probably sick of it. But I just gotta do this one last time (well, not really) ;) Lately a friend recommended me watching Game of Thrones, like reeeally forced me to. I was quite reluctant at the moment bcs honestly I'm not really into serious, medieval, Lord Of The Rings-ish series like GoT. I personally like comedy, something light like How I Met Your Mother or The Big Bang Theory. I don't have much time watching series, so if I want to see it, then it's gotta be funny and refreshing. But when I started watching, my shabby opinions about GoT had gone away. Game of Thrones may not as light but it's truly worth watching. I'll tell you why.
Game of Thrones (2011-present) IMDb Rating: 9.4/10 Creators: David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Based On A Novel: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin Starring: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke Won Best Supporting Actor by Peter Dinklage Nominated Best Drama Series for Golden Globe 2012.
1. If you're a fan of Harry Potter / LOTR / Star Wars / The Hunger Games / whatever your fave fantasy film like, watch it NOW. GoT has it all. The castles, the kings and queens, the heirs, sword fightings, realistic bloodsheds, dragons, interesting stories for each of every point of view like war for the throne (of course), family matters, lust, love and honor, father issues and such. They even got houses like Gryffindor or Slytherin, while Game of Thrones has house Stark, Lannister, and a hundred lot more than Hogwarts has. Including their sigils and mottos. GoT reminds me a lot to my favorite pc games in 90s as well, Age of Empires. They ridiculously have so much in common.
Some houses with their sigils and mottos in Westeros (Source)
Why won't you love them anyway? My fave one is Daenerys Targaryen. And Jon Snow. And Arya Stark. Well I basically love them all. When you begin to love GoT, you won't believe that all GoT casts were only actors who actually 'breathe' in real life. I personally wish they were real, like truly live their life on screen. And also see Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke below, who play Cersei and Daenerys are both a lot better looking on screen than in real life.
Tip: Don't get attached that much to your fave characters. Just don't. It will only breaks your heart.
3. This is the most complicated yet boring series. First premise, complicated? Yes. Second premise, boring? Not at ALL. At first 3 episodes on season 1, I did, I tried real hard to get the idea of the story. I admitted I was bored as hell, I didn't know who they were or what they're talking about. I couldn't remember all that bunch of characters and what they were facing on. Then as soon as I got on its rhythm I couldn't stop the marathon. I was beyond curious. It felt like you just couldn't sleep before you knew how it was going. So I did, I had finished the final season of GoT. And yes, I'm currently miserable not knowing what will happen to them on the next season 4. 4. It will squeeze and crush your heart into bits. As I said before, I had my own crushed and it will literally do for you as well.Game of Thrones has the most badass plot ever. Compared to Harry Potter? Still no match for GoT. The plot is unpredictable yet mind-blown. I figure the key to its mind-blowing plot may reside on how the writer put it in such a way that makes one of every character has their own background story. Some of them makes an interesting point of view. Also whatever your expectation will be, it won't happen which will defly make your heartbreak even worse. So set your expectation to... zero and don't fave on any character or else they'll get a bad luck.
Ned Stark, The Iron Throne and Series of Unfortunate Events. (Source)
5. Prepare not to be amazed. The least you can do is to simply, watch it. Alone. And beware of the spoilers on internet :)
Memoire bercerita tentang Adam (Hurip Suseno), pemuda yang terpuruk dalam kesengsaraan hatinya. Cinta tulus yang diberikan pada kekasihnya Eli (Benedicta Ika Ermadela) dibalas dengan pengkhianatan yang menyakitkan. Eli tidak pernah mencintainya dari awal. Dengan rasa sakit hati yang semakin memuncak, ia memutuskan untuk membakar semua barang kenangannya bersama Eli di sebuah hutan.
Namun, di balik kepedihan yang dirasakan Adam, ada sebuah kenyataan pahit yang tersembunyi. Yang lebih buruk dari apa yang dia rasakan. Yang membuatnya ingin tidur dan tak ingin bangun lagi. Suatu kenyataan yang ia sangkal keberadaannya.
Here'sMEMOIRE!
I admit it's a bit confusing so just in case you guys don't fully follow the plot which is normal though. I'll give some commentary below :)
SPOILER ALERT!!! (Don't read before watching!) Ketika Adam selesai membakar semua barang kenangannya ditambah dengan scene flashback Eli menolak bunga pemberiannya lalu menyambut tangan lelaki lain dan mengatakan "Aku nggak pernah sayang kamu.", Adam berbalik badan lalu menemukan sepucuk surat Eli yang tidak sengaja terjatuh. Surat itu adalah surat terakhir Eli untuk Adam berisi pengakuan terakhir Eli dan ucapan selamat tinggal. Dengan perasaan yang campur aduk dan tidak terkontrol, Adam pun berlari dan terus berlari. Screen fades out. Screen fades in. Adam seketika berada di samping sebuah makam membawa sebuket bunga Chrysant dan sepucuk surat yang ditemukannya. Scene flashback kembali hadir di pikirannya, menguak sebuah kenyataan baru bahwa Eli tidak pernah mengkhianatinya. Eli menerima bunga pemberiannya dan menyambut tangan Adam sendiri, bukan tangan lelaki lain. Lalu memori baru teringat kembali dimana mereka duduk di sebuah pohon berdua. Di suasana yang romantis itu, Adam hendak menghisap rokok kesukaannya. Melihat hal tersebut, Eli pun menarik rokok yang sudah sempat dihisap oleh Adam lalu mematikannya. Adam merogoh saku celananya untuk mengambil batang rokok baru untuk dihisapnya, namun bukannya rokok yang ia temukan namun remah bunga Chrysant putih di dalamnya. Eli pun tertawa kecil melihat Adam yang kebingungan. Dengan makin banyaknya momen-momen yang bercampur aduk di benaknya, Adam pun menangis sendu meratapi sebuah kenyataan bahwa Eli tidak pernah mengkhianatinya. Eli meninggalkannya dalam keabadian. Adam tidak mau menerima kenyataan pahit ini. Ia menyangkalnya dengan sekuat tenaga, menggantikannya dengan ekspektasi karangannya sendiri untuk mengobati rasa sakit ditinggalkan pujaan hatinya untuk selama-lamanya.
Behind Memoire
Memoire kami buat 2 tahun yang lalu ketika kampus kami sedang libur panjang bulan
September 2011 di Malang, bersama kru Monostudio, Ananta Wahyu (Mek) , Rizky Akbar (Bowr), dan Ekki Finalianto. Sebelumnya kami memang pernah bekerja sama dalam Initial Step to Love dan The Air Between Us / Berbagi Udara
yang disutradarai oleh Mek, yang alhamdulillah, memenangkan kompetisi Motion
Picture Carnival (Mopica STAN) di tahun yang sama (drenched in tears of
joyyyy). Kami pun makin kompak, kami memutuskan untuk mengisi liburan
dengan membuat Memoire untuk diikutkan di ajang LA Lights Indie Movie
namun sayangnya tidak berhasil menembus babak penyisihan. Buat saya nggak masalah, kami berkarya dengan tulus dan yang paling penting nambah pengalaman dan portfolio. *ciah
Kalo di film sebelumnya Mek jadi sutradaranya, kali ini di Memoire saya jadi sutradaranya karena saya sendiri yang nulis ide cerita Memoire ini dibantu dengan narasi yang dibuat oleh Mek. Ide ini bermula dari pengalaman sendiri, di satu bagian kecil cerita yang akhirnya saya kembangkan sedemikian rupa sehingga hasilnya jauh lebih dramatis. Seperti pada
ending, narasi, dan momen-momen kecilnya. Btw ngomongin soal momen-momen kecilnya, saya ngrasa film
ini terlalu panjang scene bakar-bakarannya, karena emang di-setting gitu
buat menuhin spesifikasi lomba LA Indie Movie yang mengharuskan durasinya 10 menit. Setelah tau nggak jadi
masuk babak penyisihan, niatnya sih mau dipersingkat lagi, tapi niat aja
sih ujung-ujungnya.
Untuk pemilihan aktor dan aktrisnya,
baik Hurip maupun Ima adalah teman baik kami dan emang punya skill
akting yang jauh lebih baik dari orang kebanyakan terutama Ima, yang
aktingnya keliatan natural banget dan emang punya basic anak teater.
Sedangkan Hurip pernah bekerjasama dengan kami di film Berbagi Udara, ia
pun punya potensi untuk menjadi aktor yang baik jadi kami pun
mempercayakan peran Adam ini kepada Hurip.
Percayalah, di balik layarnya jauh lebih mengerikan.
Setelah skrip jadi kami memulai syuting di beberapa sudut kota Malang termasuk di hutan Malabar, perumahan Dieng, depan Toko Oen, dan pemakaman cina di daerah Sukun. Secara keseluruhan, syutingnya berlangsung dengan lancar, meskipun ada beberapa kendala contohnya di scene membakar kenangan di hutan. Kami nggak sadar kalo daun-daun kering di sekitar hutan itu mudah terbakar jadi kami sempat panik ketika api menjalar semakin besar ditambah nggak prepare air buat madamin daun2 kering yang terbakar itu.
Setelah semua adegan selesai disyut, kami percayakan post-production film kepada Ekki karena ia sudah berpengalaman dalam hal edit mengedit video maupun sound dan juga musiknya. Hasilnya alhamdulillah tepat waktu dan kami pun puas. Meskipun ada beberapa kelemahan di Memoire yang kami sadari betul itu, misalnya dari sisi kualitas videonya yang kurang HD, suara narasi yang kurang halus, kami tidak terlalu ambil pusing. Bowr bilang kalo Memoire ini endingnya ngena banget, jadi terlepas dari kelemahan-kelemahan tadi kami pun cukup lega mendengarnya.
And we're surely looking forward to making more films in the future. Hopefully.
Quentin Tarantino, never fails me. Since his third directing debut, Reservoir Dogs (1992) until Django Unchained (2013), he never quits trying to amuse people. His visionary directing style, his ability to cast only the best actors, and the most apparent reason which makes him rules will be.. his piece of writings, his way of making a conversation sounds smart, sarcastic and dreadfully meant something. Heavy but fairly light in the same time. That's a kind of talent not every director slash writer has.
Django Unchained (2012) IMDb Rating: 8.6/10 Director: Quentin Tarantino Writer: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Jamie Foxx,
Christoph Waltz,
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Samuel L. Jackson. Won 2 of 5 Oscars nominations including Best Supporting Actor by Christoph Waltz and Best Original Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino.
Unlike any of his previous films set in modern era of 21st century, this time he brings us back to 18th century antebellum era of the Deep South and Old West, where slavery were still quite an issue.
Django and Schultz bounty hunting.
Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave freed by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German dentist and also a bounty hunter, both are on the journey across the United States to rescue Django's wife, Broomhilda, from a cruel plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The pair goes in a smooth way at first, as Schultz well acclaimed as a professional bounty hunter. He can predict what will happen ridiculously in a very precise way. He always knows a way out of trouble with his plan Bs running around his head. But unexpected things happen when they head towards Candie's mansion. Something even Schultz can't expect.
Le Review Splendiferous as always. I'm glad Tarantino still entrusted Christoph Waltz as a smartass Schultz and yet he won the best supporting actor for it. Incredible. While Leonardo DiCaprio--in my greatest attempt to make it sound as humble as possible--had failed taking over the spotlight. I honestly expect more coming from DiCaprio's acting, unfortunately he's kind of in static mode right now. Though he played a bad guy here, still seemed uncanny to me just like his roles in Blood Diamond, Gangs of New York, The Aviator. He better try a completely challenging, different roles than any of his previous films. Move on to Jamie Foxx, I think he did an okay job, just right. At first I thought he played it stiffy nervous Django, and at the end of the movie, deus ex machina as always, he turned into fierce Django and saved the day.
The plot is brilliant indeed. It's like riding a hysteria. It'll goof around your mood, lift you until a certain point and then drop you fast and hard. It slowly lift up afterwards and start all over again. Also the dialogue is smart and light, it's not gonna bore you. This is a kind of treatment everytime I see Tarantino's pieces. I get my mind blown all the time. Happy watching!
I knew this film from kazillion years ago. I did I wanted to see it but kinda doubt it bcs I was worried it'd turned out to be a cult, reaaaally weird, completely random film. But then an itsy bitsy voice inside of me said "Ah maybe, maybe not Indah, you totally gotta see it. You'll thank me if it turns out to be as great as Juno." As I expected, the itsy bitsy voice inside of me was wrong, so.. no 'thank you' to you mademoiselle.
Ghost World (2001) IMDB Rating: 7.5/10 Director: Terry Zwigoff Screenplay: Daniel Clowes, Terry Zwigoff Based on the book:Ghost World by Daniel Clowes Starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johannson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Stacey Travis Nominated 1 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2002 Meet Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johannson), two young social outsiders who just got graduated from high school. As most social outsiders do, they hate society. Uhm no, they pretty much hate everything, like literally EVERYTHING. They hate high school popular girls, a stand-up comedian on tv, just everything they see or hear will be stuffs they mock and loathe about. Especially Enid.
Enid and Becca mocks everyone after graduation.
One day, after seeing an ad which a lonely middle-aged man called Seymour (Steve Buscemi) asks a woman he recently met to contact him, Enid and Becca decided to make a prank call pretending to be the woman and inviting him to meet her at a diner, and
when he goes there, the two girls secretly watch and make fun of him. Discover that Enid feels sorry for him, she wants to see if he's okay by stalking him, then gradually becomes his friend after series of meetups and matchmaking to women around the neighborhood.
Seymour and Enid shares thoughts.
At this point, the film starts focusing on Enid and Seymour's relationship, while Becca turns to be more mature person. She shares different things than she used to be which slowly tears them apart. Then out of the blue, Dana (Stacey Travis), the woman Seymour had written to in the personal ad, called him and wanted to meet him. Sure things change the whole Enid-Seymour's odd relationship that forces Enid to deal her confusions towards her immaturity. Le Review Though I am an absolute sucker for teen and coming-of-age film, like Submarine, Donnie Darko, The Virgin Suicides, but it's not the same for Ghost World. The thing is, this film is cult, definitely. Most people will see this as an extremely bizarre yet pointless film. However, there are also some people -minority cult film fans- who loves this kinda film because it's non-mainstream, unique and out of the box. They apt consider it as a work of art for it's uniqueness. In my opinion, I personally don't really like this film because it doesn't have a strong plot or a strong ending. For few people maybe, will see this "Well this is what makes Ghost World different", but unfortunately not for me. I do I love cult films but not in this way, I just don't see what's the point of this film and what message does it trying to deliver to the audience. And I hate the ending as well. I really do. It's just... pointless to me. Nevertheless, Ghost World still has charms. The young Scarlett Johannson looks very different in Ghost World than what we used to see her in blockbuster movies nowadays. Then a quick appearance of Josh, played by Brad Renfro, totally 'illuminate' this dark themed film. Anyway, I will recommend Ghost World only for a moviefreak who will watch just any film, and for those hipsters who's into cult, weird and social awkwardness kindafilm.
Final verdict for Ghost World: 6.9/10
Fyi: I just googled Brad Renfro. Apparently, he died from a heroin overdose 5 years ago. In commemoration of his death, Mark Foster of Foster the Peoplewho was his roommate, had written a song about his death called "Downtown." Ah so sad :( Here's link of the song.
Father daughter convo--Mac McGuff to Juno--at dining table.
Look, in my opinion the best thing you can do is to find a person who loves
you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty,
handsome, what-have-you. The right person is still going to think the
sun shines out of your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth
sticking with.
Sebenernya film terakhir yang saya tonton itu American Reunion (2012), franchisemain series keempatnya American Pie (1999), bukan spin-offnya lho ya, kaya band camp, naked mile dan beta house. It's a bit inappropriate kalo review pertama filmfavore b-movie yang begituan (yakali -_-), jadi judul film pertama yang kepikiran di benak saya adalah Argo (2012)which was an a-movie, award winning oscar film and duhhhh yes it was dang a joy to watch.
Argo's official poster.
Argo (2012) IMDB Rating: 7.9/10 Director: Ben Affleck Screenplay: Chris Terrio Based on the book:The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez; The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman Starring:
Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman Won 3 of 7 Oscar nominations including Best Picture Jadi, sekedar tambahan info aja nih, latar belakang cerita ini dimulai tahun 1979 dimana terjadi revolusi Iran yang mengubah sistem pemerintahannya yang sebelumnya monarki menjadi republik Islam. Tokoh dibalik revolusi ini adalah Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, seorang pemimpin Islam yang berhasil menggulingkan rezim Mohammad Shah Reza Pahlavi, raja Iran terakhir. Shah Reza Pahlavi menjalankan pemerintahan yang brutal, korup, boros, dan menganut paham westernisasi, serta bekerja sama dengan Amerika Serikat yang bertentangan dengan identitas Muslim Syi'ah Iran. Ketika revolusi ini berlangsung, beliau dilindungi dan diasingkan oleh AS. Nah, dari sinilah asal muasal kemunculan rasa nasionalisme rakyat Iran yang anti banget sama Amerika Serikat, keliatan kan sampe sekarang. Apalagi dengan dipimpin oleh Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yang notabene tokoh konservatif, sangat loyal sama nilai-nilai revolusi Islam Iran ini. Gara-gara revolusi ini, militan pengikut Khomeini yang anti banget sama AS, berbondong-bondong menyerbu kedutaan besar AS di Teheran. Mereka niatnya mau menyandera diplomat-diplomat AS, atau warga negara AS yang kepergok lagi di dubes apapun profesinya karena mereka dicurigai sebagai agen mata-mata AS. Sialnya, beberapa dari mereka bukannya disandera tapi malah kena public execution. Sadis, ngeri, kalo liat mayat mereka yang dieksekusi dan digantung pake crane kaya gini.
Creepy public execution.
Dari penyerbuan militan Iran di dubes AS, 6 diplomat AS berhasil melarikan diri dan sembunyi di dubes Kanada di Iran. Mereka jadi buronan paling dicari oleh militan Iran. Dengan keadaan kaya gini, Departemen Luar Negeri AS berusaha menemukan cara gimana keenam diplomat ini bisa keluar dari Iran dengan selamat. Nah, dikirimlah si Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) seorang agen CIA untuk membantu mereka. Kemudian Mendez mendapatkan ide setelah nonton film science fiction sama anaknya. Ia berencana mengembangkan skenario dimana ia sebagai produser film asal Kanada hendak membuat film science fiction palsu berjudul Argo dengan 6 diplomat AS tadi sebagai kru film yang lagi survey lapangan di Iran. Setibanya di Iran, Mendez mulai melatih 6 diplomat tadi untuk menyamar jadi kru produksi. Semua informasi diberikan mulai dari paspor, nama, dob, jabatan, sampe latar belakang palsu mereka, semata-mata untuk meyakinkan revolutionary guards yang jaga-jaga di bandara Iran kalo mereka bukan buronan yang dicari. Salah satu diplomat sempet ragu dan menolak skenario gila Mendez, tapi setelah diyakinkan oleh Mendez, ia bersedia menjalankan skenario ini.
Mendez's best line.
Sialnya nih di hari H keberangkatan, eh Mendez malah disuruh ngebatalin rencananya karena Presiden AS waktu itu, Jimmy Carter memerintahkan diadakannya operasi militer Amerika untuk menyelamatkan para sandera AS di Iran (padahal gagal lho operasinya). Mendez seketika panik, tapi beliau mencoba kalem dan keukeuh untuk menjalankan misinya ini. Apakah Mendez berhasil ato malah gagal, ketauan kedoknya dan malah kena public execution? Makanya pada nonton yak. Le Review Dari segi aktingnya Ben Affleck, kalo menurut saya sih biasa aja dan agak kaku. Mungkin karena faktor jambangnya ato emang sengaja dibikin gitu kali ya. Entah kenapa malah lebih oke aktingnya Scott McNairy as Joe Stafford--salah satu diplomat--mimik nervous sekaligus berusaha convincing juga dapet ketika ia berusaha meyakinkan tentara revolusioner dengan menceritakan cerita Argo lewat storyboards-nya.
Dari segi plot, pada awalnya agak ngebosenin, jujur saya sampe 2 atau 3 kali ngulang awal film karena kurang paham ceritanya ( dan sempet googling juga soal Ayatollah Khomeini :p). Di tengah film mulai kerasa tense-nya ketika mereka mengunjungi central market di Iran. Lama kelamaan makin tense dan mencapai klimaks ketika Mendez dan 6 diplomat ini diinterogasi oleh tentara revolusioner yang mencegah mereka boarding.
Overall, this is literally a great movie, totally worth-watching, not in an inspiring way, but in a quite thrilling way plus it has based-on-true-story, historical-ishyang ngebuka wawasan saya soal revolusi Islam Iran. Ben Affleck juga pinter merancang plotnya sedemikian rupa sampe bikin gregetan di scene terakhirnya. It doesn't take a lot of famous actors like Les Mis to make this film look great, it only takes a great plot and an interesting background story. Final verdict for Argo: 8/10.
Hai, saya Indah Permatasari. Dari kecil saya hobi banget nonton film, even since I was 6, I insisted watching late night films while my parents fell asleep, silly, eh? Tapi, dari kebiasaan itulah yang nggak cuma bikin saya suka film tapi juga mulai suka bahasa Inggris. I started looking up some words I got from the movie, filling my bros elementary english books which made them absolute livid at me and such. It triggered my passion ever since for no particular reason. Film buat saya adalah jalan keluar, refreshment dari rutinitas sehari-hari, stres dan masalah pribadi *cieh. Mungkin nggak sepenuhnya benar, beberapa film ada yang makin memperparah mood, ada juga yang tearjerking, ngebosenin, inspiratif, ato bahkan bikin nostalgia dan empati, so you're like omg Tom from 500 Days of Summer was sooo meeee, I feel you, man, dan sebagainya.. Di blog ini saya mau coba ngasih point of view dari film-film yang pernah saya tonton, in a rookie way tentunya. Saya bukan orang yang ahli soal kritik film sampe segitunya, tapi saya coba untuk seobjektif mungkin, kalopun subjektif yah ada alasannya kok *ngeles. Oh mungkin ditambah beberapa hal lain soal musik, karena saya juga suka musik, and yes again I don't review music in a particular genre, just stuffs I overhype recently.
dapet salam dari mang bean
Sebelumnya, saya biasanya komentar soal film yang baru saya tonton lewat Twitter. Sepatah dua patah kalimat, cenderung subjektif dan seenaknya. Baru akhir-akhir ini saya mikir, saya seringggg sekali nonton film tapi rasanya sayang aja kalo film itu habis ditonton sepah dibuang, manfaatnya cuma buat nyenengin mood saya aja. Supaya bermanfaat ngelatih kemampuan analisa saya yang jongkok ini, mengikuti pepatah 'indahnya berbagi', for the sake of carpe diem and being more productive, it's about time. Here's filmfavore! PS: Sori kalo bahasanya kagok dan campur-campur, sengaja win-win solution karena saya prefer pake bahasa Inggris sedangkan saya suck kalo nulis pake bahasa Indonesia gara-gara jarang banget baca buku bahasa Indonesia, sekalian buat sarana latihan gitu maksudnya. Jadi, maafin ya, damai. :)
