Janji Joni: A Sabu-Style Film From Indonesia?
Twitch reader Jason Murphy seems to think so ... here's what he's got to say:
"Saw this film at the Sydney Film Festival. Was a hoot.
One of the most interesting things about this film was that the director managed to get 80s Indonesian action star Barry Prima out of a 10 year retirement for a role in the film.
The director & producer also talked & basically they said that there is no actual Indonesian film industry & that ONE person owns every cinema in the country of 205 million people. Amazing.
So it’s really great they made such a cool film like this. The soundtrack is also quite incredible. All Indo rock & funk.
It’s better than what the trailer looks like. Almost like a Sabu film, ‘cause there’s so much running in it."
Definitely got to agree with him on the soundtrack. Check out the website here and download the postage stamp sized trailer here.
Read on for the synopsis from the Sydney Film Festival ...
Here’s something entirely unexpected from our regional neighbour – a youthful comedy packed with zest and cheeky humour that marks a strong contrast tot he admirable but very serious Indonesian dramas such as Leaf on a Pillow that have screened at SFF in recent years. Joni’s Promise – the directorial debut of Anwar, a screenwriter and film columnist for The Jakarta Post – follows the misadventures and romantic yearnings of a young motorcycle courier (charmingly played by Nicholas Saputra) charged with delivering film reels between cinemas. Indonesian cinemas share prints, so if the courier is late, the film stops midway and a sign appears on screen – ‘Sorry, waiting for the next reel’. This invariably sends the audience into apoplexy. It partially explains Joni’s panicked reaction when his film reels are stolen mid-delivery. His desire to please a beautiful girl he’s just met is the other explanation. Dotted with gags about cinemas, films and their viewers (ranging from Jennifer Lopez as a role model to an hilarious breakdown of the different types found in movie audiences), this is an engagingly fresh comedy, one that never overplays its hand and is loaded with breezy charm. – Lynden Barber, Sydney Film Festival
