Songs and spirits

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Director Andi Bachtiar Yusuf, whose works include soccer-themed films Romeo dan Juliet (Romeo and Juliet) and Jinx, is now editing another movie about the sport, Hari Ini Pasti Menang (Today We Will Win), scheduled to premiere next February.

The 38-year-old director is also busy making a 20-minute thriller for teenagers in the social media world. “We will premiere the movie in December but we haven’t come up with a title yet,” he said in a telephone interview.

Following his take on Shakespeare’s tale of ill-fated teen lovers, he is also interested in adapting Macbeth.

“The play fulfills essential elements that are suitable for Indonesian viewers. It has fighting, conspiracy and a ghost,” said Andi, who idolizes legendary local directors Sjumandjaja, Wim Umboh and Teguh Karya and foreign directors Christopher Nolan and Giuseppe Tornatore.

Despite a busy schedule, Yusuf still finds time to watch movies in theaters up to six times a week. “I rarely watch movies on DVD. My preference is modern action like the Dark Knight.”

Here are his movie picks for the weekend, with the movie summaries compiled from imdb.com, Yahoomovies and filmindonesia.or.id.

Top Choice

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Musical; 181 minutes
Starring: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey,
Molly Picon, Paul Mann
Director: Norman Jewison

The Oscar-winning movie tells of a poor Jewish peasant who in pre-revolutionary Russia must marry off his three daughters while anti-Semitic sentiment threatens his home.

“It’s classic, light, a dramatic movie for the family. People usually only know The Sound of Music [of Hollywood movies]. This musical can be an alternative.”

Date Movie
The Notebook (2004)
123 minutes
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams
Director: Nick Cassavetes

A love story centering on an old man who reads aloud to an old, invalid woman whom he regularly visits. From a faded notebook, the man tells her the story of a couple who is separated by World War II, and are then reunited seven years later after they have taken different paths. Although her memory has faded, his words give her the chance to relive her youth and the unforgettable love they shared.“Simply romantic and light. You can hold your loved one’s hand and cry together.”

Just for Laughs
Le Dîner de Cons (The Dinner Game, 1999)
82 minutes
Starring: Thierry L’hermitte, Jacques Villeret
Director: Francis Veber

Pierre Brochant (L’hermitte) and his friends have dinner every Wednesday with requirement that each has to bring an idiot to the table. Their amusement is to make the idiots talk about their ideas and passions. One day Brochant has invited his idiot home so they could go to the dinner together, but unfortunately he gets a severe pain in his back due to an accident that day and can’t go to the “meal of idiots”. The idiot tries to help him all the time, and naturally does everything wrong and aggravates every situation. “Many people love slapstick. This movie is not slapstick yet very funny and entertaining,” Andi said.

Kids’ Movie
Petualangan Sherina
(Sherina’s Adventure, 1999)
93 minutes
Starring: Sherina Munaf, Butet Kartaredjasa, Djaduk Ferianto, Didi Petet
Director: Riri Riza

Child star Sherina is a youngster who reluctantly moves with her family to a plantation in West Java, only to face criminals who kidnap her and her friend. “A movie about children which is a perfect fit for kids and people of all ages.”

Horror

Insidious (2011)
102 minutes
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne
Director: James Wan

Shortly after moving to a new home, a family discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma.

Trying to escape the haunting and save
their son, they move again only to discover that it was not their house that was haunted. “American people are so used to monsters
when it comes to ghost. But here the film offers ghosts that are similar to those in Asian horror movies.”

— Frederica Ermita Indriani