Drupadi

Directed by Riri Riza (2 Hari Untuk Selamanya, Gie, Laskar Pelangi), starring Dian Sastro, Nicholas Saputra, Butet Kertaradjasa and Ariyo Bayu. Short film (45 minutes).

The story of Princess Drupadi, who was put at stake by one of her husbands, Yudhistira, at a game between two clans, and lost. She was then treated maliciously, which caused her to swore for revenge.

Quite exquisite. We were all waiting for Dian and Nico's reunion and sure didn't expect this kind of reunion. It was well done (a visual treat!), performances were good, yet with the theme and the Javanese singing and all that, it's hard not to compare it with Opera Jawa. And to me, the latter still won. Opera Jawa was an epic. I don't know why, I can't take Dian's acting seriously. Maybe because of her voice? I don't know. I'm probably one of her biggest fans, but still, I don't buy her acting skills (then I shouldn't call myself a fan now, should I?). She did look painfully beautiful, though. That being said, I have to say this is probably her best performance to date. But the film itself, having only a 45 minute duration, felt like just an icing on a cake. Like it's just touching the surface. I know it's a short film, but still, it felt shallow. Anyway, we all know that Indonesia needs this kind of films to be made.. This is a gem, especially compared with all the cheap, one-note Indonesian movies that have been surfacing (more rapidly, to my horror) on cinemas for years. All in all, I can assure you that this original, pretty and artistic film is worth 45 minutes of your time. Kudos to everyone involved, quite a neat outcome.

7.5 / 10.