Pintu Terlarang (The Forbidden Door)

Directed by Joko Anwar (Kala, Janji Joni). Starring Fachri Albar (Kala), Marsha Timothy, Tio Pakusodewo and Ario Bayu (Kala).

Gambir has everthing he could possibly wish for, a successful career as a sculptor with artworks selling fast, a supportive mother, great friends and the most perfect wife. But then he started to get messages from a kid asking Gambir to save him from his abusive parents. Things around his life started to twist, apparently they are not always like what they seem.

Kala is definitely one of the best Indonesian films, IMO. The film is supposed to be a part of a trilogy, but the filmmaker, instead of doing the sequels, chose to do this. As a fan of Kala, I feel obliged to check out Joko Anwar's latest work. And it turned out to be rather disappointing. Okay, it's 'different', it stands out, it looks like it has a great soundtrack, it looks oh so pro. But the film itself is one of those films that centers around psychological stuff, which works for some people, but not for me. The performances were so-so, Fachri Albar did WAY better in Kala, although visually the film looked really great. However, there's one thing about Joko Anwar that kinda bothers me, I know this guy is a great filmmaker, a visionary or whatever, but his works feel so Americanized. Especially this one. You can't help but wonder, what's the deal with the whole American thing? The whole 60's American advertising, classic American cinema banners, the English words put here and there in the characters' lines.. I just don't get it. Yeah I think the parallel world thingie is cool, but after a while I just started to wonder why. Such a contrast to Garin Nugroho, who just succeeded in embracing Indonesia, captured in his works. All in all, I'm not a big fan of the film, I think he should start working on Kala's sequels, but nevertheless it's still a respectable effort.

6.5 / 10.