What I'm Watching #245

Just spent a delightful 2 hours being introduced to Indonesian cinema via the self-described satirical comedy, Arisan. As the title implies, the film is loosely set around an arisan, or social gathering of women who meet to have lunch and gossip. It is to one such group that Andien invites her friend Meimei who invites her male friend Sakti and from this trio we are tossed from one moment to the next picking up a host of well-played supporting characters all along the way. In the dervish of their lives, we discover, infidelity, adultery writ large, infertility, a closeted gay man, drug use, patience, loyalty, forgiveness, acceptance and the abiding bonds of friendship.

It's a sweet, endearing film, well acted, with solid production values. Add to that an interesting and attractive cast of actors, most notably Tora Sudiro in the roll of Sakti, and it really rounds out as a delightful feel-good movie.

As an aside, it also holds the honor of being the first Indonesian film to have an "openly gay kiss between two male leads" in 2003 -- don't hold your breath for it; however, I read this on the jacket cover after watching the DVD and honestly I don't remember where or when in the film that that happened! But hey, it's Indonesia, were even it's moderate more modernity driven Muslim masses, and Christian contingents have their fundamentalist fringes, too.