BUFFALO BOYS: Storytelling Issues Aside, A Well-Directed Indonesian Action Western Flick

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Western

Produced by: Mike Wiluan, Huang Junxiang, Tan Fong Cheng, Rayya Makarim, Kimberly James

Directed by: Mike Wiluan

Written by: Mike Wiluan, Raymond Lee, Rayya Makarim

Production Company: Screenplay Infinite Films, Infinite Studios, Zhao Wei Films, Bert Pictures

Starring: Yoshi Sudarso, Pevita Pearce, Ario Bayu, Tio Pakusadewo, Reinout Bussemaker, Sunny Pang, Mike Lucock, Alex Abbad, Donny Alamsyah, Mikha Tambayong, El Manik, Daniel Adnan, Hannah Al-Rashid, Happy Salma

SYNOPSIS: 

Set during the colonialism era, Buffalo Boys follows two brothers Suwo and Jamar (Yoshi Sudarso and Ario Bayu respectively) and their uncle/mentor-like figure Arana (Tio Pakusadewo) who finally ended their long sojourn in the Wild West to avenge the death of the brothers’ father/uncle’s comrade Sultan Hamza (Mike Lucock) in the hands of the ruthless Dutch tyrant Van Trach (Reinout Bussemaker). Making their maiden return to their birth nation Java, the trio encounters a nation that is now helpless under oppression, where lands and its people are nothing more than a property. Sympathizing with the people’s struggle, they begin to realize that their mission is more than just familial vendetta. 

REVIEW: 

Buffalo Boys feels like a breath of fresh air in the Indonesian film industry in terms of its genre. It is part of the industry’s newly-invented genre called Satay Western, or in other words, a localized spin of the Western film’s codes and conventions. As far as Satay Westerns go, it is difficult for the Mike Wiluan-directed pic to escape comparisons with Mouly Surya’s award favorite Marlina and the Murderer in Four Acts (2017). 

Yet, whereas Marlina offers a more postmodern, subtle ode to the Western genre, Buffalo Boys is the more straightforward, old-fashioned ode to the genre. Its imagery and production design alone look like carbon copies of everything laid out on Sergio Leone’s rulebook, with the heroes
wearing the classic Stetson hats and cowboy boots amidst the Old West setting, albeit with a sprinkle of local touch. Though, the so-called local touch does come off as a tacked-on addition to the film. Yes, during the village sequence, there are glimpses of women dressed in kebaya against a landscape populated by straw houses, paddy fields, river banks and the titular buffalo, but they are just a small reminder that the film takes place in Indonesia without any true narrative impact.

The lack of local touch in terms of narrative impact doesn’t detract Buffalo Boys from being a good-looking film, thanks to its high production value.  Wiluan’s cowboy universe has such a folklore-ish quality to it that spells built movie set, particularly as the heroes first set foot on the villain’s Old West-inspired headquarter, but it lends credibility to the Singaporean’s directorial vision, evident from the opening credits’ promise, which goes (more or less): “this is a world where fact and fiction collides”.  His full commitment to the picture’s fantastical look seeps through every frame, so stunningly shot that will sure get the audience further invested in this make belief world. Beyond production design, it is also well translated through the costume and make-up work, some of the best by the industry’s standards. The clothing choices are welcomingly period-appropriate, yet distinctive enough to set it apart from the more traditional historical features. The character design of Hannah Al-Rashid’s henchman character alone, with the grimy look and the black teeth, is a good example of how the film perfectly blends history and fantasy. 

Like Wiluan’s previous producing effort Headshot (2016), Buffalo Boys delivers a lot of the edge-of-your-seat moments through its action sequences. It’s got a big budget on its side, giving room to more pyrotechnical, CGI work and crazier, bloodier shoot-out sequences. Yet, the best part remains the close-quarter combat sequence. That sense of adrenaline rush truly kicks in when it is just the people throwing punches in front of the camera. One set-piece that stands out here is the bar scene. Ala the Raid (2011) and Headshot, it is handled with the same fast, furious and gleefully bloody intensity, serving as a reminder of the most commendable aspect in Indonesian action films: the actors’ physicality, which, credit to Yoshi Sudarso and Hannah Al-Rashid, both of whom have martial arts background in real-life, are clear to see. 

It is unfortunate that the high quality production design and expertly staged action are weighed down by a less compelling story and sets of characters. It is as if its trio of screenwriters Mike Wiluan, Raymond Lee and Rayya Makarim want to have their cake and eat it too. Buffalo Boys is an action film that tries to be a comedic, dramatic and romantic film as well, and, except for the action, the other elements feel pretty half-baked. Obviously, the crux of its narrative lies on the brothers’ and the uncle revenge mission, but it is also interwoven with such a bloated amount of subplots from its secondary characters.  Beyond the revenge narrative and the three cowboys, the film also spends quite some time on the villagers’ lives, particularly its female characters like Kiona (Pevita Pearce) and Sri (Mikha Tambayong) just to name a few, in their fight against a patriarchal society. There is also another subplot concerning the big bad Van Trach and his relationship with his mistress Seruni (Happy Salma). Not to mention an awkward romance subplot between Yoshi Sudarso’s character Suwo and Pevita’s Kiona. So many plot threads the screenwriters had to keep up to and eventually resolve but they also result in the film lacking any action in terms of quantity. In addition to the poorly written dialogue and thinly developed characters, the film can become tedious at times during the rest periods between the actions. 

Thankfully, the actors and actresses did pretty well with very little. Ario Bayu and Yoshi Sudarso looked the part physically as a pair of muscle-bound Asian cowboys. They give off such an action hero vibe so convincingly every time they’re coughing up bullets and throwing the punches. There are glimpses of solid brotherly chemistry in between the action, but the screenplay never really made them as interesting of a character when they’re out of the action. The brothers’ motivations are clear, and the audience knows why they want to seek revenge.  Yet, perhaps due to the abundance of characters, the film never really explores how they got to that decision. There is a flashback scene in the beginning showing Sultan Hamza’s murder, which is intended to answer that, but, since the main characters here are still infants during the event, instead, it only answers how Tio Pakusadewo’s character Arana came to the decision to seek revenge.  Putting the brothers as the main characters instead of the uncle lessens the emotional impact of their mission. 

Also, most of the female characters, save for Hannah Al-Rashid’s character, are basically damsels-in-distresses. Mikha Tambayong is just there to lay helpless, weeping and waiting for the men to rescue her. Same goes with veteran actress Happy Salma, who at least did better than Mikha by delivering such a poignant performance in spite of the thin characterization. One scene when the big bad Van Trach is raping her, as the camera lingers close on her face, her performance in this particular scene successfully sells the emotion of someone who is hopeless, who is accepting the inevitable. By far, the most disappointing aspect is Pevita Pearce’s character. Kiona is introduced in the film as the buffalo-riding, arrow-wielding heroine, which hints at the character being possibly involved in the thick of the action. But, as the story progresses, her character digresses into the damsel-in-distress mold.  She has one bad-ass stunt towards the end, but in order for that to happen, she needs the men to do all the dirty work for her. 

Even the villain and his henchmen here are pretty cookie-cutter. Dutch actor Reinout Bussemaker simply does what the screenplay requires him to do, pretty decently somewhat. His cold expression and commandingly menacing stature alone speaks evil guy. Yet, the screenplay never really gives the character any depth to distinguish Van Trach’s evil to the stereotypical evil guy.  Same goes with the henchmen, particularly Daniel Adnan as the lead henchman Drost. He looks cool with a gun, but that is as far as his character depth goes. He is just there to shoot people. 

CONCLUSION:

Buffalo Boys should appease the action and western aficionados with its well-staged set-pieces and Hollywood-level production design. Yet, those who crave for more substance will come out of the theaters disappointed. 

SCORE:

6.5/10