Genre:
Drama, Romance
Produced by:
Ody
Mulya Hidayat
Directed by:
Fajar
Bustomi, Pidi Baiq
Written by:
Titien
Wattimmena, Pidi Baiq
Production Company: MAX Pictures
Starring: Iqbaal
Ramadhan, Vanesha Prescilla, Ira Wibowo, Bucek Depp, Zara Jkt48, Andovi Da
Lopez, Happy Salma, Farhan, Brandon Salim
Runtime: 121 minutes
SYNOPSIS:
Dilan’s (Iqbaal Ramadhan) relentless pursuit of Milea (Vanesha Prescilla) ended with them finally making their
relationship official. But it turns out that being boyfriend-girlfriend leads
to more problems for the teenage couple. Maintaining a relationship with a boy
and girl becomes a great deal harder than chasing after him/her, especially when
one’s personal wants conflict with what the significant other wants. As these
problems threaten to disrupt their honeymoon romance, it is up to them to fight
through it all or let it tear them apart.
REVIEW:
6.315.664. How is that number relevant
to this review? That was the number of people who watched Dilan 1990 (2018) throughout its entire theatrical run. In the
Indonesian box office charts, it currently stands as the second highest-grossing
Indonesian movie ever, just behind Warkop
DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss! Part 1 (2016)’s numbers of 6.858.616. Safe to
say, Dilan was a monster hit. It’s
the kind of success that should not go unnoticed, but at the same time, there
are elements of it that can be seen as both surprising and not surprising.
Firstly, it belonged to the teen romance
genre, which, going back to the days of Ada
Apa Dengan Cinta? (2002), has been known to be one of the most financially
lucrative genres in the Indonesian film industry. Secondly, it’s based on a popular
intellectual property, in this case being a trilogy of best-selling Dilan novels by Pidi Baiq. Thirdly, it boasts a pair of today’s most buzzed-about
teen sensations: one being current teen heartthrob/former boy band (CJR) member
in Iqbaal Ramadhan and the other a film
debutant/little sister to a famous actress (Sissy Priscillia, who happened to be one of the Cinta’s gang
members in Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?) in Vanesha Prescilla. With all the odds
stacked in their favors, it’s hardly surprising that Dilan 1990 was able to join the million viewers club in no time.
But no one would ever imagine that Dilan 1990’s numbers would hit as high
as the 6 million mark. In fact, its box office numbers grew so rapidly that it even
had the analysts fantasizing at the prospect of Dilan usurping Warkop as
the number one highest-grossing Indonesian movie of all-time. But what’s more remarkable
is how Dilan managed to hold its own
against a big U.S. import released a week after it, being MCU’s Black Panther (2018). It had more of a
lasting influence than Black Panther
that, the moment Black Panther
disappeared from the theaters, there were still a handful of theaters playing Dilan before it disappeared just a week
and half after Black Panther.
By now, it becomes a matter of when, and
not if, there is going to be a Dilan
sequel. Since there are two more books to go, it’s the perfect excuse to make
more. And in today’s world, it cannot wait until years (or even a year) to get
the sequel over the line. Exactly a year after Dilan 1990 comes Dilan 1991,
a sequel that’s fast-tracked to ride the momentum of its predecessor as well as
to prevent the cast from being too old for the part. Like last year, it has to
face another U.S. import with another MCU movie Captain Marvel (2019) coming the week after it to provide tough competition.
Hence, all the questions: is it going to live up to its predecessor? Is this going
to be the movie that finally hits the 7 million mark? Can it hold its own
against Captain Marvel?
In terms of box office, in the space of
only five to six days, Dilan 1991 has
surpassed the 3 million mark, which is a national record for Indonesian cinema.
If that isn’t remarkable enough, Dilan
1991 surpassed Avengers: Infinity War
(2018)’s national record as the most-viewed movie on its opening day with over 800.000
audiences. Here’s the math: that’s the 677.000 people who watched Infinity War on its opening day in
Indonesia plus 133.000 more people, which equals the number of people who
watched Dilan 1991 on its opening
day. Let that sink in, people. In other words, Captain Marvel is going to have a lot of work to do to displace Dilan 1991.
As far as style goes, not much has
changed from Dilan 1990 to Dilan 1991. Dilan 1991 continues to make money by basically doing the same
thing its predecessor did. After all, as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke,
why fix it? It’s proven to have more of a mass appeal than most recent local
romantic offerings, but Dilan 1991’s
target audience is pretty clear. It’s gonna resonate more to the people who has
been initiated since day one. To the
initiated, they would not have a problem enjoying the familiar chords that Dilan 1991 hits. To the uninitiated, in this
case those who haven’t watched Dilan 1990
yet or remembered watching it and not liking it, why bother even purchasing a
ticket for Dilan 1991? If Dilan 1990 isn’t one’s cup of tea back
then, Dilan 1991 is hardly going to
win the series any new converts (though based on the box office, it might not really
need that much new blood at all).
Like Dilan
1990, Dilan 1991 has no reservations about being cheesy, pulpy and
melodramatic. After all, it’s really hard to say otherwise for a movie where
almost virtually all of the leading man’s dialogues are cheesy pick-up lines
that sound like it’s written by a harlequin novel writer. Even if the Dilan movies are stylistically inherent
to Pidi Baiq, it’s hard to deny that
these movies have always felt like the kind of stories that a harlequin novel
writer would most likely come up with. They’re littered with every trope in the
genre imaginable.
Dilan is sort of the carbon copy of the brooding
heartthrob in those paperback covers, the typical bad boy with a heart of gold.
Not to mention, with the many quotable romantic pick-up lines, that the
heartthrob happens to be so good with words. It’s with Dilan’s pick-up lines
part of the screenwriting where Baiq
is completely in his elements, where his novel-like sensibilities with
wordplays truly shines. Even on the leading lady side, Milea is sort of the
carbon copy of the girl in the heartthrob’s arms, so easily swooned by the
flowery words and one who cannot stop thinking about him 24/7. Not to mention
the first person voice-over that’s kind of a staple of the genre. It’s not
saying that all these elements have no merit at all. Most of the times the
pick-up lines are sure going to make one’s eyes roll or face cringe, but sometimes,
they’re worth appreciating as well as far as creativity goes.
Another thing that’s worth appreciating
about Dilan 1991 is the added stake. Like
any sequel, what’s at stake for the characters are supposed to be higher than its
predecessor. In this case, what’s at stake for Dilan and Milea’s relationship are
higher than in Dilan 1990. The moment
Dilan and Milea made their relationship official by the end of Dilan 1990, it’s only the start of a
bumpy road that’s about to come. There’s just so much more to lose when it
comes to trying to maintain a relationship than when one is chasing after it. By
then, losing a boy/girl right after he/she says “yes” becomes more hurtful than
losing a boy/girl right after he/she says “no”.
It’s the fear of the former
that haunts both Dilan and Milea throughout this movie as they try to make the whole
boyfriend-girlfriend thing work. Their love for each other is unquestionable,
but at the same time, love isn’t always enough, especially when what an
individual wants interferes with what the significant other wants. That’s where
the power of choice becomes another major theme in this movie, how one small
decision can make or break a relationship. Dilan
1991 keeps pounding the couple’s relationship in the head with problem
after problem, one as consequential as the next one, which makes Dilan 1991 a more thematically
fascinating movie.
Structurally though, like Dilan 1990, the sequel’s script is a bit
of a mess. Somehow, narrative consistency has been something that Pidi Baiq is struggling with as a
screenwriter. His ability with words is often offset by his script’s lack of
focus. Rather than stay on course, he has the tendency to lose interest with
one plot point and quickly jump to other plot points, without giving the
previous plot point the necessary satisfying resolution.
Somehow, this movie misinterprets the
idea of adding the stake in the lead couple’s relationship by giving supporting
characters and other subplots more screen time, only to forget the relationship
that really mattered: Dilan and Milea’s.
It’s by no means saying that they don’t
belong in the narrative. If more coherently told and more consequentially felt,
they could have helped raise the emotional stakes in the couple’s relationship.
Unfortunately, Dilan 1991 achieves
neither. So many subplots are resolved way too quickly that they end up being
irrelevant. There are a handful of the subplots that could have been removed
and it wouldn’t have affected the narrative a great deal.
Its irrelevance becomes more apparent
right about the second act, where an incident forces Dilan to vanish throughout
most of the movie’s middle. Here is where the glut of supporting characters takes
over Dilan’s position as they appear in and disappear from Milea’s life, trying
to get romantically involved with her.
Some doesn’t need to be there, like with
the character Beni (Brandon Salim), Milea’s
ex who tries to win back her heart, an unnecessary subplot since his story
kind of already ended in the first movie. Some is a wasted opportunity, like
with the new character Yugo (Jerome
Kurnia), a figure set up to be a part of a love triangle. Clichéd sure, but
with more care, it would make for an interesting obstacle in the lead couple’s
relationship. Like with the other subplots, it’s quickly dealt with and as a
result, has little to no influence in challenging Dilan and Milea’s
relationship. It meanders too much into these side stories that Dilan 1991 can at times feel a bit overlong.
124 minutes is hardly a monumental run time, but the slack pacing suggests a
movie that’s much longer than that.
But the most problematic aspect about Dilan 1991 is its portrayal of teachers.
Not all of them are terrible role models here, but the ones that it chooses to
highlight are far from exemplary. In these movies, teachers are depicted as
unprofessional, people who would jump at the chance of getting romantically
involved with his students rather than actually sit and think of its
ramification.
It’s a problem that has persisted ever since
Dilan 1990, particularly through
Milea’s tutor character Kang Adi (Refal
Hady). It’s not too relevant in the grand scheme of things, but it sets the
tone for the series’ misguided portrayal of a teacher-student relationship.
Obviously, Kang Adi doesn’t outright say
“I love you” or whatever, but it takes no rocket science to read into his motivation.
Why else would he give so much attention towards Milea? Why would he come to
her house every night outside their tutoring schedule? It’s clear that the
teacher’s extra attention here comes with romantic intention than it is an educational
one. Since he’s only a supporting character, he never gets the opportunity for a
character arc, so he returns to the sequel, less of a changed man and more
motivated in his sick, hopeless pursuit of wrestling Milea out of Dilan’s arms.
If Kang Adi isn’t enough, Dilan 1991 has two unprofessional
teachers with the introduction to Ence
Bagus’ character, a high school poetry teacher. As problematic as Kang Adi is,
at least he doesn’t come off as creepy or perverted, which is a complete
opposite to Ence’s character. This
is not an attack on Ence Bagus the
actor, but the character he’s playing. There is no doubt that Dilan 1991 has good intentions, but all
it takes is this one character to turn a movie from being sweet to unsettling.
On the one hand, it’s a role that’s
right in Ence’s wheelhouse. He’s
built his career playing comic relief characters with perverted personality in
numerous Indonesian productions. On the other, his brand of comedy just doesn’t
have a place here. In fact, it is a case of humor done with poor taste. It’s
hard to sit through cringey scenes of this teacher character staring at Milea like
he wants to take her to bed, made more disturbing by the music treating them
like it is supposed to be funny.
As in most teen romances, local or not, the
audience will easily give any story flaws or conventionality a pass if the
chemistry between the lead couple works. And some people have every right to
question the two Dilan movies’
quality, but it would be much harder to question Iqbaal and Vanesha’s
match-made-in-heaven chemistry. Dilan
1991 like its predecessor is every bit inconsistent, but what makes this movie
consistently enjoyable is their spark. Sure, they’re a very cheesy romantic
couple, but at least, it’s the type of cheese that’s easier to digest thanks to
their authenticity. Their connection feels so real that it almost transcends
acting, in ways that their every interplay flows so smoothly like a real-life
conversation, every coy stare and little hand gestures look like these two
people are actually deeply in love with each other.
Vanesha
Prescilla
proved to be a revelation when she brought so much heart and charisma to the
role of the lead heroine Milea in Dilan
1990, and her performance in Dilan
1991 has all the aforementioned. It emphasizes the importance of keeping her
in the role, making it a wise decision for the studio to shoot these movies
back-to-back. Beyond the looks, she also embodies the soul of this character. Getting
an actress that actually looks and feels like a teenager as well as be a magnetic
presence onscreen is hard, and she’s both of those things. It’s easy to relate
to what Milea is feeling, since the emotion feels like it’s coming from the
heart. Though, she might have taken the crying a bit too far. Sure, this movie
sees Milea go through more sad moments than happy ones, but still, there are
other ways to deliver sadness besides crying. By then, it gets too annoying
when she spends half of the movie crying.
Talking about a Dilan movie would not be complete without mentioning Iqbaal Ramadhan, the actor who plays
the title role. Iqbaal has always
been a teen heartthrob ever since his CJR days, but his turn as Dilan over
these two movies further elevates his teen heartthrob status to another level. For
obvious reasons, he’s got the attractive looks that just spells swoony and
dreamy, necessary traits to be the harlequin guy of Dilan’s kind. But what the more
memorable, better harlequin guy characters often have that Dilan sorely needs
is that little bit of nuance. Picking up from where he left off in Dilan 1990, Iqbaal perfectly marries his attractive looks with gentleness and
subtlety that make what’s on paper such a cheesy character seem more tolerable
and grounded to go along with. Look no further than the way he delivers Baiq’s signature flowery pick-up lines.
With other actors perhaps, these pick-up lines might come off as over-the-top
and insincere. Through Iqbaal’s
delivery, the words ring more sincere and romantic.
Besides the teen cast, Dilan 1991 is also surrounded by
numerous 90’s icons in supporting roles. Names range from Maudy Koesnadi of Si Doel’s
fame to Ira Wibowo, who was once one
of the Warkop Angels in the 80’s as
well as the host of RCTI’s Cinema-Cinema
(1990-2005). But it’s undeniably Ira
who catches the eyes as Dilan’s mother. Even going back to Dilan 1990, she was such a welcoming addition in that movie with
her offbeat sense of humor and motherly warmth. And thankfully, she gets more screen
time here. Through Ira’s
comforting-meets-no-nonsense presence, the mother character’s playful sound
bites to inspirational wisdom to stern words worth as much listen as Dilan’s
romantic quotes. Dilan 1991 isn’t
exactly a comedy per se, but anytime it goes there, it works because of Ira’s delivery. She’s convincing as
both a mother who is such a bright ray of sunshine as well as one no one should
mess with.
CONCLUSION:
Dilan
1991
is at times overlong and nowhere near as fresh as its predecessor, but
everything else suggests another cutesy, sweet teenage love story that’s
greatly elevated by the lead couple’s charming chemistry and the supporting
actors’ equally charming performances.
Score:
6.5/10
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