Vino G. Bastian (left) and Dedi Petet in Madre. (Courtesy of Mizan Production)

A jar of bread dough changes the life of a laid-back surfer.

Madre, a movie adapted from a short story by Dewi Lestari, opens with full-time surfer and semi-employed Tansen (Vino G. Bastian) stood looking confused in front of the tomb of an old man called Tan Sie Gie.

Minutes later we learn that Tansen has just inherited a key from the deceased — a key that takes his life in a totally different direction.

In all his 27 years on this earth, Tansen had no inkling that he was of Chinese descent. He knew that his late mother, Kartika, had inherited Indian blood from her mother but he had no knowledge of his grandfather or the bakery, Tan de Bakker, to which he now holds the key.

Leaving his carefree life in Bali and holding the key in his hand Tansen heads to Bandung to retrace his family history. He comes to the bakery that belonged to the old man.

In the white building that holds the shadows of the past, Tansen meets Hadi (Didi Petet), a loyal worker at the bakery. Straight away Hadi can see Tansen’s resemblance to Lakshmi, Tansen’s grandmother, and Old Tan in Tansen’s face.

Hadi takes Tansen to meet the madre, the name given to sourdough starter, which is kept in a jar. Madre, which means mother in Spanish, was the mother of all Tan de Bakker’s tasty breads. It is kept in a refrigerator under Hadi’s watchful eye, even though Old Tan has long since met his maker.

For a full-time surfer, the cultured dough has certainly no meaning at all.

Nevertheless, destiny never fails people.

As soon as Hadi teaches Tansen how to make classic white bread out of a handful of the dough, the surfer realizes he has the natural skill of a baker.

Amazed with this new found skill in baking, Tansen shares his story on his blog.

A curious reader, Mei (Laura Basuki), makes contact with Tansen. The woman, who dresses too old for her age, turns out to be the owner of a growing bakery chain, Fairy Bread.

Mei is obsessed with madre and wants to create classic bread with it for her shops. Feeling the warmth of his new family, the Tan de Bakker’s, Tansen makes a deal with Fairy Bread. Madre is not for sale but Tan de Bakker would supply the classic bread to Fairy Bread.

Madre offers a fresh storyline with comedic elements. Prominent actor Didi Petet gives a laudable performance for a seasoned actor.

Vino and Laura are a cute pairing. Laura, especially, showcases an impressive performance, although she has to cry quite often in the movie.

One eyesore in the movie was Vino’s dreadlocked wig, which seems too stiff and unnatural, but overall, Madre is a fun and light movie for the weekend.

Madre
(100 minutes, Mizan Production)
Director: Benni Setiawan
Cast: Vino G. Bastian, Laura Basuki, Didi Petet, Titi Qadarsih
Screenwriter: Benni Setiawan
Producers: Putut Widjanarko, Avesina Soebli

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia