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Four Indonesian rom-coms for hopeless romantics
While some cannot wait to spend the day with their partners, others may have yet to find the love of their life and prefer to stay at home during Valentine’s Day. If that's you, here's a list of some films to watch.
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A still from 'Dilan 1990'. (Max Pictures/File)
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alentine’s Day is just around the corner. For the hopeless romantics, it is one of the most important annual events, as it allows them to go all out in expressing their feelings for their loved ones.
While some cannot wait to spend the day with their partners, others may have yet to find the love of their life and prefer to stay at home during Valentine’s Day.
If you find yourself in the latter category, fear not, as The Jakarta Post has compiled a list of four Indonesian romantic comedies to prove that true love does exist.
Dilan 1990
Adapted from a novel by Pidi Baiq, Dilan 1990 follows the romantic relationship between senior high school students Dilan (Iqbaal Ramadhan) and Milea (Vanesha Prescilla) in West Java's Bandung in 1990.
Dilan 1990 was named the most watched film of 2018 with 6.3 million viewers, proving that it was among the most popular rom-coms ever produced.
The film’s cheesy dialogues with lines such as “My job is to make you happy” and “Don’t miss [me], it’s hard; you will not be able to [handle] it, let me do it”, have captured the hearts of many.
Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What’s up with Cinta)
Ada Apa Dengan Cinta is among the most popular rom-coms to date. The film was released in 2002 and marked Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra’s rise to stardom.
It presents a high school love story between Cinta (Dian Sastrowardoyo) and Rangga (Nicholas Saputra), who come from different worlds. Cinta is a pretty, smart and popular student, while Rangga is quiet and prefers to spend his time dwelling in books.
Ada Apa Dengan Cinta showcases the cute yet challenging liaison between the two characters and aptly examines teenage friendship as Cinta and the gang go through a tough time.
Read also: ‘Gossip Girl Indonesia’ to be released on Valentine’s Day on GoPlay
Love for Sale
If you’re up for a modern love story, you may want to consider Love for Sale.
Starring Gading Marten, the film follows 41-year-old single Richard A. Widjaja, who lives with his tortoise. Richard leads a lonely life, until he accepts a bet to bring a girlfriend along to his friend’s wedding.
Richard discovers a dating service called Love Incorporated, which leads him to Arini Kusuma (Della Dartyan), who turns Richard’s life upside down and teaches him to embrace life.
Love for Sale features a refreshing plot about love, and Gading’s stellar acting is not to be missed. He was named the Best Actor at the 2018 Indonesia Film Festival (FFI).
Kapan Kawin? (When Will You Get Married?)
If you’re a single woman in your 30s, you might feel social pressure to get married.
Having just celebrated her 33rd birthday, Dinda (Adinia Wirasti) cannot escape from this pressure, despite her successful career. Her mother, Dewi (Ivanka Suwandi), relentlessly asks her to tie the knot, believing it’s the only way to make Dewi happy.
In a time of desperation, Dinda hires a street actor, Satrio (Reza Rahadian), to pretend to be her boyfriend.
Kapan Kawin? shows the challenges faced by contemporary Indonesian women. The storyline is easy to digest, and the relatable jokes make the movie all the more enjoyable. Furthermore, Reza’s character is oddly likable. Viewers would find themselves slowly enamored by the charming and good-natured Satrio. (wng)
