W

hen Indonesian students triumphed at various international science and physics competitions in the last few years, people attributed the successes to Yohanes Surya.

Yohanes left his job at the US Nuclear Physics Center in Virginia, returned to Indonesia and initiated the establishment of the Indonesian Physics Olympiad Team (TOFI) in a bid to contribute to the development of physics in Indonesia.

His training programs, run from 1993 to 2007, emphasized “fun and applicable physics”. He is also famous as a motivator with his theory called Mestakung or Semesta Mendukung, literally meaning the universe supports.

It is a conscious feeling that the universe fully supports you, manifest when you are at a critical juncture and work hard to achieve your goals and everything surrounding you supports your efforts to achieve what you want.

Yohanes’ success story is now depicted on-screen in a movie titled Mestakung, set in the backdrop of Sumenep, Madura island.

John de Rantau, who previously helmed children’s flick Obama Anak Menteng (Obama, the Menteng Kid) and the award-winning 2006 film Denias: Senandung di Atas Awan (Denias: A hum above the clouds), sat in the director’s seat.

The film revolves around the life of Muhammad Arief (played by newcomer Sayef Muhammad Billah), a smart junior-high-school student who has an interest in physics.

He lives modestly with his father Muslat (Lukman Sardi), a salt farmer turned truck driver in a village in Sumenep, while his mother Salmah (Helmalia Putri) left for Singapore a couple years before to earn a living as a migrant worker.

Arief yearns for the love of his dear mother whose presence remains unknown as he never receives any letters or calls from her.

Driven by his urgent need to meet his mom, Arief takes a part-time job after school at a motorbike repair shop to make money to go to Singapore.

A dedicated physics teacher Tari Hayat (Revalina S. Temat) sees the tremendous potential in Arief and encourages him to participate in the selection process of the Indonesian Physics Olympiad team, organized by Tio Yohanes (Ferry Salim) in Jakarta.

Six highest-ranked candidates will be sent to the International Physics Olympiad in Singapore. Arief agrees to the once-in-a-lifetime offer in the hope that he will be reunited with his mother.

Starting quite calmly in the first half, the movie finally reaches its delightful peak in the second half with Arief’s adventures in Jakarta.

A number of reputable actors are involved in the cast ensemble including Sujiwo Tejo and Indro Warkop.

Sujiwo plays Cak Alul, Arief’s neighbor who boasts of success in Singapore and offers to lend a hand to Arief to find his mother on condition that the boy gives him money as requested.

Indro elevates the mood in the Jakarta scenes as he adds color with his fresh humor through his depiction of a Madurese ketoprak (rice noodles, tofu and bean sprouts in peanut sauce) vendor.

Despite its inspirational idea, the film’s shortcoming appears to be its leading actor Sayef Muhammad Billah, who unconvincingly portrays the Arief character.

Angga Putra, starring as Arief’s team-mate Muhammad Thamrin (known for his role in Deddy Mizwar’s Alangkah Lucunya Negeri Ini or How Funny This Country Is), outshines Sayef Muhammad Billah in many ways. His role is a kind of bad-but-brilliant boy who brings fun and joy to his friends.

The character of Clara Annabela (played by Dinda Hauw), Arief’s fellow participant in the team and who is supposed to provide the love interest, is pointless since the filmmaker does not develop this role more nor give her much time to shine.

Febby Febiola’s appearance is also questionable and her portrayal as Ferry Salim’s counterpart in the Physics Olympiad team is ineffective.

Besides capturing the highs and lows of Arief’s journey, the film also highlights the reality check faced by Madura people, whose lives rely on salt and salt manufacture.

The filmmaker features how the landscape of Sumenep in Madura island, Indonesia’s primary salt producer, has become deserted due to recent weather anomalies causing difficulties with production.

Verdict: There’s nothing that draws our sympathy like a touching story of a poor kid struggling to reach for his dream. A motivational and inspirational piece, so to speak.