A scene in Mount Semeru.

Blending love, friendship and nature in one location is a recipe for success.

Drama flick 5 cm uses the same recipe but with a different amount of ingredients. Using the beauty of the Mahameru peak in Mount Semeru in East Java, the film fuses nationalism, love and friendship in one story.

The film 5 cm is adapted from a novel penned by Donny Dhirgantoro. It tells of how the warmth of friendship and positive attitudes can lead to something greater.  

Genta (Fedi Nuril), Zafran (Herjunot Ali), Riani (Raline Shah), Ian (Igor “Saykoji”) and Arial (Denny Sumargo) are five young people who have been friends for years. They spend their weekends together and know each other right down to the smallest details.

Genta, who has strong leadership character, does not dare to convey his feeling for Riani, the only girl in the friendship circle. Riani, who always asks for more soup from Ian when the group gathers to eat noodles, believes that girls should wait until the boys tell their feelings.  

Ian, a self-confessed instant noodle addict, is struggling to finish his undergraduate thesis because of a penchant for playing games and watching porn. Arial, a fitness buff who cannot live without soy sauce, turns out to be a shy man who does not have the courage to talk to women. Meanwhile, Zafran, a poet and musician, develops an obsession with Dinda, Arial’s sister.

The group enjoys their time together until one day; Genta decides it would be a good idea to have a break from the friendship circle, so each of them can focus on settling their personal business. He promises a surprise to redeem the time that has passed and strengthen their friendship. The five folk decide to cease contact for three months, promising to avoid communication until August.

Time flies and Genta fulfills his promise. The five best friends and Dinda make a trip by train to Malang, East Java. Their aim is to climb Mahameru, Mount Semeru’s highest point and the highest active volcano on Java Island. The trip to the peak opens their eyes to the jaw-dropping beauty of the country, giving an answer to their questions and developing confidence in their hearts.

Throughout the movie, Herjunot narrates from Zafran’s perspective. His foolish expression and over-poetical remarks often become a source of humor. Along with Igor and Denny Sumargo, they create three comical characters that make the movie fun to watch.

The beautiful Pevita Pearce and Raline Shah sweeten the movie but their limited and repeated dialogues make their characters weak.  

Fedi Nuril, who rose to stardom after playing the main male character in the film Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love), delivers a convincing performance of falling in. However, his lines during the early journey to the mountain make him look like a mountain ranger with his friends as clueless tourists.

The script includes some inspirational statements, which may read well in a book but are rather awkward in film dialogues.  

Kudos must be given to the cinematography and sound track, which includes songs by Nidji. Using various creative angles, the film is truly beautiful and brings the audience closer to the beauty of Mahameru peak.

5 cm
(125 minutes, Soraya Intercine Films)

Director: Rizal Mantovani
Screenwriter: Donny Dhirgantoro
Starring: Fedi Nuril, Herjunot Ali, Pevita Pearce, Igor “Saykoji”, Denny Sumargo, Raline Shah
Producer: Sunil Soraya

— Photos courtesy of Soraya Intercine Films

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