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Ngenest - a mix of laugh, tears
Romantic: University student Ernest (Ernest Prakasa) and his girlfriend Meira (Lala Karmela) get along despite differences in their background
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Romantic: University student Ernest (Ernest Prakasa) and his girlfriend Meira (Lala Karmela) get along despite differences in their background. He is Chinese-Indonesian while she is Sundanese.
The directorial debut of stand-up comedian Ernest Prakasa approaches the grim issues commonly faced by minorities in a different way and from a lighter angle.
Packaged as a comedy, Ngenest: Kadang Hidup Harus Ditertawakan (Pathetic: Sometimes Life Must be Laughed At) is not as funny as one would expect from one of Indonesia's pioneering comedians.
Ngenest is a comedy with a solid story containing some romantic drama. It is unlike other comedies released recently that more of less string together a sequence of skits.
An adaptation from a trilogy of books of the same title also authored by Ernest, the film is based on the story of his life as a Chinese-Indonesian that is divided into four periods. Ernest plays himself in the film and he wrote the script.
Bullied since his first day at elementary school in a middle to lower-class neighborhood, Ernest finds solace with schoolmate Patrick, who is also of Chinese descent but with a bigger physical build.
Together they create a sanctuary on the rooftop of an abandoned building; their hiding place to escape the thugs trying to get at their pocket money.
The teenage Ernest (Kevin Anggara) comes up with the idea befriending the school bullies to the dismay of teenage Patrick (Brandon Salim).
The new friendships don't work well and Ernest, who is still at junior high school at that time, makes a vow to marry a 'local' girl in the hope of having 'less Chinese' children. He has to forget the vow because his low grades only allow him to enter an all-Chinese high school.
The next scene jumps to Ernest's life in Bandung, West Java, as a student at a state university. Ernest (Ernest Prakasa) meets the Sundanese Meira (Lala Karmela) at a Mandarin course. In an instant, Meira wins his heart.
Despite his vow, the problem of different religions threatens his future.
It is Patrick (Morgan Oey), studying in an unmentioned university also in Bandung, who advises Ernest to 'go with the flow' in a comical analogy that, in hindsight, stands at the center of the story's premise.
'Not all of our dreams will come true, not all of our worries will happen,' says the character.
After five years of dating, Ernest and Meira get married but the titular character cannot help but worry that their future children will have slanted eyes, a feeling that torments his professional life and marriage.
Produced by Starvision's Chand Parwez Servia, the cast is filled by stand-up comedians and stage actors who bring Ernest's sharp-witted lines to life. The cast includes Henky Solaiman, Elkie Kwee, Ferry Salim, Olga Lydia, Ade Fitria Sechan, Budi Dalton, Arie Kriting, Ge Pamungkas, Adjis Doaibu and Muhadkly Acho.
Attention goes to the teen actors and Morgan, who in December won Best Newcomer at the Piala Maya awards for his performance in the religious themed Assalamualaikum Beijing.
The chemistry between Ernest and Morgan as well as between Ernest and Meira is heartfelt.
Throughout the 91-minute duration, Ernest introduces us to what life is like being a Chinese-Indonesian in a melting pot community.
If it is seen as a stereotyping, then it ought to be seen as a legitimate one.
There are laughs but also alot of tears in the film. The title itself is a portmanteau from Ernest and ngenes, a slang word for mengenaskan, or pathetic. But it's a comedy, so there is nothing too maudlin here.
Although the film is rated for those aged 13-years or older, there are sexual innuendos that may not be suitable for all viewers.
It paces well, but the ending scene for such complex story seems like a brush-off of what had come before.
The Overtunes, a band currently rising in popularity, contributed two love songs to the film. The guitar-strumming trio also appear in the film.
In cinemas on Dec. 28, Ngenest is a good choice for couples and best friends to have some genuine laughs while also contemplating the nature of relationships.
' Photo courtesy of Starvision
