Talak 3 from Ismail Basbeth and Hanung Bramantyo is a wonderful film that sets a new standard for the romantic comedy genre in the Indonesian film industry.

The official trailer for the movie Talak 3 provides every reason to be doubtful over the quality of the film.

The trailer is filled with over-the-top comedy scenes and corny punchlines that might lead people to think that the film will be another bland and lame comedy.

However, the full film is exactly the opposite. Talak 3 is not just a funny and very entertaining movie but it evinces excellent satire, drama, romance and marvelous acting from all the cast. It is a film that does not try to do too much and successfully relates to everyone.

While most Indonesian comedy films over-promise about their quality through endless paid buzzes in social media by celebrities, their own cast members and advertising agencies, Talak 3 is a comedy that manages to over deliver and more than to live up to its hype.

Set in the romantic and memorable city of Yogyakarta, Talak 3 tells the story of a formerly married couple '€“ Risa (Laudya Cynthia Bella) and Bagas (Vino G. Bastian) who are now divorced and facing a huge problem. Their home, which is still listed under their names, is about to be confiscated because they have been late in paying their mortgage.

Desperate for a solution, Risa and Bagas, who also own a wedding organizer and expo startup company, decide to take on a project that will give them the funds they need to pay off their debt.

However, the project requires Risa and Bagas to remarry and this is when things get a bit tricky. During the divorce, Bagas recited '€œtalak, talak, talak'€ (hence the movie title) and by doing this '€” according to Islamic law '€” Bagas can only remarry Risa if another man has already married and divorced her again.

The couple'€™s struggle to outsmart Islamic law and state regulations on Muslim marriage sparks an endless satire on corruption, religion, dogma and hypocrisy in much of the first part of the film. There are also
a lot of pop culture references spread throughout the comedy scenes, which make the film even more colorful.

During the first part of the film, Ismail and Hanung introduce us to two crazy characters '€” Jonur (Gareng Rakasiwi) and Hasmi (Hasmi Gundala) '€” who work at the local religious affairs office (KUA).

Play along: Risa (Laudya Cynthia Bella, right) is with Bimo (Reza Rahadian, left), who comes to the rescue.(Courtesy of MD Pictures)

These two characters deliver blow after blow that satirically mocks the hypocrisy of Indonesian KUA officials, who have long been known to the general public as among the most corrupt of public servants, despite their high proficiency in uttering religious rhetoric.

Being corrupt, Jonur and Hasmi agree to help Risa and Bagas for a fee. However, their efforts eventually fail after the KUA office receives a new official named Basuki (Dodit Mulyanto), who has high integrity and sets up recorders and cameras everywhere to catch corrupt officials.

After several more failures, the couple finally decides that they need to hire a man to marry Risa and then divorce her so that they can officially remarry. All of the men who are asked to do this, however, want to have sex with Risa after the wedding and this certainly does not sit well with Bagas.

The couple then turns to Bimo (Reza Rahadian), their best friend and also Risa'€™s childhood friend,
to play along with their scheme. Bimo initially refuses but after hearing a plea from Risa, he finally gives up and decides to play along.

Things then get complicated as Risa finally learns that Bimo has been harboring a crush on her since their days in junior high school. She then faces the dilemma of whether it is proper to utilize Bimo'€™s sincere affection for her own benefits.

The three main cast members shine brightly in the second part of the film, in which there are more drama than comedy elements.

Vino and Laudya display excellent chemistry in making believable scenes of a divorced husband and wife who are standing at the crossroads of their future.

However, the star that shines the brightest in Talak 3 is definitely Reza. His acting throughout the film shows just what a beast of an actor he can be.

While Vino and Laudya struggle a little bit in the comedy scenes, Reza rules and steals the show every time he shows up in front of the camera.

One scene in particular will leave the audience gasping for air due to the intensity displayed by Reza. To watch as Reza transforms Bimo from a cool and easy-going character into one filled with heartache and hidden pain due to his pure affection and sacrifices for the woman he loves is an unforgettable experience.

Talak 3 shows how two contradicting film styles, that of Hanung, who is more of a commercial mainstream film director, and of Ismail, who is known for producing independent festival films, can blend together and produce great quality work.

The film deserves a five-star rating and paying the ticket price to watch it should not be considered an expense but rather a privilege.

At the crossroads: New film Talak 3 centers on the story of a formerly married couple '€“ Risa (Laudya Cynthia Bella, right) and Bagas (Vino G. Bastian).(Courtesy of MD Pictures)
_____________________________

Talak 3

(MD Pictures, 90 minutes)

Directed by Ismail Basbeth and Hanung Bramantyo
Cast: Vino G. Bastian, Laudya Cynthia Bella, Reza Rahadian, Dodit Mulyanto