Yuni

Yuni is a tale as old as time; a strong-minded woman must subdue her will before the altar of patriarchy.

What seems like a simple story about a teenage girl in her daily life, film gradually evolves into a multi-layered commentary with a very resonance depth.

Kamila Andini's naturalistic and sensitive approach not only brings authenticity to the film's sometimes heartbreaking revelation but also delivers some genuine and heartfelt moments.

Indonesia's official entry to 2022's Oscars is a very good coming-of-age. It's simple yet powerful and sensational. It tackles interesting important topics like sexual awakening, virginity, early marriages, girls' dreams and access to education in a conservative traditional society. But it feels incoherent and distant sometimes due to having too many subjects to portray, it doesn't take one clear path to follow.

A simple, honest & grounded effort that's crafted with sincerity and told with composure, Yuni concerns a bright high school girl who is obsessed with the colour purple and is determined to pursue her dreams but finds her world getting smaller when unexpected & unwanted marriage proposals start knocking on her doorstep while community expectations & superstitions further complicate her life.

Co-written & directed by Kamila Andini, the story makes for a fascinating coming-of-age drama but also dives into the patriarchal, conservative & regressive Indonesian society myth & mindset that considers marriage to be the be-all & end-all of a woman's existence. Andini captures all of it from the perspective & emotional journey of her young protagonist and showcases the wrongs that are rooted deeply enough to be considered norms.

The first two acts sustain the interest by covering the titular character's struggles with undiluted focus & raw intensity and Arawinda Kirana's authentic input not only allows the viewers to relate to her character's dilemma but also makes it easy for them to invest in her new experiences. The last act however unfortunately fails to stick the landing and is unable to provide a proper closure to everything that unfolded before and is one aspect that will divide the audience.

Overall, Yuni is a powerful, intimate & heartbreaking portrait of what it's like to be a young girl in Indonesia and doesn't shy away from illustrating the disturbing hardcore beliefs that continue to prosper there in the name of tradition. Benefitting a lot from Kirana's excellent showcase and all the more emboldened by Andini's fine script & candid direction, this coming-of-age drama is an essential & impressive offering from the Indonesian film industry and is undeniably worth a shot.

What I like about Yuni, it feels honest with the dialogues, dynamics, and the characters. It doesn't shy away from the fact that they are not knowing technology, the contradiction between religious and cultural values, the merit of education in the coastline society. Rather than preaching, Yuni ask us to just follow and feel what she feels.

The honesty allows Yuni to build itself by putting little piece of sequences (e.g. Marriage proposals, friend's weddings, inclusion of side characters), which resembles life in its organic fashion. This type of narration risks to be dragging and boring, but Yuni with its simplicity manage us not only to engage until the end, but to care for the characters.

The ending is a little letdown since it's turning different than the whole vibe of the movie (hence 9/10), but I feel like it's an honor to the girls who already endure the reality. I recommend Yuni for those who enjoy movies like Siti, Perempuan Punya Cerita, Berbagi Suami, and Dua Garis Biru.

The better and more advanced Indonesian film is, I am very proud. Hoping to get better and have more character in promoting Indonesian local values. Success in competing with foreign films.