D_RIVIEW

Although Noktah Merah Perkawinan is formulaic, it is successfully made more interesting. This film contains several themes, such as relationships, love, trust, pressure, and consequences. The story in this film may be too typical, the plot direction is easy to guess, and it feels like a soap opera, but Sabrina Rochelle makes the story enjoyable to follow until the end of the film. Although the drama is too familiar, it is not cheap, in fact, the storytelling seems more mature. In addition, we will also feel the drama is very complicated and intense, and can make us care about the storyline. The dialogue here is good, not excessive, and consistent in the use of language style. What makes this film feel mature is that there are no "bad" characters here, even though what they do is still unjustifiable. The pacing is also very good from beginning to end. The cinematography is predominantly symmetrical, which doesn't look too simple but is beautiful to look at and can convey the emotions appropriately. The editing is also okay. The mellow music is nice and matches the tone of the film. The acting of the cast is also solid, especially during the build up to the climax which is also smooth. Overall, a bit doubtful at the beginning, but managed to reverse expectations with solid execution.

I give this 9/10.

Under Ninja presents a new and different story. There are themes that make the series interesting, such as secrecy, identity, loyalty, and struggle. The story in this series feels quite heavy with a back and forth plot at the beginning of the episode. The drama in this series discusses more about social issues with political elements that make the series feel more weighty from the middle to the end of the episode. The actions are also exciting but brutal, with subtle comedy, a characteristic of comedy in anime series. The characters are made quite complicated, but it seems like they are not explored deeply enough which makes us unable to feel in, and there are several characters whose fate is still unclear at the end. The pacing of each episode feels slow but it is easy to follow the plot. The animation is nice and trying to be detailed, each shot is also very good. The editing is neat but intense, making each action even more exciting to watch. The music is still a bit less memorable. The acting of the voice actors is solid, not many of whom act excessively. Overall, this is a must-watch anime series.

I give this 9.6/10.

What is presented in the film Women from Rote Island is very bold. The themes that this film raises include violence, patriarchy, discrimination, and trauma. The story of this film is so explicit that it has sparked controversy. This film seems to voice social issues that are still happening in society today with its main topic which is really presented quite clearly, but the resolution is too forced and becomes quite cliché. In addition, we will also be made to think about who the perpetrator is with a slowly intense atmosphere. And this film also displays its thick mores. The characterization in this film is also quite complicated, but still can't make us feel-in with the characters. The pacing feels too slow at some moments. Good cinematography, coupled with the use of many long take techniques and also the beautiful background of Rote Island. For the editing, there are some that are not so smooth and really unnecessary. It seems that everything in this film is more than just a film property, because of its authenticity. Although the scoring is seldom, it is used appropriately to increase its intensity. The acting from the cast filled by the local people is very impressive, especially for Irma Novita Rihi who successfully brought the character who experienced trauma. Overall, behind all that, this film still reaps harsh criticism from Indonesian audiences.

I give this 8.2/10.