Arisan!

The only worthy Indonesian movie to watch this year. The first Kalyana movie that actually works! Great!

And to picture gay story in Indonesia is quite risky, but this movie dare to do that. Even though gay story is only one of the three stories brought by the three main characters, it's the strongest one. The other two problems about adultery and compulsory to breed children felt like accessories to it.

The way they use 'arisan' as the most common Indonesian tradition among housewives is smart and reflects so many 'Indonesian' things. You can see many things in Indonesia in this movie which are told honestly. And they do it well, reminds me of how chocolate in 'Chocolate' brought the story.

Well done!

ARISAN (The Gathering) is a fine little story about the ins and outs of Jakarta's wealthy class - sort of an Indonesian Beverly Hills 90210/Melrose Place sitcom. The characters include frustrated wives, jealous wives, career women, cheating husbands, man-hunter girls, and two gay men - one closeted and one open. The film explores the social dictates of society and the jumbled events that occur when family or friends try to match make.

The cast is young and attractive and handles the material well. The problem with the film is the emphasis on clothes, fancy homes, cars, and all the trappings of the wealthy class. An 'arisan' is a gathering where friends come together, pitch in $100. each and pass the hostessing around to various locales where their main conversation is fairly shallow gossiping. But this film, though drowning in the over-the-top trappings, has many sensitive issues well discussed and played. For a film from Indonesia it is a terrific change from the usual horror flicks that originate from their studios and as such bodes well for a new movie industry that obviously has the ability to become important. It is funny, tender, very colorful and entertaining: some judicious editing could have pared this overly long movie into a fine little film. In Indonesian and English with subtitles. Grady Harp

Exiting times in Indonesia! two Indonesian films defeate the 3rd movie in 'The Matrix' Trilogy. But the one that everyone's eyes are at is 'Arisan!'. 3 Close friends live a normal life, that is, at first look. After a while we see them strugle with unhappiness in different forms. Meimei hears from her Doctor that she won't be able to become pregnant and sees her husband run away. Andien's husband slept with someone else, and Sakti -who is gay- is afraid that his mother or best friend Meimei might find out that he is.

Well, she finds out, but in a way he never imagined she would.

This film is the first BIG HIT in Indonesia where it is all about 'coming out'. Sakti and Nino will learn that in modern Indonesia, being gay is as normal as in other countries (far from the reality, but common in some areas of Indonesia).

Screaming girls in the cinema when Sakti and Nino first kiss. No sensor in Indosia, and that is surprising!!

Over all, this film is not only good because it doesn't show any stereo type Indonesian gays (mostly transsexuals or overacting feminate gays), but two people like everone else. It is also a film technically quite good, although the editing could have been better.

Two thumbs up for Arisan!

It's hard to find Indonesian film that could make me come back for second time to watch it. But it's different. Director Nia Dinata did great work.One subject that I enjoyed most were dialogues....different than many indonesian cinema, very daily style. Actually it's not new idea but it happened in a muslim country and focus on three best friends lives, but the center of this story are about being gay and Tora Sudiro played as good as he can. He deserve to get my TWO THUMBS UP and more,represented as some gay men did. As usual gay style show us sissy and freak and ridiculous people. we can't find easily gay men on cinema as good man as part of the society. But it did.Arisan is one of good movie I ve ever seen, please don't compare with brilliant Hollywood cinema,okay...

The life of hedonism people in big city like Jakarta always fill with brand minded,Sex after lunch and dirty talk.When all the housewives,career women and young mommy are being together,everything is all about something "adult material contents".In ARisan!Nia Dinata discover all of it.The Honest,The truth and the reality.Things that never been thought before,nowadays just become "the usual behavior" of socialite high-class mothers and women.The great,exceptional and smart directing by NYU alumni Nia Dinata made this one as the best and most favourite comedy-drama ever.Even this movie got award for "the best movie of 2004" by FFI(Indonesian Film Festival).Cut Mini Theo showed her great talented as Memey,a confusing career smart woman.Tora Sudiro gave his stunning and incredible performance as Sakti,A gay city worker.And Aida Nurmala seems looks so unbelievable-excellent act ever played by newcomer as Andien,a desperate glamour housewife.However,Whenever and Whatever the days you'll be through it,spend your time for a while to watch this movie.Cause,It's the most important movie of all time.It's about city life,It's about socialite and it's about you...I give grade 10 of 10.Viva Arisan!