Genre: HorrorDirected by Rizal Mantovani
Written by Ab Ac
Indonesian w. English subtitles
The Deal...
Abel and her fiance, Wisnu, are happily engaged, until a young woman shows up at Abel's door claiming to be seven months pregnant with Wisnu's child. In a fit of crazed anger and heartbreak, armed with a bottle of pills and a tall glass of water, Abel attempts to take her own life. Having been pronounced dead for some time, she is resuscitated and awakes in the hospital to the face of her childhood friend, Charlie. Seeking to rescue her from her despair and misfortune, Charlie invites Abel to stay with him in his beautiful, albeit largely un kempt, villa. Here, Abel can begin a new life, far from the trials that drove her to suicide, and without Wisnu.... But all is not right. Abel becomes increasingly aware of a sinister force residing in the villa: a collection of horrific, half-human entities that only she can see. And they are ever encouraging her to attempt suicide again, and this time, to succeed...
Abel and her fiance, Wisnu, are happily engaged, until a young woman shows up at Abel's door claiming to be seven months pregnant with Wisnu's child. In a fit of crazed anger and heartbreak, armed with a bottle of pills and a tall glass of water, Abel attempts to take her own life. Having been pronounced dead for some time, she is resuscitated and awakes in the hospital to the face of her childhood friend, Charlie. Seeking to rescue her from her despair and misfortune, Charlie invites Abel to stay with him in his beautiful, albeit largely un kempt, villa. Here, Abel can begin a new life, far from the trials that drove her to suicide, and without Wisnu.... But all is not right. Abel becomes increasingly aware of a sinister force residing in the villa: a collection of horrific, half-human entities that only she can see. And they are ever encouraging her to attempt suicide again, and this time, to succeed...
Did Rights:
I believe that "Mati Suri" is the first Indonesian movie that I have ever been audience to. That being said, it was markedly different from the bulk of Western horrors in a number of extremely positive ways. There seemed to be a great deal of effort and thought put into all aspects of the film, and this thought and effort was definitely not lost on the final product.
I believe that "Mati Suri" is the first Indonesian movie that I have ever been audience to. That being said, it was markedly different from the bulk of Western horrors in a number of extremely positive ways. There seemed to be a great deal of effort and thought put into all aspects of the film, and this thought and effort was definitely not lost on the final product.
The set of "Mati Suri" is beautiful. It is not computer generated or enhanced; it is a large, isolated villa on a lush hillside, with cavernous rooms, antique-looking furniture, and a giant, weed-overgrown swimming pool. It is impressive to look at, and appropriately assumes the role of haunted mansion with ideal, stereotypical accuracy. It is peopled with believable, fully-emotional characters, played by very decent actors, and involved in a plot that is fully thought-out, unpredictable, and satisfying.
But the parts of this film that were most notable to me and made my viewing most enjoyable were the manifestations of Abel's demons: the ghosts. "Mati Suri" is a tried-and-true, traditional haunting movie (with some spectacular twists), and in this aspect, it delivers and does not disappoint. The appearances of the ghosts and monsters are extremely well-executed, realistic, and chilling. There are a few scenes in which a ghost/supernatural being is sneaking around in the pitch-dark background of the film, and only the viewer is aware of them as the character's attentions are elsewhere. These were without a doubt my favourite segments of the film; they were eerie and incredible, and incite in the viewer a feeling of foreboding that many films of the horror genre can merely strive for.
It was in the haunting segments of the film that I also discovered the greatest difference between "Mati Suri" and many western films with similar plotlines: the ghosts were not shown briefly with the intention of hinting at something terrifying or startling the viewer. Instead, they were shown for very long periods of time, which I found to be even more effective. In fact, these long scenes of the movie villains were sometimes very difficult to watch.
Did Wrongs:
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the calibre of this film, but I still feel that there were a few ways that it could have been bettered. Cinematically, it was somewhat unimpressive. There are a few shots that are angled or pan oddly, giving them an amature, high-school-kid-with-a-camera feel. There were very few scenes, if any, that were filmed or coloured in a way that was notably astounding. Had this movie been filmed in a more impressive way, perhaps it would have been "excellent" rather than just "very good."
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the calibre of this film, but I still feel that there were a few ways that it could have been bettered. Cinematically, it was somewhat unimpressive. There are a few shots that are angled or pan oddly, giving them an amature, high-school-kid-with-a-camera feel. There were very few scenes, if any, that were filmed or coloured in a way that was notably astounding. Had this movie been filmed in a more impressive way, perhaps it would have been "excellent" rather than just "very good."
My second and final dissatisfaction is purely a matter of opinion, and it concerns the film's ending. Without spoiling the movie (gosh, I HATE when people do that!) I will just note that it is not a happy one. Normally, I dread horror movies with happy-endings as I feel it is usually not in keeping with the tone of the genre and generally proves to be less emotionally effective, but I feel that "Mati Suri" was craving for a happy ending. Although the ending that it does have is unpredictable and acceptable, I believe that characters with such rotten lives that have been through such trials and heartache deserved some closure. This would have been much more satisfying to me on a personal level, although I acknowledge that many other viewers may not agree.
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