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| Taken from IMDB |
Title: Dead Time: Kala 
Producer: Dhamoo Punjabi, Manoj Punjabi
Producer: Dhamoo Punjabi, Manoj Punjabi
Director: Joko
Anwar
Writer: Joko
Anwar
Cast: Fachri
Albar, Shanty, Ario Bayu, Tipi Jabrik, Fahrani Pawaka Empel, Jose Rizal Manua,
August Melasz, Arswendi Nasution, Sudjiwo Tejo, Frans Tumbuan
Release date: Thursday,
April 19 2007
Main language:
Indonesia
Achievements:
Winner at
Indonesian Film Festival, Indonesia, Category: Best Cinematography
Winner at
Indonesian Film Festival, Indonesia, Category: Best Stylist
Winner at
Indonesian Film Festival, Indonesia, Category: Best Film with Indonesia
Language
Nominee at Indonesian Film Festival, Indonesia,
Category: Best Actor
Nominee at Indonesian Film Festival, Indonesia,
Category: Best Supporting
Nominee at Indonesian Film Festival, Indonesia, Category:
Best Editing
Nominee at Indonesian Film Festival, Indonesia,
Category: Best Sound Designer
As the pioneer
of noir thriller films in Indonesia, Kala
or its international title Deadtime:
Kala considered by Indonesian experts as one of the biggest movement that
ever happened in Indonesia film industry. You don’t need more reason to watch
this film. With the addition of supernatural elements and historical mystery
make this film more interesting. Your heart will beat faster and faster
throughout the film. Go check this film up, you won’t regret it even if you are
not a fan of horror type films.
Eros (Ario Bayu) investigates the deaths of
five people who are burned to death by a group of people in the street. Janus
(Fachri Albar) a reporter who diagnosed with ‘Narcolepsy’ (an illness where the
people has extreme tendency to fall asleep whenever in unexpected situation) tries
to get some information about the case by interviewing one of the victim wife
in the corpse room, however, he could not get anything so he puts a hidden
recorder. After taking the recorder, Janus meets his friend Soebandi (Tipi
Jabrik) in a restaurant. Then, he plays the recorder there. He and Soebandi
listen to the woman says something in Javanese about a place. Later that night
Soebandi is killed. Who kills him? What is the mystery behind what that woman
says?
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| Taken from Youtube.com |
Even tough Kala is a noir thriller film but with a little horror element makes
this film is very tense. There is no gap from the beginning until the end. You
will have no break. Even though there is no clear statement, the time setting
of this film is in the past around 1967 – 1977 after the reign of Indonesian first
president. We can see from the old trains, old buildings, and black and white
tv and the character also always talk about the first president. Making the
story happened in the past is a plus point for this film, its make the horror
elements creepier. In addition, this film shows two different point of views.
Eros point of view and Janus’s point of view. Going back and forth between
those two make the mystery seems complicated and make the viewer curious of
what will happen.
Another good point about this film
is that everything looks natural and real. The costume, place, and the property
really portray the 60s and 70s. Every character almost has similar costume
considering at the time fashion is not as advanced as now. The place used in
every scene is old building from the colonial era. The buildings are big with
long window. There are no many cars, bus dominates the transportation. The
train still uses a steam engine. All of these realistically portray the
situation in the 60s and 70s
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| Taken from imcdb.org |
This film maybe made as realistic as
possible. This film horror elements also maybe good to make viewer felt the
tense. However, it still has weaknesses. Eros one of the main casts is a policeman
but this film does not really show the procedure of how the police work at the
time. Viewer wouldn’t know he is a policeman if it does not state at the
beginning of the films. Another thing is the CG effect is not natural. Kala is
released in 2007 so the CG technology is not that advance. However, CG in Kala
is still considered bad even normal people can tell that the CG is too fake.
All
in all, for the first noir thriller film in Indonesia Kala is great. It’s a never end tense when watching this film. This
film is really recommended for you to watch. Not a thriller or horror fan? You
still need to see this film. Why? Cause as soon you start to watch Kala, it will drag you and make you
curious to see the ending. It is your loss if you don’t watch the very first
scary film made by Joko Anwar.
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