Ticket to Paradise (2022)

The only reason I had any interest in this film is it is set in Bali. This, as I expected, turned out to be a huge disappointment. The only scene in the whole film that may have been flimed in Bali, was when they went to Tanah Lot. Other than that, the film appears to be shot entirely in Australia. This is a hollywood ideal of Bali / a tropical island, with nothing but nature, no infrastrcuture. Once again, Hollywood has created an idealize view of a tropical paradise, and picked and choosed parts of the culutre, which is extremely sparse in this film. While the subtitles listed the characters as speaking in Balinese, I highly doubt they were speaking in Balinese, but were more likely speaking in Indonesian, as I recognized a few words, when they were speaking. Scenes of the landscape and temples were basically nonexistant, along with the culture, as the didn't show any Balinese dance nor any gamelan music, and only a slight bit of the trasitional clothing. While they did show the groom getting his teeth filed down, and this is a cultural practice, I thought this was done when Balinese people were much younger, an not releated to getting married in anyway. Also, while they had a great opportunity for the white bride to dress up in traditional Balinese wedding attire, they choose instead to have her wear a western wedding dress, which while appropreate for a wedding in Hawaii, would be consider highly inapprorate for a Balinese wedding. And while the main actor who played the Balinese groom, was actually half Indonesian, and a few other actors were actually Indonesian, the majority of the actors were of other Asian races. And it appears that none of the actors were actually Balinese. Nearly all of those actors spoke perfect English, without any Indonesaian, or Balinese accent, once again sanitizing a potential internatioanl experience for American audiences. After watching the film, I was suprised that Billy Lourd was in the film. I didn't recognize her, but I am not that familar with her, and she did appear like that she was in her 30s in the film, and perhaps a little bit too old for this role. Actually, I wasn't really aware of her when she appeared in the Star Wars sequels, thought I do hope the daughter of Carrie Fisher has a prosperous career. This film is merely a vehilce for George Clooney and Julia Roberts, with all the other characters being minor background characters, including Bali itself. Julia Roberts is past her prime, and I don't know of any film she has made since Pretty Woman that I would even consider worth watching. I think she has just been riding out the sucess of that film, to keep her career going, and I don't know of anyone who is a big fan of her work, especailly anyone who is male. You would do much better watching the Road to Bali (1952), if you want even the smallest taste of the real beauty and culture of Bali.

The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)

After watching, The Act of Killing (2012), I thought I should go back and watching this film, which covers historical events in Indonesia.  This film has a certainly noteworthy cast, featuring Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver.

It is a decent film but lacks a great deal of depth of the historical events which unfold around the characters, at the same time without giving any real feeling for the character's or their feeling for each other.  This film has been labeled a love story, but there if very little love nor emotions in the main characters on again, off again, relationship.

One other point is there is a lack of films about Indonesia, so this film should be lauded for giving exposure to a country and historical events that are often overlooked.  Made by an Australian film company, it is a subject that no Hollywood has shown no interest in.

This film seemed to barely make back the cost it took to produces the film.  I thought the film had an impressive reputation, but I feel that it may be almost unknown.

One reviewer back in 1983 said "If this film doesn't make an international star of Mr. Gibson, then nothing will.", but I don't know how widely known this film is, and it doesn't seem a lot of Mel Gibson fans even acknowledge this film.

The Act of Killing (2102)

I am not quite sure what brought me to watch this film, but most likely it was the fact that it is about Indonesia, whose history that I knew much less about than I thought.  The film opened my eyes to what the tragic slaughter/ holocaust that took place in Indonesia (and how the killers are revered there) and explained to me the level seriousness regarding of why you don't call yourself an atheist in Indonesian (as being as communists are atheists).

The film covers several men who lead the slaughter and follows them with there efforts to represent their acts on film, it is surreal at times, but in the end give better understanding of the Indonesian view of the slaughter of suspected communists and even the butcher's point of view.  Basically, what this film wants to say can be said in a sentence or two, but requires being watched to have more than a superficial understanding of the historical events.

This movie is going on my list of required watching for "social studies" classes in high school, to fill in the gaps in knowledge.