Highschool love story has always been a favourite theme in Indonesia’s cinema and the genre has produced several legendary on-screen couples in Indonesia movie history. Take a look at Galih and Ratna from Gita Cinta Dari SMA (1979), Cinta and Rangga from Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (2002), and now Dilan and Milea. Although the later is not as good as Gita Cinta Dari SMA and AADC.
After Dilan 1990 hyped and become the second best-selling movie of all time in Indonesia with 6.2 million moviegoers, Dilan and Milea got into more serious relationship. If Dilan 1990 shows the effort of how Dilan (Iqbaal Ramadhan) in appraoching Milea (Vanesha Prescilla), the sequel shows more about the story of their relationship when they are officially a couple.
As a refreshner, in short, the whole story of Dilan 1990 is how a warlord of a motorbike gang meet a cute, sweet and smart girl who just move from Jakarta to Bandung. The movie is full of cheesy and absurd flirts, and silly romance of how Dilan win Milea’s heart. Still coated with many cheesy pick-up lines, the romance of Dilan and Milea is still the main plot of Dilan 1991.
The sequel shows more about the reality of relationship with all of its conflict instead of the sweety happily-ever-after love story. But the problem is that the conflicts are flat and hard to relate for a teenage romance. The flirts and pick-up lines are still there but they are becoming more and more boring.
The plot seems doesn’t have a focus, too many things and problems exists without any strong understanding of how do they happen. We can see Milea has a problem with Dilan’s activity to a bike gang, the story of Milea with Yugo (Jerome Kurnia), Milea and Kang Adi (Refal Hady), Dilan and how he is running away from home, and Milea’s strong relationship with Dilan’s mother (Ira Wibowo).
Dilan 1991 have two new strong potential characters, Yugo and Pak Dedi. The conflict that arise with Yugo’s character can actually make the whole plot has more ups-and-downs and shows that Dilan finally has a rival, a nice and warm-hearted guy. But with how Yugo is depicted, he is just like an ordinary cameo.
Pak Dedi (Ence Bagus) also has a great potential to become a funny character and comic relief of the whole story. The teacher of Indonesian language and letters who fall in love with his student. But yet, he is not funny at all and doesn’t give any impact to the movie.
The romance of Dilan and Milea is still the only one selling point of this movie, but it’s not as fresh as its predecessor. Still sugarcoated with sweet and cheesy lines from Dilan, a bad boy who loves to write poetry, Dilan 1991 is not poetic at all but more likely pathetic.
Although Dilan 1990 and Dilan 1991 are just subpar movies, but the movies are success in convincing the audience that Dilan is not just some boy and Milea is not just some girl. They are becoming a part of pop-culture. Just like Galih – Ratna, Rangga – Cinta, the story of Dilan and Milea might also transcend time and generation.
Our Score (6/10)
Title : Dilan 1991
Directed by : Fajar Bustomi, Pidi Baiq
Production : Max Pictures
Screenplay : Titien Wattimena, Pidi Baiq
Original Story : Dilan 1991 (Novel by Pidi Baiq)
Casts : Iqbaal Ramadhan, Vanesha Prescilla, Jerome Kurnia, Refal Hady, Ira Wibowo, Happy Salma, Farha
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