The Indonesian film industry has taken Nirina Zubir for granted. Despite two decades of professional acting under her belt, Zubir has rarely been appraised in the same regard as the more exalted thespians such as Ladya Cheryl or Cut Mini Theo. The 43-year-old actress later delivered her most compelling work to date as the terror-stricken mother in 2021’s Paranoia. Unfortunately, as evident in the film’s tragically brief theatrical run, no one really noticed.
Then, along came Zubir’s most game-changing project yet: Falling in Love Like in Movies. And Zubir’s translucent performance becomes the all-important beating heart that centers her director’s tornado of ambitions.
Directed and written by Yandy Laurens, Falling tells the story of a film screenwriter named Bagus (Ringgo Agus Rahman) who attempts to pen his first-ever original screenplay by having his old friend from high school, Hana (Zubir) as his secret muse. Now in their 40s, Bagus and Hana’s chemistry is instant, comfy and drama-free. Unfortunately, Hana’s recent status as a widow provides complications for Bagus’ love story – both in reality and on his script pages.
It is palpable how Laurens attempts to chase so many rabbits throughout Falling. He wants to romance the audience. He wants to make them laugh. He wants to shatter their preconceived expectations. He wants to mesmerise them with grayscale cinematography that is so pristine it could have impressed Fellini. He wants to poke fun at everything that is wrong with the film industry, from the ongoing ageism to La La Land’s depressing ending. Here, most of Laurens’ creative pursuits find great success. However, they come at one cataclysmic price.
Falling impeccably showcases Laurens’ intelligence and precision as a filmmaker, but it fails to reflect who he is as a humanist. Laurens’ humour is razor sharp, but once the laughter subsides, none of them actually contribute any consequential value to either the love story or the more philosophical questions Falling aims to answer. Laurens’ quick-witted, spitfire dialogues are exemplary, but as they grow more excessive, the novelty soon wears off and most of Laurens’ characters deteriorate into becoming skin-deep mouthpieces. Yes, thanks to Laurens’ kinetic direction, Falling remains a feel-good, cinematic experience. But is it a compelling one that provides a fresh insight into what it means to be human? Not really.
At the very least, Falling proves that the 41-year-old Ringgo Agus Rahman has not allowed age to deteriorate his charm. Rahman takes Laurens’ lengthy words in stride, even when some of his acting choices are less revelatory and more rudimentary. Among the supporting cast, Sheila Dara Aisha shines the brightest as she seamlessly blends in with Laurens’ offbeat vision. Conversely, Alex Abbad, desperate to provide hilarity by slaughtering his natural charisma, is a massive misfire.