[Review XN] CINTA ITU BUTA

"Do you know how different you are from seaweed? If the seaweed contains nutrients, if you contain our children later. "

Usually, we see comics with a sense of eccentric humor, Dodit Mulyanto, in the ranks of supporting players in feature films to act as comic relief. But the Love That Blind casting team turned out to see the great potential of a Dodit. Instead of putting him in supporting roles, they gave Dodit the chance to show off at the front guard. No half-hearted, the film that recruits the comic as the main role, is in the realm of romantic comedy. A real shock, isn't it? Like some of you, I didn't expect Dodit to have a crucial role in this genre. Moreover, he is not the prince charming or bad boy type who often dominates the romance in the cinema of the country. So, what do you want to put forward? Well, reflecting on the companion, Shandy Aulia, and the title put forward, the audience can actually grope the narration and message that the spectacle is about to convey. Based on the best-selling Filipino film titled Kita Kita (2017), the film which marks Rachmania Arunita's return to the directing chair after last working on Lost in Love (2008) applies the "beauty and the beast" template. At the same time, the film also tried to deliver a moral message that was quite touching saying "true love is not a matter of appearance, but about sincerity and empathy" which immediately made this self interested in trying it out.

The main character who moves the wheel of storytelling in Cinta Itu Blind is a tour guide named Diah (Shandy Aulia) who has lived in Busan, South Korea, for the past few years. At first glance, Diah seemed to have a perfect life and was coveted by many people. He is financially well established, he seems to enjoy his work, and he has an intimate love affair with a local man, Jun-ho (Chae In-woo), who works as a photographer. Simply, what else is missing from Diah's life? Looking all right on the surface, it turns out that Diah feels something is up in her relationship with Jun-ho. Even though the two are engaged, Jun-ho never takes Diah to the altar and continues to look for reasons to avoid. One night, Diah learned the real reason: the fiance had an affair with a good friend who also came from Indonesia. Surrounded by a deep disappointment, stress is also upon our protagonist which then leads to temporary blindness. For a few moments, Diah chose to disappear from the 'circulation' until then she got an unexpected visit from a humorous man from Indonesia, Nik (Dodit Mulyanto). Nik's presence was initially considered disturbing by Diah who was already hurt by men. But Nik's always cheerful and funny demeanor slowly but surely began to melt down Diah, who actually needed a friend to accompany him who was afflicted with pain and loneliness.

On paper, Love is Blind indeed sounds promising. There is an unusual love story between a blind woman and a humorous man, there is a beautiful view of South Korea that has the potential to add to the romantic impression, and there is Dodit Mulyanto who often steals the attention with the quietness in previous films. In addition, the source material, namely Kita Kita, is indeed very handsome (go watch it, guys!). So when I went to the cinema, my hopes were counted high ... and it turned out, that wasn't a wise decision, ladies and gentlemen. Love Is Blind It is not a bad film, but it is also difficult to call it a love film that carries a good impression. There are a lot of elements that fail to work well here, especially in the drama and romance sector, which are actually vital for this genre. The only thing that went according to expectations was the intake of the comedy - thanks to Dodit. I like Dodit who appeared comfortable as Nik here where he was welcome to maintain his trademark: Javanese man with medok accent and eccentric sense of humor. I burst out laughing at his behavior, I also burst out laughing at the full babble of his joke. As a result, the best moments the film had were when Nik entered Diah's chaotic life. Starting with the "alarm" in the morning to wake up the idol of the heart, exchange dialogues containing strange idioms, to take a walk together to visit the tourist sites.

Admittedly, Dodit is indeed skilled in delivering jokes. But when the film asks him to make out with Shandy Aulia and position him in a dramatic moment, he tends to stutter. His overly silly character made me never really be convinced that Nik had a genuine love for Diah. He looks like just a crush on a normal, he looks just want to find a chat partner to pour out anxiety, and sometimes he looks to steal the opportunity instead of sincerely helping Diah. There is no expression or gesture that implies it. It was Shandy who looked really smitten, even though he was troubled when Dodit was not beside him. Shouldering the burden of drama, unfortunately Shandy is not fluent in emotional processing (plus not fluent in Korean which makes it very strange considering the character's background). Some scenes that should have been able to invite tears and sympathy of the audience to the character Diah, was felt just like that because the delivery is too flat. Coupled with an unstable narration rate - sometimes smooth, sometimes sluggish, sometimes rushed - and the decision to play it safe in ending the narrative makes Love the Blind even more difficult to bring the audience drifting into Nik's love story with Diah. Indeed, I was still entertained by him with all the laughter he gave. But since Love Is Blind set itself in the realm of romantic comedy, then of course I need more than laughter. I long for the warmth, sweetness, and of course the tears-inviting moment. And the three of them, really, dear, I didn't get here. In fact, I found a sense of boredom and awkwardness that was actually not expected to exist.

Acceptable (2.5 / 5)