Joni's Promise

Joni carries film reels. The cinemas in Jakarta share the same print; as a reel ends in one house a man on a motorcycle takes it and gets it to the next. Joni does this work and has never been late. That day he sees a girl in the queue. She does not ask his name but takes a promise: the film will start on time. Joni sets off. The motorcycle breaks down. Then the reel is stolen. Then he is caught in a funeral procession, walks into a wedding, meets a thief and gets tangled with a group of students. The clock moves on. Joko Anwar writes and directs; it is his first feature. Nicholas Saputra plays Joni; Mariana Renata and Rachel Maryam are in the cast. It is an Indonesian production. The narrative takes place within a single day and moves as a chase. It is episodic; every obstacle is a separate encounter and the characters stay in one scene. The film was counted among the early works of a new generation in Indonesian cinema. The matter it treats is a promise; the film carries it on a simple premise. Jakarta is an obstacle inside the narrative; the traffic, the crowds and the sprawl are the plot itself. The film also records how the cinemas worked at that time. The narrative keeps its humour light and does not go bleak. Its limit is depth; the narrative stays on the surface, the characters are thin, and the ending sweet. Who it is for: viewers who like Indonesian cinema and narratives set over one day. Who it is not for: it is episodic, simple, and the ending easy.