I enjoyed Story of Kale: When Someone’s in Love (2020) Maybe more than the majority of other viewers. Need to make? No, but still a solid complement to the Later We Tell About Today universe, as well as proof of Visinema’s foresight in developing the franchise. Story of Dinda: Second Chance of Happiness is a different case.
Like milk, Later We Tell About Today (2020) is milked with qualified techniques, also from quality cows, while Story of Kale is an effort to collect leftover milk that is still fit for consumption. But in Story of Dinda, the milk is completely dry, and the milker keeps pushing until the cow moans with magic, while she scavenges the milk that is scattered on the ground. Best Movie Site
According to Angga Dwimas Sasongko, from the beginning Visinema had intended to tell the story from two perspectives. Witnessing the unhealthy relationship between Kale (Ardhito Pramono) and Dinda (Aurelie Moeremans) in the previous film, do you need another explanation regarding the reason Dinda ended their romance? If so, how significant is the new perspective?
Apparently in the midst of her conflict with Kale, Dinda meets Pram (Abimana Aryasatya), a friend of Nina (Cantika Abigail), who is the sister of Argo (Arya Saloka), Dinda’s abusive lover in Story of Kale. Pram already has a wife, but his marriage is in trouble. Pram has feelings, and so does Dinda, who learns about the importance of one’s own happiness from this charismatic man.
Yes, that’s all the content of the scenario created by M. Irfan Ramli (Love for Sale, Generation 90s: Melancholia, Story of Kale). Can it lead to an in-depth exploration of relationships and self-love? Of course you can, but the presentation is very shallow. No wonder the film only runs for 59 minutes. Top Movie
Told using a non-linear plot, which continues to move between the past when Dinda and Pram just met, and the present when Pram invites Dinda to live a new life with him in Germany. They talk, talk, talk, to exchange worries.
There is a lot of chatter, but minimal dialectic. Pram teaches Dinda to pursue her own happiness, Dinda compares Kale who is possessive with Pram who gives him freedom. The conversation stagnates in these contexts, packaged in a repetitive manner, like a 5-10 minute sequence that keeps repeating and is forced to roll many times longer.
Why did Dinda finally end her relationship with Kale? Because she realized that her happiness is also important, which Dinda has understood since the first half of the film. There are no stages regarding the process of Dinda learning to understand, then accept it. Even if Story of Dinda were made into a short film with a duration of 20 minutes, there would be no significant changes.
I fully support the intention of making a profit through franchising. Through sequels, spin-offs, and so on. I also think that OTT treats should be simple, short, so that they can be enjoyed while relaxing at home. But Story of Dinda has crossed the line. It’s no exaggeration to call it “outrageous”.
The script is shallow, while in the director’s chair, Ginanti Rona (Midnight Show, Son of Hockey) also doesn’t add strength to the story (even with the material obtained, it would be difficult to do more). The only savior is the Abimana-Aurelie duo. Their interactions are easy to follow, sometimes it makes me forget that the conversation is repetitive. Especially Abimana, who, despite his two-year absence from acting since Gundala, is still captivating with his trademark “shady” speech. Abimana is still my favorite Indonesian actor, and is also the best element of this film, but please, don’t make a Story of Pram if the production is forced to scavenge milk scraps like this. Movie Review