Layla Majnun
LAYLA MAJNUN [2021]
Starring: Acha Septriasa, Reza Rahadian, Baim Wong
Direction by Monty Tiwa, Story based off Layla & Majnun by Nizami Ganjavi
Language: Bahasa (Indonesian)
Every time I feel as if I have exhausted all the good movies in the world, all it takes is a quick search on Netflix to find a whole new array of movies in a new, exotic language. If you couldn't already tell, that is exactly what happened in the case of this movie. A quick search for Indonesia on Netflix, and I am presented with a rom-com (albeit slightly more dramatic than Hollywood rom-coms) that could give the Bridget Jones series a run for its money.
A melding of two vastly different cultures, not just different to my own, but so different to each other is always something that is tricky to pull off in any movie. Indonesian cultural norms and Azerbaijani norms are vastly different, and somehow Monty Tiwa managed to make it work. Who could have thought that an Indonesian film from a fledgling industry could manage to so seamlessly incorporate the nuances of culture in a movie, when movies from more established industries can barely achieve this target.
There's a reason that movies like this can be appreciated by foreign audiences: the core values of faith, loyalty, expectation, duty, and intrigue are almost universal, and resonate with the lionshare of viewers these days. This is in spite of the otherwise average film. It was the message, and the way that a timeless story was interpreted in such a fresh content that was the reason I loved it.
The writing was predictable (you could guess that after reading the original story anyways, so I doubt that it was really the fault of the writers). And, although the ending of the original poem ended tragically, we finally had what could be assumed to be a happy ending! I've been watching so many films that end tragically that I was relieved to have been left light at the end of seeing one.
This interpretation was a story of empowerment: of a woman obliged to her familial duty manages to navigate a foreign land, and fall in love with a perfect stranger. For a very conservative, religious audience in Indonesia, that is a huge step in including progressive themes within their industry's films!
Whilst the audiences gush of Rahadian, for me it was Septriasa who gave the best performance here. It may not be an Oscar winner, but it was so nice to finally have a female protagonist who ends up getting what she wants. Layla's character is a demanding one, and Septriasa was able to really manipulate the core ideas of the original poem, and apply them to this modern, foreign concept! Keeping something so true to the original, especially considering that these creations have been made several centuries apart is exceptional: she should be the envy of Hollywood actors/actresses who have tried and failed to pull off the performance of truly timeless characters.
It may not be an Oscar winner, but I enjoyed it. Maybe I should start watching some more Indonesian films!
8.5/10
