Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

A story of love and journey of reconciliation between a religious daughter and an estranged transvestite father over the course of one night in the streets of Jakarta. It gives a very interesting perspective from two different angles and doesn't sugar coat anything. The film kept it real with respect of emotions, truth and the bond between the two. The story is simple. A 199 year old girl Cahaya, a deeply religious person with strong Islamic values comes to Jakarta to meet her estranged father who left her when she was four. She somehow has an address for him. To her complete surprise, the father she is looking for turns out to be the face of a stranger, a transvestite man named Ipuy, working as a prostitute in the streets at night. In the initial minutes after encountering each other, both are shocked at the turn of evens. The innocent Cahaya is crushed at her father's choices and hesitant. But over the course of the night they wander in the streets of Jakarta until the dawn a...

I actually never knew and to behest, didn't expect to see an Indonesian film with gay characters at its center. The film released almost 19 years back, so I can only imagine what a scandal it must have been to release this in mainstream cinema. Compared to other Asian countries, whose tolerance for LGBTQ members is much higher and accepted, countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are still struggling. The film is primarily about two best friends. Meimei is a successful working woman married to an equally successful man. But them not having children is starting to cause e stress in their relationship. We then meet Sakti, a young charming man, one of the most eligible bachelors in town, her colleague. Sakti has been dealing with his gay feelings and has been seeing a psychiatrist for this. Although he does a good job of portraying himself straight. A grow pf successful wealthy housewives have a weekly/monthly gathering where they gossip and Meimei is invited to these gathering. One day...