Monday, May 14, 2018

Rainbirds Clarissa Goenawan

A Murder Mystery in Rainy Night
Review by Fitrah Tanzil



It was around September 2017, when I first saw Clarissa Goenawan on comment coloum in Eka Kurniawan fanpage. I got curiosity and than click her page. She's a writer too. She was born in Indonesia and now became citizen of Singapore. Her Facebook wall recently update about crime fiction. And then BOOM!! Rainbirds is coming. Is murder mystery that written in english, set in 90s Japan city, and first printed out by US publisher Soho Press. It exceedingly thrilled me. 


Synopsis


Rainbirds tell about Ren Ishida, young graduate bachelor from English Literature in Keio University (Huh, one of highly prestige campus on Japan).  Bad news come, his sister, Keiko Ishida die from knife attack in little town -distant from Tokyo- called Akakawa. it happen on the rainy night without even one witness or track of the killer. Then, Ren decide to go to Akakawa, arrange furneral for his sister.



He company by his sister collage Honda, an exentric math teacher with sport sedan like driver in Initial D.

Flashback story, relationship between Ren and his sister Keiko became long vague distant, after she's moving to Akakawa. Ren only speak with her via telephone, talk about his ordinary life in half duplex communication. He doesn’t know, what his sister life on Akakawa. Doesn’t know if she have a boy friend or even married with someone or soon in there. Than Ren decide to go to that little town. To stay and investigated what is really happen to her sister.

He stay in his sister old flat, work in same high school, and saunter in same street she's through too. Story goes in long road and slow pace. Ren doesn't know how to start the investigate from. He actually doesn't read any detective novel or even attracted to criminal investigation. And then story goes to the questions. Is it he go to Akakawa for investigate his late sister? Or to find what is something ever lost from his heart??


The Review

Few of my friend called Rainbirds a murder mystery novel, other call it family drama or sorrowful romance with Japanese fiction setting, and the other call it to be successor of Haruki Murakami traditions. Oh well, everybody have their own interpretation of Rainbirds. For me, this story about introvert man whom contempt under the rainy weather. Man who doesn’t what to do, where to go, and than deside to disappear in place that he never known. Or maybe he just boring about his life and want to find a new world. World that he can let go his own grieved past  To go lost and to find his unwounded soul back.


Talk about character

Ren Ishida, the main character. An interovert man with cool attitude, smart, moody, and lack of spirit. He lost his sister and feel guilty. So, for the next six month, he killing the time by becoming english teacher, due to find what is really happen to his sister. Downward, this character is lack of agressivity. I think, if he has more effort, skill, and spirit to investigate his sister death. Maybe I will give this book 5 star.

Rio Nakajima, the side kick of the main character. An eccentric high school girl, who like to stealing bubble gum, rainy day, and smoke Seven Star cigarette. And because that, in the whole novel she's called the Seven Star girl by the protagonist naration. From interview with Clarissa, Rio is her favorite charater in this novel. A brave young and agresive girl, whom can do anything that other girl hasn't nerve to do it.

And then Honda, a man who have guts more than Ren. He is math teacher, whom smart, and know many thing. Automobile enthusiasm and have style like mafia in noir novel. I think, its more interisting if Honda go down to the road and investigating Keiko's death it self.

Mr. Katou, old conservative politician, whom has big mansion, that late Keiko Ishida have been living there in Akakawa. From first I saw him, Katou is red herring in this story. Have deep dark secret in his past, that he trying to buried it. But, I knew from the beginning that he is not the killer, hihihi.

The rest of other is vague and mediocre. Jin an old college friend of Ren Ishida, a lady in kimono, a collage in highschool, even the father of the Seven Star, whom has the covert connection with the late victim (ohw, I'm spoiling in it).


About murder plotting

From the beginning my brain had a reflects in what is really happen to Keiko Ishida. I'm made the prediction automaticly. Who's the culprit? Is it man or women? Is it one or many vugitive? And than what the motive of the murder? Is it conneted to romance relationship or is about heir and money? Or is about political, conspiracy, and so on?

Is it one single murder or is become serial killing? Is there any witness in crime scene or she die alone without anyone saw it? And what crime officer found ther? Is there any track of clue or trace of evidence that connect to the murderer or isn't there anything?

Than more I turn the page, more I realize that all of my prediction are wrong.

I drop on my own thinking. Like James Moriarty said. "I know you fall to, that's your weakness. You always want everything to be clever! Now shall we finish the game." I don't want to spoiling it, but honestly the ending in –this novel– surprise me. Clarissa is really brilliant for stuffing the clues one by one in every chapter on Rainbirds. Like hand's photo model, aw dunk, I almost spoiler. But lucky, not every mystery is solved it in this books.


The Conlusion

For me, what thrilling dramatic about this book is; who Clarissa wrote about Japan setting and culture, like she's really native Japanese. And all my friend said, she's inspired successor of Haruki Murakami.

But, when I turning the pages, she's reminds me of Soji Shimada; The Tokyo Zodiac. The main character run from Tokyo to Kyoto and other little town there, searching for the clue, who is the real murderer. The atmosphere is mild, humid, and petrichor. Maybe I buy this book match with the rain season and melancholy of Jakarta, hahaha. 

For me this book rate is 80 scale of 100, alias 4 star from 5. Highly recommended, especially the english version, hihihi.



Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War

Film Raksasa Ungu Yang Menghajar Para Jagoan
Review by Ftrohx


Peringatan, tulisan di bawah ini mengandung spoiler.

Dua minggu sudah berlalu -sejak tayang perdana di bioskop- dan rasanya semua penggemar Marvel Cinematic Universe sudah pada lihat film ini. Jadilah, ya, sudah saatnya saya review blak-blakan, hahaha.


Sinopsis

Film ini dibuka dengan kehancuran. Thanos muncul langsung di pesawat penyelamat Asgardian dan langsung membantai seluruh penghuninya. Mayat-mayat bergelimpangan di lantai dan Thor sudah bonyok tak berdaya.


"In time you'll know what it like to lose. To feel so desperately that you right, yet to fail all the same," kata-kata pamungkas sang monster.

Lalu Hulk bangkit dan menghajar Thanos. Sayang, kekuataan raksasa hijau, kalah dengan seni beladiri milik si raksasa ungu. (Haduh, ini spoiler habis). Tapi syukurnya, Heimdall berhasil mengirim Hulk ke bumi sebelum pesawat tersebut diledakkan dengan Power Stone.

Tanpa memberi napas ke penonton, babak selanjutnya langsung di buka di kota New York. 

Hulk jatuh di markasnya Doctor Strange dan Strange langsung mencari Tony Stark. Dan Aaaaaaaaa, tiba-tiba di menit selanjutnya -setelah kedatangan Hulk/Banner- pertempuran langsung terjadi.  Dua anak buah Thanos -haduh lupa nama mereka- menyerang kota New York dan meminta Doctor Strange menyerahkan Time Stone.  Terjadi pertarungan yang cukup merusak beberapa blok di kota. Hingga kemudian si Squidward berhasil menangkap Doctor Strange dan membawanya ke pesawat alien.

Yang keren, Tony Stark dengan baju Ironman barunya berhasil mengejar Donat Raksasa -hingga ruang angkasa- dan menyusup ke dalamnya bersama Spiderman.

Lalu berpindah ke tempat lain di Skotlandia atau Irlandia (saya rada lupa). Di mana Vision dan Scarlet Witch berada. Mereka jadi sepasang kekasih yang saling melindungi. Lalu saat berada di sebuah station, tiba-tiba anak buah Thanos menyerah. Vision ditusuk dari belakang dengan tombak dan jadilah sebuah pertarungan sengit dua lawan dua. Sampai mereka terdesak di station bawah tanah. Tiba-tiba muncul Captain America, Black Widow, dan Falcon. Tim Ex-Avengers menang melawan dua anak buah Thanos yang langsung kabur keluar angkasa.

Selanjutnya. Ah, saya nggak ingin spoiler. Yang pasti, Thanos berhasil merebut semua Infinity Stone dari penjuru semesta.


Review

Pertama Tentang Plot dan Joke.

Film ini padat dari awal sampai akhir. Bukan cuma padat oleh para pemain-pemain papan atas Hollywood. Tapi juga pada dalam hal plot dan pertempuran yang silih berganti, tapi memberi ruang penonton untuk bernapas. Keren-keren banget sebenarnya, meski ada beberapa hal yang tidak seperti ekspektasi saya. Seperti, uhm, saya nungguin banget joke Sherlock Holmes di sini, namun sayang tidak ada. Begitu pula dengan prediksi saya tentang kematian Tony Stark ataupun Captain America, ternyata itu tidak terjadi. Iya, permasalahannya waktu dan plotnya terlalu sempit. Saya yakin banyak adegan-adegan penting yang dipotong, termasuk pertemuan kembali Bruce Banner dengan Black Widow dan persiapan Banner dengan Hulkbuster-nya. 


Lalu tentang Joke

Saya berharap banget ada joke tentang Sherlock di film ini -antara Tony Stark dan Doctor Strange- sayangnya, huh, tidak ada. Lalu ada Guardian of the Galaxy, geng ini, iya, biasa membuat joke yang ramah-temeh untuk menghibur penonton di tengah ketegangan. Namun sayangnya, saya nggak begitu related dengan mereka. Sedikit bocoran, di sini mereka terbagi menjadi dua; yang satu membantu Thor menemukan senjata baru untuk mengalahkan Thanos dan yang lain mencari infintiy stone -yang sayangnya sudah keduluan sama Thanos. Dan iya, saya suka melihat mereka semua, jadi abu di film ini, hahaha.


Kedua Tentang Karakter

Mungkin penggemar MCU yang lain bakal ngamuk-ngamuk baca review ini.


Tapi sungguh saya suka bagaimana mereka menempatkan para tokohnya dengan begitu tepat. Terutama Captain America, hahaha, di sini dia cuma jadi secondary character. Dia cukup membantu, tapi tidak cukup untuk -tepatnya jauh- untuk mengalahkan Thanos. Doctor Strange, Aaaaaaaaaa, setengah dari film ini adalah panggungnya dia. Nggak ingin spoiler, tapi Strange di sini jauh lebih kuat dari pada Strange di film sebelumnya. Ironman, beuh, banyak hal yang dia upgrade dari baju tempurnya. Dan Ironman punya pedang kayak Optimus Prime. Eh, Strange juga punya deng, hahaha.

Hulk cuma muncul di awal dan menghilang. Selebihnya, Bruce Banner yang mengambil peran. Dan tepat seperti predksi saya, orang yang berada di balik HulkBuster di pertempuran Wakanda adalah Bruce Banner. Thor juga keren, dia mengambil sepertiga panggung di film ini. And dia punya peran penting di bagian akhir film. By the way, siapa yang butuh Superman; jikalau kamu sudah punya Thor, Strange, dan Scarlet Witch, hihihi. Lalu tentang Thanos, nyaris separuh film ini adalah tentang dirinya. Si monster dengan rasa empati sekaligus kegilaan untuk membantai umat manusia. Sosok dengan motif yang sangat mencengangkan. Lalu karakter, hmm, pasukannya Thanos hebat, tapi entah kenapa kurang memorable atau mungkin karena scene mereka terlalu sedikit. Mungkin karena pertempurannya terlalu padat dan cepat.


Tentang Pertempuran di film ini.

Huh, grande.

Film ini di buka dengan pertarungan di pesawat penyelamat Asgardian. Hulk versus Thanos, di mana Thanos berhasil menang dengan Wing Chun-nya, hahaha. Lalu ini bagian yang saya suka, pertempuran Doctor Strange versus Proxima Midnight dan aksi penyelamatan mereka di donut raksasa.

Itu juga keren banget cinematography-nya.

Tapi panggung utamanya adalah pertempuran maut Doctor Strange dan Ironman melawan Thanos. Ada sih Guardian of the Galaxy juga, tapi mereka cuma kayak upil di sana. Spoiler, di sini Strange dan Ironman keren banget. Mereka gunakan semua jurus dan persenjataan terbaik yang mereka punya. Tapi pada akhirnya Thanos tetap menang dan mengambil infinity stone dari Strange. Oh iya, satu line yang superkeren dari Thanos. “All of this just for one single blood,” ucapnya pada Ironman (dan kawan-kawan) yang bertempur habis-habisan mengeluarkan segenap kekuatannya, huhuhu.

Lalu babak terakhir pertempuran di Wakanda.

Pertempurannya cukup hebat -meski nggak segrande pertempuran di planet Titan- di sini kekuatan Wakanda nyaris kalah dibanding pasukan monster milik Thanos. Syukurnya, Scarlet Witch turun tangan dan membalik keadaan. Lalu ada pula muncul dengan kekuatan barunya. Demi Tuhan mereka keren banget. Dan saya setuju, bahwa Thor-lah Superman dalam semesta Marvel Cinematic Universe. Oh iya, satu lagi yang hampir saya lupa. Captain America cuma bertahan satu detik lawan Thanos, hahaha. Sungguh, saya senang banget sama bagian yang itu. Bahwa modal ganteng aja nggak cukup untuk mengalahkan Thanos, wakakakak.


Konklusi

Untuk plotnya saya kasih 80, coz sangat simpel. Sedangkan untuk karakter saya kasih 85, sebab mereka mendevelope dengan sangat bagus, dan pertempurannya 92. Jadi total nilai untuk film ini versi saya, adalah 86 skala 100. Highly recommended.

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