Arisan!

Arisan! is telling us about three people whose befriend since their in high school. Now, in their thirty something age, they are supposedly mature enough to gain their own personal life. They are good looking, success, rich and happy, or aren't they? Memey (Cut Mini) is a successful business woman and marrying a handsome and successful husband. Her friend Sakti (Tora Sudiro) is her co-worker and state as an eligible bachelor. Meanwhile Andien (Aida Nurmala) is a devoted housewife to her twice older husband and her children. Their life seems perfect, until when they join a social gathering call Arisan, their secret is unfolded and their friendship is at a risk.

Arisan! is a satire about "A" class society and hypocritical that used to veil their life. The direction form Nia DiNata is a first class. The plot is build well and the progress of the characters development is stunning. Both comedy and drama are sufficient enough and the photography is subtle and contributing much for the whole film. The mood is constant on the track to make this a truly winner, both as an entertain package and social critique. The one thing nuisance me that Arisan! is running on a slow pace, but at least it doesn't make a big bother.

If you just looking for a simple entertainer, you may think twice to watch Arisan!, but is very recommended to whose want to enjoy a good picture with quality and absolutely not a B-rate movie.

9/10

Exiting times in Indonesia! two Indonesian films defeate the 3rd movie in 'The Matrix' Trilogy. But the one that everyone's eyes are at is 'Arisan!'. 3 Close friends live a normal life, that is, at first look. After a while we see them strugle with unhappiness in different forms. Meimei hears from her Doctor that she won't be able to become pregnant and sees her husband run away. Andien's husband slept with someone else, and Sakti -who is gay- is afraid that his mother or best friend Meimei might find out that he is.

Well, she finds out, but in a way he never imagined she would.

This film is the first BIG HIT in Indonesia where it is all about 'coming out'. Sakti and Nino will learn that in modern Indonesia, being gay is as normal as in other countries (far from the reality, but common in some areas of Indonesia).

Screaming girls in the cinema when Sakti and Nino first kiss. No sensor in Indosia, and that is surprising!!

Over all, this film is not only good because it doesn't show any stereo type Indonesian gays (mostly transsexuals or overacting feminate gays), but two people like everone else. It is also a film technically quite good, although the editing could have been better.

Two thumbs up for Arisan!

The life of hedonism people in big city like Jakarta always fill with brand minded,Sex after lunch and dirty talk.When all the housewives,career women and young mommy are being together,everything is all about something "adult material contents".In ARisan!Nia Dinata discover all of it.The Honest,The truth and the reality.Things that never been thought before,nowadays just become "the usual behavior" of socialite high-class mothers and women.The great,exceptional and smart directing by NYU alumni Nia Dinata made this one as the best and most favourite comedy-drama ever.Even this movie got award for "the best movie of 2004" by FFI(Indonesian Film Festival).Cut Mini Theo showed her great talented as Memey,a confusing career smart woman.Tora Sudiro gave his stunning and incredible performance as Sakti,A gay city worker.And Aida Nurmala seems looks so unbelievable-excellent act ever played by newcomer as Andien,a desperate glamour housewife.However,Whenever and Whatever the days you'll be through it,spend your time for a while to watch this movie.Cause,It's the most important movie of all time.It's about city life,It's about socialite and it's about you...I give grade 10 of 10.Viva Arisan!

a fresh & clever movie, finally some good screen adaptation on the wealthy indonesian pop culture life style, this movie is in some way light on the outside but heavy on the inside has an entertaining & intelligent shape all in one, a wake up call for the indonesian film and especially soap opera industry that the theme of entertainment for the people is rising to a higher level of standards.

what amazed me is this film still taste & feel ( in a ethical philosophical way) indonesian not abducted like janji jony which doesn't taste indonesian, so the concept of arisan is indonesianized of American not the other way around, which in the day ahead creates its own special tone for the indonesian movies industry, that point i think deserves a respect

bravo.., Ms nia dinata you have done an exiting breakthrough trough your innovative well crafted quality movie, that i hope will stimulate the birth of another high creativity & intellect movies in the near future, salute.....

"No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world"

• john keating, death poet society

ARISAN (The Gathering) is a fine little story about the ins and outs of Jakarta's wealthy class - sort of an Indonesian Beverly Hills 90210/Melrose Place sitcom. The characters include frustrated wives, jealous wives, career women, cheating husbands, man-hunter girls, and two gay men - one closeted and one open. The film explores the social dictates of society and the jumbled events that occur when family or friends try to match make.

The cast is young and attractive and handles the material well. The problem with the film is the emphasis on clothes, fancy homes, cars, and all the trappings of the wealthy class. An 'arisan' is a gathering where friends come together, pitch in $100. each and pass the hostessing around to various locales where their main conversation is fairly shallow gossiping. But this film, though drowning in the over-the-top trappings, has many sensitive issues well discussed and played. For a film from Indonesia it is a terrific change from the usual horror flicks that originate from their studios and as such bodes well for a new movie industry that obviously has the ability to become important. It is funny, tender, very colorful and entertaining: some judicious editing could have pared this overly long movie into a fine little film. In Indonesian and English with subtitles. Grady Harp