Movie Review Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 (2016)

 

Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 | 2016 | 2h 3m
Genre: Drama/Romance | Country: Indonesia
Director: Riri Riza | Writers: Mira Lesmana, Prima Rusdi
Cast: Nicholas Saputra, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Titi Kamal
IMDB: 7.3
My Rate: 10/10

An unexpected reunion between Rangga and Cinta to resolve unresolved issues and misunderstandings from 14 years ago, after their love story didn't end well, reopens the box of feelings that had long been tightly locked.

 

Warning:

Contains sensual scenes, violence, and strong language.

 
Synopsis:

Cinta (Dian Sastrowardoyo) meets with her friends to welcome back Karmen (Adinia Wirasti) who has just recovered from drug addiction. On this occasion, Cinta makes a surprising announcement to her friends, that she has accepted her boyfriend Trian's (Ario Bayu) proposal. Milly and Maura are very happy to hear this news, but Karmen can't hide her worry.

On the other hand, Rangga (Nicholas Saputra), who is still living in New York and running a cafe with his friend, is visited by his step-sister who asks Rangga to come home. His sister asks Rangga to meet his mother in Yogyakarta. Rangga, who is disappointed with his mother's departure when he was a teenager, still carries a deep wound. However, his coworker suggests that Rangga return to Indonesia to resolve the issues he's been suppressing.

Memories of Cinta and his feelings make Rangga decide to return to Indonesia. The first thing he does is go to Cinta's house, but it turns out that Cinta no longer lives there. Rangga then decides to go straight to Yogyakarta.

Cinta and her friends are on vacation in Yogyakarta at that time. Karmen and Milly accidentally see Rangga in the city and try to follow him until they find out where he's staying. After talking to Rangga, Karmen and Milly finally tell Cinta about Rangga's whereabouts. Karmen hopes that Cinta will meet Rangga and resolve the misunderstanding between them. However, Karmen and Cinta end up having a big fight.

The marriage problems she's experiencing, Karmen doesn't want Cinta to go through the same thing and get regrets. This is why Karmen asks Cinta to meet Rangga. After arguing with Karmen, Cinta finally agrees to meet Rangga to get the closure she deserves.

Rangga and Cinta finally meet. They talk to each other. They try to unravel all the misunderstandings one by one. Feelings between them resurface, nostalgic memories come back to the surface. Cinta, who initially planned to return before dinner, gets caught up in their reunion. They talk and talk until it's way past their planned time. On the other hand, her friends are confused because Trian keeps trying to call Cinta.

Will Cinta sacrifice her relationship with Trian?

 

Review:

Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 is a continuation of Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (2002). Not 1 or 2 years, but 14 years have passed since the second sequel of the film was made. The first film can be said to have ended well, but it might still leave a question mark about the continuation of their long-distance relationship. This second film provides an answer to that.

Presenting a different form of love becomes its own challenge. The age of the actors, who are no longer teenagers, indirectly also gives a more mature form of love between the two. The conflicts raised are no longer 'trivial' teenage conflicts, but more complex than before.

Most of the main actors are still present to enliven this film. Unfortunately, Ladya Cheryl couldn't participate in this second film. However, the character wasn't simply removed. The writer cleverly covered it up by making Alya's character in this film die in an accident. So, the story continues well without any plot holes.

Alya's absence, who actually played a significant role in AADC 1, is replaced by Karmen. Unlike AADC 1 where Cinta and Alya have the most stories and conflicts in the film, AADC 2 focuses more on the conflict between Cinta and Karmen, but the other actors also get a fair amount of spotlight.

The story is presented systematically and is easy to follow. Character development, issues, and conflicts are done well. The story also ends well.

This film can be watched separately from the first film because the story connection isn't very tight. But, for those who want to know the depth of the story between Cinta and Rangga, you can start by watching AADC 1 first. This will help you understand the deeper feelings between them. But, actually at the beginning of the film, you can see a brief summary of the story from AADC 1.

Another challenge was to attract new viewers from a generation that might not have seen AADC 1. The success of AADC 1 in its time can be said to be quite attached, especially for teenagers at that time. The strong theme of poetry and literature also became its own difficulty, because of the changing times where poetry and literature have fewer fans than before. But, AADC 2 successfully overcame all those difficulties.

The combination of formal and casual language in this film makes the dialogue used not too stiff. The choice of original soundtrack is also done well. Still the same as the previous film, the songs played are pleasant to the ear and became famous among viewers.

Another advantage is the plot of the places shown in the film. Some scenes that use different tourist destinations as backgrounds indirectly also introduce the beauty of the place and culture through the screen. Viewers get to know some places that they might not be familiar with before.

The acting of the actors is definitely beyond doubt. The scene that caused quite a stir was when Cinta and Rangga kissed. Many people compared it to the same scene they did in AADC 1. But, it definitely feels different.

Overall, AADC 2 is a must-watch for fans of AADC 1. The love story presented is a shame to miss.

 

Memorable Scene:

Rangga meeting his mother for the first time after so many years, with all the resentment he had been holding inside, it all disappears in an embrace and tears. In this scene, we can see the feelings of love that have been hidden between them. This often happens between children and parents, where misunderstandings end up separating them. It takes a little bit of letting go of ego to be able to resolve everything and make everything better.

 

Memorable Dialogue:

"I can't imagine my life without you."

 

Ending:

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation:

Must Watch

 

(Aluna)