I looked forward to seeing this movie, but went home slightly disappointed. Sure, it's cinematographically outstanding, with beautiful images, luscious coloring and inventive camera-angles. The acting in all major parts is excellent and the music score is haunting, adding to the ominous atmosphere.
Unfortunately the project went awry with the script. There is a narrative line, but it's consequently cut into short, almost anecdotical episodes, that mostly lack a logical bridge from one to the next one. The behavior of the different characters is often unfathomable and erratic, without realistic consequences.
As said, the acting is overall excellent, with an outstanding René Soutendijk as the aristocratic and outwardly stoic mother, who in fact is terrified when she sees her existence threatened by the opportunistic schemes of her son and his wife. Florian Myjer is totally convincing as the exasperated son, and Lisa Zweerman as his dominant wife. And Hayati Azis is a revelation, playing in an understated but almost imperious way the taciturn, intelligent and calculating servant Siti.
A last minor criticism: while the score is - as already said - beautiful (mostly a bleak, unnerving string quartet), I kept wondering why there was throughout the whole movie not even one hint of the traditional Indonesian music, not even during the last dance of Siti, where it would have been so appropriate. This must have been a deliberate choice, but one that I personally find hard to understand.
