Rent The Year of Living Dangerously on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: David Williamson & Peter Weir & C.J. Koch (screenplay), C.J. Koch (novel), Alan Sharp (additional material, uncredited)
Directed by: Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hunt
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
A young Australian reporter tries to navigate the political turmoil of Indonesia during the rule of President Sukarno with the help of a diminutive photographer.
Verdict
I get the appeal as it has all the elements. There's the history of a turbulent time in Jarkata, a young reporter trying to establish himself, romance, a kind hearted but controlling photographer, and the shadow of Communism looming. The movie uses narration effectively to convey the thoughts I'm sure were in the book, but this never drew me in. While it could be me, Guy never had a goal other than be good. Billy never had a goal other than do good, and Jill was just a prop for the two. Ultimately, the movie may be about the naivete of Guy and Billy. They hoped they could play a part in improving Jakarta, but they didn't consider that they were but small cogs in the machine.
Skip it.
Review
Australian journalist Guy (Mel Gibson) gets an assignment in Jakarta. It's a tough country under Communist rule and on the brink of a civil war. Making Guy's job more difficult is that his predecessor left him no contacts. Guy gets a break when photographer Billy (Linda Hunt) gives him a break, an interview. Guy questions the offer, but Billy responds that he always wanted a partnership. You get the sense Billy is an outsider, due to being very short and actually caring about the people of Jakarta. The other people see the people as lesser than. The further we get into the movie, we see that Billy likes control. It's not malicious but more of a coping mechanism. Billy pulls strings so that Guy and Jill (Sigourney Weaver) meet.
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| Sigourney Weaver, Mel Gibson play Jill, Guy |
This is part historical fiction and part romance. It's intriguing to see Indonesia and the civil unrest as it represents the downside of being a war correspondent. It's all about connections. Billy finds Guy, someone that he can trust to write the truth, but Guy is more ambitious that Guy suspected. The friendship is tested when Guy discovers that Billy's help is more than just surface level. Billy keeps files on everyone, and he even manipulated the situation between Guy and Jill.
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| Linda Hunt plays Billy |
Guy and Billy are both bending the situation to fit their desired outcome. It's a mirror to the larger issue of the Jakarta government taking advantage of the people. Even the best of intentions can become skewed. It's just a matter of degrees. We know Billy is sympathetic to the people, taking care of a local boy, but the files Billy keeps on even his friends can easily be seen as self-serving manipulation.
You've got this romance amidst all the devastation and heartache. Maybe something good can come from a dire situation, but it just seems like a distraction to the real issues. Everyone hoped for change, but it never got better.
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