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Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts

Country: Indonesia, Language: Indonesian, 90 mins

Original Title

Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak
  • Director: Mouly Surya
  • Writer: Rama Adi; Garin Nugroho
  • Producer: Rama Adi; Fauzan Zidni

CGiii Comment

If ever a film is described as an Indonesian, feminist, satay-western...avoid like the plague!

Mouly Surya certainly knows how to stretch a scene to the limit. This is not a compliment, not by any stretch of the imagination...every single scene is too long...and, [too] many are irrelevant to the central story. Genuine boredom sets in rather rapidly...the urge to scream 'get on with it' is difficult to resist.

As you would expect with a feminist film...most [if not all] of the men are vile and/or stupid. And, duly, from a feminist point-of-view, they get their just desserts. But - c'mon - to think that the audience is going to accept that Marlina carries - on her way to confess - a decapitated head for all the world to see...well, it's just plain stupid!

Monotony and stupidity, two ingredients that every film should avoid. Unfortunately, this film is crammed with both of them!

And...why was this even nominated for the Queer Palm!?!


Trailer...

The(ir) Blurb...

Marlina lives quietly in Sumba until one day a man named Markus and his gang tries to rob her house and she kills him. Eventually, she is haunted by Markus, and her life turns in 180 degrees.

Cast & Characters

Marsha Timothy as Marlina;
Yoga Pratama as Franz