Aruna & Lidahnya อรุณา & ลิดาห์นยา (2018) [ พากย์ไทย บรรยายไทย ]

A mouth-watering road film through Indonesian cuisine

As a romantic comedy and quirky adaptation from Laksmi Pamuntjak’s novel “The Bird Woman’s Palate” (2014), Indonesian filmmaker Edwin delivers an enjoyable journey through Indonesian cuisine and the romantic problems of thirty-something young adults by combining a great cinematography and a fantastic cast.

Combining hobbies with work

Epidemiologist, and a foodie by heart, Aruna (Dian Sastrowardoyo) has to research a Bird Flu outbreak that is taking over Indonesia. Having planned beforehand a culinary trip with her good friend and chef Bono (Nicholas Saputra), she conveniently combines both. During this exquisite tour, Aruna has to work with her former romantic interest and co-worker Farish (Oka Antara). The culinary trip turns into a self-discovery journey for Aruna and her friends, even for Farish, with consequences for the investigation on the Flu.

The magic of the Sastrowardoyo & Saputra duo

Right from the start of the film, our stomachs are being teased with slow-motion close-ups of Indonesian food. For any person, this film is going to make you hungry and longing for Indonesian food. All plates are presented with explanations that add to the context and seem a promotional material for Indonesian cuisine, which does not diminish their mouth-watering effect.

Pushed aside by Aruna’s desire to learn further about styles of cooking, including the traditional ones, the Bird Flu seems to get distant and insignificant in the story. As food and love are the main issues, food and the Flu are easily disconnected but when the tensions increase this relation becomes clearer.

Aside from the food shots, the chemistry of Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra is incredible. Knowing that they played lovers in various Indonesian dramas explains their outstanding chemistry and their natural performance, as they seem to feel at ease with each other. Their chemistry overshadows all the other side-character relations but does not undermine them, as all the characters have their own stories and charm.

Talking to the camera directly and sweet jazzy pop songs add to the light-romcom setting of Aruna & Her Palate, as it allows Dian Sastrowardoyo to include exaggerated gestures to her performance and a sparkle of cuteness. Besides the food, the cinematography is unlikely beautiful, revealing the colourful and diverse scenery of Indonesia which is reflected in its food.

Not everything is tasty

Although, Aruna‘s cast and cinematography make the food journey a delight to watch, there are a few minor points in the film that do not fit the puzzle. For instance, certain scenes are not necessary, such as the beginning scene, which is a repetition of a later scene without any relevant significance for the rest of the film. Similar to a YouTube video, Aruna applies the same techniques, which includes in the intro fragments of the video to retain our attention. As this scene is not key scene in the plot,  its only function is to make us hungry!