Movie Review "Star Wars: The Rogue One"

Movie Review: 

Star Wars: The Rogue One (2016), dir Gareth Edwards

I have to do a finishing touch work for something for my little sister but I just watched Star Wars: The Rogue One and I can’t take it off my mind T_T

First, this’ll be a total spoiler review so you’ve been warned!

So as you all might have known, the story is pretty much a crucial ‘side story’ set up before the beginning of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. By now, most people who follows the movie industry must have known that Darth Vader is a jedi turned villain whom with the Emperor controls the galaxy through fear and terror. Jedi, a group of naturally born people who are strong with the ‘Force’ has extinct. And despite some people who call themselves Rebels or the Rebellion, regular people who still tries as much as they can to fight against this tyranny, there’s not much people left who are still in a fight against this. We know that Luke will come and together with Leia and Han Solo will save the day. One of the key for them winning as is the main plot for A New Hope (and then used again for Star Wars: The Force Awakens), is finding this flaw in the construction of the Death Star. Which requires a map of the arhictectural structure of the Death Star. This is a story of people who were able to steal the map and send it to the Rebellion.

from tumblr page http://thestarwarssith.tumblr.com/

for Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016

So my concern was, how do they make a movie out of something we already know what the outcome is?

Well first thing first, as I read in a post in tumblr, the Rogue One DOES NOT care to give a first viewing people ANY background story for the characters that we’ll see along the way which we know as a fan was important throughout. Senator Organa, Tarkin, Senator Mon Mothma, a glimpse of R2DR and C3PO, the Imperial Ships, the Death Star, a little implied mention of Obiwan Kenobi, and most beautiful of all, seeing that scene that started A New Hope, Princess Leia in her white dress ready to do some badassery against Darth Vader! All this wasn’t necessarily explained, and I can understand it’ll be quite uninteresting for a non-fan. You won’t get the easter eggs. And I don’t know how this movie feels for a fresh eyed viewer!

Next, the feel of the movie. When we watch The Force Awakens, we also felt along the movie, the freshness and newness of everything. The Force is displayed in such a cool (although emo) way by Kylo Ren, the new fancier robots, I mean, it is set some decades after the galaxy was saved by the original trio. They’re now legends being spoken from time to time by the locals. They have a new enemy and both the good and the evil parts have just been ‘re-started’. That’s why it feels lacking in how threatening the situation was. But it’s also something which we like because it’s kind of A New Hope v.2.0.

The thing that suprised me is how old the movie feels. It felt like it was made in a different time, Star Wars galaxy wise. The rebel fighters with their moustaches and I don’t know the background felt like how I used to remember the time Luke infiltrate the Death Star to blow it up together with the rebel pilots!

The fact that Darth Vader was also there and being his menacing self was also another thing that makes this movie so special. My husband’s main complain about the movie is how the villain felt like an emo boy. Well he is really young still. And compared to DV, he just didn’t have the background story (yet) to be so villanous and menacing. Darth Vader has always been this decisive villain, who always so sure about why he does the things he did. The fact that Anakin was being told as the first three prequels annoys the heck out of me. Old Anakin does feel like Kylo Ren. Darth Vader is a standout from the two (or one?).

And now to the main plot! What I love so much about the movie is that it’s a movie where you see people who are actual heroes. You meet Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor (DIEGO LUNA!!! with his sweet mexican accent!), Chirrut Imwe, Bodhi Rook, Baza Malbus, Saw Gerrera, and Galen Erso (MADS MIKKELSEN!!) all with their own background story. Jyn is so far the most heartbreaking for me. Well she’s the main protagonist here anyways :D She was a little kid when his father, Galen Erso, who is an architect of Death Star who decided that he no longer wanted to do this job anymore, and her mother, Lyra Erso, a brave scientist who tries to protect her husband and kid, got separated from her. Galen was taken back by the Imperials to finish his work. Lyra was killed that day. And after such shocking moment, she was taken care by her father’s friend, rebel turning to an extremist, played by awesome Forest Whitaker, Saw Gerrera. Fast forward few years ahead, Jyn seemed to be living her live alone. I was wondering where Saw Gerrera was. Apparently, she was abandoned by him when she was 16. When Jyn confronted Saw after those years, my heart almost broke. This girl must have left all her trust to this man. Just like Mako trusted Stacker Pentecost :’( When he told her that it was for her own good, she was softened by it. And when after such brief moment she had to be separated from him forever, despite her best efforts to stay or take him with her, she lost her guardian.

Not long after, she finally tracked down her dad who has been caught for betraying the Imperials. Usually some movies will give like 5-6 minutes of cheesy moment for catching up and all. But no, just when she felt hope once more, and met the man who was her only family, and someone she loved so dearly, he too was taken away. They only get to talk on his dying moments. Freaking 5-6 seconds dammit. And when Cassian tried to take her away because the place was attacked, she too had to leave her father’s body after decades not seeing him… HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO HER T__T

So yeah so far the movie was already heartbreaking. But no worries, it’ll continue to do so.

Anyways, now they know what to do. Find the map for Death Star and send it to the Rebellion so they can plan an attack. But of course nobody’s willing to do this suicide mission. I mean it’s placed at the center of the enemy’s line. Oh by the way, creepy Darth Vader actually have his palace stationed at the place where he was butchered by Obi Wan Kenobi. That is just so sick.

Anyways, Jyn and Cassian’s team, agreed to go with her. And isn’t it so heartbreaking that Cassian told her, after her disbelief about finding people that would stick by her side ‘Welcome home’?? T__T I’m really like TT. So they went, and hello hello IT WAS REALLY A SUICIDE MISSION. When it was said that there’s no way for them to came out of the planet alive, that the only thing that matters now is to send the data of the map to the rebellion ship, I knew that they won’t survive. And none of them did. Not Jyn, nor Cassian, and all their friends whom they just met… not even the robot K-2SO who sometime ago said that he will survive if they were trapped in space cause he doesn’t breathe. Dammit… :(

We all knew that the map got delivered to the rebellion, but we didn’t knew that so many people died fighting for it… :(

So the movie is the literal Suicide Squad. It was beautiful because they didn’t sugar coat it. They don’t have to, there are other Star Wars movies with happy ending, so it’s okay to do this. When the file of the map got delivered to Princess Leia, I teared up a little. It is, a glimpse of hope. There might be a chance, finally for the rebels… but the sacrifice was not little. All the pilots who died fearlessly after helping Jyn and her team…Bodhi Rook who just tried to do good… The Ip Man guy who probably did his own stunt work and his friend… all of them fighting for the greater good in the time of war, just like Stacker Pentekost, Raleigh and Chuck Hansen… T_T

Anyways, I don’t know whether the movie is slow or not. I have to rewatch it to know. The guy sitting next to me kept on checking his phone while I was busy spotting all the easter eggs in the movie LOL. The noisy kids behind me is another reminder that parents really should TEACH THEIR KIDS MANNER or don’t take kids under the supposed rating age. How can they scar their kids by letting them watch people who died like this? Can’t relate.

But I like this movie. I bet the alt right men hated it. All the POCs as good guys. White men as villains. A female as the main protagonist. All the references to Nazi Germany. Well done well done. Such fitting movie for such a time! 

notes:

1. i spazzed so many times. mads showed up. whitaker showed up. the guy who always plays the villain showed up (Ben Mendelsohn). senator Organa showed up. he mentioned Obi Wan Kenobi. and most importantly, Princess Leia showed up (RIP Carrie Fisher... may the Force always be with you...). 

Movie Review: The Nice Guys

Movie Review: The Nice Guys, 2016, dir: Shane Black.

Russell Crowe plays Healy, a hitman (not that type of hitman, more like, hitting someone in the face when you're stalking someone and get paid for it) who accidentally met Ryan Gosling playing March, a detective, after March being asked to find a girl named Amelia, while Healy just got paid by Amelia to hit March. I know, it's a bit complicated. Wait till you get to see the movie, it's worse, but it's good. Hahaha.

Anyways, the movie has a rather complex plot, which in the end entertain you thoroughly. Plot wise, I love it. If I say more, I will spoil you with the story, so now let's talk about other aspects of the movie.

The movie is classified by Wiki as a neo noir comedy thriller, made by Shane Black. My sister once introduced me with this vlogger, Nerdwriter, who explains that Shane Black, who made the fabolous Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, is a director who manages to make violence in a movie important to the plot, or making the violence right. In some movies, the violence is usually served purely as violence and it gets to you at some point or you became so numb and don't appreciate it anymore. Here in this movie, there are many scenes with violence which not only push the plot forward, but were also very horrific and dramatic, you can only ended up laughing. REALLY.

 from here

Russel Crowe, Gosling and the girl who played as Gosling's daughter are brilliant. It's not everyday for you to see Gosling (I mean... DRIVE??!) played as a big ass pitiful man who cries with a high pitch. Gosh that was so funny to watch! And Russel Crowe! I wouldn't have expected him to play this type of character, but he was really cool and I respect him throughout this movie. Not cool as much as he is in Gladiator or the new Superman, I mean, it's a totally different genre, but as a seasoned hitman who play no games, but softened by this young girl, but not too much that it gets cheesy. Thank God.

One of my favorite scenes, and this is truly a spoiler, so if you don't want to spoil your enjoyment of the movie, please don't read this, is when Ryan Gosling's character pretended to act stupid and delirious when it's actually a scheme to distract his enemy. I think he did it like 3 times here, and we believed it every single time, because he was a rather foolish/clumsy character in the movie (with glimpses of his smartness as a real detective. Really, this movie impressed me!), but he used people's assumption on him to make a fool out of his enemy and use it for his best advantage.

I love the color (yeah, retro). And the craziness (tanks filled with mermaids?!). And glimpses of Detroit on its golden days (this is due to Only Lovers Left Alive). And all the absurdities which falls into place in the end.

By the way, I read that this movie flops in box office although praised by critics, which is quite a shame considering this is a very well written one, very funny, and through and through enjoyable. My sister and I laughed like crazy the whole time, and I'm gonna make my husband watch it as well!

Movie Review: Green Room

Movie Review: Green Room, 2015, dir: Jeremy Saulnier

So from some of the movies I've been watching during the last couple of weeks, this would have been one of the most memorable. This'll be a spoiler free review, so feel free to read with ease.

The story tells about a struggling punk band, travelling to play some gigs (wiki said around Pacific Northwest). One time, especially after having no money left, they decided to take a gig in a place which as they arrived apparently is a Neo-NAZI skinhead bar somewhere in the midst of a forest. They played their gig, ALMOST with an incident. But managed to (almost) get out alive before trouble befalls on them. Do you want to know what's next? I think you should watch it yourself. Oh dammit, I'll write the rest of the spoiler review at the end of this!!

Movie poster by: Harijs Grundmanis aka Harry Movie Art

Some notes on the movie:
1. it is a VERY intense movie. I was on the edge of my seat ever since the problem arises. You can totally see the split second when this band members can either avoid or deal with the problem. Geez.
2. the movie CREEPS ME OUT because of the amount of white supremacists/Neo-NAZIs skinheads and the righteousness they emanate. They really truly believe on their ideology and like soldiers ready to snap back at people who doesn't fall into their belief. It's really scary. Fundamentalists at any shape is scary.
3. the movie has a very dark tone because the bar was dark (hah! I remember I must have went to one of these kinds back in Berlin), and the story goes deeper into the night, and so all fear are being contained and you just stuck there watching.
4. I think all the casts were brilliant! I mean, we have Anton Yelchin (RIP), the great Patrick Stewart being absolutely a character which made me scared, Imogen Poots and her effortless charm, and there's also Joe Cole whose face reminded me that I've seen him somewhere, then I checked, and YUP! he was the little brother in Peaky Blinders!
5. if you want to watch a through and through good thriller of a movie which keeps you on your seat, choose this. The Rotten Tomatoes rating is way up there, and I agree. Unless, seeing white supremacists doing their activities scared you off, then don't.

Disclaimer: this movie is really not for the weakhearted because there'll be a lot of blood, awful sadistic scenes (not Tarantino style, though), etc.

AND NOW THE SPOILER PART a little bit down below to avoid people who don't wanna read the spoiler...




So! Continuing our story in the beginning, so after the band gave their gig (with an opening song which insults the Neo NAZIs), they were about to leave when one of the band member accidentally peaks inside the room where one of them left their cellphone to witness a dead body lying on the floor while some people looking terrified/shocked/neutral. The guy, Pat, while walking away tried to call the police but the band was then rushed back into the room together with the murderer, a bodyguard, and the friend of the dead girl (Amber, the friend, I mean). They were locked inside, meanwhile the manager of the bar called the leader/cleaner of the Neo NAZI group, Darcy Banker. He then tried to 'clean this mess' in which clean means kill all the witnesses. OH LOORD. In addition, apparently the place was also a cocaine chemical lab, so more reasons to kill this poor kids who are just hungry because they're trying to sell their music! GAAH.

In the middle, there's a lot of fighting scenes, heart breaking because these kids are like skinny underfed young musicians having to deal with this NAZIs who are just so freakish not only in their ideology, but also in their muscle build and sadistic behaviour.

So yeah, you better watch the rest yourself, but I guarantee you it's very intense and a satisfying watch at the very end! RIP Anton Yelchin, you did great here.

Movie Review: Suicide Squad

Movie Review: Suicide Squad, 2016, dir: David Ayer.


OH MY GOD. I can't believe that Independence Day: Resurgence got 34% rating when Suicide Squad got only 27% in Rotten Tomatoes! Oh well, here goes my review and how I'll argue, that for sure Suicide Squad is a better movie than Independence Day!

DC movies have had it tough this year with bad reviews again and again. Although, really, BvS, the director's cut IS ENJOYABLE, I'd say (I made my sister watched it, and she also agree that it's very long but comprehensive which makes it more understandable than SS's plot. She was shocked when I told her about the scenes cut out from the theater released BvS).

After reading some of the reviews, I really almost didn't want to watch Suicide Squad, fearing that it's THAT BAD. Especially, I'd rather not to be disappointed maybe by not watching it or watching it much much later. But, some friends also said, that although I might not like it that much, I should really really give it a try, especially when this is quite my genre. At least it won't be as bad as the recently re-made Fantastic Four. So, I watched it with my sister last weekend.

This will be a full spoiler review!

First of all, we'll get to the bad parts first:

1. Despite all the hype, the Joker isn't really that much shown in the movie. He's basically used to move the plot forward. I guess they're really using all these weird news/publicity stunt just to get people to go to the cinema, so if you're going for that reason, to see Joker, I think you'll be disappointed.

What I found interesting during the trailers, is that you can pretty much guess how many type of scenes will be in the movies, and you're right. There's the introduction of the characters, problem, and the Suicide Squad, although kinda hating it, was forced to deal with the problem in the city (Gotham). That's pretty much all of it.

I couldn't really make it out from the trailers, but I had the impression that there'll be two types of problem, first is this thing we don't know from the trailer, and second, Joker giving out problems as well. Does Joker cause the first trouble? I wasn't sure. But in the end, Joker had very short scenes which was used to explain Harley Quinn's character. I really felt cheated with the promotion, but they do it all the time to male character and the female characters usually only played as a plot device, so, I guess in the end it's just fine? Or maybe just use him as flashbacks only, why the necessity of putting Joker in the plot during the big fight?

I don't know how Joker's relationship with Harley in the comics is, or his real depiction other than glimpses of the flamboyan/crazy-laughing-penguin played by Jack Nicholson and of course Heath Ledger's Joker. But I guess he's more fitting to Jack Nicholson's character? After all the hype, I'd agree with my cousin on this one. In this movie, Joker was like a big mob leader/gangster who cares A LOT about his looks and his money (and I suspect, rather emo), that I can't really feel like he's a villain I would feel awe at. After 8 years, Heath Ledger's Joker resonates deeply, and despite me  trying to appreciate this one, it still makes me feel that the character is so cheap compare to Ledger's Joker.

So I agree with my sister when she said his character can just be taken out of the movie, and we won't have any problems with it.

2. This movie tells you the details of the main problem of the movie 1/4 along the way. I don't know about you, but I feel that it's way way waay to soon. I was hoping for a deeper more complex revelations towards the ending, but nothing much was there.

Funny thing is, since we all know what happened 1/4th of the movie, having all the other characters not knowing what is happening until 3/4 of the movie feels kind of silly. The suspense is lost.

3. There are some patchiness in the story telling. I also didn't get why when the Squad went into this building, why did they end up helping Amanda Waller? Is this her rescue mission? I thought they were trying to get the villain? And that she killed her team so they don't spoil anything? Does it mean Amanda simply didn't want the government to know that SHE caused all the mayhem? AND THE TOP SECRET SCENE LMFAO

4. If Joker is gonna be used at all in this movie, I wish that there'll be more of his mind manipulating ways on Harley Quinn, because I still need more to understand how Harley can give away her career and life to follow a man who abuses her physically and mentally.

5. The villain, aka the Enchantress, during the final scenes was so-so. I don't know if I'm saying this because I wasn't much impressed, and a tat disappointed for lack of other possibilities on how the story and the villain can unfold, but it isn't the type of a good villain which makes this type of movie interesting enough. But that's only my opinion. Plus, it wasn't really clear what type of machine is she trying to build to end human life? They're just collecting metals and make some swirlings in the sky but I don't feel the threatening presence of this machinery?

6. Owh the last scene where they slow-mo Harley throwing the knife to Deadshot, and Killer Croc throwing the bomb, that was really a way to be extra dramatic for nothing.

7. Poor underdeveloped Katana's character. She seems like a typical Americanized Asian character, funny name with irrelevant importance in the movie, almost only use to serve exoticness in the movie, because hey, i'm Japanese who speaks Japanese randomly when I know no one understands me, and I cry over my husband's soul under random moments of pressure during a big fight? Ugh, she deserved so much better. Or just don't force to have her here if her character is so unimportant.

8. El Diablo's character has such bad lines, hasn't he? I kind of imagine Will Smith's super awesome character with heartfelt lines would be laughing trying to act back to El Daiblo's cheesy lines. I can't believe myself. What a waste.

9. I don't know about Slipknot, but since he's from the comic book, I would have thought that he'd at least have some fighting scenes. I also feel bad because he was the only (?) character played by a native american, yet he played such short of a role. Again, it's such a waste!

AAND now to the good parts of the movie:

1. AMANDA WALLER played by QUEEN VIOLA DAVIS. Gosh, she can fill the screen with so much presence, I LOVE IT. I know I love her already from her previous movies and tv series, and SHE'S AN AMAZING ACTRESS. But she filled Amanda Waller's shoes so well, and so cruel and mean and cold hearted, you can't help to like her. They gave her some silly scenes though (like my sister pointed out, after being held by the Enchantress, she still came out un-hurt and her cellphone was still okay when she threatened the Squad not to run away), but she still pulled it off till the very end.

2. The introduction scene was enjoyable! I love knowing all the characters one by one like that, a bit cheesy, but still. I don't know what kind of researcher go alone into a cave by herself to spot a 6000 year old spirit just to get possessed, but it was sort of a badass intro.

3. I don't know much about Harley Quinn, but I love how Margot Robbie depicts her to be really strong and full of joy at one point, and tried her best to hide her vulnerability. And how she always speaks truthfully and straight to the point, like when El Diablo talked about his background story. I'm just sad that this terrific character is being manipulated by Joker. I almost thought that this is actually what she really wants (not being Joker's lover, but being a villain which kinda let her spirit breaks free?).

4.  Will Smith's character's is the one that pulls the gravity towards the movie. I guess they wrote his character best, and he is so good with acting that you empathize towards his character easily. I almost feel like the movie can just use him and Harley plus Viola Davis's to make the movie works perfectly. Maybe add the Rick Flag's character (his acting was also rather nice). His concern over his family is so Will Smith-ish, but you still like it a lot. His developing friendship with Harley felt genuine and heart warming at times. Maybe rather than trying out making other solo heroes movies, they can pick Deadshot and make one for him? We know for SURE Will Smith can pull it off! (like many times he did)

5. There's not much humor in this movie, but many scenes are so silly that my sister and I kept laughing at it. Wait, am I being sarcastic?

6. It's still unfair to put this movie below Independence Day: Resurgence's rating. That movie had NO relevant characters, even sillier plot lines, unneccessary as if heroic end of the day speech, basically you don't feel any emotion towards any of the characters. It's such a waste of money. Suicide Squad has better offerings. It's not the best of superhero or to be more exact supervillain movie, but in addition of serving us with pretty nice cinematograpy (I actually kind of like this retro feel), it has plenty of characters which keeps you seated and enjoy it simply as an easy entertainment (Independence Day Resurgence was SO STUPID you get annoyed; here, you still feel entertained). Now that we got through with this painful first phase (introducing characters and their background story), I hope, if they ever make another Suicide Squad movie, they can delve directly with better story telling and  focus (something which also feels lagging in BvS) to make it a much better movie. I mean look at Pacific Rim. Or Mad Max. Or Captain America: Civil War. Or Captain America: the Winter Soldier. They are good because they have a clear focus on what big problem they want to solve in the movie. Having too much plans for a movie can really sometimes annoy the hell out of us.

Reasons

Reasons why I'm crusading to finish my meta-analysis:
1. it's been too long
2. I want to do my next projects: learn Danish, learn Japanese, and learn coding!
3. books are waiting
4. maybe, my next meta-analysis? :p
5. I need to write to my friends but feel too much guilt to do it because I'm still stuck with this analysis.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 2016, J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

As posted in Goodreads

I think that anyone who knows Harry Potter that well would understand that this is, after all, a spoiler. So read with caution :) I really didn't plan to read the book since: 1. it might ruin my already canon story of the seven books of HP 2. it's from a play, so it might not be as enjoyable as reading a through and through novel (but hey, what about Shakespeare, then?)                                    But I saw the review that the book is devastating to one's emotion, so I had to give it a try. And so this is what I have to say about it: 1. although it took me a bit of time to dwell into it properly, I immediately came home to the never forgotten familiarity of the wizardry world in Harry Potter's universe. And it feels good. 2. it isn't, after all, a 'new story' but partly feels like a fan-fic of what ifs, but I'm not saying this as a negativity, because I think we do need to know more to feel more appreciative about the people in HP's universe, especially the ones we never properly said goodbye to. 3. it settles one of the most argued about romantic relationship in this particular universe. 4. it's true that we need a proper, good villain to make a good hero, and the book brought us back to the origin of origin. I mean, basically, there's nothing much you can tweak but coming back to that point. That's why I think we should put it at this, and move on!!! 5. Harry Potter is one of the kindest person ever lived in science fiction, and I'm just so sad that even after ~20 years, he had to feel worse and worse about the whole thing. I mean, can we PLEASE give him a break?? 6. this book certainly gave the right chuckle and almost brought me to tears. 7. Now I really want to be friends with Scorpius Malfoy. 8. I will love this universe, always.

Gonjang-ganjing!

Tadi pagi ngecek hape buat update berita penyerangan di Nice, tahu-tahu malah baca berita tentang plot kudeta di Turki. Astaghfirullah, ini berita buruk kok terus-menerus gini ya? Dan di jaman sekarang, di dunia modern ala demokrasi, kok bisa Turki yang udah 'setengah Eropa' masih terancam kudeta militer. Bener-bener bikin gak habis pikir, dunia sedang penuh gejolak.

Sekitar dua tahun lalu kalau gak salah, di pinggir sungai di kampus pas di London, makan siang sama temen-temen seangkatan, temen Perancis bilang, kok rasanya was-was ya, di Eropa sedang terjadi banyak pergerakan yang belum tahu arahnya ke mana. Seolah-olah peta politik dunia sedang berubah drastis. Yang pasti ini bukan sesuatu yang gak ada asal-muasalnya. Perang di Irak dan munculnya ISIS, berdirinya European Union yang membebaskan pergerakan seluruh warga Eropa ke negara manapun di benua tersebut, krisis karena kondisi ekonomi Yunani, itu semua ternyata masih permulaan. Masuk 2015, imigrasi ke Eropa meningkat. Dan permasalahannya bahkan bukan dari banyaknya orang yang masuk ke Eropa karena perang di negara mereka (1. inget di tahun 1938, warga Eropa keturunan Yahudi pun harus bermigrasi karena tekanan Nazi Jerman, dan salah satu efek dari imigrasi yang tak terbendung menjadi salah satu penyebab holocaust 2. adanya kemungkinan bahwa gak semua yang bermigrasi ke Eropa adalah korban perang, tapi oportunis yang mencoba peruntungan nasib di Eropa), tapi gap sosial baik di dalam negara-negara yang tiba-tiba dipenuhi warga asing, kesan negatif yang lekat dengan Islam = teroris, membuat politik masyarakat makin terpecah-belah. Di beberapa tahun belakangan bahkan, partai-partai ideologi far right yang biasanya gak populer memperoleh makin banyak suara.

Ayah, sekitar 3 tahun lalu di Spice Market di Istanbul. 

Lalu muncul kejadian terorisme di Paris akhir tahun lalu. Simbol kehidupan orang Eropa diserang, menumbuhkan rasa takut yang membuat mereka merasa kehidupan damai mereka tercerabut. Seminggu setelah penangkapan pelaku teror di Paris, metro dan bandara Belgia juga ikut diserang. Yang cukup menarik adalah, kasus di Belgia misalnya, bukan hanya pihak intelijen Turki udah menginformasikan potensi munculnya kejadian ini, banyak media yang akhirnya menghighlight ketidakmampuan polisi Belgia buat mengantisipasi kejadian penyerangan ini. Temen orang Cina yang tinggal di Belgia cukup lama juga menghighlight gimana kurang sigapnya polisi Belgia. Gue baca tentang kepolisian di sana yang memang pendanaannya kurang kuat. Dan lihat sendiri kotanya kalau dibandingkan sama Jerman misalnya. Daerah yang dilanda kemiskinan dibiarkan tumbuh jadi ghetto, dsb. Pun ketika diperiksa lebih mendalam, pelaku teror di negara-negara tersebut masih warga sana yang lahir dan besar di sana (bukan imigran yang suka dijadiin argumen orang-orang ultra kanan sebagai ISIS selundupan). Apa mungkin radikalisasi orang-orang ini disebabkan salah satunya karena ketimpangan sosial?

Di Austria, orang-orang ultra kanan bikin pertemuan untuk mempertemukan partai-partai seideologi di Eropa. Ugh bikin gue bergidik. Di Amerika, dua kandidat yang maju ke pencalonan presiden satu punya kecenderungan suka perang, satu buka-bukaan bigot, rasis, dan islamofobik. Plus, hasil poling sejauh ini menunjukkan kalau Clinton dan Trump gak jauh banyak popularitasnya. Tapi sembari deg-degan menanti hasil pemilu di sana, kita malah dikejutkan dengan berita lepasnya Inggris dari Uni Eropa! Pas gue baca beritanya, memang iya, sebagian yang memilih lepas dari EU ya memang orang-orang rasis aja, yang gak suka misalnya sama orang Polandia (lagi-lagi efek bebasnya pergerakan warga se-benua Eropa) membikin pendapatan mereka menurun (argumennya, orang-orang Polandia bersedia dibayar lebih rendah untuk pekerjaan yang sama dibanding warga Inggris lokal, akibatnya gaji minimum juga makin rendah) atau bahkan, warga Inggris lokalnya malah gak bisa mencari pekerjaan yang layak. Tapi sebagian yang memutuskan untuk lepas dari EU juga adalah orang-orang yang sudah muak sama pemerintahan yang gak representatif, jadi untuk bilang 'f**k you' ke status quo, akhirnya mereka memilih untuk lepas dari EU. Efek ke depannya bagaimana? Ada yang bilang, ini bakal memicu referendum ulang dari Skotlandia untuk lepas dari UK dan masuk ke EU. Uni Eropa yang pastinya masih sakit hati (apalagi melihat kebodohan orang-orang dari partai UKIP di parlemen EU. ugh.) mana mau memudahkan UK untuk transaksi ekonomi dan bisnis dengan Eropa. Tapi melihat banyaknya orang-orang dari pihak kampanye Brexit masuk ke pemerintahan baru di bawah Theresa May, jelas ini bikin kita juga bergidik. Apakah Inggris akan semakin menuju ideologi Ultra Kanan? Semoga nggak. Tapi dengan atmosfer belakangan, siapa yang tahu.

Sementara itu, Turki terus-menerus mengalami peristiwa terorisme, bus-bus di Ankara dan Istanbul dibom, terus baru-baru ini bandara Istanbul juga diserang. Di pihak Turki sendiri, bukan hanya efek dari dekatnya perbatasan dengan Syria yang memungkinkan penyelundupan orang-orang ISIS, tapi mereka sendiri punya konflik internal dengan orang-orang Kurdi yang membuat situasi pertikaian internal makin kompleks. ISIS pun makin ganas, ngebom di pasar Irak yang isinya ibu-ibu dan anak-anak, ngebunuh ratusan, hanya beberapa hari sebelum lebaran... Astaghfirullah. Belum lagi penyerangan-penyerangan di Saudi Arabia (pas gue pikir-pikir, ISIS ini memang gak beragama ya. Penyebab mereka bisa sampai menyerang SA bahkan deket mesjid Nabawi, ngebunuh petugas keamanan yang sedang berbuka puasa, astaghfirullah ... mungkin karena SA jadi ally Barat dalam perang melawan ISIS).

Lalu, piala Eropa berlalu tanpa insiden berarti (well, berantemnya hoolligan Inggris vs Rusia vs Perancis memang nunjukin kebodohan manusia sifatnya memang universal, apapun latar belakang kulturnya ya. ugh). Tau-tau kejadian di Orlando. Pelakunya muslim lagi. Walau kejadian penembakan di Amerika bukan cerita yang bikin shock lagi (ih...), tapi ya gimana ini gak bikin orang tambah prejudice sama benci sama Islam? Walaupun ternyata si pelakunya ini memang psikopat galau yang butuh pengakuan diri. Konflik batin karena dia sendiri homoseksual. Terus, kejadian lagi di Nice. Ya Allah... Korban pertamanya dikabarkan seorang ibu-ibu muslim yang berdiri paling deket ketika truk-nya masuk ke kawasan promenade. Puluhan orang meninggal. Walaupun reaksi pertama "ah teroris lagi", setelah informasi dikumpulkan (gak pernah masuk pengawasan polisi sebagai korban radikalisasi, disinyalir bukan muslim taat, pelaku kdrt pula), kok kayaknya si pelaku ini melakukan aksi terornya sendirian dikarenakan depresi, total psikopat, yang mengingatkan gue kejadian Germanwings yang pelakunya juga psikopat yang butuh pengakuan publik. Tapi nama depannya aja udah Muhammad, ya bakal dikoneksi lagi dengan Islam = teror.

Terus, tadi pagi, Turki yang sudah bergejolak dari tahun lalu (tapi kalau baca novel-novelnya Orhan Pamuk, kayaknya this super enchanting country memang terus-terusan bergejolak 100 tahun terakhir ya? Efek posisi barangkali), pemerintahan resminya malah terancam kudeta. Ya ampun... apalagi ini? Gue bukan penggemar fanatik Erdogan, karena walau banyak hal yang dia lakukan sepertinya bener, tapi kalau denger pendapat temen-temen Turki atau baca artikel Al Jazeera dsb, ya dia gak 100% pemimpin sempurna (kebebasan pers yang dikekang, rencana Erdogan untuk merubah konstitusi, dan emang orang-orang gak pada baca ya berita minggu lalu rencana kerjasama dia dengan negara uhuk uhuk). Yang jadi permasalahan bagi gue, kalau pemerintahan Turki sampai kena kudeta, gimana antisipasi konflik lokal yang belum selesai? Kamp-kamp imigran (yang dipakai Erdogan untuk negosiasi dengan EU), perbatasannya dengan Syria, rencana Turki untuk masuk EU, dsb, apa yang bakal terjadi? (temen Turki pun berteori, kudeta ini direncanakan pihak pemerintah untuk semakin mengokohkan posisi mereka di mata rakyat)

Sebelum gue pulang, temen gue nanya, kenapa gak berusaha aja tinggal di Berlin. Gue bilang, 'kayaknya di Indonesia lebih damai negaranya'. Kata temen India, tapi terorisme kan bisa terjadi di mana aja. Iya, tapi setidaknya, gue gak harus mengalami rasisme balik. Dan Indonesia (insya Allah) kan gak masuk hitungan untuk harus diterorisasi (alhamdulillah kejadian teror di Jakarta terakhir berhasil digagalkan dan warga Jakarta yang sudah keras kehidupannya mengambil hikmahnya dengan bercanda terhadap situasi yang berlangsung). Terus, walau Indonesia gak sempurna, kayak kata teh Ika, buang sampah aja masih gak bisa, tapi mudah-mudahan negara satu ini jauh dari konflik-konflik Barat vs Timur di atas sana. Gusti Allah, semoga negara satu ini tentram dan damai. Jauh dari konflik antar negara seperti di benua Eropa sana. Semoga rakyatnya makin pinter-pinter dan pada dicukupkan rezekinya. Semoga yang berbeda agama tetap saling menghargai dan memahami satu sama lain. Semoga yang mampu gak lupa untuk membantu yang kurang.

Inti tulisan ini apa ya? Intinya gue pengen menuliskan sebagian hasil pengamatan gue beberapa bulan terakhir ini sih. Ke depannya, kita masih musti liat gimana peristiwa-peristiwanya bakal unfolded. Mudah-mudahan gak ada perubahan yang terlalu dramatis, sementara itu gue menunggu 2NE1 buat ngeluarin album baru untuk menghibur isi kepala gue dari semua kejadian-kejadian tragis belakangan.

ps: ada dua buku yang esensial untuk memahami gonjang-ganjing ini, setidaknya gue selalu teringat sama kedua buku ini: (1) Grapes of Wrath yang menceritakan krisis ekonomi di US (2) A Strangeness in My Mind yang menceritakan kondisi politik Turki di background cerita.