BERBAGI SUAMI

Anyone caught the Indonesian movie 'Berbagi Suami' aired over Hari Raya on Astro? This movie was released last year I think, and there were some public protests against it because it 'portrays poligamy & Islam in a negative way', or some sort of similar comment la. I haven't been to the movies in ages, so I really haven't kept up with the movie scene.

Anyway, this movie is, well, different, to say the least. I guess the director Nia Dinata, a female nontheless, wanted to explore different sides of the issue, and in doing so had unearthed real-life situations which she highlighted in the movie, ugly as they may. So the movie ended up as a bit provocative, not unlike Yasmin Ahmad's movies as they are received here. But hey, life is NOT a bed of roses, and I bet the movie is as honest and close to the real happenings around their community.

Anyway, it's based on the lives of three different women in various poligamous marriages, and how these women actually have met each other in their daily lives without even realising that they all suffer from the same predicament.

The first lady, Salma is from a religious and well-to-do background. She is a gynaechologist in her middle ages, married to a Pak Haji, has one son, and is rich enough to have equestrian as her hobby, hah! She only found out about her honey a few years after her husband married the woman, and initially couldn't accept it. But her husband had proven that he is a good provider and that his love & attention towards her & son hadn't changed despite marrying a second wife, and so as time goes by, Salma learned to accept the second wife, and later, a third wife, while suffering in silence.

Salma's patience paid off in the end, when Pak Haji fell ill and decided that he wanted Salma to care for him. Their son also got closer to Pak Haji, and near his demise, Pak Haji sempat pesan to the son not to marry more than one wife, "nanti pusing (pening)" hehehe :-) Very last scene at the cemetary, rupanya there was a fourth wife whom nobody knew about. Hebat Pak Haji ni... and by that I mean he probably conducted his polygamous business in the best way and never menyusahkan one family over another, so that they all lead happy, almost separate lives.

The second story takes place in a poor area, where Siti came to Jakarta to stay with her uncle's family (uncle already had two wives and several kids) and ended up as the third wife. Everyone live 'acceptingly' although under very poor conditions in the same house. Somehow, second and third wives became very close, so close that I think they ended up as lesbian partners la. Bummer for the husband's manly reputation!

When the husband brought home a fourth wife, it was the last straw for Siti, and she ran away from home, together with second wife and her kids. Ha, yang ni toksah ikut ler, tak mampu tapi sibuk nak poligami. Tak reti bagi kasih-sayang, tau nak main blasah bini aje - the scene for Siti's 'first night' was censored on Astro, but she was taken without foreplay, and in a standing position against the bedroom door (don't ask me how I know haha!), which must've been quite rough for a virgin. Do you blame her for how things turn out later then?

The third story is about Ming, a beautiful chinese girl working in a popular restaurant. Koh Abun, the cook cum owner of restaurant desperately wanted her for himself, despite already having a wife and daughters. Yang ni pun toksah ikut le, dia boleh 'pau' staf dia right under his wife's nose, as the wife is the cashier in the same restaurant. Anyway, I kinda get the idea that Ming became a second wife for the sake of easy money. Later on her ex-boyfriend (who is now a movie producer) offered her a movie part, she became restless and wanted freedom. What she didn't expect was that Koh Abun would leave her, and took his family to migrate overseas. So much for that marriage!

Anyway, it was an enjoyable and somewhat provoking movie, but don't watch it with kids la, nanti depa banyak tanya plak. I don't think it's all negative there la, in fact in the first story, Salma is a very strong lady who acts more with her head than with her emotions, and she persevered through the strength of her religious belief. Walhal kalau dia nak blah boleh aje, dia doktor pakar kan, tak risau pasal duit pun. Siti's action pun, bagi aku bagus jugak. No, not the lesbian bit la aiyoooo..... but the bit about making changes in her life, moving on kerana dah nampak laki tu bukannya bertanggungjawab sangat. Each to his own la.

So kalau ada sesiapa nak amik tips, tonton ler, pastu fikir-fikirkan balik, ye?