''How Funny (This Country Is)'' () is a 2010
Indonesian comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by
Deddy Mizwar
Deddy Mizwar (born 5 March 1955) is an Indonesian actor, director, and politician born of an Indo ( Dutch- Betawi) father and Betawi- Bugis mother. He is the Chairman of Indonesia's National Film Advisory Board (''Badan Pertimbangan Perfilman Na ...
, starring
Reza Rahadian,
Asrul Dahlan, and
Tika Bravani. It tells the story of 3 graduates who attempt to educate a group of young pickpockets.
The film was selected as the Indonesian entry for the
Best Foreign Language Film at the
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, be ...
,
but it didn't make the final shortlist.
Plot
Muluk is a
Bachelor of Management
A Bachelor of Management (BMgt or BMgmt) is an undergraduate degree program offered by numerous universities worldwide. This program equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to assume managerial roles in a variety of organizations. ...
graduate that has remained unemployed for 2 years. While searching for a job, he witnesses a group of abandoned children led by a boy named Komet pickpocketing at the market. After failure to get hired, Muluk requests to Komet to be brought to the pickpockets' headquarters. He learns that there are 3 pickpocket divisions - mall, market, and public transportation. Muluk convinces the pickpocket boss, Jarot, to make him the financial manager of the pickpocketing proceeds in return for 10% of the proceeds. This increases Muluk's income, making him able to provide for himself and his father, Makbul, while impressing Haji Rachmat and his future father-in-law, Haji Sarbini.
Wanting the children to stop pickpocketing, Muluk attempts to make them street vendors, but they refuse. Muluk invites two of his friends - Samsul, a
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed. or BEd) is an undergraduate academic degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. A Bachelor of Education program typically lasts three to four years and combines both coursework and practical exp ...
graduate who plays dominoes everyday, and Pipit, Haji Rachmat's daughter who is a
Bachelor of Religious Education
The Bachelor of Religious Education (BRE) is an undergraduate degree.
It offers a broad education in the areas of scripture and Christian theology. This degree is primarily offered by institutions of a Christian worldview, though not exclusiv ...
graduate who takes quizzes on TV and newspapers every day for prizes - to help him improve the pickpockets' knowledge. This proves to be successful, with the kids being more knowledgeable, and Jarot supports Muluk's business despite knowing his income might decrease.
On the day marking the kids stopping pickpocketing, Makbul, Rachmat, and Sarbini come to see what Muluk and his friends have been doing and end up disappointed when they learn that their money has come from illegal pickpocketing. Although Samsul insists on helping the children, Muluk and Pipit, guilty about giving their parents money gotten by illegal means, decide to stop. Muluk returns the gained money to Jarot and tools for the kids to start selling on the street.
After ending their business with the pickpockets, Muluk, Pipit, and Samsul return to their unemployed lives. Meanwhile, most of Jarot's children return to pickpocketing, except for Komet, the market division, and a member of the mall division. The ex-pickpocketers coincidentally meet Muluk when their street hustle causes traffic, bringing police nearby. Muluk helps the kids escape and gets detained as a result. While being driven away by the police, he bids the children farewell and smiles, proud that they have stopped pickpocketing.
Cast
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Reza Rahadian - Muluk
*
Tika Bravani - Pipit
*
Deddy Mizwar
Deddy Mizwar (born 5 March 1955) is an Indonesian actor, director, and politician born of an Indo ( Dutch- Betawi) father and Betawi- Bugis mother. He is the Chairman of Indonesia's National Film Advisory Board (''Badan Pertimbangan Perfilman Na ...
- Pak Makbul
*
Slamet Rahardjo
Slamet Rahardjo Djarot (born 21 January 1949) is an Indonesian actor, director, and screenwriter of Javanese- Bantenese descent. He is the elder brother of director, songwriter, and politician, Eros Djarot. Since his directorial debut in 1979 w ...
- Haji Rachmat
*
Asrul Dahlan - Samsul
*
Sakurta H. Ginting - Ribut
*
Rina Hasyim - Ibu Rachmat
*
Jaja Mihardja - Haji Sarbini
*
Tio Pakusodewo - Jarot
See also
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*
References
External links
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2010 films
2010s Indonesian-language films
2010 comedy films
Indonesian comedy films
{{2010s-comedy-film-stub