Premiered at Sundance, Jamojaya portrays an upcoming Indonesian rapper and his father/former manager, wrestling with grief, independence, whether to let go or hold on, and staying true to one's self. While there's a certain predictability with the music career storyline, the movie shines for the unique depth and pain brought to the screen in the father-son relationship. This film can be somewhat slow, particularly when the focus is on the music story over the father-son story. Indonesian star Yayu Unru delivers a breathtaking performance as the father, cascading emotions of grief and love for his family.
2 Reviews
Beautiful Camerawork and Strong Performances, but a Weak Story
chenp-5470831 January 2023
Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
"Jamojaya" is a story about a rapper with a rising career hires a U. S manager and label, taking over from his father who has steered it to date. Director Justin Chon has previously made films like "Gook, Ms. Purple, and Blue Bayou" and I wasn't really big on them but it's clear Chon has a lot of talent involved with his works. Here, Jamojaya isn't too much out of the ordinary.
The film contains elements of father-son relationship, asian culture, and the music industry but the main narrative ends up falling pretty basic and extremely predictable. Many story elements that were seen were very familiar from previous films that explored similar subjects like this and while there were some new ideas explored that I enjoyed seeing, the other moments felt weak and bland. Throughout the film, there is gorgeous camerawork and the soundtrack was pretty good.
The performances were amazing as the father and son's performance felt nature and realistic. Chon's direction was also pretty good as there were some great directing moments that I liked. However, the characters that were written weren't as interesting as the film thinks it is as the characters either came off as dull or sometimes annoying. There were a few dialogue moments that felt extremely cringy to listen as it felt really fake and something out from a bad rom-com film.
Overall, Justin Chon is talented and this isn't a bad film. But it remains as just okay.
Rating: C+
"Jamojaya" is a story about a rapper with a rising career hires a U. S manager and label, taking over from his father who has steered it to date. Director Justin Chon has previously made films like "Gook, Ms. Purple, and Blue Bayou" and I wasn't really big on them but it's clear Chon has a lot of talent involved with his works. Here, Jamojaya isn't too much out of the ordinary.
The film contains elements of father-son relationship, asian culture, and the music industry but the main narrative ends up falling pretty basic and extremely predictable. Many story elements that were seen were very familiar from previous films that explored similar subjects like this and while there were some new ideas explored that I enjoyed seeing, the other moments felt weak and bland. Throughout the film, there is gorgeous camerawork and the soundtrack was pretty good.
The performances were amazing as the father and son's performance felt nature and realistic. Chon's direction was also pretty good as there were some great directing moments that I liked. However, the characters that were written weren't as interesting as the film thinks it is as the characters either came off as dull or sometimes annoying. There were a few dialogue moments that felt extremely cringy to listen as it felt really fake and something out from a bad rom-com film.
Overall, Justin Chon is talented and this isn't a bad film. But it remains as just okay.
Rating: C+
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