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After “The Raid”
For me, the most incredible part of watching “The Raid” is realizing how far Gareth Evans have gone since he released “Merantau”.
The screening for “The Raid” at International Indonesia Fantastic Film Festival last night is unlike anything I’ve seen in my short, three years of writing lifestyle stories. The first reaction is the most honest review, and mine was “Fuck. Fuck. Anjing. Fuck.” You can ask @farhansv who sat next to me. The slightly longer version of my review is in the attached link below, along with some unrevealed facts about Gareth, such as his childhood dream, the real cost of making “The Raid”, his future plans and what kind of film genre that he avoids to make.
Going to his own screening totally underdressed in grey t-shirt, brown cardigan and jeans, Gareth needed nearly twenty minutes to step out of the theatre because he was receiving so many handshakes. He stayed humble, sometimes hiding his face in his palms when his friends praised him too much. Viewers from another theatre, who have finished 20 minutes earlier, have waited for Gareth in the lounge. As he stepped out, everybody cheered for him. The vibe in insanely wonderful. He just gave young filmmakers a new dream to chase — and for fellow film directors, a big pressure. I tweeted what Timo Tjahjanto from the Mo Brothers said to us last night,I’m working on my movie and now I’ve watched The Raid.. it’s like raising a baby and, fuck, do I really want her to grow up in this world?
With the success of “The Raid”, the job just become tougher for Gareth because we certainly hope it won’t be a one hit wonder. He will have to keep making movies, developing treatments and finding his style. Critics will attack and the reality check named Figure of Numbers awaits. There will be days when he won’t be making money not because the competition is tough, but the market is. Meanwhile, congratulations!
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