''Janji Joni'' (English: ''Joni's Promise'') is a

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

Indonesian

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film written and directed by

Joko Anwar Joko Anwar (born 3 January 1976) is an Indonesian film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, he worked as a journalist and Film criticism, film critic. Anwar first rose to prominence for co-w ...

in his directorial debut. Starring Nicholas Saputra, Mariana Renata, Rachel Maryam, and Surya Saputra, the film was a commercial and critical success, earning Anwar his first

Citra Award for Best Director The Citra Award for Best Director (Indonesian: ) is an award given at the annual Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) to Indonesian film directors in recognition for their achievement in the previous year. The Citra Awards, described by ''Screen Intern ...

nomination. The film features multiple cameo appearances from well-known celebrities.

Synopsis

Joni works as a film/reel delivery man in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

. One day, while waiting for the next pick-up, Joni meets a charming girl who is going to catch a film with her boyfriend Otto. The girl would only reveal her name to Joni if he successfully delivers the reels on time. However, things do not turn out well on that day as Joni faces obstacles such as the city's notorious traffic and various people that may disrupt his task.

Cast

Notable cameos

Production

According to producer

Nia Dinata Nurkurniati Aisyah Dewi (born 4 March 1970 in Jakarta, Indonesia), better known as Nia Dinata, is an Indonesian film director. Her movies are known for tackling subjects controversial or "risky" in Indonesia such as homosexuality, migrant workers ...

, the shooting process for ''Janji Joni'' was very challenging due to unpredictable weather and also having to shoot secretly in certain areas due to the production team not having permits from local authorities. This was coupled with intimidation from local thugs who demanded payment in order for the crew to be able to shoot in certain locations. Overall, the shooting took place over 20 days.

Release

''Janji Joni'' received theatrical release on April 28, 2005, in Indonesia, followed by Malaysia on September 1, 2005, and Singapore on November 9, 2006. It was screened at several international film festivals, including the

Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held fro ...

Deauville Asian Film Festival The Deauville Asian Film Festival (the Festival du film asiatique de Deauville) took place annually in Deauville, France from 1999 to 2014. A film competition was added to the festival in 2000 and a video competition in 2002. Prize List 2000 * Lo ...

, and the

Bangkok International Film Festival The Bangkok International Film Festival (BKKIFF) () is an international film festival held annually in Bangkok, Thailand, since 2003. In addition to film screenings, seminars, gala events and the Golden Kinnaree Awards. History First years The ...

. A book containing Anwar's screenplay and production was published by Metafor titled ''Janji Joni: Skenario dan Catatan''.

Reception

Writing for ''Tempo'', Leila Chudori praised the film, calling it "intelligent and calculated" while noting Anwar's "smart and sharp" directing style and singling out the performances of Nicholas Saputra and Surya Saputra. In 2019, fourteen years since the film's release, Panos Katzothanasis reviewed the film for ''Asian Movie Pulse'' and called the film "unique" with "extremely intelligent, pointy, and ironic sense of humor" while noting that it "thrives in context, intelligent irony, and overall entertainment and is definitely among the best in Joko Anwar’s oeuvre.''"'' Katzothanasis singled out Nicholas Saputra and Sujiwo Tejo as stand-out performances in the film. ''Tempo'' magazine named ''Janji Joni'' its pick for best film of the year.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official site
* {{Authority control 2005 films 2000s Indonesian-language films 2005 romantic comedy films Films shot in Indonesia Films set in Indonesia Indonesian romantic comedy films 2005 directorial debut films Films directed by Joko Anwar