Summary
Donny Damara’s turn is a stoic, moving portrait of the meaning of fatherhood and how a man’s job as an example to his son is never over.
Here is our review of the 2023 Netflix film Today We’ll Talk About That Day, which does not contain spoilers.
The hugely popular Indonesian Netflix film One Day We’ll Talk About Today (Nanti Kita Cerita tentang Hari Ini) was a massive hit for the streaming giant. So much so that it has spawned a sequel, building on the Putra family saga. Today We’ll Talk About That Day (Hari Ini Akan Kita Ceritakan Nanti) tells a tender story of fathers and sons, wives and husbands, and shared histories.
Perhaps, most importantly, Angga Dwimas Sasongko’s film explores the void of things left unsaid, left collecting dust, causing more damage than intended.
The movie delves into two timelines. The first takes us back to the initial encounter between Narendra and Ajeng under unfortunate circumstances. Their romance originated at a hospital, where Narendra learned his older brother, who had been working to put him through school, had been killed. There, he meets Ajeng, whose mother is in critical condition.
Today We’ll Talk About That Day Review and Plot Summary
The second continues today, focusing on one of their three children, Angkasa. In the previous film, the story navigates their children’s adult lives. Here, Angkasa faces marital issues with Lika following a panic attack. During a visit from Narendra, while Ajeng stays home, he discovers that his son has been separated from Lika for several months.
Why have the young couple separated? How does this relate to when Narendra and Ajeng first met? That’s the subtle pleasure of Today We’ll Talk About That Day. The script by Sasongko, Yemima Krisantina, and Mohammad Irfan Ramly, adapting Marchella F.P.’s flash fiction novel Later We Tell About Today (Nanti Kita Cerita tentang Hari Ini), has extraordinary patience in making meaningful connections.
And those connections are simple but always powerful because what else is more important than a family legacy? The script unfolds like a novel, telling two good stories. They both develop the forbearance not to rush studio or audience expectations. For one, it allows plot points and interactions to happen naturally, even if some of the dialogue and plot are exaggerated for effect.
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That said, this film is a standard melodrama, and the character of Angkasa is the type of man-child character that quickly grows tiresome. (Why do writers so quickly write a story of someone blaming their parents for everything yet living a life of privilege?).
The script pleases the audience by providing minimal exposition, improving matters, and avoiding bogging down in endless explanations. On the other hand, if you’ve never seen the first film, which I have not, it takes some time to get a feel for the characters.
Is Today We’ll Talk About That Day good or bad?
Today We’ll Talk About That Day is a good saga that strikes the right balance of meaningful familial connections and manipulative moments of your standard cliched melodrama.
This is an excellent adaptation from the filmmakers—a simple story about parents sacrificing and swallowing their pride so their children can heal.
Is Today We’ll Talk About That Day worth watching?
Today We’ll Talk About That Day is worth watching for the performance from Donny Damara, who plays the elder Narendra.
His turn is a stoic, moving portrait of the meaning of fatherhood and how a man’s job as an example to his son is never over.
What did you think of the 2023 Netflix film Today We’ll Talk About That Day? Comment below.
