‘24 Hours with Gaspar’ Netflix Movie Review - Searching for Kirana

"Being a detective is not cool or glamorous," says a detective named Gaspar (Reza Rahadian). These words ring true in this film from director Yosep Anggi Noen. It displays this profession so unglamorously that it becomes extremely unstimulating. Looking for clues and solving a mystery never seemed as boring as it does in this movie. Even disappointing detective fiction has moments of intrigue where the audience tries to piece together everything. No such motivation possesses you throughout the 1 hour and 38 minutes of runtime. I am glad I didn't spend 24 hours watching this movie.

Yes, I know 24 Hours with Gaspar is not a typical detective movie. This dish has so many ingredients in it that one shouldn't expect conventional flavors from it. But the detective thing is one of the elements of this film. I would have overlooked the dullness with which Gaspar solves various mysteries if the combination of various things - mythology, fantasy, romance, action, thriller, comedy - had given rise to something seductively weird, mind-bendingly terrific, or simply interesting

24 Hours with Gaspar, though, is so ostentatiously structured that it takes almost 10–15 minutes to fully submit yourself to the story. The opening portions are deliberately rendered opaque. They unfold like a puzzle whose pieces slowly fall into place. But while this happens, the viewer doesn't look at the screen with anticipation. We don't eagerly wait for the full picture or show enthusiasm in understanding what drives Gaspar to do anything. Why is he waiting outside the jewelry shop? Does he really want to commit robbery? These questions never grab you with urgency. The ticking time aspect of the story is also devoid of gravity.

Hence, for those 10–15 minutes near the beginning, I almost became sleepy. Almost because the sunlit flashbacks to Gaspar's childhood always attacked my senses jarringly. This disorienting structure weakens the film's momentum. As a result, you watch 24 Hours with Gaspar like a passive viewer. Drained of energy and excitement, you simply let the scenes pass by you without ever holding an image and examining it for details. There is nothing juicy here, anyway. Anggi Noen is literal in his depictions. He uses two swimming kickboards to show the union - and separation - of two friends.

The film, however, comes alive briefly during a chase sequence. It's here you begin to wonder that, perhaps, this material would have been better in the hands of a hack director. He would have at least used the infidelity angle for hot, passionate sex. He would have also exploited a character like Bu Tati (Dewi Irawan) for more humor and brought out the intensity of an old romance with a more sentimental yet strong flavor. Anggi Noen, though, tries to be an arty director, which is why he dips the movie in a "thoughtful," "ruminative" tone that dulls the action. Still, towards the end, he, too, goes for a sentimental approach, which looks like a last-ditch effort to win the hearts of the viewers.

If you don't feel like dismissing 24 Hours with Gaspar entirely, that's because M. Irfan Ramli's script - adapted from a novel by Sabda Armandio - has potential. Anggi Noen, unfortunately, reduces everything to bland bullet points.

Final Score- [4.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times