‘Hamka & Siti Raham Vol. 2’ Netflix Movie Review - A Boring Biopic

I reviewed Buya Hamka Vol. 1 last year in August and forgot about it before September 1st. Now, its sequel, Hamka & Siti Raham Vol. 2, has found its way on Netflix, and I am sure I will forget about it before June 1st. I remember almost nothing about Vol. 1, which shouldn't come as a surprise, as I found it entirely forgettable. I do, however, remember the holier-than-thou gaze with which the movie looked at its titular character, played by Vino G. Bastian. Bastian once again steps into the shoes of the great Muslim scholar, and Vol. 2, directed by Fajar Bustomi, continues to treat Buya as a god. It's a miracle I was able to sit through this 1 hour and 42 minutes of tedium.

Writers Cassandra Massardi and Alim Sudio are not interested in exploring the inner life of Buya Hamka. They approach their subject by folding their hands and bowing their heads. Like a devotee at a temple, the writers worship Buya instead of seeing him as a human. This gaze is extended to the characters in the film. When Buya is surrounded by his family in the beginning, they all stare at him the same way as a Muslim looking at Allah or a Christian looking at Jesus. Buya, in the film, is great because he is based on a real-life figure. The movie itself fails to provide any solid proof regarding Buya's greatness. We are told he is a great writer, but his words - or, for that matter, all the dialogues in the film - are merely coated with cheap sentimentality that aims to fill your eyes with tears.

The other qualities are depicted through scenes that simply act as bullet points. When Buya stands confidently while the Dutch planes fly in the air, the movie says, "He was fearless." When two men interrupt one of his speeches in a forest, and Buya handles them by twisting the hand of one of the men, the movie says, "Not just mentally, Buya was also physically well."

There is a scene towards the end of Vol. 2 where Buya tells his wife, Siti Raham (Laudya Cynthia Bella), that her speech was better than those "fat speeches full of dreams and fantasies." Yet, Buya himself is seen giving fat speeches most of the time. Some of his lines are incredibly banal ("In politics, friends can be foes"). The Dutch planes fly above Buya and his men, and, except for Buya, everybody gets scared. This leads to an inspirational speech from this philosopher and writer, which doesn't feel rousing or inspirational because we never observe Buya's men in grave danger. Later, Buya, through his speech, attempts to stop two local gangs from firing at each other. After a while, one of the gang members shoots Buya, probably because he gets bored with his lecture.

Buya, however, doesn't die here. This, unfortunately, means that the movie, too, doesn't stop here. It continues giving us superficial scenes, a weepy score, more lectures, and cartoon villains. Buya, at one point, decides to quit his job as a civil servant. This decision, though, isn't met with any kind of familial protest. The wife says she has no problem giving up a luxurious, comfortable life, and the children silently nod in agreement. Is this actually what happened? Whatever the case, the scene looks so dull, so lifeless. The plagiarism issue is also solved within minutes. Don't be fooled by the wife's name in the title. The movie only belongs to the male character. Siti Raham is just shown as a gentle, caring wife who cares for her husband. Her every word and every action fuels Buya to perform his best - she is nothing but a cheerleader.

As a director, Bustomi dips all the scenes in the same sentimental mood, making Vol. 2 monotonous. Since every scene exists at the same pitch, a death scene fails to emotionally affect us. At 1 hour and 42 minutes, Vol. 2 feels so tiring that you feel like taking a nap. No wonder I felt happy as soon as the film ended.

Final Score- [1/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times