Jakarta. “Dua Hati Biru” (Two Blue Hearts) -- the sequel to the teen drama “Dua Garis Biru” (‘Two Blue Stripes’) -- is officially out in Indonesian cinemas. 

Directed by Gina S Noer and Dinna Jasanti, “Dua Hati Biru” brings the audience back to Bima (Angga Yunanda) and Dara (Aisha Nurra Datau). In the first movie, the audience got to witness the high school sweethearts’ teen pregnancy journey. Four years later, Dara is now back home after spending 4 years studying in South Korea. During the time when Dara goes physically absent (despite the frequent video calls), Bima has been taking care of their son Adam (Farrell Rafisqy). 

“Dua Hati Biru” follows how the young couple deal with family problems, ranging from first-time parent struggles, money issues, parental conflict, and even what happens if the traditional roles in marriage get reversed. The audience gets glimpses of the struggle of seeing one’s parents grow older as Bima’s father Rudy (Arswendy Bening Swara) falls sick. These are all themes that the audience may stumble upon in their lives. The familiar themes make “Dua Hati Biru” relatable to the viewers. 

The 106-minute-long movie is far more light-hearted compared to its more serious prequel “Dua Garis Biru”. The change in tone might stem from Adam’s presence, and how almost whatever he does never fails to make the audience smile. Despite their young age, both Bima and Dara have become loving parents and their interactions with Adam truly warm hearts. “Dua Hati Biru” also has humor --supported by the comic relief character --Iqi (Keanu Angelo)-- something that its prequel lacks.

The tone change also might come from the returning characters’ development. In the first movie, tension is high as both the young couple and their parents worry over the teen pregnancy. But the parents are now more accepting of what has happened. The most notable character development is how Dara’s mother Rika (Lulu Tobing) --who used to be critical of Bima in the first movie-- has now taken a liking to her son-in-law.

Cast changes --especially for the leading roles-- can be a major hit-or-miss. “Dua Hati Biru” decided to switch Adhisty Zara with Nurra for Dara’s role. However, the cast change does not seem to stop the audience from enjoying the movie. Internet personality Keanu is basically playing as himself, so his acting feels natural. Farrell does a good job portraying the adorable Adam. And just like in the first movie, the actors playing the in-laws, especially Cut Mini who plays Bima’s mother Yuni, have all done a great job.

Unfortunately, “Dua Hati Biru” seems to be lacking an impactful scene, unlike its predecessor. “Dua Garis Biru” came up with the legendary infirmary scene -- a truly well-executed scene that really makes the audience feel that they are really in the room with the characters. But still, “Dua Hati Biru” makes a smart decision with the off-screen fighting between Dara and Bima. Instead of having the camera on the couple, the movie focuses on Adam instead to show how the parental conflict can really affect a child.

Overall, the heartwarming “Dua Hati Biru” is like a breath of fresh air amid horror movies’ never-ending dominance in the Indonesian film industry.

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