Very early on, we see tragic events unfold in this picture-perfect, happy family. As the movie begins, we see a couple who are expecting a child living with their other two children along with the husband’s nephew, Ano, and the wife’s brother, Moko. But you will not be able to tell that not everyone in the family is immediate family. The couple care for everyone like they are all their kids. In the beginning, you mistake him for the couple’s son but he is not, he is the wife’s brother – remember that!
Unfortunately, while the kids are away, the husband collapses and is rushed to the hospital. We soon get to know that the husband has passed away. Upon hearing of the husband’s death, the wife, who still appears calm, goes into labour and doesn’t come out of it alive.
As both the husband and wife pass away suddenly and the kids are left with a newborn; Moko, who is now the eldest member of the family, decides to step up and look after the kids, including financing their education. He gives up on his dream of becoming an architect as he fails to clear interviews due to growing responsibilities, especially those associated with caring for a newborn. And the thought of who will take care of the kid if he is not around also haunts him and the guilt trips make him completely sideline his own life and willingly devote himself to the children (and when I say children, they are school and college going kids). To add to this, his piano teacher entrusts him with his daughter. He hands Moko some money along with his daughter, promises that he will return in a few days but never returns.
These kids then become each other’s family. Not all are related by blood but they take care of each other. While Moko takes it upon himself to become their caretaker, the other kids cannot bear to see him burden himself to the point where he can no longer live his own life.
While all of this is happening, we see a character that holds everyone together yet teaches them to be independent so that not a single person is burdened and everyone can enjoy life together. She is none other than Moko’s girlfriend, Maurin, who he breaks up with after he understands he can now only be a caretaker and nothing else. This young lady here brings a beautiful balance between the emotional and practical side of Moko and also, the kids.
Maurin loves kids equally and knows how much Moko loves his new family. She is, hence, always there for them – acting as a strong support for him and also as someone who is well aware of both the sides. She knows how the kids are also ready to go to any extent to make sure Moko gets some breathing space.
We later see Moko’s other sister come home with her husband post which we get to see some twists that make every sibling go his/her way only to return home as one unit, as a family. I won’t reveal that part here because that’s the most beautiful part of this film.
There is one line that Gadis, piano teacher’s daughter, says to Moko. She says that once we lose someone, we keep doing things that we believe connect us to our lost loved ones and that summarises this film’s message so beautifully. Moko tries to become what his sister and her husband were for the family – the kids’ mother and father, their caretaker, their elder brother, their guide and mentor.
There is one scene towards the end where Moko remembers how when he moved with the family, his brother-in-law broke a wall to make more room for the increasing number of family members. After their passing, to keep them alive or just feel connected to them, Moko keeps doing what his brother-in-law would have done; he keeps making room for more people and just become their caretaker without complaining. What he forgets is that he is too young for that and if he doesn’t shape his own life on the side, while there is still time, the entire family may never again be able to see how good life can get because then, kids won’t be able to study, if their health deteriorates, they may not even be able to afford treatments so the only practical solution to his emotional attachment is to make a life that will support each and every kid while helping them build theirs.
At the end, they all come to a conclusion and agree that Moko will no longer be the sole caretaker but each and every person in the family will look after each other and they will function as one.
A Brother and 7 Siblings is a rare combination of ‘moving yet comforting.’
And yes, the performances! The storytelling and direction are undoubtedly excellent, but the performances are outstanding as well. There are no loud expressions of grief or suffering, yet what these actors convey through silence and their eyes is something even the greatest actors sometimes struggle to achieve. Their performances are a showcase of the power of restraint in acting. The way they bring these characters to life, making them believable and convincing, is what makes this film what it is — an extraordinary piece of art.
Language: Indonesian
Where to Watch? Netflix
