Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Teen seeks mom who left him behind; some language.
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Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens
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What's the Story?
In ALI & RATU RATU QUEENS, Ali (Iqbaal Ramadhan) leaves his home in Jakarta after his father's death and travels to New York City, where his mother had gone years before to seek success as a singer. His search brings him to the Queens apartment of four middle-aged Indonesian best friends who are trying to open a restaurant showcasing their native cuisine. Party (Nirina Zubir) had roomed with his mom, Mia (Marissa Anita), and invites Ali to stay. It doesn't take long for him to locate his mother, who lives a privileged life in an upscale Brooklyn brownstone with her husband and two children. But when Ali knocks at her door, she shoos him away, frightened her family will find out about her past. Ali is devastated by the rejection but continues to follow her until she agrees to meet with him several times. Ultimately, she tells him to forget her, that she was a terrible mother, and that he should just "hate" her, but later developments hint that she may find a way to bring him back into her life.
Is It Any Good?
The pluck and perseverance of young Ali is admirable, sometimes more admirable than the movie itself. When Ali &Ratu Ratu Queens concerns itself with the meaning of close relationships and the importance of creating family, moving moments help us dismiss and forgive some cliché boiler plate characterizations. A montage of the fun-loving women who take Ali in shows him being enveloped in their warmth. He even describes them as welcoming without judgment, but they're anything but non-judgmental when they meet Mia, Ali's conflicted mother.
Ali's willingness to open himself to the quirky foursome living in the spacious Queens apartment is testament to the best and most generous instincts in people, but there's little to no character development of any of the "aunties" who take him in. One is goofy, another is grumpy, another is spiritual, and another is always upbeat, but we get nothing more and it subtracts from what might otherwise have been a more affecting experience. Aurora Ribero as Eva, daughter of one of the aunties and Ali's love interest, has a lovely singing voice.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why a mother might decide to leave her child. Why do you think Mia left her husband and young child for New York?
Does Mia regret abandoning her child? What does the movie suggest she is going to do about it?
The movie suggests that people can create "families" by committing to close friends and standing by them. What do you think is an advantage to creating family?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: June 17, 2021
- Cast: iIqbaal Ramadhan, Marissa Anita, Nirina Zubir, Aurora Ribero
- Director: Lucky Kuswandi
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 100 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 19, 2023
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