The Star is Magnificent but Feels In vain in THE LAUNDROMAT

Steven Soderbergh, Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, The Laundromat sounds like one of those promising classics, right? Despite having these great names, the end result turns out to be a film that is half-hearted and doesn't even touch its potential.

Based on a true story, The Laundromat tells of an elderly person named Ellen Martin (Meryl Streep) who wants to pursue the truth about an insurance fraud, which eventually leads to a financial law company in Panama headed by two partners, Jürgen Mossack (Gary Oldman) and Ramón Fonseca. (Antonio Banderas).

If you don't know, Mossack and Fonseca are two real characters who do own a financial company in Panama, named Mossack Fonseca. During its decades of existence, Mossack Fonseca is indeed not a company that is often discussed because it has never stumbled on any cases.

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But all that changed in 2016, when a reporter calling himself “John Doe” released all of Mossack Fonseca's financial documents, where it was realized that many companies working with Mossack Fonseca were running illegally. Not only did the name of the company have to fall, but many officials around the world who operated with Mossack Fonseca also had to step down because they were known to be involved in the case of the Panamanian company.

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With a serious story, such stories are usually used as thriller films or drama films that highlight the ruthless side of the company to the fullest. But the writer Scott Z. Burns ( The Bourne Ultimatum ) and the director Steven Soderbergh ( Logan Lucky ) try to turn this tragic story into a comedy-drama that can explain everything lightly to the audience. Similar to the movie The Big Short , but the results were not optimal.

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Walking for 95 minutes, I never felt satisfied or felt that "OK, we can move on to the next scene." I always feel that maybe the story is too rushed to finish, so sometimes before I really understand what is going on, they just move on to the next story. They don't seem to know how to finish a scene properly, so I always feel awkward.

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Even though the concept he has is creative enough, to use a comedic theme to tell a real shocking incident. Like how Mossack and Fonseca always explain how their corrupt finances work to the live audience, breaking down the fourth wall between the film and the audience. Much like The Big Short , where each character tries to explain the financial world to the audience directly.

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Is the fault of this film also lies in the film player? I quickly answered no. Meryl Streep ( The Devil Wears Prada ) who plays Ellen Martin is seen portraying the character with totality. He can change the tone of the film with his acting, where in one scene he looks sad and in another scene looks confident.

I can also say the same to Gary Oldman ( Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ) and Antonio Banderas ( The 13th Warrior ). With Gary's character, Mossack, who has a German accent and his character Antonio, Fonseca, who is from Panama, every explanation of the two is something I have been waiting for because of how much fun it is to see two characters who sound cunning in real life, but in the film they are depicted as someone who is funny and easy going, like this world has no consequences for whatever they will do.

Although this film was easier to understand than The Big Short , The Laundromat failed in its delivery. Whether it is possible in terms of every scene that feels clumsy, or the storyline that lacks sufficient momentum to lift the story, The Laundromat is one of those films that waste the talent of both the director and the film player.