The official remake of the 2011 Belgian film Hasta La Vista, Herwin Novianto’s Why Do You Love Me, takes the story to Indonesia and has a perfect cast for this heartwarming film, which may seem like it was made to titillate but in fact speaks about a deeper topic of ableism and expressing one’s sexuality. The story revolves around three friends in their early twenties, one of whom has a brain tumor, and they wish to visit a red-light area where the trio could pop their cherries and live life to the fullest. The movie feels like a breath of fresh air, and under the guise of being a raunchy comedy, it comes up with something truly surprising. The background score and the performances make this a decent remake with its own flavor and message at the end.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens To The Film?
Danton, Baskara, and Moki, all living under care in a facility for the physically challenged, were desperate to get out but knew very well that it wasn’t easy. Being under constant care, they yearned for some excitement in their lives, and finally Baskara had enough. A paraplegic, his soul was that of the most adventurous man who wanted some action in his life. Danton, aka Ton, had a brain tumor and was just waiting for that last piece of bad news. He was also wheelchair-ridden. Moki was visually impaired but could easily maneuver himself using his cane. All three completed each other in a way. Baskara, aka Bas, came up with the idea of visiting Surabaya, a region known for its call houses. The others were skeptical, but after a great visionary rant by Bas, they realized that time was ticking, and they had to get out of the facility by any means necessary.
Why Couldn’t They Leave?
First, they tried the legitimate way to go on a trip. They got their parents into a meeting and tried explaining their point of view. The real issue was obviously revolving around their safety, but they had managed to live a fairly self-managed life in recent times. Ton’s issue was that his results were not out yet, and the tumor could have gotten worse. This became the reason for him to pressure his parents into letting the trio go on the trip, as nobody knew how much time he really had. Hearing their pleas, the guardians agreed but waited to check with the tour guide, who specializes in such trips. He turned out to be one of the best in the business. All doubts and issues regarding their safety and travel were getting resolved, but suddenly the worst happened. Ton’s report came, and his tumor had grown cancerous. Seeing his deteriorating condition, his parents decided to cancel his trip, and Bas and Miko also had to put their plans on hold. The dream of seeing Indonesia and having a blast like fellow people of their age was now seeming like a pipe dream, but Ton decided to throw all caution to the wind and sneak out with the others to go on the trip without their parents’ consent.
Why Did Endang Lie About Being A Killer?
Bas was delighted and laid out the map for a smooth trip to Surabaya. The issue was that the tour guide or driver couldn’t be from the previous company. They needed all sorts of consent forms to be signed by the guardians before taking somebody on a trip, and the trio couldn’t risk doing all that. So Bas contacted a shady ride, and in walked Endang, a middle-aged woman who had her own way of going about her life. She took the money and never asked any questions, which suited the trio very well. Soon, she started bossing everyone around and took her own route to Surabaya. The trio resisted, but what could they do? They had already ditched their phones, as they wanted to avoid getting tracked. Endang scared everyone when she revealed that she had come on the trip because she was a murderer. The trio didn’t believe her at first, but eventually she convinced them by showing a paper clipping of herself. In the end, it all turned out to be fake. Endang had planned all this in collusion with Ton and Moki to make Bas listen to her and stop fretting about the route to Surabaya. But not all of it was a lie. Endang had indeed been to prison, but she’d never killed anybody. She was a nurse and looked after a wealthy client who was living a painful life and had signed a contract for euthanasia. Endang just did the old man a favor, but his family accused her of murder, as his will gave away some of his property to Endang. The courts released her after they found the contracts, but the accusation was enough to make her lose her job.
Did Danton Survive?
The trio had a blast, and Bas’ adamance to reach Surabaya as soon as possible had subsided, thanks to Endang’s little lie. He eventually started to enjoy the detour, picking a few fights as well. Moki, who could only sense Endang through his sound and smell, was falling in love with her. Ton struggled with his illness, but Endang took care of him, and he kept receiving proper care. Endang could see that his situation was deteriorating and didn’t want to be responsible for a mishap that she couldn’t forgive herself for. So she called in Ton’s parents, perhaps after getting his parents’ number from the phone directory. It isn’t clear as to how they reached so fast, but on the next morning, everybody’s family was there to end the trip midway and take them back home. The families didn’t know about the trio’s plan to visit Surabaya, but they didn’t care. Ton’s condition was deteriorating, but his resolve was absolute. He wanted to complete the trip. He made his parents understand that it would be selfish of them not to let him live his last few days as he wanted them to live—seeing and experiencing the beauty of nature and perhaps finding an intimate partner. Ton’s sister understood his desire, and soon the parents had to let the trio complete their trip. They trusted Endang, as she had called them in the first place. If her intentions were malicious, she could have harmed their sons long ago.
The trip continued after the parents left, but they had another problem when they reached Surabaya. The brothels were closed off by official order, and the trio was extremely disappointed. Here Endang’s charm worked again, as she contacted two girls to come to Surabaya from their hometowns. The two girls took care of Bas and Ton, while Moki got to spend the night with Endang herself. During the course of the trip, Moki had fallen head over heels in love with Endang, just by her smell. Endang, too, cherished this fact about Moki. She wanted to be with him, so she didn’t call in a third girl and merely changed her voice to be with Moki, but he recognized her right away. The night ended, and the following morning, Dan and Ton were in seventh heaven. They had just had the time of their lives, and in their ecstasy, they seemed to be walking away from their wheelchairs. That was just Endang’s hallucination, but she saw them delighted, which in turn made her happy that the trio had had such a great trip, all thanks to her. Before leaving, Bas tore off Moki’s ticket to go back home, as he wanted him to stay with Endang for as long as he liked. His parents could join him later. The trip had come to an end, but just a day later, Ton passed away. He was barely holding on, and after a stroke, he didn’t survive. The bittersweet ending didn’t make the remaining ones forget to live life to the fullest, no matter the conditions. Danton was given a proper sendoff and always lived in Baskara and Moki’s memories.
