Love for Sale poster, IMDB

As part of an autoethnographic study for university, I was tasked with watching a film called Love for Sale, an Indonesian romantic comedy focusing on Richard, a so-called ‘bachelor for life’ who, throughout his life, seems to have struggled with finding companionship – in part due to his slobbishness, his rudeness when interacting with others and his general lack of commitment when confronted with a more serious, ‘steady’ romantic relationship (as seen near the start of the film). Eventually, through an agency named Love Inc., he hires a woman named Arini to be his pretend girlfriend for a wedding reception so his friends don’t make fun of him for his long unbroken streak as a bachelor.

As to be expected of most cliched romantic dramas, the two seem to fall in love and Richard begins to get softer, less rude when out in public…