A Quick Quack

I heart you...?

Seeing this film in its dreadful form, it’s partly rational not to review it. But two reasons I still consider are: it is written and directed by Cris Pablo and it is the only local film released this week. Quicktrip let’s say, is like a story of a duck - a hideous duck. They don’t have to make sense but just to quack. Quack at the contemptible gay lifestyles. Quack with pointless motivation. Ducks are often found in children’s story. And I found a duck-story I like. She is Jemima, a puddle duck. She is an inept and stupid duck. Even if she’s a duck, she has a clear purpose – she wants to lay her eggs without them being taken away. Quicktrip in comparison has a clear-cut purpose – to quack perpetually.

Cris Pablo is one of the pioneers of digital filmmaking particularly with his feature film Duda (Doubt). It was released five years ago and is the only film I have seen from his entire body of work. Unfortunately, it’s annoying how he mobilizes his story materials. He just makes a variation from his previous work (the ideas gathered are not actually good), then bits and pieces are stitched together albeit haphazardly once more and voila – it is marketed as a ‘new-fangled’ film. Conversely, Quicktrip is a hyped nonsensical queer film that promises to bestow the audience a sexually evoking tale of two men and how these men uphold their libido (until the story’s climax) amidst poor living conditions. Isn’t that weird?

Pablo might have improved in the film’s technical department, but it’s not adequate to make the film passable. Even the development of the lead character is not sufficient to back-up the film’s story. The progression of Cris (Topher Barreto) is undersized by the enormous worthlessness of the film’s message. Pablo surely wants to make a point. But Pablo’s personal stance on gay subject matters is not effectively employed and rather made the film’s message misconstrued. And it is important to note that sometimes a movie is not just a medium to express one’s personal stance.

In general, a person regardless of gender, race or sexuality has this tendency to be affected by the things they could personally relate with. In this case, Quicktrip is made to be sentimental and maneuvers a perception of how pitiful the gays are. Obvious enough, Cris will increase the sympathy of the audience. Even the slightest progression of Cris’ character is already an achievement?

Quicktrip might probably know a lot of gay underground life. But films are highly regarded as an art form. Quicktrip has no vision in retailing a true story that would be prolific once it has been conveyed into a film. It only made the overtly sympathetic (not to mention self-indulgent) Cris into a position of insignificance. The films’ epilogue is like an allusion to Britney Spear’s ‘Stronger’. Yes, the pop icon’s music video is like the upshot of Quicktrip. (Sing the refrain and you’ll know)

Quicktrip is nothing progressive. I might be an outsider, harshly saying all these things, but films are not made to have prescription - prying only to a certain social class or gender. Films regardless of the subject matter, if it is well made, will be considered as good films. I will not be surprised if the target audience might have shown certain compassion since Pablo has already a huge gay-cult following. But does it help gays as a whole, or is its perspective detrimental, propagating the stereotype of rampant homosexual promiscuity and superficiality. If they were pleased with self-containment, then it’s fine. But to appease you all: Ducks are better eaten than heard.
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Charlie Koon's Rating:

Positive Review: The Bakla Review