The Devil has an Accent.
I remember in one of the interviews of Andrei Tarkovsky where he gives advice to young filmmakers. He said that nowadays, anyone could make a film. But he stated that if you are beginning to be serious about the craft, you must not separate the work, the film, from the life they live. Assuming Ned Trespeces has heard or have read about this interview, he could be be at ease for what he did with My Fake American Accent. But there is a follow-up to Tarkovsky’s sage advice; that cinema is a very difficult and serious art.
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To be cool about it, My Fake American Accent is not a bad film. I actually enjoyed it. Am I bluffing all along with all the lenient ratings I gave to most ‘entertainment’ films? But with this film, which I happened to enjoy on a purely subjective basis, will not be praised even for its sanguinity of the lives of our beloved business process outsourcing practitioners. Its enjoyment is too cautious to be self-indulgent.
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My Fake American Accent comprises of different episodes into the lives of technical support representatives. Seva (Mailes Kanapi) is the strict team lead. Her team comprises of her goth and rebellious daughter Samp (Cherry Mae Canton), the military dropout Buster (Miro Valera), the nerdy but chic ex-Palanca award winning writer Astrid (Tracy Abad), the laid-back Meryl (Martin dela Paz) and the newbie Eric (Jonathan Neri). I just noticed that when I watched last year’s call center film Loving You, their names are really cool. Is this part of the culture of having fashionable names? Eric is still a newbie so he has yet to conceive a spectacular moniker. It’s not only with the names that they are so hip, but they also represent the trendsetters of our generation from the branded shoes and gizmos to the apparel.
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The episodes give limelight to each of the characters. I noticed that at some point, their life in the industry has something to do with a failure or perhaps a frustration. Astrid for example is a failed writer (so she says so). She re-ignites the passion in the craft and submits a draft of her work to a bitchy TV writer. The same with Meryl (not his real name) where he gives up bartending for a job that he has no passion but is incredibly excelling. Despite the terrible attitude of Seva, there is an instance wherein the indifference her daughter Samp has for her subsides. Eric is a newbie from beginning until the end. The episode on Buster gives us an idea of the crimes happening at night. Despite the warnings, these people are really fond of dressing up and looking their best. It’s quite funny because they are not really being seen.
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My Fake American Accent has something to say about the director’s job before he shifted career to filmmaking. The call center type of job has obtained too much hype and it reflects on film. The opportunity it gives though is somewhat questionable. It’s like a drop-off workplace for people who endure frustrations and failures. Just like what I have said, the film is more of an exercise and it could be enjoyed for casual appreciation. If they could have pumped up the story more or even incorporate film styles that would elevate it into a film that could still be a more pleasing viewing experience and still be honest with your own chronicles as an agent.
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Charlie Koon's Rating: 
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