Chummy Forever

Half moon, Full moon

With Wenn Deramas’ film Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat, I gave a smirk. But not with his latest film BFF (Best Friends Forever). It is a polished version of how he works as a filmmaker inclining to be a crowd pleaser in the comedy genre. And even when the film is made to accommodate the much-loved masses for economic rationality, they are predisposed to deliberately perk up the comedy craft all the while. I am not being sarcastic. It’s just that the previous film is a shame to comedies in general. Its story is insensible, forced to commit the deadly sin of greed without reliable merits with the end product. I am comparing it because BFF is an example of a film that is entertaining, funny and ingenious in relative terms.

Don’t get me wrong here; BFF is not made to be a spectacular work of art. But the art of comedy that Deramas has fused in is more commendable. These are on the grounds of comic execution and swift combination of comedy and drama. The heavy usage of slapstick is very laudable mostly because the lead actress Sharon Cuneta could do all those crazy antics without looking inadequate in comic timing. Ai-ai delas Alas grace the limelight once again with a finer composition of her comedic persona.

I really love comedies especially slapstick films made by Chaplin and Gaidai. This is why I admire how slapstick is incorporated in this film. I know most people think that slapsticks are a major turn-off albeit antiquated. But if you come to think of it, it’s merely loathed because the execution is nearly detrimental to the idea of slapsticks which is; it has to be perfectly timed and clear-cut. Cuneta and delas Alas merely lets loose and make fun of their selves which I think works miraculously. Cuneta is not even anxious to be poked fun with her plump demeanor. They also exploited their awkward behaviors and human flaws like the glorified elongated chin of delas Alas. It’s not insulting and its execution is admirable with the customary whacky sound effects utilization.

The film starts with the funeral of Tim (John Estrada). He is the husband of Honey (Sharon Cuneta). Frances (Ai-ai delas Alas) walks in the room veiled in black, create a mini-scandal as she is known to be the mistress of Tim. The subsequent scenarios are mostly flashbacks, giving us the story of how these two people establish their friendship. Honey is a mother of three who is getting frustrated with the cold behavior of her husband. She suspects that Tim has a mistress after seeing a pair of lingerie at the trunk of the car. She was counseled by her mother played by the flamboyant Gina Pareño that she has to work on her appearance mostly on her corpulent figure. She applies in a gym where she is helped emotionally and physically by the cheerful and fun-spirited Frances.

Another dimension tackled in the film dwells on relationships, family affairs and friendships. There are tips to wives with philandering husbands just like what Frances talks about appreciation, emotional connection and even our sexual fantasies. These boost a stagnant relationship which could be learned from an undeclared mistress. It’s not all flippancy but a paint of drama is apparently important as the film depicts lives of distressed people.

BFF has a good script written and it’s a bit alarming for the efforts made to make the film wholesome. I had fun watching this film as I could see that slapstick comedies are again alive and in good form. He could be more experimental on this aspect as anything that looks crazy, absurd, and even illogical as long as the execution is crisp, could be amusing. It adheres in theory with what slapstick is all about. This is the best comedy he has made so far. I think the main problem is, will the audience take this seriously? Comedies are best appreciated if we aim to believe the laughter and not defy the act of laughing, which is ridiculous.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Motherly Excuse

All rice... coup is now in season.

When America sneezes, the Philippines contracts pneumonia. That might be a logical way of presenting the situation of two countries experiencing the recent global crisis. But Filipinos are clever. They would rather die in laughter than suffer the inexorable dilemma we are currently facing. Filipino comedies are so in-demand and it has a higher probability to be successful in the box office. Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat is something the Filipino audience would instantly be curious about. First, the title has a strong double-entendre– Filipinos has a great deal of response to innuendos. And of course, the film will star one of our country’s best comediennes.

Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat is the sequel to the box office hit Ang Tanging Ina. Its promise of laughter is undeniable; most of it is due to the retention of certain aspects from the first film. It stars the ever-wacky, bizarre looking comedian, Ai-ai de las Alas. She has the ability to make you chortle with her cleverness in delivering comedic skits and most of the time, just by simply looking at her. Let’s say the physical appearance have played a special facet in the unique caricature of her persona. De Las Alas’ unique donkey facial intimations and her prominent chin ala Tarantino will certainly be the selling point of this film. And of course she is not totally new in the business. We have to be reminded that her TV stints and comedy concerts were phenomenal hit. Although in films it is entirely different. I hoped they sustained the laughable phase in the film and it could have worked so well.

De Las Alas stars as Ina, still a fraught widow of a dozen children. The film starts with the cortege of her recent husband. Actually we get a little dose of dues ex machina interpolation in the first film pertaining to the death of her husbands. It just weaves the story through and we start to see a parody of a TV drama wherein Ina is part of the cast wherein she gets to double the white wolf alter-ego of the lead star. It is an effective premise as comedy films gets to show a high-pitch sounding of humor the moment it starts. Nonetheless, they have succeeded by just dressing up de Las Alas in a scanty wolf suit and made her jump at the top of the building. It’s appropriate for Ina to do the stunts but definitely not the female lead or the purebred Siberian husky. It’s funny.

Her equally waggish best friend Rowena is played by Eugene Domingo. She is a great support or even a great equalizer to a great comedian. Their moments in the film are lauded by viewers mostly for their great timing and execution. Although the film’s comedic ambience subsides mostly with Ina’s rapport with her children. This started after she gets to be a star witness in the killing of the President of the Philippines. And with the twists of the story, she was elected as the President. Half of the film blurs its comedic element into something a bit tragic. I kind of wished it would end and the film would get back to where they are originally good at.

The genre that they are trying to portray is a bit quizzical on their grounds to provoke more laughter. The films get more sentimental when it reaches its climax. It is a mixture of Tearful Comedy and Bourgeois Tragedy. But when we review the history of Comedy, Bourgeois Tragedy is the outcome of Tearful Comedy. They might have forgotten to do their homework. We cannot confuse the audience for something they might have wanted in the first place. It just suggests a reason for audiences to see that despite the tragedies that are inflicted on the heroine, there is a moral triumph that will prevail.

It is not all wrong to squeeze in a bit of tragicomic appeal in films. But it might spoil the promise they have laid all along. Considering the ample amount of comedic elements in the film, they could have stuck through it all along. First, there is parody employed in the film and even in Ina’s character. She lacks the skills of being the President and has constantly used obscure quotes to direct the problems in the country. The political and social satire was used for backdrop. It simply entrenches the errors present in the Philippine Society. The slapstick element has infused the film with a pragmatic tone which maintains its retrospective charm but with an updated style.

Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat has great potential to fully develop the comedic structure which we excel in, provided that they will learn from their past works or even recent ones to make a comedy of superior caliber. The story does not require to be smart in all aspects but the invention of a story that is funny requires intelligence. I hope Wenn Deramas learns many things in his Ina Series. Their strong points are now presented and hopefully they stick to it. I am hoping to laugh from beginning till the end and I would look forward into seeing this in the future. This is quite possible as I have seen de Las Alas perform in concerts and it is really entertaining.


Charlie Koon's Rating: