Muted Atmosphere

Brownout Fever

Baby Angelo is an interesting film that represents real life situations. It’s deliberately restrained, making the entire tableau a reflection of the ordinary lives of middle-class Filipinos. The setting is nearly dark and hazy; a palette that could equal anything that is uncertain. And these are the lives that we are bound to see. Monotonous daily activities do not alarm these people and why should they; monotony has no cause for alarm. Thanks to the unborn fetus found in the nearby dump area; they are now warranted to ember the long dimmed lights of their lives.

Baby Angelo is directed by Joel Ruiz with his co-writer Abigail Aquino. The film is not entirely about Baby Angelo, who is already dead at the start of the film. Baby Angelo is the fetus found nearby the Genevieve Homes owned by the pious and extremely organized Mrs. Nora de Guzman (Ces Quesada). There are certain police protocols where they should submit affidavits and Mrs. Nora asks the help of her nephew Bong (Jojit Lorenzo) to interview all the tenants. Bong is a happy-go-lucky guy who is married to Lisa (Katherine Luna), who is glued to their apartment for unexplained reasons.

Well, they are the focal characters in this film. There is a tendency wherein you might get confused as to where the film is heading. Since the apartment is nearly full, there’s a bunch of intertwining stories within the narrative. It’s a clear indication that one way or another, people we are living with has an influence in our lives. Its not only limited to our relatives or immediate families but also to our neighbors. Given the chance to engage with others, there is a tendency to digress with the warmth of a connection.

The entire ensemble is mostly natural in their acting approach. It’s easy to notice that despite the fragmented scenarios, we could still feel the authenticity of the characters’ humanity. Bong and Apple (Diana Malahay) are the only two who could babble their longings and aspirations. Lisa on the other hand deals with Bong’s irresponsiveness with restrained annoyance. We have another character that has delicately painted a personality that has deeper manifestations of the yearning to be of being appreciated. This is Nora, a religious mother whose claws control ownership of the apartment and yet she gets a cold shoulder from his rebellious son Ike (Cedrick Lamberte). Her relationship also with his prim and suave husband Noel (Mark Gil) has this insinuation of a wrinkled situation. With a positive outlook in life, she starts to have a modest confidence in herself and fixes her elderly look into a lovely and sophisticated demeanor.

Baby Angelo is courageous to show these ordinary people’s lives and how they fulfill their routine obligations. Their days are occupied in cleaning the streets like the senile Mr. Chiu (Dante Baloi). Karaoke filled nights for the ladies residing at Unit 1-F. And these we see into lifeless color without any glamour. We are bound to see life without thrill and are quite disjointed without a predictable intention. Could we really exist without feeling that we are living? Questions will always be raised and somehow in the end, our existence, no matter how fruitful our lives become, will always appear ordinary. But we struggle to make our lives vibrant. This could be possible if we find true happiness within our midst. The death of the innocent serves as an insighting stimulus and through this, the characters realize the banality of their lives.

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Charlie Koon's Rating:

Just a Coincidence?

Race to the finish line

Padyak is not a very bad film nor is it very a good film either. What you will expect from Padyak is a different film narrative. The film is derived from a Palanca Award winning literary piece; therefore it explicates the peculiarity of the story structure. The good side of encrusting the film with epigrammatic interconnected stories makes the entire film experience stimulating. But there is also a fallback. The variety of stories offered by the film is too lengthy. It demulsifies the idea they had in mind and in effect, the crust of the story becomes loose. This creates a stigma to the audience that once they are beginning to be cranky, they detach their selves to the possible ‘feel’ for the film.

Noel (Jay Aquitania) is a pedicab driver that wishes to study with the help of his earnings and the love and support of his mother Pacita (Irma Adlawan). One day, he helped a customer named Helga (Katherine Luna) with her groceries up to her condominium unit. They have a chat about anything under the sun. Soon enough, Noel gets information that Helga fell from the building. Noel seems to have been struck with the awareness that life could end and contemplates the meaning of his own existence.

The film has other meatier stories within it and there is a hint that it is related to Noel’s life: A bloody ménage-a-trios affair of a drug addict (Rita Avila) and her younger lover (Arnold Reyes) who is in love with the maid (Mercedes Cabral), a somewhat silly children’s cooking segment where Angel Jacob (reprising her role as a cook?) has a semi-dysfunctional family, and a schizophrenic geeky wanker played by Baron Geisler.

Padyak lingers towards the genre existentialist film, with a probable background of social realist pragmatism. There are insights on Noel’s life who he thinks his way of life could not be substantiated to have meaning but rather opts to reflect on the shortcomings it has given to him. To justify his importance, the writer concocts unfamiliar people that might coincide to the aim of this parable.

I have no qualms with how Aquitania has freshened up the character. He gives rawness and excitement to this ordinary guy. I am also amazed with the risks made by Avila. She deserves to be applauded for her uncanny portrayal of a sadistic junkie. Although Geisler gives out an invigorating yet campy portrayal of a person suffering from dual personality, the attitude is there but the direction could have been more polished.

As the story progresses, I sensed something could have been wrong with the film. There is a need to reassess the story treatment. The pacing is just slow and downright sprawling. The way the scenes unfold might have been composed for non-linearity’s sake but as an audience, there could be more ways to make it cohesive (not on a technical way of writing) but to make a right kind of flavor to the interrelated scenarios. There are films that has done multi-layer stories and it must decide from the very beginning what they really wanted to point further.

At the end of the film, we are reminded that our existence makes this world a better place. We are unaware of this as we human beings are living our own lives. Seeing the world turn makes it meaningful and if ever there are doubts, we begin to see the gray side of coincidence. But this ordinary guy seems innocent to skeptics and philosophers. Doing what is right is natural to human behavior. Although there are numerous mishaps within the film, Padyak has the persona of a human full of flaws. It might interest viewers if it could have been made with a more careful rendition.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

A Moral Quandary

Ménage à trois

If you love shopping and you have the means, you tend to buy anything. You are likely to be an impulsive buyer. Adolfo Alix Jr., likewise, is one impulsive filmmaker. He is notorious for making a handful of independent films every now and then. So what? He has the means and he’s got a statement. A statement he wants to be heard, captured and seen.

Imoral explores the dynamics of this perplex relationship summarized in the tagline: The Man… His Wife… and his Lover... Eager to start anew and avoid the repercussions of gossip in the community, the couple and his male lover moved into a new apartment. Dante is the husband who is a taxi driver played by Paolo Paraiso. His wife Abi, a former waitress, is played by Katherine Luna while his male lover, Jonathan, is an engineer played by Arnold Reyes. Their jobs respectively reflect their social status thus it is the husband’s male lover’s obligation to provide for their living. Things take a drastic turn when Dante discovers a bag full of money inside his taxi.

Genuine intentions of this film surpass the licentious theme being undertaken. Perverts are sure to be thwarted when viewing this film. The film has no purpose to showcase Kama Sutra techniques worthy for a trio. Although the film branding is towards the sexually 'curious' men who would definitely go delirious upon knowing beforehand that two straight guys will be kissing in this film. Admit it; it’s a come-on treat having Paolo Paraiso kissing their one and only Dodong, Arnold Reyes. Anyway I don’t want to discuss the gayness in this ‘gay film’ or so they say as this film has a lot more to discuss and will be altogether analyzed in the years to come.

When Dante found the money in his taxi, there were a lot of things to be pondered. His father has an ailing disease, he has high hopes to have his placing fee for Dubai, vis-à-vis his wife’s sentiments and his lover's principles. What would be his decision? Well, you have to watch it yourself. You might be surprised that you’ll come up with your own conclusion.

Acting-wise, the three lead actors are pretty good. There is neutrality implicated towards the release of their emotions. In effect, you are obligated to fill up the cracks and be the extension of affection to these beguiling characters. You might view it as a sad film. Individuality is a factor to the film’s entire appeal. In my view, I saw this as a positively funny film with crude wit.

Alix probably disdains film expositions and explanations. This film will move your brain cells freely. Imoral has a statement you might detest but it could not be ignored. A statement that is humorous and unique.

If I may ask you, what would you do if you found a bag full of money? Unlike morality, money is a thing you can actually touch.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

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Trivia:

· Arnold Reyes played the role Dodong, the love interest of Ada. Dodong is the character in the musical play Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.

· This is the 8th directorial film of Adolfo Alix Jr in a span of two years. Two more films are on it's way: Kalayaan and Manila.