Same Consumption, More Cuddle

Green Shirt Pink Shirt

For me, Little Boy Big Boy is at the same boat with most of our mainstream romantic comedies with lesser decorousness. Indie films now start to use the romantic formula with a slight implication of societal function. Little Boy Big Boy could be the first to do this in its flock. To make a better comparison; if You Changed My Life made my body calories shrink into mottled skittles, and Dinig Sana Kita confined me in silence in the Himalayan Mountain, Little Boy Big Boy made me a tadpole. I could hop in all the vacant seats with every sweet gesture. It is really my mistake that I could not react so well in kilig types of films. But I could feel that my reaction in contrast could be better for people who prefer to watch this harmless entertainment.

Raymond (Paolo Rivero) has a good career as a graphic artist but he is known to be unlucky in love. He is flirty with the guys he meets and chats with. One day, he breaks-up with his partner upon knowing from a ‘kiss and tell’ guy that they had a night together. Then his sister visits and asks a favor to take care of his niece Zach (Renz Valerio) for a couple of weeks. Zach and Raymond did not get along well in the next couple of days. But with some doughnuts and hotdogs, the two could fit the perfect mold of father and son.

Raymond in simpler terms is promiscuous. He could not sustain a stable relationship with any guy he’s with. Due to his frustrations, he joins an odd speed dating event hosted by this petite guy in a Sailormoon inspired outfit. I am getting the theme of it and it’s obligatory in a way that you wear only briefs in the entire event. It could be a form of fetish for some viewers to see skimpy clad men posing in the utter darkness and searing boiler compartment of a made-up ship. It’s a bit funny that they play this boat sinking game and group them into classified orgies. They fondle each other just like sex-autobots. There should be a stall outside giving away muscular Smurf gummies in mankinis as their advertising tactic. Going back to the kinky event, he meets Tim (Douglas Robinson). Raymond made certain moves to Tim to get what he desires all along.

And there I get the entire story. I know there is a possibility for love to evolve between these two hedonistic thinkers. Zach is in Raymond’s house and the tandem he had with his uncle could have helped Tim to consider such possibility of a relationship. Zach is a very likable kid. He is not just a brat. He understands very well even considering the ambiguity of the setup as something part of life itself. So there it goes, Tim gets attached as well with Zach.

Zach has no father to speak of. Even with the openness of the relationship between Raymond and Tim, he accepts it for it is. It works in a way since there could be this hidden maternal instinct between two guys in a relationship and with Zach looking for a fatherly figure. But there the assessment stops as the two guys had more things to ponder on in their instantaneous affair. And that bemuses me a lot that these two still have a lot of inhibitions inciting to a lot of rules that need to be followed. Isn’t it given that once you love each other, you will only hold onto that and that alone - just thinking out loud. Anyway, this should be also applicable to anyone. I remember the guys’ night-out we often have in the office and a lot of crappy stories are out in the open. Even in heterosexual relationships, more rules could have been obliged by their beaus as their guys are literal whores. A chastity belt does not sound like a good idea for sanity’s sake. Men will always be in differing polarities – just take your side with caution.

Still in the same account with the cult film Ang Lalake sa Parola (The Man in the Lighthouse), the film has explored social acceptance and admittance. It is a must in order to achieve the desired happiness -- so they say. It could be a little pushy for some, lest the solution is still in the uncharted Limbo of human dignity. But the film is cool just like the two Apple computers owned by Raymond that I wouldn’t mind having. Seriously, the film could still improve with its cinematography and even camera works. If you wish not be offended with glorified nudity, it has little of it anyway, this could be a quick look of nearly there state maturity of love between the two guys – still a lot to improve upon. The story is intentionally on the lighter approach and the Zach boy is cuddly and endearing to an extent. And they should really thank Zach for that matter. It’s also hard to judge as we also have our own imperfections and crosses to carry in our lives. Hopefully, we carry it with grace and with dignity. At most, we carry it out of love.


Charlie Koon's Rating:

Wet Dreams May Come

Sweety Tweety

Come being the veiled operative, the arrival of mainstream movie veteran Joel Lamangan into the indie arena with his seminal (pun unintended) work Walang Kawala has left many a moviegoer tightened to the coil and ready to be cloyed by the subsequent votive designs of a master of populist directing. His pseudo-sophomore work Heavenly Touch (Fuschia not included) has all the makings of a crowd pleaser, with the crowd being mostly homosexual men, and the pleasure being solidified and assembled on a conveyer belt of contemporary gay-themed flicks whose production rate can be likened to China-bred teddy bears. If the demand is indeed related to the implacable concupiscence of a predominantly male audience, then the supply has little reason of abating.

The movie centers on the lives of robust young men working as masseurs in the seedy but ostensibly clean “Heavenly Touch” spa run by the perpetually fan-wielding and diminutive Mama Orange (Jim Pebanco) and his tyrannical not-so-campy masculine counterpart Sir Tong (Jeffrey Santos). Their able-bodied employees are displayed like vacuous dolls behind a glass pane, and like the industry that prides itself on the dispensability of its human resource, Sir Tong does not hesitate to discipline his nubile wards with casual fatality. Though a more sensitive dimension is conveyed through a romantic dynamic between the two, the portrayal of Sir Tong and Mama Orange in the movie is a fascinating reflection of the sexual politics that predominates among gay Filipinos. To summarize, effeminates are seen as weaklings, with predictable desires and informidable but amusing personalities, while bisexual mustache-clad men are imposing, albeit malicious, assholes, but ultimately more desirable. Of course the crucifix of seduction is planted on the masseurs themselves, hard-up and fresh-cheeked detachables that cater to a more primal logic conveniently stored in every ticket-payer this side of the pink district. This is the very essence of Lamangan’s cinematic language, he practically wrote it, the sweet and universal poetry of the shirtless male constitution. Though true poetry is of a more rarefied ilk, Lamangan makes no apologies in giving the public exactly what they asked for, and that is something you can bring straight to the bank. He employed them all, along with some of his favorites, the scandal king Paolo Serrano, the frontal nudity king Marco Morales, the monotonic and awkward king of the moment, Mr. Lakan male pageant winner Joash Balejado. Throw in a pair of clichéd queens predictably acted by Paolo Rivero and that other gay guy giving away expensive merchandise and you have a full house. And that is exactly what Lamangan intends to achieve. It may be an iffy gamble but his delving into a more concentrated target market may reveal more than his artistic experimental proclivities. The fact that he is able to make such movies, release them with no perceived trammeling from the ratings board, and have them run for more than a week is sheer evidence of his considerable hold on the industry. The power is there, and perhaps the patronage, but does Lamangan have what it takes to elevate his work to a higher tier, more than Mano Po 3000 uberload or Manay Po 10? Does he care? The fact that he endeavored to tread on this side of the river implies that he does. And he knows well enough how tricky the river bends.

Inevitably Lamangan’s Heavenly Touch will be compared to others of its flock, to the Chionglo and perhaps even the Brocka films that virtually created the genre. The subject matter itself is almost identical to Brillante Mendoza’s Masahista though that is where the similarity ends. The two films represent two different schools of thought, Lamangan’s plot-driven traditional film-making (though not without its surprises carefully calibrated to shock the jaded moviegoer) and Mendoza’s stylistic exhibitionism rank with fancy angles and sprawling particularities. The latter being buffeted with shiny trophies and pretty plaques, mostly international, while the former being more accessible to the masses, the divergence hints a wobbling diversity within contemporary Philippine cinema. Hopefully it will not be inimical to the industry as a whole. While some things are changing, Lamangan’s socio-political expressionism that teeters on the edge of redundant melodrama underscores his reliance on recurrent themes and cookie-cutter archetypes that are not always redeemed by his talent for characterization. He mixes it up a bit and breaks some of the rules, but in the end his intrinsic almost perfunctory desire to placate the audience is indomitable. He even made two hot guys fall in love, placing them on a bus bound for a golden world of reciprocal passion and resolved conflicts, a certified wet dream both timeless and meretricious. It is a mollified version of his previous indie adventure, cherry-topped with a happy ending that eluded a disappointed swarm of romantics. Even the weak female archetype in the person of Irma Adlawan, the powerless mother-spectator, was content in the end, despite watching her only son evanesce indefinitely with a man-whore. It’s ingratiating to be sure, but if I were asked who among the current Filipino directors society should cryogenically freeze for the sake of our culture’s posterity, I would personally elect Joel Lamangan as one of my top choices. Embedded in his DNA are the desires and weaknesses of an entire nation, an organic admonition to the future Philippine stock. If that’s not worth preserving, I don’t know what is.

Written by: Alex Milla (Guest Critic)

Loosen up a bit

Are you sick?

I try to be as democratic as possible by reviewing all Filipino films, even the ones that I am anxious to see. Walang Kawala (No Way Out) is a bit of a surprise. It is like a balloon that is rapidly inflated. One instance, it suddenly bursts in your face. Walang Kawala is a story made by Joel Lamangan in collaboration with Manny Valera and his screenwriter Enrique Ramos. It is Lamangan’s first venture in independent filmmaking. Hopefully it is the start for mainstream directors to be roused from their periods of complacency.

With the return of Joaquin’s (Polo Ravales) wife Cynthia (Althea Vega), Waldo (Joseph Bitangcol) suddenly feels jealous with the lack of attention he expects from Joaquin. To his dismay, he escapes the province in search for a better life in the city. Joaquin is saddened by the incident and he left his wife in search of Waldo. In the city, Joaquin was clued-up that a police officer named Rufo (Emilio Garcia) is spotted last with Waldo. An awful twist of events happens when Rufo abducts Joaquin and makes him his human sex slave to take pleasure from his craving of younger men.

Walang Kawala does not qualify to be criticized in terms of moral values. So critics must be flexible enough with the use of different tools and criteria for every film. Walang Kawala has qualities that are perfect for such objective evaluation. It is so evident that Lamangan has been in the industry for decades. He has done quite a number of mainstream films and has been a hundred percent behind some of the important films that the Philippines has. He is part of Ishmael Bernal’s Himala and Lav Diaz’ Hesus Rebolusyonaryo. Walang Kawala is no different from his other works’ endeavor to be accessible to audiences. He imparts his skills in mainstream to independent filmmaking. It is quite easy to notice that Walang Kawala has ideas that might be very useful to sustain independent film works.

Non-linearity has been in the works for most filmmakers. Its usage consists of flashbacks within the story and yet it is still cohesive if and only if it is executed adroitly. It is quite good to see that the flashbacks in Walang Kawala are woven within the story with great skill. The progression of the story is quite overloaded with tension and melodrama which has been a guilty pleasure of most Filipino audiences. Spectators are like diners. They are drawn into more scrumptious dishes. Sadism has been an active element within the film. The sight of the brutality is quite gripping. Walang Kawala is effective with its aim of a definite sense of apprehension.

I was not surprised that the film got a tamer rating from the MTRCB than other films that recently got an X rating (Next Attraction, Imburnal, and Melancholia). I think it only needs common sense to persuade the board of their works. Evidently, our ‘indie’ artists today lack persuasiveness. They merely hate the entire system. As a result, their ego is inflated to such an extent that they consider their works as victims of uneven judgment. But how do we apply simple common sense in the defense of a film’s unashamed nakedness. In gay bars, obviously you get to see naked male bodies with their schlongs out in the open. Lamangan has confidently made a film with much blatancy, he will never go wrong. He might have been just honest about it. Plus the fact that Lamangan is very good in dealing with the bureaucrats which other artists try to avoid.

Nothing is pretentious in Walang Kawala that is why it is surely well-regarded all on its own. It has incorporated a love story between two men. You might revolt on how they dealt with this kind of relationship but their characters have human dignity and respect for love. The crude depiction of life within the film’s story is maneuvered confidently. It is evocative to a society that has tumbled down and its harshness will always be malodorous despite its good outer surface. Walang Kawala might not be the best film made in recent years. But how would we know in this period in time where we don’t even know what is best? If the film doesn’t stick to a certain narrative it is doomed to failure. If it tries to sugarcoat a simple story to attract more audiences, it will be quite repulsive to some. If a certain artist tries to be unpretentious, direct and integrates conventional filmmaking, will he be cast out? Lamangan certainly knows what he wants. He knows a lot about the process of filmmaking. Walang Kawala has a lot of good ideas that could be of better use in improving independent films. Independent films must strive for aiming a wider audience in order to survive (unless they’re damned to self-indulgence). Lamangan might have done a few silly mainstream films, but I think he does not even care. He will certainly know better than any of us and I believe that Walang Kawala is better than any Mano Po Series he has done.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Touching the Untouchable

Where's my rubber ducky?

Masterpieces are not single and solitary births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by the body of the people, so that the experience of the mass is behind the single voice. - Virginia Woolf

Third world art is tough for critics to criticize. Next Attraction is so clever with its guard to criticisms. Next Attraction is really good in terms of improvisation. It also receives a special recognition in the recently concluded 10th Cinemanila. It is quite predictable though. I think that is the entire idea of it. As long as you have no budget, you have a weird concept; they will be praised as the new artists.

Next Attraction is about making a film. They have a steady camera recording the behind the scenes of a certain short film. Apparently, there’s a progression within those steady shots. We get the details of what the short film is all about. It is about a guy (Coco Martin) being reprimanded by her mother (Jacklyn Jose) for an act he committed. You can hear the dialogues but it is an art film so you expect something more profound. Instead you get to see a steady shot of the cameraman shooting the scene and the supposed to be director of the film. After fifty minutes of more or less fifteen long takes of behind the scenes, the film shooting packs up. The second part of the film is the short film which is roughly ten or fifteen minutes long.

Actually, the film has achieved many of its supposed goals. Next Attraction has a different perspective with its use of the strategic anticipation within the story. Nonetheless, the audience did acquire much anticipation. It is quite easy to understand the very concept of it all why they shot the film like that. It has inputs in making a radical approach in film making. The film doesn’t tolerate clichés or any form of 'hackneyism'.

To be honest, the film experience is like; I was brought into a different planet and literally got back without any trace of libido. I could have purchased Viagra afterwards. I know this might be my personal opinion on this film but it seems to be as important as how I objectively evaluate films in general. I am no robot. I could easily give four or even five stars with all those deleted scenes. But it is still a film. The film’s ‘in your face’ attitude is quite disturbing. Like “Oh we don’t have the money, and this is our film”, is a bit puzzling to be of good practice. To show some form of appreciation, the film has its defenders for what they have done and I am just not that enthusiastic about it. Anyway, Raya Martin is merely trying without expecting people to actually realize what his goal was in the first place.

Next Attraction is too safe for my opinion to be made by an artist who makes risks. It is quite easy to perceive art films that really have the edge to be noticed. Next Attraction will get the attention it ought to have. But I’m a bit confused as to why the film is shot in digital format, while the short film is with the use of film stock? Is he not too confident enough to stash some cash for a film stock for all the behind the scenes? If it is of equal importance, why did he shoot it in two different medium? Actually, I watch DVDs with bonus features. It’s pretty much this movie.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

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Trivia:

Next Attraction is the second installment of the Box Office Trilogy. First installment is Now Showing. It also receives an X Rating (together with Melancholia and Imburnal) before it is shown in the Cinemanila 2008 Festival after the director made an appeal to the MTRCB.