Of birthplaces, suicide and the last laugh:Cinemalaya X, part 2

To tell the truth, except for one, I have some misgivings with the other films that I'm scheduled to see on my second day at Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Let's see if these reservations are really founded. 

• "Hari ng Tondo" by Carlos Siguion-Reyna (90 mins)

This is Carlos Siguion-Reyna's comeback film after a very long period of absence from filmmaking. I can't even remember what was the last film of his that I saw - was it "Azucena" or "Kahapon May Dalawang Bata"? I wasn't exactly sold to the idea of seeing "Hari ng Tondo". It hasn't so much to do with the filmmaker's skill having already "waned" through all these years of absence as with the film itself not sounding that interesting. Going back to one's birthplace or hometown? It's nothing new in the cinema. But as it turns out, "Hari ng Tondo" is an immensely entertaining dramedy - and it's sort of a musical, too! The director's treatment of the story may appear to be too simplistic and obvious at times (learning life's lessons by being immersed in poverty, those metaphors, etc), but the film has this charming and light-hearted energy that one will eventually find oneself humming along its tunes. I also like the way how a particular setpiece is dynamically and organically staged - that is, how one situation will branch out into another situation and then another and so on, and how sometimes some of these scene dynamics yield pleasant surprises and revelations. The films that Carlos directed before (from a script written by wife Bibeth Orteza) were mostly dramas, even dark ones. Thus, it is pleasant to find out that he could handle a comic material as well, one that is funny and feel-good. I'm not sure if after "Hari ng Tondo", Carlos will become once again active in filmmaking. But hey, welcome back! 

• "#Y" by Gino M. Santos (100 mins) 

As with his impressive debut, "The Animals" (shown at the 2012 Cinemalaya), the young filmmaker once again captures the spirit and vibrancy of today's youth with "#Y". Only this time, the tone and mood are much darker and despairing:the film is pretty occupied with, well, death and suicide. Its main character (impressively played by Elmo Magalona) is one suicidal and depressed dude. Where can you find a youth movie like this nowadays? Certainly not from Star Cinema and GMA Films. And not even from Joey Reyes' youth movies back in the 90s. In this regard, Santos' film is more in keeping with the death-toned youth films of Gus Van Sant ("Elephant", "Gerry", "Last Days", "Restless"). It's a remarkable thing that with all the morbid atmosphere around, "#Y" is counterbalanced with a wisecracking and acerbic humor, those funny dialogues delivered with natural ease and gusto by the four youth characters (Magalona, Coleen Garcia, Kit Thompson and Sophie Albert - though a good part of the best lines is delivered by Garcia). In fact, the film is mostly done in conversation style (among the four or between the two characters), in a manner that recalls an Eric Rohmer or a Jean Eustache talkfest. For today's generation growing up in the age of FB, Twitter and Instagram, of by-the-minute status updates and hashtags, of iPhones and selfies, Santos and script collaborator Jeff Stelton may just be the "unofficial" spokespersons, even if the mirror that they  are holding up at their own age bracket doesn't necessarily emit bright rays of light. It's noteworthy how from the ebullient perspective of "Island Dreams", the director has moved again to the dark opposite of the youthful spectrum with "#Y". 

• "Hustisya" by Joel Lamangan (120 mins)

This is another film that I was reluctant to see. Honestly speaking, I've already stopped taking Joel Lamangan seriously. I can't even remember what was his last film that I really liked (or was there even one at all?). There's always this something "grand" in his movies that I feel he is always trying to push down his audience's throats. But then, you can never really tell the surprises that a particular film director may come up with. I'm glad to tell that "Hustisya" surprised the pessimist in me in more ways than one. For one thing, the Lamangan shout-out loud "advocacy" and big "theatrics" are admirably toned down in the film. There are still bits of those here and there, but for a good part of the film they don't blare out in your face. More than a self-conscious sociorealist drama, "Hustisya" is an observant character study. This time around, the focus is on one character who is just trying to earn her living within the context of a wider social system marred by exploitation and corruption, instead of the other way around. It's like the individual takes precedence over society. Lamangan's direction and Ricky Lee's screenplay just simply follow the main character as she goes through the regular motion of fulfilling her assigned tasks and sealing off transactions, going from one place to another and meeting various persons (some even holding high and respectable positions). If these "transactions" are actually at the expense of some unfortunate people, the principle to abide by still is "see no evil and hear no evil". Until it comes to a point that she herself, by some stroke of cruel luck, becomes the "victim" of the system. Which brings us to the actress who portrayed this particular character - no other than Ms. Nora Aunor. As the human smuggler Biring, Aunor is a picture of a firmly-resolved quiet apathy, someone who has seen it all already that no matter how illegal or vicious it may be, she simply regards her work as just another regular job. She goes on foot from one place to another in fulfillment of her task, with her red bag and red umbrella and from time-to-time drinking something from her red thermos, and she just shrugs off those begging at her for alms and even that hapless victim of a robbery. And when she herself becomes an unwilling victim (here, the classic "underdog" Nora comes into play), Biring doesn't ask for or toy with audience sympathy. There's this feeling that she might just be oblivious to this as well, for she knows that all she has to do is to play these people's games and soon she will be off the hook. Biring's enigmatic laugh by the film's end is an epitome of the "last laugh", but not because she has managed to triumph over her oppressors (the Nora of yore), but because, rather disturbingly, her life of moral indifference has now reached its apex. The film actually provides keys to such character evolvement throughout. And there may be some more to be found on a repeat viewing. 

Summary:

"Hari ng Tondo" - near-excellent

"#Y" - excellent

"Hustisya" - good;Nora Aunor's performance - excellent

(Nora Aunor as Biring, the apathetic human smuggler in Joel Lamangan's observant character study "Hustisya".)