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Saturday, March 18, 2017

2 Good, 2 Memorable, 2 Real : 2 COOL 2 BE 4GOTTEN



I initially intended to write a second review of Petersen Vargas' film 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten. But then, I changed my mind. I already wrote one before (you can check it out here) and I want to write something different this time. So I planned on writing an article arguing why the film doesn't deserve it's R-18 rating from the MTRCB. But eventually, I ended up here, writing an open letter to the people behind the film, on my thoughts about the movie (after rewatching it for seven times now) and how it affected my life, seriously.

Let me start from the very beginning.

Last year, I fell in love with Filipino indie films. I've been watching Pinoy indie flicks before but I wasn't much of a follower or a fan. Then, I saw Ice Idanan's Sakaling Hindi Makarating, an entry from the 2016 CineFilipino film Festival. I immediately loved the film (not realizing that it was co-written by Petersen Vargas too), and it prompted me to watch some other entries from the said festival. After that, I started looking for more Pinoy indie films to watch and the next one that got my attention was Nestor Abrogena's Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa. I tried to watch it then at Cinematheque Manila, but I didn't know the place so I got lost. Luckily, a new friend of mine (on Facebook) who is a blogger and film buff (let's just call him Jonell Estillore) brought me to this really cool place in Mandaluyong, Cinema '76, a micro-theater screening Filipino indie films. I was able to watch Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa and was blown away with it (that twist ending was Aca-mazing!). So since then, I've been visiting Cinema '76 once in a while to check out their line up of indie films.

Then around November 2016 came the 2016 Cinema One Originals. At first, I wasn't sure which film to pick since it was the first time that I will be watching a Cinema One Originals film fest entry. Plus the list of film titles that they released back then doesn't even have any summary nor genre description included. The first title that got my attention was this film called 2 cool 2 Be 4gotten. I thought it sounded weird but catchy. But I wasn't sure if I'm going to see it since I didn't know what it all about. So I thought I'd just wait for the festival itself, and check out the trailers they will have for each film. After a few days, the trailer for 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten was released. The trailer featured Khalil Ramos as the lead. I've been watching him since he became a finalist in Pilipinas Got Talent before, and I've seen him in a lot of films like She's Dating The Gangster, A Second Chance and Honor Thy Father. The film looked like a barkada type movie, a coming-of-age film (my weakness). The trailer was a bit mysterious (I even thought it was a mystery thriller, ha ha!), but it definitely convinced me to watch it. So I went to Trinoma the next day after I got out of work and went to buy a ticket for the Premier Night that same day. I was surprised when I found out that the screening was almost sold out. Luckily, I got a seat at the far left row. I actually wanted to sit in the middle as I always do when watching a movie inside the cinema but there wen't any available seats left.

November 17, 2016. I thought I was gonna be late for that night gala premiere at Cinema 1 of Trinoma. Lukicly, I got there before the screening started. And I have no idea that this night would turn out to be one of the most unforgettable moments of my life (wow, heavy!)

The cast and crew of the film during their gala premiere.
November 17, 2016. Cinema 1, Trinoma.

After watching the film, I even got the chance to meet the cast, Khalil Ramos, Ethan Salvador and Jameson Blake with their director Petersen Vargas. They were really cool and accommodating. They even stayed outside the cinema to take a photo op with the audiences who watched the film (even if the mall was already closing). After that, I headed for work. On my way, I still can't forget the movie. There is this weird feeling that lingers in me. I don't know what it is. I can't even explain it. I just felt connected to the film. This prompted me to watch the film for the second time during it's screening at Cinematheque Center Manila on November 20, 2016, Sunday. Then, after the film won the Best Picture award at the festival and earned itself another screening, I took that opportunity and watched it again. After seeing it for the second and third time, I finally realized why I felt so connected to the movie. I saw myself in Felix' character. We share some similarities to the point that some scenes in the film even reflect past events in my life (minus the part where he fell in love with his best friend Magnus and that sexually charged one-on-one with Maxim). I guess it triggered something in me. Something in my memory. Something painful. Something so close to my heart.

It was my best friend. One of the most coolest guy I met in my life. He was so close to me. He was the brother that I never had.

March 24, 2016. The day of my birthday. And yes, it was also Maundy Thursday. Probably the worst day to celebrate your birthday since you cannot even celebrate because it's Holy Week. You can't visit the mall because they're closed. You can't even eat any meat because you're fasting. That was the same day that I met him. Actually, I've been seeing him for some time now before that day. He got transferred to our department a few weeks back. I've been talking to him for a while but we were never close. He was this weird, silent kid. Pale white (like Magnus). He was always dressed up so well. So neat. Always sitting away from the rest of the team. But on that day, we became friends. He gave me this chocolate bar as a gift for my birthday and greeted me. That was the best thing that happened to me that day. When we went home, we took the bus together and we talked about a lot of stuff. Random stuff. I found out that we liked the same things, from superhero movies (Marvel vs. DC) to the bands that we listen to. We became really close since then.

Then months passed. We became best friends. We even had a codename. I called myself Steve Rogers and he was Bucky Barnes from Captain America. The greatest best friends in the Marvel universe. We celebrated his birthday by watching a movie together: Now You See Me 2. He would accompany me to SM North whenever I'm buying a new comic book at Filbars. He became a big influence in me. I started dressing up as well. Usually, you would see me coming to work wearing Tshirt. But since I started hanging out with him, I started wearing my polo and long sleeved shirts. I don't know. I had to look neat whenever I'm with him, I guess. I became so hooked with superhero movies and TV series. But after five months, everything changed.

He left the company. He had to go. 

August 8,2016. That was the last day I saw him.

It took a big toll on me. I was depressed for weeks. A month even. But after a while, I started to accept the fact that some things in this life just don't last a lifetime. Mostly, the good ones. After a few weeks, I was okay. I guess. Then, I saw this movie. And it brought back all my memories of him. My best friend. The first person that I treated as my own brother.

The movie's tagline was right. You will never forget your first. 

This movie brought all my memories of my best friend. All the happy ones. Even the sad ones. Never have I ever watched a movie that hit me so hard like 2 Cool. Okay. Let me clarify something first. I'm not gay. I'm straight. But I could really relate to Felix' character. He felt like a real person to me. Yeah, I fell in love with the character. Petersen Vargas and Jason Paul Laxamana created one of the best movie characters in history (for me). I became so attached to the character that for weeks, I suffered from separation anxiety from him after watching the movie. I guess that's the reason why I went to watch their two screenings of the film as part of the Cinema One Original's rerun at Cine Adarna, UPFI Film Center, UP Diliman last January. I also went to see the film during it's screening for the 5th Freedom Film Festival at De La Salle University last February (where director Petersen Vargas announced the film's nationwide release).

From L-R:
Khalil Ramos, Director Petersen Vargas, Jameson Blake, me and Producer Alemberg Ang
during the Cinema One Original's re-run at the
Cine Adarna, UPFI Film Center, UP Diliman. January 16, 2017.
I became dedicated in supporting Filipino indie films because of this movie. So I started this blog. Originally, I wanted to showcase those Filipino independent films here, but eventually I started including mainstream movies here as well after the success of the recent Metro Manila Film Festival. I wanted to show my support for the film and share it to other people. So I kept on telling my friends about this film and how it affected me, over and over again. When it was announced that the film will be having it's nationwide release on March 15, 2017, I couldn't be more excited. Finally, other people would be able to watch this film and experience how awesome it is. I kept on promoting it to my friends and other people I know. From Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram, I kept on posting about it to let others know how good this movie is.


But a day before the film screens in cinemas nationwide, something unexpected happened. Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) slammed it with a hard R-18 rating, meaning that the movie will only be shown to audiences 18 years old and above. This also means that the film's availability will be limited and the supposedly nationwide release that Star Cinema has announced weeks ago will not be possible. SM Cinema, the country's biggest movie theater chain has been showing the film's trailer days on every screening they have before the film's playdate, March 15 (I even saw it's trailer during a screening of the film Pwera Usog at SM Fairview). But because of the film's R-18 rating, they have removed the film from their line up. Originally given an R-16 rating, Petersen Vargas and the film's team appealed for a much lower (and obviously more appropriate) R-13 rating. But instead, the MTRCB slapped them with an R-18 rating. Only viewers who are 18 years old and above can be admitted in the film's screening. An “R-18” classification advises viewers, parents, and supervising adults that the film may contain any of the elements that may not be suitable for children below 18 years of age. 


I couldn't be more frustrated. I was heartbroken. Not only for the film but for director Petersen Vargas. I remember during their Q&A at the 5th Freedom Film Festival after one of their screening that when he was young, he had always wanted to watch a movie like 2 Cool. But during his time, there weren't any Filipino movies like this. There weren't any movie that he can relate to his current situation. And so he dreamed of making a movie for those kids like him before. But because of the film getting an R-18 rating, those kids won't have the chance to see the film. Those kids whom he dedicated this film to.

As I quote Felix' opening line: I am in a conundrum. This is not the first time an MTRCB rating has stumped me. It's just so stupid. Remember that the Hollywood release, John Wick 2 and Logan, both received a much lower R-16 rating despite the heavy amount of violence, blood and gore in the film (Logan even featured a breast exposure in one scene). Another recent Hollywood release, Beauty and the Beast (2017) was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for some action violence, peril and frightening images, but was rated G (General Audiences) by the MTRCB, meaning viewers of all ages are admitted even without a parent or supervising adult. As of today, these Hollywood releases dominate cinemas across the country, with 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten being the only recent Filipino release. According to the MTRCB's official statement, the youth-oriented film has no redeeming social value, therefore making the film inappropriate to be seen by minors. Come on, did you guys even watched the actual film? The film doesn't deserve that freaking R-18 rating. Take it from someone who have seen the film seven times now (the 7th time was during the film's opening day last March 15). An R-13 rating would have been much more appropriate. An R-16 is a bit too much but still acceptable. But an R-18 rating is just plain stupid. Calling it as having no redeeming social value is way more stupid. I mean, coming out of the closet and discovering one's self has no redeeming social value? How about finding friendship as strong as Felix and Magnus? Or fighting for someone you loved, despite the consequences it may bring you? And what about accepting who you really are? Accepting and being confident in revealing the real you? Isn't all that redeeming value?

I hope this will serve as a wake-up call to all the Filipinos out there. We shouldn't let these people in their not-so-deserving government positions dictate us what is good or bad for us. We shouldn't let them tell us which movies are within our morals. We have our minds to decide which are suitable for us and which are the ones that are not.

Despite all that, I am still thankful because I was very lucky to experience this one hell of a film. I'm so thank ful because I am one of those people who have been touched by this little movie in so many ways. I am so thankful for the people behind this film because they made a movie that seemed so impossible to make and release it in mainstream theaters. Thank you, direk Jason Paul Laxamana for creating this marvelous story. Thank you direk Petersen Vargas for breathing life into this characters. Thank you to Khalil Ramos, Ethan Salvador and Jameson Blake for bravely taking these challenging roles and giving justice to each one of these characters. Please remember that I will always be your movie's number one fan.

I guess in the end, all we could do now is to show our support for the film. Watch the film in cinemas while they're still screening. Share it to your friends. Post about it in social media sites and let everyone know how good it is. At least with that, we have a pretty good fight. Support indie films. Show our love for Filipino films.

And to quote Felix one last time...

At this moment, I have this little gem called 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten that I will cherish forever. "And nothing, not even the strongest force of nature can take that away from me."


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