Of all the Cinemalaya film entries this year, there is one movie that stands out among the rest. Not because of it's complicated story line, nor it's star-studded cast. It's because it has a heart. And that is what makes Thop Nazareno's Kiko Boksingero (2017) rise above the rest. The film, which was penned by Emmanuel Espejo Jr., Ash Malanum, Denise O'Hara and Heber O'Hara, stars Noel Comia Jr., Yayo Aguila and Yul Servo.
In this coming-of-age drama, Kiko (in an award-winning performance by Noel Comia Jr.), an 11-year-old boy left aimlessly alone with his nanny Diday (Yayo Aguila) after the recent death of his mother, rekindles a long lost relationship with his father (Yul Servo) in an attempt to find a new lease on life. His father, a washed-up boxer, is currently staying in Baguio for a few days while waiting to find a buyer his home. During his stay, he meets Kiko who, unbeknownst to him is his son. After finding out the truth about the kid, the two of them starts to bond together through boxing. As Kiko starts to spend more time with his father, he starts to grow up and change too.
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| Photos from Imdb.com |
Of all the four Cinemalaya entries that I've watched during the festival run, this movie stands out among the rest because of it's simple yet deeply moving story. It doesn't have too much complications unlike the rest of the stories of the other film entries. It's conflict is simple and honest. It's about a kid who's just meeting his estranged father for the first time. It's simplicity is what makes it endearing because it doesn't have to be pretentious in any way. The story moves fluidly, giving enough time for the audience to love Kiko and sympathize with his character's situation. The dialogues are natural. The characters are well-written and don't feel stereotyped nor manufactured.
The film's humor is cute and sweet.The humor is very effective because the're taken from real-life situations and experiences like asking a picky child to eat vegetables or having one get circumcised. The audience picks up the jokes right away, sending everyone to laughter inside the theater. But once the film hits it's gears to show off it's dramatic side, it will really leave you in tears. My favorite example would be the scene during the first few moments of the movie when Kiko lies in his bed and covers himself with his mom's blanket. That scene got me to shed a tear or two. Another would be the last part during the finale of the movie which i'm not going to spoil for you guys, but it's worth it.
Cinematography was also good. The crew took advantage of the film's location which is Baguio. The sound design was on point. Unlike another entries that I've seen, this one is polished and clean without any technical hiccup. Thop Nazareno's delicate handling of the material is solid and excellent. The cast were also outstanding. Noel Comia Jr. is perfect for the role of Kiko. He embodied the character in a realistic and believable way. No wonder he won the Best Actor award in the recently concluded Awards Night of the Cinemalaya 2017 Philippine Independent Film Festival. Yayo Aguila also deserves praise on her effective portayal as Diday, the house nanny. Yul Servo was also good as Kiko's long-lost father.
I love the film's final moments. It's somehow sad but also beautiful as it shows how a young kid like Kiko starts to change after meeting his father whom he have never seen in a long time. It's the perfect closure to a wonderful story like this.
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
Kiko Boksingero (2017)
Directed by Thop Nazareno,
starring Noel Comia Jr., Yayo Aguila and Yul Servo
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