Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "Patay Na Si Hesus" (2017) movie review

Jacyln Jose stars in Patay Na Si Hesus

Filipino moviegoers will get a taste of a different brand of comedy in Victor VIllanueva's Patay Na Si Hesus (2017). Dubbed as a Cebuano Road Trip Comedy, the film stars Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Melde Montañez, Vincent Viado, Mailes Kanapi, Olive Nieto and Sheenly Gener, written by Fatrick Tabada, produced by Rex A. Tiri, Moira Lang and Bianca Balbuena, and directed by Victor VIllanueva. Originally an official entry to the 2016 QCinema International film Festival where it won the  Audience Award and the Gender Sensitivity Award, it has been selected as one of the twelve entries of the first ever Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino where it bagged the festival's Jury's Choice Award. It is also the surprise box-office hit of the said festival, and ranked number two in the box office on opening day. And now, I know why.

The film follows Iyay (Jaclyn Kose) who learns that Hesus, her ex-husband, has just died. She gathers her children and tells them they are going on a road trip from Cebu City to Dumaguete. No ifs or buts about it: they are attending their father's funeral. Her children – Hubert, who has Down Syndrome; Jude, a lovesick trans man; and Jay, who is living the bum life – join her with varying degrees of reluctance as she drives them in her extra-mini mini-van. One unplanned detour comes after another, each pushing this family closer to confronting the past and figuring out how to enjoy the ride to an uncertain future. This film is not your typical Pinoy comedy movie as it has a distinct Visayan flavor to it. This is definitely not your regular Star Cinema-produced watered down rated PG comedy. A big NO. This is a screwball comedy that no one would have expected from a local filmmaker. There's a naked nun, a guy eating his own cum, and a barage of non-stop putang-inas and vagina talks. No one was ready for a movie like this. Not even me. But here I am, reviewing the film after watching it's last full screening on a stormy Monday holiday.

Family is one of the most favorite topics in local comedy films, from the highly successful Ang Tanging Ina franchise to the yearly Vice Ganda comedies we see every year, it always has something to do with family. I guess that is primarily because us Filipinos value our family ties a lot. And Patay Na Si Hesus plays on this theme. In the movie, we follow Iyay's family as they go through all the stopovers and sidetrips and obstacles just to see their dead father one last time. Most of these sidetrips ends up in hilarious and idiotic situations. There's also some jokes and scenarios that may come as offensive to those sensitive and conservative moviegoers. But aside from the slapstick humor, the film also manages to mix in some funny banters and laughable conversations here and there which gives the film's humor some variety. Though there are some moments when the jokes are hit or miss, most of the time they're often hysterically funny. What makes the film so relatable is that it pokes fun at the typical Pinoy family virtues and culture.

The film gets so much out of it's very talented cast. Jaclyn Jose plays her character Iyay with so much flare. Her deadpan humor and attitude made the character so fun to watch. I've seen Jaclyn Jose in a lot of drama shows and movies but i guess this is the first time that I'm seeing her in a comedy film and it's a breathe of fresh air.  Chai Fonacier plays the lesbian Jude (formerly Judith Marie) with angst, much like her amazing performance in the Cinemalaya Best Film Respeto. After seeing her in that movie, I was so excited to watch Patay Na si Hesus and see her take down another role. And she still amazes me with her performance here in this comedy. Melde Montanez was amusing to watch as Jay. I love it every time he throws his mother's lines back at her. Vincent Viado was so cute and adorable as Kuya Bert, their brother who has Down syndrome. Mailes Kanapi was uproarious as the bizarre and nutty nun Lucy. Her character was the most daring thing I've seen in a local comedy because it may come off as offensive and unappealing to some. But she manages to make the audiences go wild with her insane performance in this movie.

Once the film hits it's third acts, it starts to slow down a bit and the jokes starts to diminish to give way for some emotional moments. But once the film strikes back again, it is still hilarious as hell (especially that coffin scene). It's no wonder that a lot of people are lining up to see this film because of good word of mouth. The film itself lives up to it's hype, though I must say that i was left wanting more after the film ended. Still, Victor Villanueva's Patay Na Si Hesus is a riotous, laugh-out loud comedy like no other local film has ever been. It's an unbelievable one hour and a half of insanity, silliness and absurdity that is worth your every peso.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5

Patay Na Si Hesus (2017)
Directed by Victor VIllanueva,
Starring Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Melde Montañez, Vincent Viado, Mailes Kanapi, Olive Nieto and Sheenly Gener

 

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The "Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino" is a nationwide week-long celebration where all movie theaters will exclusively screen Filipino films in line with the Buwan ng Wika. This festive event is organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines in partnership with theaters nationwide and will run from August 16-22, 2017.