TOFARM 2018 Review: "Sol Searching" Finds It's Heart Amidst It's Laughs

Despite the obvious budget constraints, this dramedy starring Pokwang manages to win the hearts of it's audiences. An official entry to the ToFarm Film Festival 2018, Roman Perez Jr.'s "Sol Searching" stars Pokwang as Bb. Lorelei Baloloy, Joey Marquez as Djanggo Bustamante and Gilleth Sandico as the titular character, Sol. It also features JM Salvado as Bugoy, Raffy Tejada, Raul Morit, LotLot Bustamante, Mayen Esther, Kenken Nuyad and Troy Aquino with the special participation of Paolo Rodriguez, Francis Magundayao, Lee O'Brian, Sue Prado, Jelson Bay, Skyxz Labastilla & Chokoleit.

The dark dramedy follows Lorelei as she tries to give her co-teacher/ best friend Sol a proper wake and burial, while remembering the life of Sol: her struggles, pains, and sacrifices when she was alive.

Now on its third year, it was my first time to catch TOFarm (which stands for The Outstanding Farmer). The annual film festival will run in select cinemas from September 12-19, 2018. 

The film's story is actually bigger than what it seems during it's first half which shows the efforts of Lorelei as she tries to find a decent place for her friend's wake. But after that, we get to discover so many things about Sol's character, changing our initial impression of her. The best aspect about this film is it's rich narrative, though it may come a bit muddled at times due to too many overlapping subplots. Still, it was able to tell the truth, Sol's truth, and managed to stir our hearts with it's revelation.

The best performances comes from Gilleth Sandico, JM Salvado and Pokwang. All three of them were    consistent in providing the laughs and sometimes, manages to touch our hearts at times. And just like what Pokwang, she accepted this project not because of the money but because of her desire to hone her craft as an actress. She was able to showcase her acting chops and proved her talent as a dramatic actress. 

JM Salvado's raw and honest portrayal of a student who looks up to the woman who acted as his teacher and mother was really touching. And of course, Gilleth Sandico whom we usually see in movies and teleseryes as a side character is finally given her moment of spotlight as Sol. Her performance in the film was redoubtably her best work yet as she brings her character to life with devotedness and verisimilitude.

Despite some clunky parts and uneven pacing (and the ending feeling rushed), the film was very funny and entertaining. Admittedly, there were some gags that were hit or miss. Despite that, the film does have some truly hilarious moments, thanks to the amazing performances of the cast. 

"Sol Searching" is definitely worth your time and buck. It's a small film loaded with big laughs and a big heart.

Rating: 9/ 10

MMFF 2017 Movie Review : Julius Alfonso's "Deadma Walking"

It's tricky and unconventional story makes this MMFF dramedy a stand-out against the rest of this year's film fest entries.

Based on Eric Cabahug's award-winning screenplay (second place, Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature 2016), this out-of-this-world musical dramedy is sure to give this year's MMFF a different taste. Directed by Julius Alfonso and produced under T-Rex Productions, Deadma Walking stars Edgar Allan Guzman and Joross Gamboa as two gay bestfriends who fakes the latter's own death to attend his own wake to hear his friends views on him. The film also stars Candy Pangilinan, Nico Antonio, Dimples Romana, Gerald Anderson and Vin Abrenica in supporting roles and is an official entry to the 43rd Metro Manila Film Festival.

John Samson (Joross Gamboa) and Mark (Edgar Allan Guzman) are two gay best friends- John is a successful businessman while Mark is a sales agent and a part time theater actor. John soon discover that he is ill, and has only a year or two to live. Because of this, he comes up with a plan and asks his best friend to help him: they will  fake his own death so that he can attend his own wake to hear his friends and other people's views on him. Everything turns out okay, until his estranged sister, Mary (Dimples Romana) who had misunderstandings with her brother John as she was not able to go home when their mother died, comes home only to see the wake for her brother. Tensions arise as more people from John's past comes back to pay their respects for him. Secrets will be revealed. Relationships will be tested. Can they complete their mission to create the grandest and most fabulous (fake) funeral the world is yet to see? 

At first, Deadma Walking's central plot may turn off viewers, especially to those people who are accustomed to the regular holiday themed comedies of the Metro Manila Film Festival. It's story revolves around death, or to be specific, about a man who is waiting for his own death. It's theme is very dark and off-putting for a film that is shown during the Christmas season. But it's unusual and unconventional story is what makes this musical dramedy stand-out among the rest of this year's film fest entries. And although it is being compared to 2016's Die Beautiful, I actually enjoyed and liked Deadma Walking more than the other.

Death is a very tricky subject, and when it's not done the right way, everything will turn awkward and uninviting to the film's viewers. Luckily, director Julius Alfonso managed to handle the material very well because everything turned out good. He was able to put enough balance of everything in the film. There's enough humor to entertain audiences. There's lots of drama to keep the audience engaged. There's also a bit of musical performances, adding more color and energy to this film. To it's credit, the musical scenes are really well done. Although Ang Larawan is still the best musical of the festival, Deadma Walking has the better song and dance opening sequence.

Regarding the film's humor, I must commend Eric Cabahug's screenplay. It's witty and full of laugh-out-loud jokes, particularly the ones thrown by Mark's character. Some of the jokes maybe hit-or-miss, but most of them were really funny. As for the dramatic aspect of the film, they were actually good. The way they handled the relationship between John and Mary was great, and they were able to make the audiences sympathize with them. And of course, the story of John and Mark's friendship is truly heartfelt and will pinch your heart. Everything was good in the film, except for the twist in the film's finale which I felt was done in haste. I think it could have been executed in a better fashion since it concerns one of the main characters. But in the end, what matters is that it was able to relay the context of the twist and move the story forward.

The film's cast is also one of the main reasons why this film works. Candy Pangilinan was really fun to watch despite the supporting role. Nico Antonio and Bobby Andrews were also great additions to the cast. It was really funny to see Gerlad Anderson and Vin Abrenica in this movie, as it was quite unusual to see them in mainstream projects that tackles homosexual themes like this. Dimples Romana was really outstanding as John's brother, Mary. She's definitely one of the most underrated actresses of this country. But despite getting just supporting roles, she manages to wow everyone with her heart-wrenching performance in this movie. The star-studded cameos were a delight to watch, from Eugene Domingo, Piolo Pascual, Sue Ramirez (although I'm not sure what exactly her purpose was), Jason Abalos, Matt Evans, and many more. But the most insane and probably the best and most unforgettable cameo was from Iza Calzado. I was laughing hysterically with her unexpected appearance in this movie (I knew she was in the film based on the trailer, but I did not expected how her cameo would be like).

But above all, this is Joross Gamboa and Edgar Allan Guzman's movie, and they definitely owned it. Joross Gamboa deserves praise for his committed performance as John. He nailed the character with flying (rainbow) colors. His best moment would be those with Dimples Romana, and this one particular scene in the film's ending as he was lying alone in a cemetery. Edgar Allan Guzman's award-winning portrayal of Mark is truly outstanding. He definitely deserves the (Best Actor, NOT just the Best Supporting Actor) acting award, no doubt about it.

So if you are looking for something unique from this year's Metro Manila Film Festival, this movie is for you. Deadma Walking is a unique, funny, witty and at times heartwarming surprise from this year's festival. Watch it, and give your MMFF experience a different flavor.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

"Deadma Walking" (2017) Directed by Julius Alfonso, starring Edgar Allan Guzman and Joross Gamboa with Candy Pangilinan, Nico Antonio, Dimples Romana, Gerald Anderson and Vin Abrenica, produced under T-Rex Productions. An official entry to the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "Bar Boys" (2017) movie review

"The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.”

“Kung hindi ka natatalo, hindi ka na gumagalaw.”

This quote from from the movie perfectly sums up the life of almost everyone of us.

College life is one of the most crucial phases in a person's life. A lot of first times happen during these years. It's the point of life when you start realizing that you are finally become an adult. This is also the time when one discovers his/ her real self. That's why a lot of us can really relate to the Kip Oebanda's youth-priented film Bar Boys (2017). I've learned about this film way back 2016 after seeing it's trailer and I was already looking forward to watching it back then. It took a year before the film finally got picked up for distribution through Quantum Films, after it was selected to be one of the twelve entries for the very first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. Described as an academic law school comedy-drama, the film follows a barkada of  four and their lives after they enter college (or some of them). The film is produced by TropicFrills Film Productions in cooperation with Wild Sound Studios and SM Foundation and features an ensemble cast starring Rocco Nacino, Carlo Aquino, Enzo Pineda and Kean Cipriano, together with Odette Khan and Anna Luna.

The film opens with one of the most unique and witty credit sequences I've seen in a local film, where a barkada of four young men are about to play against another group in an online battle. Here we are introduced to Christian (Enzo Pineda), Erik (Carlo Aquino), Joshua (Kean Cipriano) and Toran (Rocco Nacino). After losing in the said game, the four of them patiently waits for the results of the college entrance exam for the law school they all applied for. But only, Christian, Erik and Toran passed the admission exam. After this, we follow the three young men as they enter law school and how their lives are drastically changed by this new world. Here, they have to endure fraternity initiations to terror teachers, on top of their own problems with their families and relationships.

To start off, the characters we follow in the film are quite familiar already to us. Torran Garcia (Rocco Nacino) is the cool guy in the barkada, witty and always gets very lucky. Chris Carlson (Enzo Pineda) is the group's rich amboy whose father (also a lawyer) keeps on trying to mold him to be his clone. Erik Vicencio (Carlo Aquino) is the not so privileged guy of the group, a son of an elderly security guard whose biggest dream is for his son to become a lawyer, whatever it takes. Then, there's Joshua Zuniga (Kean Cipriano), the slacker of the group who ends up failing to pass the admission exam and gets left out by his peers. But despite being archetypes, these characters are very relatable and interesting in their own ways. This is because director/ writer Kip Oebanda made sure that each one of them (with the exception of Josh) will get his own story line to follow.

Torran ends up joining a frat, Chris has to hide his relationship with his girlfriend from his demanding father and Erik has to deal with financial issues, on top of having a hard time in school despite working his ass off in studying. Of all these three characters, I did not expected to end up falling for Erik (Carlo Aquino). It was his story that really hit me hard that I end up crying for him while watching the film. I guess it's because it's him that I could really relate to. I could really see myself in his shoes because we share the same story. I also had difficulty going through my college life due to financial issues, causing me to stop my studies and get a job instead of finishing college. But unlike me, Erik pushed through with his study despite the hardships.

Kip Oebanda's script was very witty and funny. Despite having to juggle three separate yet connected story lines for each of the three main characters, he was able to make the whole movie coherent. He had these segments for each characters, some focusing on each individual character's life at home or at school, and some while they are together. I loved those moments whenever Toran is at home with his mom (played by Patay Na Si Hesus' Mailes Kanapi) because they're always hilarious. There's also some heartwarming moments featuring Erik and his Dad at home as they struggle to keep him at school. We also get to see Chris and his quirky girlfriend (played by Unrequited's Anna Luna) while they try their best to keep their relationship despite his father's orders. But my most favorite would be those moments when they are inside the classroom, dealing with their terror teachers. These would be those scenes with a gay professor, Atty. Victor Cruz (played by 4 Days' Sebastian Castro) who has a crush on Erik which led to one of the most hilarious moments of the film. Then, there's those scenes with the classic terror professor that every student is mostly afraid of Atty. Hernandez (played in a wonderful performance by Odette Khan).

But aside from the usual comical gags, the film also tackles some really serious matter. Friendships will be strained. Family issues will get more complicated. Their morals will get tested. Slowly, these characters start to grow as individuals. Far different from the young guys they were before when they first entered the campus. This is what makes Bar Boys so endearing to watch. It's a classic coming-of-age story hidden underneath a hilarious comedy-drama about law school. You don't realize that you get so invested with these characters that you also grow as they move forward and turn into adults who are about to face the world. There's lots of lessons to be learned from this movie which makes it a must watch for younger people.

I must commend that this is the best ensemble I've seen in this year's Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. Aside from the main cast, the supporting actors were all perfect for their roles. Mailes Kanapi was a delightful surprise as Toran's crazy and funny mother. Anna Luna was also fun to watch as the English-challenged direct salesgirl Rachel (girlfriend of Chris). Sebastian Castro was a stand-out as the gay professor Atty. Cruz. His office scene where Erik tries to seduce him (I'm not gonna reveal a lot to avoid spoiling it) was downright insane and hysterically funny. and then, there's Odette Khan. I'm telling you, she was amazing.

Of course, the main cast deserves a lot of praise for fun performance in the film. Kean Cipriano didn't get a lot of screen time but he was fun to watch as Josh. Enzo Pineda was good in playing the amboy rich kid Chris. Rocco Nacino played his role of Toran with ease. But it was Carlo Aquino who was the stand-out among the four. His portrayal of Erik was so affecting and heartfelt. I honestly did not expect that he will be my favorite character from this movie. I actually wished he and Sebastian Castro had more scenes together because I'm pretty sure their characters would be hilarious together. Also, I love how each of these characters had closure by the time the story ended. That ending is one of the best I've seen in a local film recently. It's was so inspiring and just perfect.

I guess this will be my top pick from this year's Pista ng Pelikulang Piilipino (next is Triptiko). Everything in this movie is just perfect, from it's slick, production design to it's awesome soundtrack (that sequence featuring APO Hiking Society's San Na Nga Bang Barkada triggered my memory of my school days!) to it's outstanding direction and bravura performances. Kip Oebanda's Bar Boys (2017) is no doubt my most favorite entry of all the films I was able to watch. It's a youth-oriented comedy drama, a coming-of-age story, and a throwback barkada flick rolled into one. For me, it's one of the best Filipino films of the year. This is the film in this year's PPP that I would love to give more than a perfect five star rating. It's a hilarious, heartwarming, emotional, and inspiring feel-good joyride that will leave more than what you expect.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
Bar Boys (2017)
Directed by Kip Oebanda,
starring Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda and Kean Cipriano

***

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