Movie Review : Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes (2018)

Star Cinema opens the year 2018 with a bang as they bring together two of the country's box-office queens in one big movie. Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban both star in Jun Lana's comedy "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes".  The film marks the reunion of Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban, who first worked together in the hit 2001 ABS-CBN teleserye "Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka". The film also marks the return of Judy Ann and Angelica to the comedy genre.

In "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes", Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban play devoted wives Lianne and Cindy, respectively, who got cheated on by their husbands who turn out to be gay. With their combined forces, they will make sure their exes don’t get what they took away from them: a happy ending. JC de Vera and Joross Gamboa plays Felix Reyes and Gary Reyes respectively, the cheating husbands of Lianne and Cindy. The film also features a star-studded ensemble, led by Gladys Reyes, Carmi Martin, Andrea Brillantes, Nico Antonio, Cai Cortez, Wilma Doesnt, Quark Henares and Kim Molina. The film is directed by Die Beautiful's Jun Robles Lana and is produced by Star Cinema, Quantum Films and IdeaFirst Company.

The film opens with Lianne and her friend discussing about the possibility that her husband, Gary, is having an affair with another woman. Lianne tries to get her husband's passion for their relationship by making herself sexier, even going as far as having a breast transplant. But it turns out that her husband isn't attracted to her anymore because he is already seeing someone else- another man, to her surprise. On the other hand, Cindy, is being pressured by her mother(monster)-in-law to have a baby already with her husband, Felix. Unfortunately, she wakes up one day only to find out that he has left her for another man. After a series of events, Lianne and Cindy discovers that their husbands are having an affair and decided to conjure a plan to make the lives of their exes to be miserable. 

At first glance, "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes" looks like just another comedy film. But the truth is that the film is actually much deeper than you think. The film is perhaps one of the riskiest projects from Star Cinema in years, one that you wouldn't expect from the country's biggest movie company. The film bravely tackles different mature themes that are all relevant in today's society. Although most of the time, they use these themes to induce laughter from the audience, they are committed to discussing these themes in a serious and relatable manner to give lessons to the viewers. I love how the film tackles a different side of infidelity in marriages. Here, we are given two sides of the coin, the other is from Gary and Felix' point of view. They just want to be truthful to their-selves and they want to be free from everything that is keeping them from revealing their real identities. So they finally decided to come out of the closet so that the two of them can be together, which is what other people would always advise us. But on the other side of the story, we discover that their decision caused others to suffer, particularly Lianne and Cindy. Their wives are left heartbroken after learning that their husbands have cheated on them, and they are left asking themselves where did they go wrong. The film doesn't take sides between the two parties. Instead, it lets the audience realize the consequences of the actions of both parties involved and wants us to understand things from both perspectives.

The film also touches themes of the identification of the LGBT community. The film tackles the different gender identification of the LGBT to shed a bit of light to it's viewers. In one of the film's best moments - scene inside a noodle house - Gary and Felix explains to their wives their identifications. Gary sees himself as a woman while Felix identifies himself as a hetero-flexible, someone who is mostly straight but is still attractive to the same sex. This is probably the first mainstream movie that featured this type of topic in it's storyline. Aside from this, the movie also preaches audiences about the effects of social media and how one simple post online can cause negative effects to the people involved. It gives us an idea on how cyber-bullying can ruin someone else's life, if we are not careful and responsible enough in using social media. Regarding the film's humor, I must say that this is Star Cinema's freshest comedies to date. This is definitely not your regular Vice Ganda comedy. The film is infused with Jun Lana's absurd sense of humor. It pulls laughter from the audience through various aspects, one of which features Judy Ann Santos cursing out loud, a first in movie history. The movie's brand of comedy is very mature, hence the R-13 rating from the MTRCB.

The film's cast deserves a lot of credit in pulling off this film. All the cast were very effective in their roles. Joross Gamboa was believable in portraying Gary, who slowly transitions into a woman all throughout the film. This is probably his best performance to date, way better than the one from Deadma Walking. JC De Vera was also great in his portrayal of Felix. But the film really belongs to Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban, both who take great risks in their roles here. Angelica Panganiban's performance is reminiscent of her portrayal in Here Comes the Bride and Beauty in a Bottle. Her comic timing was on point and very effective. On the other hand, Judy Ann Santos breaks her reserved persona in this film to take on this very demanding role. Her character cursing out loud is probably the best moments of them. Every time we hear her, we can't help but break into laughter. But aside from their comic timing, Angelica and Judy Ann also manages to show off their acting prowess during the film's heavy moments, inducing a tear or two from the audiences.

Entertaining and thought-provoking from start to finish, "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes" promises not only laughs but so much more.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

Featured: Ethan Salvador is 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten

Ethan Salvador as Magnus Synder

It's been almost a year since Petersen Vargas' critically-acclaimed coming-of-age film 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten swept everyone off their feet with it's honest and raw portrayal of friendship and first love in last year's Cinema One Originals. The film earned 11 nominations from the festival, including a Best Actor nomination for it's star, Khalil Ramos. The film ended up winning 3 awards: Best Cinematography for Carlos Mauricio, Best Supporting Actor for Jameson Blake and the highly-coveted Best Film. The film also got director Vargas a Best First Feature award in the 27th Young Critics Circle Awards, and nominations for Khalil Ramos (Best Actor, 40th Gawad Urian Awards) and Jameson Blake (New Movie Actor of the Year, 33rd Star Awards for Movies).

But it seems like this was just the beginning for the film's success as it premiered in the recently concluded 32nd Lovers Film Festival - Torino LGBTQI Visions in Italy, where it won the Audience Choice Award. After it's debut, the film garnered critical acclaim from foreign critics. QuotidianoPiemontese.it says "It works perfectly and gives us feelings and fears of the protagonists, surrounded by the new experience it is rolled slowly on their souls and involves their bodies." GayPost.it calls it "One of the most interesting, visually seductive and stylistically impeccable proposals, in competition at the Lovers Film Festival, is without a doubt "2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten". The film also had it's Asian Premiere at the recently concluded 28th Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and will be having its North American premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Last September 23, 2017, the film was screened for this year's Cine Europa at the Premiere Theater of Shang Cineplex, Edsa Shangri-la Manila. After the screening, I was able to meet and have a little conversation with one of the film's star, Ethan Salvador who plays Magnus Snyder.

Ethan Salvador in Pinoy Boy Band Superstar
(Source: Pinoy Boy Band Superstar)

Ethan Salvador, originally from Las Vegas where he grew up with his mother, started pursuing his acting career at the age of 16. Acting has always been in his blood, even before he met his estranged father, ’80s Regal actor Emil Salvador. His first venture into showbiz in the country was the now defunct reality show, Pinoy Boy Band Superstar. After this, he got one of the lead roles in Petersen Vargas' full length debut and entry to the 12th Cinema One Originals Film Festival. His performance in the film earned him rave reviews, and even got him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Since then, he had joined different projects here and there, from a cameo role in the Sarah Lahbati horror pic Ang Pagsanib Kay Leah Dela Cruz, as leading man in one of the episodes of the teen anthology series Wattpad Presents (Episode: Breaking the Bad Boy) and now as part of ABS-CBN's newset Primetime series The Good Son.

Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten page

Here is my short interview with everyone's favorite Omega Boy, Ethan Salvador.

Q: Did you had hesitations in accepting the role after learning that it's a queer film?

Ethan: No, not at all. I had hesitations just because it was my first film and because I was originally be casted as Maxim. So when I read the masturbation scene, I was like hmm, i don't know. But I mean, hey, the show must go on. Art is art. So let's just go with it. It's just a character. And then, they put me as Magnus. But I have no objectification against gay people. Lesbian people.

Q: Did you expect that the film would be this successful? I mean after winning last year's Cinema One Originals Best Film award, it got the Audience Choice Award in the 32nd Lovers Film Festival, and now it is being shown in Hong Kong and soon in Vancouver.

Ethan: Yeah. That... That... That blew my mind. I had no idea this film would reach that high of a magnitude. I mean, we won three things but... Everyone loves it. I'm just happy for that.

A scene from the film. Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten page

Q: What was the first thing that you said when you first saw yourself in the movie?

Ethan: I said this is so weird. So weird. Right? You know, when you see yourself on TV, it's just... you're not only watching yourself, you're watching the character but at the same time, it is you. I kinda don't like watching myself on TV or movies. It just feels weird (laughs).

Q: So after 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten, you had a small role in the horror film ang Pagsanib kay Leah Dela Cruz as Sarah Lahbati's younger brother...

Ethan: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Did you see that?

Me: Yeah. I watched it.

Ethan: Wow.

Q: And you were in an episode of Wattpad Presents, a part in the upcoming Goyo film and some endorsements here and there. So among all the characters that you have played, would you consider Magnus Snyder as the most memorable role ever?

Ethan: Uhm... I mean, there's so many movies that I wanna do. But I guess you could say that. This is my very first big movie character. So yeah, he's my most memorable character.

A scene from the film. Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten page

Q: So there were some fans of the film (me included) who were hoping to see a happy ending, or at least see Felix and Magnus being together by the end of the movie (alive). If you were given the chance, would you prefer a happy ending for the two characters?

Ethan: No. No. If I could, no. I like it just the way it is. It gives it more robust, because I mean, the Philippines is all about happy endings. And then, you put a movie like this, it's just like shucks. Everybody would go oh, what? They didn't go to college? Oh, he died. Aw, so sad (laughs).

Q: Okay, so last question. Tell me, why are you too cool to be forgotten?

Ethan:  Because I am chasing my dreams like everyone else, and that everyone can chase their dreams. So, yeah.

Ethan Salvador during the Q&A
after the Cine Europa screening

Everyone is excited
to meet Magnus Snyder

Me, with Ethan Salvador after the Cine Europa screening.

Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten page

To Ethan Salvador, we wish you more success and we look forward to your next story to tell. You are truly 2 cool 2 be 4gotten.

4 Days (2017) movie review

La douleur exquise : the exquisite pain of wanting someone that you know you can never have, and knowing that you will still try to be with them. This, according to the main character, is not equivalent to unrequited love. Unrequited love is a state of relationship, the other is a state of mind, says the main character. This is what the story of Adolfo Alix Jr.'s 4 Days is all about. Directed by Adolf Alix Jr., it stars Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro in the lead roles. It was part of the “Indie Nation” section of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2016. Now, after almost a year of it's debut at Cinemalaya, the film finally gets a premiere screening at the UP Cine Adarna last August 24, 2017. The screening was graced by the film's lead actors Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro, together with the film's director, Adolf Alix Jr. I've been looking forward to seeing this film since last year but I wasn't able to catch it's screening. So when I learned about the film's premiere at UP CineAdarna, I was so excited about it.

Screenshots from the trailer

The film tells the story of two college friends, Mark (Mikoy Morales) and Derek (Sebastian Castro) who slowly realize they mean more to each other than either had initially realized. 4 Days joins Derek and Mark in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day over the course of a few years- charting the blossoming of a friendship in to something much more enduring as time goes on – and challenging both to question who they thought they were and who they truly want to me. Painting a moving picture of how an abiding friendship can sometimes lead to love – and how we sometimes have to wrestle with our own demons to find their true self, 4 Days is achingly romantic and delicate.

The story, which spans over a course of four years, focuses on the events in the two characters' lives every Valentines Day. It begins on a Valentines Day, as Mark arrives at the campus and joins Derek as his roommate in their college dormitory. Then, the story skips to the following year's Valentines Day after the two have become the best of friends, with Derek having a new girlfriend and Mark starting to realize his true feelings for his friend. The progress jumps a year after another which may seem like big leaps. But the pacing of the movie is actually slow. The story takes it time in building up the relationship between the two main characters. Unlike the usual stories we see onscreen where we follow a continuous flow of events, 4 Days instead gives us a peek into these character's lives for just a single day for every year. Yet this is more than enough to show how both characters have grown and the changes that they've had for the missing days of the rest of the year which we do not get to see. Most of the film's story happens within the confines of Mark and Derek's small room. From their first meeting to their first heartbreaks, they experience all of it within their small space. This makes the story feel more personal, because we get to enter their small, little world where they can be real to each other.

Source: TLA Releasing

The film's story focuses on the idea of waiting. With Mark waiting for the right time, the right moment, to let Derek know about his true feelings for him. Waiting for him to realize that all this time, he was just there, waiting for him. Waiting for Derek to love him back. The story is told mostly from Mark's point of view, as he narrates through voice overs what he have in mind about loving someone and how it feels when it is not returned back. His statements about unrequited love, about patiently waiting for a person to love you back or how sometimes one get's tired of waiting for love to be returned are smoothly layered over drone shots of the campus (UP Diliman) which serves as bookmarks to every chapter (or year) that ends or begins. These bookmarks make the transition from one Valentines Day to another seamless and keeps the pacing of the story consistent. I noticed that the film is not like the usual LGBT-oriented romantic drama films that most of us has seen in the past because director Adolf Alix decided not to follow most of the genre's norm. Unlike other LGBT-oriented romance drama, the film strays away from the more erotic aspects of the genre. It doesn't involved any sensual scenes (my favorite film, the gay coming-of-age 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten is no exemption because it had a masturbation scene) between the main characters. Instead, it focuses on it's characters' emotions and the time it takes for them to realize their true feelings for one another. Another thing that I noticed and liked about the film is the way it deviates from how usual LGBT-themed films ends in a sad or sometimes tragic manner. But I won't get into that too much to avoid spoiling it.

Though the film was shot in a rush (director Adolf Alix revealed that they shot the whole film within a span of just 2 days due to the very small budget), the film actually looks good. From the drone shots accompanied by Mark's voice-overs to the those long, continuous shots (which they call babad shots because of the long takes), every frame looks good. There is a consistent sepia tone all throughout the film, giving an old-fashioned look, as if every chapter (or year) is like a memory of yesterday that has passed by and long gone. It evokes nostalgia, especially the campus setting which reminds one of his/her college days. The film's soundtrack was also beautiful and perfectly fits the whole story. The song, entitled "Pusong Hindi Makatulog" was an original song by lead actor Mikoy Morales (the song's music video was even directed by Adolf Alix).

I think director Adolf Alix found the best actors to play the characters of the movie with Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro. Mikoy Morales has this innocent looking face which perfectly matched his character Mark who is about to fall in love for the first time to someone of his same sex and has no idea how to deal with it. He did a pretty good job in carrying those intense emotional scenes with his co-actor, especially during their heated argument in the final act of the film. Sebastian Castro was perfectly cast as Derek. His character, a guy who has been in relationships with women for most of his life and just realized that he actually harbors some feelings for another man, is more reserved and prefers to keep his true self hidden from most of the world. Sebastian's portrayal of the role was restrained, but felt so real. During the film's Q&A session, director Adolf Alix revealed that the film didn't have an actual script when they shot it. He only gave the actors an outline of what's supposed to happen and the two are left to come up with their own character's dialogues. This gave the film a much more raw appeal because the character's reactions are organic. These two actors also shares some really nice chemistry, as seen with their smooth yet believable impromptu conversations. We were so engrossed with the story and the two characters that we felt like we've been with them and known them for a lifetime. The film felt like a coming-of-age of the two characters as they both come to terms of their true feelings for one another.

Featuring stellar performances from it's two leads, and great direction from Adolf Alix, 4 Days is a touching and memorable film that is grounded on reality, and will leave a lasting impact on it's viewers with it's raw and realistic take on love.



Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
4 Days (2016, Original Release)
Directed by Adolf Alix Jr.
Starring Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro

Adolf Alix Jr.'s 4 Days premieres at UP Diliman, gets Worldwide Distribution

LGBT-themed romantic drama 4 Days premiered last August 24, 2017 at UP Cine Adarna. Directed by Adolf Alix Jr., 4 Days stars Sebastian Castro as Derek and Mikoy Morales as Mark, and tells the story of two college friends who slowly realize they mean more to each other than either had initially realized. 4 Days joins Derek and Mark in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day over the course of a few years- charting the blossoming of a friendship in to something much more enduring as time goes on – and challenging both to question who they thought they were and who they truly want to me. Painting a moving picture of how an abiding friendship can sometimes lead to love – and how we sometimes have to wrestle with our own demons to find their true self, 4 Days is achingly romantic and delicate.

Mikoy Morales as Mark

Sebastian Castro as Derek

It was part of the “Indie Nation” section of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2016. Now, after almost a year of it's debut at Cinemalaya, the film finally gets a premiere screening at the Cine Adarna, UP Diliman. The screening was graced by the film's lead actors Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro, together with the film's director, Adolf Alix Jr. In the said event, director Alix also screened the trailer of his latest film, Madilim ang Gabi (Dark is the Night) starring Gina Alajar, Philip Salvador, and Angel Aquino, which is set to have its world premiere at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival, and the Nora Aunor-starrer Role Play. The screening was attended by Morales' fellow teen actors Thea Tolentino, Jake Vargas, Joyce Ching, Kristoffer Martin and Martin Del Rosario to name a few.

Lead actors Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro said that they did not expected the screening to be a success, after the Cine Adarna theater was packed by audiences that night. Later after the screening, the director and the cast had a Q&A Session about the film, where Adolf Alix Jr. announced that the film will be distributed worldwide by TLA Releasing on September 11, 2017. He also announced that a theatrical release here in the Philippines is being planned this year.

Audiences lining up outside CineAdarna while waiting for the premiere.

Director Adolf Alix Jr. with Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro.

With Sebastian Castro

With Mikoy Morales

With the film's two leads

2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten wins the Lovers Film Festival Audience Choice Award

Petersen Vargas' highly acclaimed coming-of-age film 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten bags the Audience Choice Award at the  LGBTQI Film Festival. The film had it's international premiere last June 17 & 18, 2017 at Multisala Cinema Massimo in Turin, Italy as part of the Torino LGBTQI Film Festival. It is the ONLY Asian Film in competition this year, programmed alongside titles like Andrew Ahn's Sundance-winning Spa Night and 2017 Berlinale's The Wound, among others.

Source : Alemberg Ang

After it's debut, the film garnered critical acclaim from critics. QuotidianoPiemontese.it says "It works perfectly and gives us feelings and fears of the protagonists, surrounded by the new experience it is rolled slowly on their souls and involves their bodies." GayPost.it calls it "One of the most interesting, visually seductive and stylistically impeccable proposals, in competition at the Lovers Film Festival, is without a doubt "2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten". 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten is one of the official entries in the 2016 Cinema One Originals film festival, where it won 3 awards, Best Supporting Actor for Jameson Blake, Best Cinematography and the highly coveted Best Film award.

To director Petersen Vargas, the cast, the crew and everyone behind 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten, congratulations for this wonderful achievement. You guys are really too cool to be forgotten, no pun intended.

"2 COOL 2 BE 4GOTTEN wins the Audience Award at the 32nd Lovers Film Festival - Torino lgbtqi Visions! For a film that has been restricted to be shown to its ideal audience in the Philippines, it has found an enthusiastic, loving audience somewhere far away from home. Bittersweet." Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten Facebook page

Lisyun Qng Geografia Movie Review

The saddest love stories are the ones that could have been but never were.

And what could be more sad than people falling in love with their best friend but not getting the same kind of love in return. This is the central theme of Petersen Vargas award-winning 2014 short film Lisyun Qng Geografia, which literally translates to Geography Lessons. The short film is one of Vargas' earliest works, two years ahead of his full length feature debut that catapulted him to fame amongst Filipino film enthusiast which is 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten (2016). But little did most of us knew that the 20-minute short film is the one that paved the way for him to earn a spot in the indie cinema scene here in the country after it earned him the Best Direction award at the 11th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

I've been trying to find a way to watch this short film since last year, after I became an avid fan of director Petersen. Luckily, this year, he revisits his baby for a limited encore screening of Lisyun in UP Diliman, back to back with his 2 Cool, followed by a special edition DVD release of the short film. And I was so lucky to finally get the chance of watching the short film and of course, I have to write my thoughts about it here in my blog. So here is my review of Petersen Vargas' Lisyun Qng Geografia.

The film follows Tib Apostol (Earl Policarpio), who finds an old map made by his estranged best friend from high school, Tric (Ross Pesigan). This triggers him to retrace all the places that are special to him and his friend, remembering how the their friendship fell apart along the way. Writer and director Petersen Vargas once said that this film was inspired by some of his real life experiences. I guess that is the main reason why the story felt so raw and authentic. The dialogues, so real and normal. The characters, flawed but honest. The circumstances that they encounter, very common in real life.

I love the way the story was written, especially how it was narrated. Instead of following the traditional pattern of a narrative, the story goes back and forth from the past to the present, slowly revealing what has happened before and it's consequences now. Because of this, the 20-minute duration of the film was put into good use. I also love how both characters were written. They looked and talked and acted just like how normal teenage boys would. They don't feel so manufactured for the sake of having empathetic characters. Instead, they're written with all honesty, and that what makes them relatable.

Earl Policarpio and Ross Pesigan did a wonderful job in bringing these characters to life. Their acting were really good, and their portrayal of Tib and Tric will tug your hearts out. Both of them complemented one another which adds more punch and pull to the interactions of the two characters. I guess the best example of this is the confrontation scene between the two, which is also my favorite scene in the film. The chemistry of both actors gives more impact to the scene, making it more intense and heartbreaking.

Technically, the film is more than marvelous. It's gorgeous cinematography, mostly composed of bluish toned palette of backgrounds, evokes a sense of calmness, reminiscent of those carefree days when we were still young and we didn't have to worry about bills or work or careers. Chill, that's the word that perfectly describes it's chosen color palette. The film's music also complemented this with it's serene and light soundtrack featuring the songs of Ourselves The Elves.

Although there's a two-year gap between Lisyun Qng Geografia and 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten, one would still notice the similarities of the two. There's a lot of scenes in 2 Cool that were references to Lisyun which  gives it a feeling that both films share the same universe. Both films tackle themes of homosexuality and self-awakening. But unlike 2 Cool which goes for a much darker territory, Lisyun chooses a much more quiet and subtle path which is grounded in reality.

Sweet, humorous and romantic, yet heart wrenching towards the end, the film is a perfect exploration of relationships between two people who share different feelings for each other. And with it's honest portrayal of love, anyone can definitely relate to the film. Yes, it is painful to watch, but it is also good and beautiful and unforgettable.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ out of 5

Lisyun Qng Geografia (2014)
Starring Earl Policarpio and Ross Pesigan,
Directed by Petersen Vargas
Winner, Best Direction-11th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival

Ang Sayaw Ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa movie review

Recently, I've discovered this new haven for indie film lovers like me. It's called Uno Morato, a cafe, a bookstore, a bar and art space all in one. But that's a different story. Anyways, I discovered the place after learning about their special screening of this indie film released way back 2011. It was Alvin Yapan's Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa (The Dance of Two Left Feet) starring Paulo Avelino, Rocco Nacino and Jean Garcia. It was produced by Alemberg Ang (yes, the same force behind the critically-acclaimed coming-of-age flick and my favorite film of all time, 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten). It was an official entry to the Cinemalaya Film Festival.

Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa explores the intersection and divergence between feminist and gay concerns in the third world context, as it features the poetry of Merlinda Bobis, Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Joi Barrios, Rebecca Anonuevo, Benilda Santos and Ophelia Dimalanta. When Marlon (Paulo Avelino), a college student, stalks Karen (Jean Garcia), his literature professor, he finds out that she moonlights as a choreographer and dance teacher in a dance studio. Frustrated over his performance in her literature class, he plans to impress her instead by learning to poeticize his body movements and enroll in her dance class. He hires his classmate to teach him the basics of dancing. As Dennis (Rocco Nacino), his tutor, teaches him how his body should move, Marlon begins to understand the intersections between the art of poetry and dance.

This opens up his world to new insights about the life of Karen as s single woman who chose to live the life of an artist in a third world setting. Marlon begins to understand how the poems being discussed by Karen in class are testaments to her choice to stand by her art. Karen eventually finds out, through Dennis, that Marlon only enrolled in her class to be near her. She confronts Marlon about this and wishes that his interest for dance would survive his infatuation for her. Marlon feels betrayed over Dennis telling Karen. But it is also this sense of betrayal that tells him that he has already become close to Dennis, whom he now considers a friend. Up until then, Marlon and Dennis have become inseparable as they both tackled the complexities of poetry and dance. Sensing the coldness between the two, Karen set them up to help her train a group of dancers for a cotillion dance. Eventually, Karen trains both Marlon and Dennis to star in her dance adaptation of the epic Humadapnon, when she bags a grant. Marlon will play the lead role of Humadapnon, who becomes trapped in a cave full of women. Dennis’ character now has to rescue Marlon from the women, as he plays the role of Sunmasakay, the male incarnation of the goddess Nagmalitong Yawa. On the eve of their performance, in a drunken conversation, Marlon confronts Karen how he could not understand her poetry. Karen, in response, assures Marlon that he does understand her poetry. His mind is just unwilling to, unlike his body which already understands. Karen invites Marlon to dance with her, but in the middle of her dance, she passes him onto Dennis. Their drunken dance culminates with Marlon and Dennis taking on the roles of Humadapnon and Sunmasakay on stage. (Cinemalaya website)

This is unusual for me, as I'm featuring a movie that's been released years ago. But to be honest, after watching the film, I didn't feel that it was already dated. I think that the film would resonate with today's audiences, particularly millennials like me. Yes, this is the first time that I've seen this film, although I've heard before but I haven't really paid any attention to it. And now, after watching it for the very first time, I'm really glad that I took the opportunity of experiencing it.

I've only watched one movie by Alvin Yapan before. It was the psychological-horror film Ang tulay ng San Sebastian starring Joem Bascon and Sandino Martin, which was an official entry to the 2016 CineFilipino Film Festival. The film portrays two men, an ambulance driver and a nurse who are headed back home in the province, trying to keep each other awake by sharing road ghost stories in the midnight of Good Friday and eventually experiences these urban legends themselves. So I don't know a lot about him until I went to see this movie. One thing that I found similar between Ang Tulay ng San Sebeastian and Sayaw is it's homoerotic themes. Both films features two male lead characters, and both films plays with the bromance between these two individuals. This reminds me of the other Alemberg Ang produced film, 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten. In 2 Cool, we have Felix and Magnus. Here, we have Marlon and Dennis.

What I liked about the film is the way Alvin Yapan weaves a love triangle between the film's three characters, but never actually pushes too far to the point that it falls into the usual stereotypes of Philippine movies.  During the short Q&A session with director Alvin Yapan after the said special screening, he mentioned that he was aiming to make a subtle love story between two men instead of a passionate, racy gay movie. And he succeeded in doing so. Although the story starts with Marlon's infatuation with his teacher Karen, it doesn't actually uses the theme of love to move the story forward. The love angle was touched very lightly. Instead, the film becomes focused to each of the three characters, and how their lives are changed with the proceedings. The film becomes an exploration of each character, particularly Marlon and Dennis which is actually what made me loved the film. It's almost like a coming-of-age for these two characters. As I get to know these two characters more deeply, I slowly became connected with them. I sympathize with them. I feel the tension between them. I feel their pain.

Of course, the lead actors also deserve praise for their amazing portrayal of these characters. Jean Garcia was perfect for the role of Karen. Her performance was restrained, which made her believable even if we don't know a lot about her character. I remember this scene where she watches the two boys dance for the audition of her dance adaptation of Humadapnon. The scene was focused on her, particularly her face as she watch the the boys dance with wonder. That was one of my favorite scenes from the film because Jean Garcia was able to show how great her acting skills are through the expression of her eyes. Rocco Nacino also nailed his role of Dennis. He embodied the character and owned it. You can really feel the awkwardness he felt whenever he and Marlon would get close while dancing. You can feel the tension that runs through his body whenever their skin would touch one another. You can feel his innocence, his confusion and his pain. Then, there's the young Paulo Avelino. I've always liked watching him on screen, with my favorite being his short but memorable take of Gen. Gregorio "Goyong" del Pilar in the 2015 biopic Heneral Luna and his portrayal of Dio in the 2017 romance film I'm Drunk, I Love You. But after watching Sayaw, I can say that this is my favorite performance of Paulo Avelino so far (despite the fact that this was released years ago). He has this rawness in him that makes him charm you and will steal your attention whenever he's around. He maybe a bit inexperienced in acting since he was still fresh and new to the industry during this time but he already proved that he has what it takes to be a great actor in this movie. He already showed promise here, and when you look at him now, you'll realized how far he has evolved in his craft from watching this film. Plus, he shares great chemistry with his co-star, Rocco Nacino which makes their tandem work.

Another thing that I loved is the cinematography and editing of the film. The way Marlon and Dennis would overlap one another's blocking in most of the shots which feature the two male characters really got my attention. It adds more tension and makes the film sexy than it should be. The editing of the film, particularly the opening sequence right before the title was really good and fun to watch. The way it jumps from one scene to another and back and forth without breaking the pacing and continuity of the film was genius. Also, the music and poetry featured in the film adds more emotional resonance to it and gives the film a heart.

This film is just one of the latest addition to my all time favorite Filipino films of all time. Featuring bravura performances from the three leads, a beautifully written script, gorgeous cinematography and masterful direction, this indie gem is a must-watch for everyone. Restrained, yet teaming with sexual tension, Alvin Yapan's Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Paa is a touching study of the human nature, and will leave a mark in you long after watching it. And that final shot in the film's ending is sure to break your heart.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ out of 5

Ang Sayaw Ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa (2011)

Written and directed by Alvin Yapan

Starring Paulo Avelino, Rocco Nacino and Jean Garcia