Comedy of the absurd

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Dream Factory

DIRECTOR Lauren Dyogi got so busy with the "Pinoy Big Brother" and "Pinoy Dream Academy" projects that he hasn’t directed a movie for sometime. The last one was "Now That I Have You" with Bea Alonzo, his signature actress as he was the one who helped Bea gain stardom in the teleserye "Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay."

"She was only 14 then," he says. "Now, she’s all woman and I’m glad to be directing her in her first mature movie role. She has really developed as a sensitive actress and is still willing to learn. Kahit hindi si John Lloyd ang kapareha niya rito sa ‘And I Love You So,’ napakahusay niya."

How about Bea’s co-stars in "And I Love You So" that opens tomorrow?

"Sam Milby is the lazy bone. Always lying down and sleepingsa dami ng trabaho niya, so sabi ko, batugan siya. I thought he won’t deliver, original discovery ko siya sa PBB, but he surprised me. Sa shooting, akala mo, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. But when you watch his scene on screen, ang galing pala niya. Si Derek Ramsay naman, mahihirap ang movements niya considering may problema siya sa knee niya which was injured in a frisbee competition. Pero bilib ako sa kanya dahil kahit pinaluhod ko siya, pinagapang, never siyang nagreklamo."

The movie is also Coney Reyes’ comeback role after being absent for so long. "Ang sarap din niya katrabaho kasi dahil laging ang daming baong pagkain sa set."

As for Coney, she’s happy to be working with Lauren and Bea. "I’ve seen Bea on TV and I admire her work," she says. "I think she’ll be the next important dramatic actress. As for Direk Lauren, he’s surely one our most capable young directors today and I enjoyed working with him."

What can Bea say to the observation that she has excellent chemistry with Sam?

"Lahat sila, sinasabing bagay na bagay kami. DirekLauren even said he’ll do something para magkatuluyan daw kami even in real life. Bagay na bagay raw kasi pati personalities namin. Even our writer, Vanessa, said pareho ang mga ugali namin. But I’m not the one who should be asked about this. I’m open to any possibility but I will definitely not make the first move. Pero mabait talaga si Sam, ang guwapo pa at madaling makasundo."

If and when Sam does court her, what will she do about his ex, Anne Curtis? "I’ll make sure I will inform her first, out of respect for her. But all that is mere speculation dahil ni mukha yatang walang balak siSam na ganyan, pinangungunahan nyo lang."

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We saw the Cinemalaya entries and the best of the crop for us is "Last Supper No. 3," "Mangatyanan," "Dinig Sana Kita" and "Colorum." They’re not commercially viable (except for "Astig" whose material is more accessible for regular viewers), but they’re definitely better than most local films released this year so far, but we believe last year’s Cinemalaya entries were better than this year’s. Last year’s "Jay," "100," "Boses" and "Brutus" are definitely a much more rewarding experience.

"Last Supper No. 3" deserves to win as it is one local comedy that really works. It’s about an absurd situation that gets more and more absurd as the film goes on. It also satirizes the slow wheels of justice in our legal system. A gay production designer, Wilson Nanawa (Joey Paras), loses a borrowed tapestry of the Last Supper which they failed to use as props in a TV commercial. The tapestry is owned by the obnoxious Gareth (Jojit Lorenzo) and his mom (Beverly Salviejo) and they want Wilson to pay them P25,000 for the lost item which they say has a sentimental value as it comes from Saudi. (To which a character correctly quips: "Bakit? May Last Supper ba sa Saudi?")

Gareth sues Wilson for estafa and another case was added, physical injuries, since Wilson’s assistant (JM De Guzman) hit Gareth on the face during an altercation. The court cases drag on and on. At one point, the judge handling one case (Mark Meily) even died in the course of the hearings.

The film works because we sympathize with Wilson. He really wants to set things right and in the process, spends so much more in paying Gareth and his lady lawyer for her appearance fees. There are many laugh-out-loud scenes in the movie (unlike "Oh My Girl" which didn’t elicit any laughs at all) but they’re not able to sustain the high level of comedy since, towards the end, the courtroom scenes become caricature-ish with the clerk of court doing clownish translations of what the witnesses say. Even the lawyer of Gareth was made to appear like a buffoon.

The film is deftly directed by Veronica Velasco ("Inang Yaya," "Maling Akala") who also co-wrote the script with Jinky Laurel. Joey Paras gives a consistently superb depiction of the harassed designer. Even his voice over work in narrating the story is brilliantly done. We think he should have been the one to win the best actor award.

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Most of the Cinemalaya entries are slow moving and often a test of patience. "24K" by Anna Agabin is about the search for the missing Yamashita treasure in Ilocos. It offers beautiful mountain vistas with some rice terraces, a sequence showing mountain tribes doing a harvest ritual, and little else. The treasure hunters (Julio Diaz, Archie Adamos, Jojit Lorenzo, etc.) do not get our sympathy as they’re all motivated by greed.

Nothing really happens in the movie that just shows them digging and digging. "24K" is actually perfect for those afflicted with insomnia as it’s guaranteed to put you to sleep. In the end, it turns out they’re digging a bomb and when it explodes to kill them, it’s only fitting that they should have also included the one who made this movie along with it.

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"Colorum" is the directorial debut of Jobim Ballesteros. It drags but is still worth watching even as it’s a road movie that shows how beautiful our country is. A young cop, Simon (Alfred Vargas), has a heart of gold and is always willing to help others. He moonlights as a "colorum" FX driver to augment his income. One of his passengers is an ex-convict, Pedro (Lou Veloso), who’s just been pardoned after 30 years in prison and is now looking for the only son he hasn’t seen for so long. Simon offers to take him for free to the bus station where he can take a ride going to his son’s place.

Along the way, Simon hits a pedestrian and, instead of taking the victim to the hospital, he panics and decides to run away. He chooses to take Pedro, the only witness, with him to Ormoc, where his godfather, a general (Archie Adamos), instructs him to hide. During the trip, they encounter a writer who’s about to commit suicide (Andoy Ranay), a fake evangelist (Jose Mari Avellana) and a teenage girl on her way to an abortionist. We also get to see the majestic Mayon Volcano, the San Juanico Bridge, and much beautiful rural scenery. In Tacloban, they even spend the night in the Sto. Nino Shrine.

But the film’s climax when Pedro suddenly does a Clint Eastwood in "Gran Torino" is not believable. There’s no preparation and who’d believe that it’s really him who killed the American? We also wish there had been more bonding moments between him and Simon for us to believe that they really learn to care for each other. To begin with, the character of Pedro is so underwritten. We don’t even know why he was imprisoned and why his son is so mad with him.

We need to know a character better for us to be able to relate with him, which is why Simon is more sympathetic. We know he has a girlfriend working abroad, they intend to get married, put up their own business later, and raise their own family. Simon is basically good and kind and, truth to tell, he hit the American only because he was distracted by the stupid Pedro. In fairness to Lou and Alfred, they both deliver fine performances. We just wish the material was more polished.

Source: Malaya

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