One section of the 11th
edition of the Cinemanila International Film Festival is the Digital Lokal wherein
six Filipino movies vie for the Grand Prize.
These are: Anacbanua, touted to be the first Pangasinense film about a
poet's return to his hometown in Pangasinan; 69 ½, about a filmmaker
who accepts an offer to make a pornographic film; Ang Beerhouse, a
love story about a man who falls for a girl working in The Red Light Beerhouse;
Biyaheng Lupa, a road trip movie; Dolores, which tackles the
plight of a girl who is sexually abused by her family members; and Iliw,
a love story set during World War II.
Former recipients of the Grand Prize, like Brillante Mendoza's Manoro
and Raya Martin's Autohystoria, have been arthouse favorites but none
have crossed over to the mainstream successfully. From the toast of homegrown
talents that found their way to Cinemanila this year, Bona Fajardo's Iliw
and Jon Red's Ang Beerhouse may have slim chances in clinching the top
plum but at least they are commercially viable—thanks to star power and
mainstream appeal.
Last Friday, October 23, the winners of the Digital Lokal as well as the other
categories were announced at the NBC Tent in Taguig City. (CLICK HERE to view
the complete list of winners).
ILIW. During World War II, Fidela (Kaye Abad) and Colonel Takashi (Hiroyuki Takashima) find love in each other's arms despite everyone's disapproval. As the war comes to a close, Colonel Takahashi is ordered by the Japanese Imperial Army to destroy Vigan and make it uninhabitable. Because of his love for Fidela, he disobeys his superiors and leaves the town unscathed.
As a non-English speaker, it must have been hard for Hiroyuki Takashima to communicate with his co-actors. But his charisma gave him strong screen presence. His chemistry with Kaye Abad is palpable.
The rest of the cast includes Ping Medina as Fidela's childhood sweetheart, Irma Adlawan and Amante Pulido as Fidela's parents, Alex Medina as Fidela's brother, Charee Pineda as Fidela's friend, and Ron Morales as the leader of the guerilla movement.
Iliw wants to be an epic love story. It's the classic tale of forbidden romance between warring nationalities. It's an ambitious film, notwithstanding its limited resources. Dubbed as a film tourism project to promote the historic town of Vigan (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the filmmakers manage to create visual eloquence. They succeed in capturing the picturesque Spanish colonial town in all its glory.
However, the focal romance is not
as compelling as it ought to be. The film's narrative excess could have been
trimmed down to make a more cohesive picture. Overall, it's still refreshing to
watch a period film that promotes the beauty and mystique of our national
heritage.
ANG BEERHOUSE. Noynoy (Ryan Eigenemann) and Brad (Hector Macaso) own a "business establishment" fronting the Red Light Beerhouse. At first, they're content to peep through the cabaret's window to see the almost naked bodies of women dancing onstage until Jewel (Gwen Garci) catches Noynoy's fancy. Noynoy soon becomes enamored with Jewel's allure, but what he's after is more than just a one-night affair. He plays knight in shining armor to Jewel's damsel in distress. And so his mission begins: to save Jewel from the beerhouse.
Aside from Noynoy and Jewel, the rest of the characters in Ang Beerhouse are caricatures we've seen countless times in past comedies. We have the evil pimp, his dumb assistant, the dancer with a Visayan accent, the loud gay floor manager, and Brad, the protagonist's sidekick whose command of the English language is as "suave" as Jimmy Santos's.
There is a lot of talent in the
cast. We get convincing but not over-the-top performances from Ryan Eigenmann,
Epy Quizon (the money-hungry pimp), and Joel (the hot-tempered beerhouse
owner). But if I could single out one actor from the bunch, I would pick Hector
Macaso hands-down. With his comedic timing and hilarious delivery, he gives us
enough reasons to laugh. Meanwhile, it's a completely different story for the
girls.
Che Ramos, who had a magnificent turn in Jerrold Tarog's Mangatyanan, is reduced to playing a vacuous character—a stripper who is always stoned.
Gwen Garci, on the other hand, can play coy and cute but once a scene demands
her to display more emotions, it turns into disaster.
Although the gag show antics are undeniably funny and some insights can be pretty clever, Ang Beerhouse amounts to nothing new in the end. But if all you need is a funny film you can watch with your buddies, then this film would gladly serve that purpose. You'll be assured of laughter—whether you're sober or not.