If you had a few months to live, what would be your list of the 100 things to do?
That's the major premise of the film 100.
I watched it with zero expectation. I intentionally did not bother to read the synopsis. I didn't make any effort to check why international critics hailed it as a "quality" movie. I didn't even know that Tessie Tomas was part of the cast.
I was both clueless and curious when I entered the cinema.
The first thing I noticed was the storytelling. It was straightforward, fast-paced, and unfaultable.
From the start, the scene had my senses working already. Joyce (Mylene Dizon) resigned from her work. She was young, single, and at the peak of her career. Her boss was flabbergasted and urged Joyce to change her mind, but she was resolute.
The reason behind her resignation: She had cancer. Joyce nonchalantly broke the news to her best friend Ruby (Eugene Domingo). She didn't cry buckets of tears. She didn't blame anyone. She faced the crisis head on and with dry optimism.
This was where the 100 tasks to accomplish came in. She wrote each one of them in a post-it note—making sure her credit cards had zero balance, paying her bills in advance, purchasing her coffin, even choosing the dress she would wear in state, and so forth. She had everything mapped out.
One of the hardest things she had to do was telling her mom (Tessie Tomas). It was a poignant scene with a touch of humor. The setting was in a hospital room. Mylene was lying in her bed, but it segued to Tessie whose blood pressure shot up.
The best parts of the film were Joyce's bonding moments with Ruby, her mom, her first love (Ryan Eigenmann), her brother (Simon Ibarra) and her nephew. It was collage of beautiful memories, some of which took place in Hong Kong, Manaoag, Bolinao, and Mt.Pinatubo.
And I was expecting a heart-wrenching ending, but I left my seat feeling good for Joyce.
The second notable thing about 100 was the treatment. It's very idiosyncratic and creative. Direk Chris Martinez, who also wrote the screenplay, did a splendid job!
Veering away from all the drama, the main character was able to evoke empathy from the viewers. Joyce cried once in the movie, but I was moved to tears several times.
Humor was injected in some of the scenes spontaneously, making the grave situations less burdensome for the viewers.
In terms of capturing the scenes, I found the tight shots quite avant-garde. I've seen it in some French films, and I found them time-consuming and even rubbish. But in 100, such execution helped in telling me subliminally that every move and every second counted to Joyce.
Using "raw" shots for the Hong Kong trip of Ruby and Mylene was also quirky in a good way. I noticed the view, and most especially noted the real fun.
Some portions are blurry, and I couldn't tell if that's intentional or a glitch. But I chose not to make a big fuss out of it since my eyes were glued on the characters.
The best aspect of the film was the acting.
Mylene's approach had so much depth. She didn't have to cry to create that emotional connection with the viewers. I initially intended to write down my most favorite scene but I realized that all of them are amazingly good.
Eugene's performance was effortless. She didn't have to try too hard to induce a reaction from the audience. I laughed my heart out when she told Joyce, "Malandi ka..."
Tessie's portrayal was also impressive. She didn't have to be prominent in the frames where she was included to be noticed. I was moved by that moment when she cooked kare-kare for her daughter.
Even the secretary (Maritess Antonio) and Joyce's brother (Simon) left a mark.
Most of all, I like the message of the film. If you have a few months to live, what would be the 100 things in your to-do list?
The story jumpstarted with a tragic premise. But looking at it as a whole, the underlying tone became "Each day is worth a celebration."
I left the cinema with 100 reasons why this award-winning film is worth experiencing!
100 is currently being screened in SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, Glorietta, Robinsons Galleria and Robinsons Ermita.