Given the intrinsic musicality of Pinoys, it's strange that we haven't produced a movie musical for a long while. The last one that I've seen was the big screen adaptation of the stage musical Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah. Before that we'd have to go back to the heyday of LVN Pictures and Sampaguita Pictures decades ago to find a Filipino movie musical.
Why aren't we making musicals anymore? Maybe because the industry is too lazy to craft them. Creating a musical takes time and entails a lot of effort. Aside from writing the screenplay, the filmmakers have to worry about composing the songs and choreographing the production numbers. It takes months and even years to produce a musical, in contrast to backyard dramas that can be finished in seven days. Or maybe the big film studios don't think musicals will be profitable in the box office.
This gives me more reason to admire the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for helming Emir. I hope that the producers will recoup the money they invested to make this ambitious project. I applaud their dedication to revive a film genre that has remained untouched for years.
Inspired by real events, Emir tells the heroic story of a probinsiyana OFW who puts her life in peril to protect the crown prince of a fictional emirate in the Middle East. Amelia (Frencheska Farr) trades her idyllic life in the Cordillera province of Ifugao to work as a nanny of the Sheik's royal family. Despite her lack of experience, the Sheik's wife chooses her to be the yaya of the newborn crown prince. During the onset of the Gulf War, foreign invaders assault the palace. The young prince is hunted down but Amelia brings him to safety, risking her life in the process.
The plight of Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has been depicted on the big screen numerous times. We've seen a migrant worker in the Lombard metropolis juggling multiple jobs (Milan), a grade school teacher who opts to work as a healthcare provider in United Kingdom (Caregiver), and a domestic helper in Singapore who is charged with murder (The Flor Contemplacion Story).
The basic premise stays the same—the Pinoy works abroad in search of greener pastures. The same is true for Emir, directed with technical proficiency and gusto by Chito Roño. What distinguishes Emir from other movies that tackled the OFW phenomenon is that it's a musical.
The heart and soul of a musical lies in its songs. Unlike your favorite TV-musical Glee, the characters do not break out into a song just for the heck of it. The songs are intricately interwoven into the storyline. In fact, the songs tell the story. They take the place of spoken dialogue. They articulate emotions that are best expressed through music.
Emir boasts over 20 original songs. Serving as the musical director of this grand production is Josefino Chino Toledo, who also happens to be one of the composers. Vin Dancel, Ebe Dancel and Diwa de Leon composed the songs of Emir while Jerry Gracio and Rody Vera served as librettists. Gary Granada had dual roles as composer and librettist of this musical film.
There are emotive ballads like "Bakit Ako Naririto," the film's signature song; "O, Maliwanag na Buwan," a poignant song that echoes heartbreak and loss; and "Hindi Ko Pinangarap," the powerhouse duet between Dulce and Frencheska.
There are also campy musical numbers like "Bawang, Mais, at Tabako," the film's opening act, and "Turistang Yaya," sung to maximum comedic effect by the nannies. But my favorite would have to be "Buti Na Lang," a sweet love song performed by Frencheska and Sid Lucero, which will make audiences swoon.
However, some of the songs are a bit too long. The beginning may bore the audience with its salvo of song numbers. The first 20 minutes is cramped with too many songs and too little dialogue. But it all goes uphill once the six nannies (played by Dulce, Kalila Aguilos, Liesl Batucan, Julia Clarete, Melanie Dujunco and Beverly Salviejo) are introduced.
Frencheska delivers what is expected of her. She is a great vocalist and a decent actress. However, she lacks the emotional range of more experienced actresses. Although she has established chemistry with Sid, her onscreen love interest, she can't quite keep up with some of her co-stars, particularly Dulce and Kalila Aguilos.
Dulce stands out for her regal bearing as the mayordoma Ester. Moviegoers can look forward to her production numbers because of her powerful voice and mesmerizing presence.
Since there are at least 12 million OFWs worldwide, it is very likely that the viewer will have a family member or friend who works abroad. Kalila's character goes through roller-coaster emotions since she finds out that the money she sent to the Philippines has been stolen and that her husband is leaving her for another woman. This is just one of the harsh realities depicted in this musical film.
The craftsmanship behind Emir is overwhelming. Meticulous attention was given to every nook and cranny of the production—the set design, costume, makeup, art direction, cinematography, etc. This is an epic production in every sense of the word. Principal photography was shot mostly in Morocco while the interior shots were conducted in Manila. I haven't seen any other Filipino film of this caliber before. Indeed, producing Emir is a defining moment in Philippine cinema.
Emir is currently being screened in Philippine cinemas. This musical film has been graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board.