What an experience, let me start with that.
My good friend, Em, passively convinced me to go back to watching Tagalog films again. Tagalog is my native language, and it’s challenging for me to listen to dialogues in Tagalog because I notice the little things, and it destroys the experience for me. Especially for drama films. There is a certain “showbiz tone” that I could never unhear.
However, I thought to myself, how can I be a better advocate for my country’s art scene if I, myself, am not immersed in it as much as I was in my youth? So, I opened Prime, searched “Tagalog” et voila.
I wish this movie wasn’t the first one that caught my attention.
The actors were great! Romnick Sarmienta has been in the business for decades. Elijah Canlas is always a great fixture of the present Filipino movie scene.
The film started good. I love conversational, one-setting films. I love it when characters just sit down and let things unfold in one conversation. My best example of this is Predestination. Hands-down one of the best films I’ve watched! 12 Angry Men is also amazing. So, when I saw that this film only revolved around one setting and only two men are involved I was seated – until I stood up.
Ericson (Romnick Sarmienta) is literature professor. He meets with his student, Lance (Elijah Canlas, at a restaurant after not seeing each other for months.
Ericson is gay, his husband, Marcus (both portrayed by Elijah and Romnick which I think is cool), recently passed, and one of Lance’s agenda for that meeting is to ask if he is the reason for Marcus’ passing (he killed himself).
It is apparent that Ericson has a soft spot for Lance, but whether it was romantic, we can only take Ericson’s word for it, but at the end of the day, it was fucking weird.
As I mentioned, Lance is Ericson’s student. It is normal to care for your student, yes. Whether it is appropriate to have them live in your spare condo because his stepdad was beating him is controversial. Heroic yes, but, why don’t we explore staying with a family member first? Lastly, going out of your way buying them apple pie from a further McDonald’s branch for breakfast is a bit iffy too.
You see, Ericson claims that he sees Lance as a son. If I am to compare this situation to my relationship with my dad, it’s still raises eyebrows.
If I ask my dad to buy me an apple pie and there’s none in the branch he’s already in, this will be his exact response to me, “May manok ka naman na. Hindi ka pa ba busog dito?” Trans: You already have chicken. Will you still not be full after this?
And that would be completely acceptable to me, because my dad is doing 1500 things all at once. While it’s not impossible for my dad to go out of his way and go to another branch to buy me an apple pie one time, he’s not going to do that all the time because I’m gonna be spoiled. Also, I’m already 30, I could do this for myself.
The two are talking about how some people in the university are talking about them. Prying if they’re in a relationship, and Ericson would be so offended that Lance would listen to them. Saying that other people should be minding their own business.
Now, while I agree to this statement most of the time when it comes to the way people dress, do their hobbies, and whatnot, I do not think this is a philosophy you should apply when your image is being tarnished as a student-fucker. Even if you say, “Well, it’s not the truth. We shouldn’t be bothered,” it’s still weird! Ano ba?!
You’d spend most hours together on campus, and you also let the student stay at your spare condo (also, wow, rich). You’re also not blood-related, you literally have no business hanging around with this 20-year-old unless you’re his parole officer. Have you have no life? It’s so fucking weird.
Now, we go to Marcus and Ericson’s conversation. From what I’ve gathered, they’ve been together for 17 years. Marcus is evidently jealous of Lance. Ericson admitted that he has not been happy in their relationship for a long time but taking of Lance does, like he’s a puppy or something. Make it make sense?
Above are the first half of the film, I sincerely hoped I stopped when my gut told me to. Let’s go to the second half.
Crazy stuff happened. It turns out, Marcus went to the condo and saw Lance there. He was surprised. Then they started drinking. There was a point where Marcus beat the shit out of Lance. Remember when Ericson had Lance live in the condo because he was being beaten? That wasn’t Lance’s dad, it was Marcus.
Lance met up with Marcus again, telling him he’s not fit to be a writer. He used his bruises as blackmail to give him the Tagalog novel that Marcus has written.
You would think that for 17 years together, Marcus and Ericson would know everything about each other, right? Tell me why did Lance thought it was a good idea to show him the novel that he basically stole from Marcus to have it evaluated. He even denied he stole it. Really? You thought it was a good idea?
I evidently rushed through the second half, it took away all of the passion I felt on the first half. It just crashed awfully.
I know Lana has other fantastic films. Rumors said, Lana made this film as break-up art after he and his husband separated, I don’t know if it’s true. So maybe in a way, the making of this film made him feel something that doesn’t connect with me? I don’t know.
All in all, loved the actors, hated the second half.
Note: I am aware of how everything is all over the place. That’s how they are in my head.
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