CURRENTLY running in Resorts World Manila now is Bituing Walang Ningning. For the uninitiated, it first appeared in comics strip, made into a movie in 1985, and then a television series in 2006.
Now, say it with me with feelings: “You’re nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat!” Yup, that was the famous line in the movie that, for all intents and purposes, I expect to stand the test of time.
I promised the wife and a couple of our friends that I will try to secure tickets to the show. They are excited to watch it. Same here, I guess, as it might be fun one way or the other.
I grew up watching Tito, Vic and Joey movies. They were so funny, witty and straight in-your-face, laugh-out-loud movies. Little did I watch those tearjerkers in theaters, or during the phase in my life when I was acting like a couch potato at home.
But, from how I remember it growing up, especially with movie trailers, a staple on weekend television watching back then, Filipino dramas are usually heavy on the dialogue with a lot of shouting, face-slapping and hair-pulling involved.
I used to ask the question then if what was being shown was reflective of real life. Were people really living lives like those characters being portrayed in the movies?
Sure, my parents had arguments, but they never went overboard like in those Filipino movies. We never had any diabolical neighbors plotting to make our lives miserable. I also had a relatively good school life.
The last local drama I watched was the Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga starrer Starting Over Again, after my wife and two friends hostaged me into watching it during its theatrical run.
Nothing spectacular in the movie for me, but it was much improved from how I remember those same types of movies when I was a kid. There was nothing over the top about it. The storytelling was also good.
My thinking is a movie does not need to be loud, violent, or stretched too much to be good. There is nothing wrong with a movie being simple enough for viewers to appreciate it.
One of my all-time favorite movies is the Richard Linklater-directed Before Sunrise, which starred Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as two individuals who met on a train and then spent the whole night together in the city while getting to know each other.
Simple as the plot may sound, a lot of people have fallen in love with the movie over the years because it is witty, charming, touching, honest and down to earth.
I came away with the same thoughts after watching the Taiwan movie The End of Love. It was not a big-budget movie as its director Li-Da (Eric) Hsu readily admits, but it had all the same elements of Before Sunrise even if its story is much different.
The movie tells the story of four different couples who are nearing the end of their relationships. I believe the Don Henley song “The End of the Innocence” would have worked perfectly in the movie.
Just like the song said—“Happily ever after fails and we have been poisoned by these fairy tales.”
There was Cheng Wei Yen and Chu Tzu, live-in couple who met during a street movement when they were students. One continued to be an activist while the other worked in a bar to support their daily needs.
There was middle-aged couple Hsu Cheng and Ting Wei-Wei, who both have successful careers but still having no child after years of marriage.
There was Li, confined in a home for the elderly, who fell in love with Zhang, the girl every boy had a crush on back when they were in high school.
Last, there was convenience-store cashier Kao Shao Wei, who courageously introduced himself to his former high-school teacher and crush Li Yi-Lun after she bought items from their store.
Director Hsu told me that his movie is an actual reflection of Taiwan society today where there are activists, issues on how old people should be taken care of, abortion and open relationships.
There were no robots or superheroes in the movie. It was not action filled. But it is a movie that, everyone can appreciate for years to come.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Ambassador Dr. Gary Song-Huann Lin described the movie perfectly when he said it transcended boundaries, reflected human nature and had a universal theme on relationships.
Moving forward, Lin told me that they are very much looking forward to having Taiwanese and Filipino actors work in a movie together because both sides can emulate each other.
Now, if these actors would be named Barbie Hsu, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu, then you know there is a very strong possibility that Filipinos would go really crazy in excitement.
Anyway, Ambassador Lin even suggested for the Philippines to use Taiwan to test how the international market would react to Filipino-produced movies. He said that even Japan is using his country to test their movies.
He added that Taiwan and the Philippines are close neighbors that have similar cultures and share common values.
As for The End of Love, it was not surprising that it won the Special Jury Prize during the World Premieres Film Festival Philippines awards night.
I just hope the movie gets a few days’ run at cinemas across the country or that it is made available in DVDs. Given a chance to be shown mainstream, there is a good chance that Filipinos will most likely watch it.
For comments, suggestions, and reactions, I can be reached at raalzona@yahoo.com.