Unseen Beautiful Angels
a film review of the feature-length digital movie, Angels

by Dino Manrique

Angels, a feature-length digital film, which I saw last March 11 at the recent 14th International Women's Film Festival (March 4-March 14) -- screened at, and organized by, the UP Film Center -- is the best-kept secret of current Philippine Cinema, and then, Star Cinema. In other words, it is a beautiful film. What is surprising is that the UP screening is just the film's second screening in the country. The first was as far back as December of 2001 during the Cinemanila Film Festival. My filmmaker friend JP Carpio, who has made a brilliant digital film of his own: the first Ilonggo feature Balay Daku -- see http://www.geocities/balaydaku/home.htm -- was ecstatic over the film. During the initial minutes of the screening, he typed on his cellphone: "[Expletive deleted]! So far the film is honest," and after the screening, was all over me, that I now forget the details of what he was saying. But to understate it, he was raving about the movie, and Star Cinema.

Angels, written by multi-awarded scriptwriter Ricky Lee and directed by a hitherto unknown woman to us named Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, is a story based on the lives of the Gonzalo family, which is not your typical family: both the father and the mother are blind masseurs or massage therapists. Gina Alajar plays the mother Angie, and Nonie Buencamino, the father, Rudy. The blind couple has three children: ten-year old Jonathan (Michael Angelo Caangay), five-year old Grace (Joan Tan), and the eldest, the mentally challenged sixteen-year old Cherrylou, ably portrayed by Wena Basco.

The film, itself, is also not typical. It is unique not just because it is the story of a family which features blind parents, but also because I can't remember a film that has treated the subject of blindness with such honesty, as JP would put it. Through the eyes of the son Jonathan we are given an idea of how the world "looks like" from those who "live in darkness." And we discover that it is a world that is, at the same breath, funny, amusing, sad, complicated, hard, and hopeful. (From hereon, readers beware, spoilers ahead. You may want to wait for the movie's next screening, and if it's not forthcoming, ask, or better yet, demand from Star Cinema to show it again.)

For example, how do the blind "find" their partners? What is courtship among the blind? Answer: Most of the time, rib-tickling. How do the children interact with their handicapped parents? Answer: Just like any other family, and, "blind jokes" and all, perhaps even funnier.

There also other amusing revelations like how the blind are totally "blind" when it rains because the sound of the rain drowns their usual auditory "signposts."

We are also afforded glimpses of the hardships of being blind. In this instance, how does a blind couple cope with the difficulties of everyday life -- including caring for a mentally undeveloped child -- considering that life is hard as it is even without a handicap. Or what is it like to receive cruel treatment from the insensitive segment of society?

The film is also not typical because the conflicts depicted are not the conflicts found in your run-of-the-mill movies. For instance, how do you fend off prejudices from your neighbors or other members of your community, and even from your own government? But what is ironic is that some of the conflicts shown are actually typical of any family's daily life, like a family's financial difficulties, or trying to discipline one's children, or finding decent household help -- "everyday" conflicts which are not given enough attention in the average Filipino movie.

The film is also a rarity because the characters are real people: they have flaws and virtues just like everyone else. (Others would point out that, of course, they are real: the movie is based on a true story. But then, just watch the slew of Filipino movies based on "true stories," and see how one-dimensional and superficial the people in these movies can be.)

The father Rudy, for example, has to balance instilling discipline in his children and giving them enough freedom. His failing -- a weakness that can be understood as compensation for his blindness -- is to err on the side of discipline. As a result, Jonathan rebels, and this makes up the greater part of the story's conflict.

The mother Angie is the emotional anchor of the family, although there are instances when she too is on the verge of capitulating and of even considering, at one point, giving up her son. Which is understandable, given the context of her and her husband's disability.

Jonathan, whom we mentioned as the lynchpin of the story, is precocious and kind on the one hand, and rebellious on the other, even susceptible to tantrums. In other words, your typical kid.

There are also other "realistic" characters and memorable cameos from some actors.

There's this character played by Angel Aquino who asks Jonathan to consider being adopted. She's not a selfish woman out to steal Jonathan; she's just lonely.

There's also a "pakialamera" neighbor played by Connie Chua. She "rats" on the Gonzalo family, reporting them to authorities, but later regrets doing so, and commiserates with Angie at a low point in the family's life.

Jackie Castillejo plays a congresswoman, affluent but seemingly unfulfilled.

Sylvia Sanchez -- who I think, after watching this movie, is one of our underrated actresses -- is Angie's sister, a level-headed woman who also shows lapses in judgment like recommending domestic help -- the latter portrayed with relish by Giselle Sanchez.

But my favorite minor character in the movie is one of Rudy's clients, the teacher played by Soxie Topacio. But whoever is not delighted with Soxie (who incidentally spells his name differently nowadays)? He's the kindest soul in the movie, although he himself admits that he doesn't have the courage that the Gonzalos have in having and raising kids. In the few scenes that he has, he provides as a counterpoint, and brings to relief, the character of Rudy. Through Soxie's character, the movie is able not just to qualify the kind of man Rudy is, but is also able to inject social debate, like the government's role in the lives of people (which will become relevant as events unfold in the movie). While Rudy is insistent that people should depend on themselves, Soxie believes in the assistance and intervention of the government; in other words, laissez-faire individualism against socialism.

Regarding the technical and production aspects of the film, Angels is superior to most Filipino films.

With respect to acting, you get the sense that the director has reined in her actors just when they are on the verge of hamming it up. What you get is a wonderful piece of ensemble acting.

One may be tempted to label the film sentimental in parts, but when you really look closely, the sad and "tearful" scenes are organic to the story, meaning the things the characters did in those scenes are things that we would do if we are put in a similar situation. In other words, the worst that can be said about them is that they are sentimentally honest.

From the few digital films that I've seen, Angels projects well on screen. Just before the screening, the director told the audience that they did all that was technologically possible to improve the look of the movie. Which paid dividends in my opinion. The result is almost indistinguishable from any movie that uses traditional film. My friend JP, being the true independent that he is, would perhaps take issue with the filmmakers' emphasis on the production values, but my opinion is, it's beside the point. Just tell me a good story, good production values or not.

Watching Angels is a different experience, and varied at different points in the movie. Sometimes you feel like you are watching a documentary because of the appearance at the beginning and end of the real Gonzalo family -- the filmmakers' strategy in bringing home the point that the movie is a true story.

And at other times, you also feel you're watching a children's TV show, in particular, because of the dream sequences in animation (by Regieben Romana) which are wonderful to behold -- very artistic, and playful: something that a child would really love.(Yes, this is a movie for the entire family. CBCP, another movie to recommend.) The animation artistically depicts Jonathan's dreams about angels (thus the title), which, taken collectively, becomes a metaphor for the gradual coming of age of the child, and a difficult stage in the family's life.

Indeed, a brilliant job from the filmmakers. Great script from Ricky Lee -- I dare say one of his best works. I still have to talk at length to Ms. Ongkeko-Marfil to know her more (While revising this review, she agreed to meet us for an interview. So watch out for that-D.M.). Here are a few facts, however, that I gleaned about her from the Internet. She has lots of experience in film, TV and video: writing, directing, producing, acting, etc. She also worked in the past with the likes of Ishmael Bernal and Lino Brocka. And from what I've seen, she learned a lot from working with these cinematic greats, and is now one of our country's best talents.

Angels being shown just twice in more than two years means that Star Cinema is hesitant about showing it. We don't know why, but let me say that Star Cinema has nothing to fear and has no reason to hesitate. And here's my 3-million-peso bet (the cost of producing Angels). To borrow from another movie with a somewhat different kind of angels: You have created the movie. Just show it, and the people will come.

***

Dino Manrique is a Writer, Film Critic, Web Designer, and Internet Publicist. Visit his website at http://www.profitablemedia.com.