Joel Lamangan's Menor de Edad - A Discordant Tragedy

At 15, Jenica (Meg Imperial) is a pallet of quandaries. She doesn’t do well in school where she doesn't have friends. Her boyfriend Jimboy (Arvic Rivero) is seeing another girl after she gets cold feet and turns away from a sexual dalliance. On the home front, Jen is constantly embarrassed by her mother Edna’s (Ara Mina) relationship with Jaggz (Jaycee Parker), a lesbian security guard, who lives with them. Bemo (Jim Pebanco), a bothersome neighbor, dogs her around while street thugs (Mico Aytona, et.al.) plague her with innuendos. Her anxieties push her way into a hiphopping girl gang called Sosy who empower themselves with a lot of attitude, vandalizing innocent civilians at every turn.  Ariel Basco (Wendell Ramos), Jen’s Pilipino teacher, provides succor in her miserable existence.

Meanwhile, Ariel is his school’s Most Outstanding Teacher. Students flock to him and his fellow teachers (Jef Gaitan) are drawn to his benevolent demeanor; this despite being relatively new in the institution. He even offers free tutorial sessions with students who need help – like Jenica! But Ariel skirts from a tenebrous past. In a previous school where he taught, he barely got off a sexual harassment case filed by a student. What’s worse, Ariel couldn't shake off his penchant for gambling. In fact, their household finances are a shamble, what with his wife Layda’s (Almira Muhlach) pregnancy and “illness”.

One day, Jen comes home distraught, claiming she was molested by her favorite teacher, Mr. Basco. Is Ariel’s past finally catching up with him?

Joel Lamangan’s “Menor de Edad” reeks with a heavy handed exposition and an exasperatingly obstreperous plotting. Like most of Lamangan’s ouvre, social ilks are brandished without heed for narrative restraint. What transpires is a story that feels inordinately overdone, you end up throwing away any form of empathy that the film builds early on. How do you relate to a miserable girl who rebuffs the sexual advances of a boy he loves, yet she throws herself to her sympathetic teacher? Then she accuses and takes to court the only soul who’s ever given attention and understanding?

Moreover, why would you commiserate with an individual like Ariel who throws away his salary to chance? He navigates the dark alleys of his neighborhood as though he isn't a respected high school teacher, comes home late to a sleeping wife, reports to class wrapped with tattoos and bruises? So much for building a character, right? While Wendell Ramos isn't a lamentable actor, his performance is as confused as his dubiously written character.

Jenica and boyfriend Jimboy

Meg Imperial, on the other hand, coasts on incongruous direction.  She never quite got the grasp of the material though she wasn’t awkward in it. The culprit could be the dated writing of Raquel Villavicencio whose treatment of her protagonist is that of an ungrateful daughter. You see, Jenica’s mother Edna was not the nagging kind; Jen was neither physically abused, and her lesbian “stepparent” seemed to care for her. Other than cloaked in the mediocrity of poverty, why all the worthless angst of a seemingly lost teener? She’s not the only one who hasn’t come to know of her biological father who, as events unraveled, was the sniveling, whimpering, spine-tingling, and more importantly, stalking neighbor Bemo, played by Jim Pebanco. Like most of his previous performances, Pebanco disgracefully depicts his character with stagey flourish. In all of Pebanco’s years in the business (he was in Bernal’s “Himala”, for crying out loud), he is yet to learn how to relax his thespic muscle (Cinemalaya Best Supporting Actor trophy not withstanding). Heavens help DJ Durano (wink wink) for we see a pattern in their situation!

The nail in the coffin for this messy tripe is a quasi-journalist named Nancy Molina, played by Chynna Ortaleza. Molina editorializes her report when they should be delivered objectively, making her segments contentious at best. Or do we have to lecture about journalism? She gropes for words, a dastardly performance for one whose supposed to be a veteran tele-journalist; kinda like a Ricky Lo without his netherworld accent. Take note that in more than three of Molina’s episodes, she only covers a single set of subjects, a charmless gang of publicity hungry girls called Sosy. Metro Manila, with its population of 12 million, is bereft of more interesting subjects that a journalist would linger on a single group of personality for one whole month? Go figure. Ortaleza desperately ought to practice her reportorial spiels to be decently believable.

In one scene, Reporter Molina sees Jenica with the Sosy Gang. “Bago siya?" She asked, yet two interviews ago, Jenica was already seen with the group. How can one journalist not notice this? They’re supposed to be a very observant lot! Or just maybe she probably suffers from Attention-Deficit Disorder? At any rate, this doesn't make her a competent media practitioner, does it? From out of the baffling blue, Molina quipped, “Iba na s’ya ano? Astig na!” Huh? Didn't she just say Jen was a newbie? Ano ba talaga, ate? Then like ray of sunshine, a bulb flickers and she suddenly associates Jen with the case of the revered high school teacher who allegedly sexually assaulted his student. How convenient.

Jaycee Parker & Chynna Ortaleza

There are more bewildering strains in this flick. Here’s a girl who got gang raped by her neighbors. What do we expect from her? Stay at home and recuperate from her genital abrasions and crushed self worth, right? She’s instead seen practicing her karate chops with the rest of the girls who looked like they haven’t seen the bathroom in, say, five-hundred-twenty-five-thousand-six-hundred minutes. A message of self empowerment? Go go go, feminists!

During the court proceedings, no one remembered that a medical report (i.e. an internal examination) of the victim is parcel to trying a rape case.

But – did you know that, if you were to follow Reporter Molina’s story, these fierce girls peddle their flesh for cash? What then do we have here? Tough teenage street urchins who immerse in gang wars – and prostitution? Huh? If you've never used “incoherence” and “incongruence” in a sentence before, this is the golden moment for that. Otherwise, you might as well go home, plant camote, grow letsugas in your backyard, braid your labandera’s hair, decapitate a spider; grow bed bugs in your lolo's bed, anything but watch this horrifying tripe. Sanity alert!

Meg Imperial plays Jenica. She'd rather take the only person who has shown her respect, mercy and understanding to prison than get the bedeviled thugs who actually raped her. Now, children, let's do this in unison: "Why?"

Wendell Ramos plays award-winning teacher Ariel Basco. This exemplary person also gambles until he's blue. Err I mean "red"?.  ;->

Dampi - Peculiar Hybrid of Gay Concoction & Religious Yarn

The Pink Film Phenomenon is continuously asserting its influence in the obstinate release of indie films. Fact is, the economics behind such phenomenon has somehow dictated the amaranthine releases from fly-on-the-wall producers and pedestrian artists. It's within Field of Dream's domain: build it, and they will come. In short, field any movie with homosexual flavor and the ever burgeoning community of the 3rd sex will fork out money to patronize it.

This trend is evident even in girlie-eroticas where nymphets used to hug the spotlight: we'd see starlets shower repeatedly within a movie; shed all articles of clothing from their dresser to their bed; gets molested, etc. Every darn excuse to disrobe. But these days, it's not the fairer sex, but the muscled variety who gets ogled at. Quick reference to this is that gay flick "Lagpas" where 90% of the film's male characters get their 10-minute bathing scene (we shall feature "Lagpas" here in the next few days).

We didn't realize "Dampi" was another pink film since we didn't read about it until we saw its poster at the cinema foyer. In fact, even the posters would suggest none of that. So we watched! And what do you know...

A cute pubescent boy stands by the hill, with his eyes closed. A white shawl is hoisted over his head, allowing the breeze to blow into undulating rhythm. This is Soltero, or Teryo (child actor Alec Romano), a soft-spoken teenager whose head is up in the clouds. He lives his days tripping off on Virgin Mary mirages - at least that's what the story implies. His father (Simon Ibarra) is hard on him, disgusted with his "paglalandi" which isn't evident anywhere in the story.

Then Robert and Sandy (Carlos Morales and Kirby de Jesus respectively) breeze into the picture. They're a couple of charlatans who move from one place to the next, tricking people into believing that Sandy's Virgin Mary statue is crying blood. Reluctant Sandy, upon his lover's persuasive prodding, would pretend to be blind, then re-enact a miracle at a pertinent time! Despite Sandy's occasional objections, Robert would threaten him with, "Kaya mong mabuhay na 'di ako natitikman?" Indeed we see them make love in scenes bristling with the passion of a fly - all facial maneuvering. Nope, the most that you see from Mr. Carlin Craig Woodruff (Mr. Morales to you) is the actor in his black briefs.

When Sandy meets Teryo, the scheme falls into its proper place. May himala! And people start trooping by the hillside, standing around like they were beamed into stolid statues. Unfortunately, greed's ugly head soon catches up with Robert and Teryo's father, and all their hushed intimations soon fall on the ears of Teryo's only friend Rina (Kristel Fulgar). A series of murder soon follows, and Sandy is awash with guilt so he runs away! This gives Robert the free rein to exert his influence on the affection-hungry 14 year old Teroy! Is our hero really seeing blessed apparitions? In a brisk 1 hour and 10 minutes, the movie will answer such ponderous query. We warn you it isn't quantum physics.

Child star Alec Romano cuts a dapper protagonist. He bears a calm presence that doesn't refute how comfortable he is on cam. He reminds me of a younger Rayver Cruz without the lapdog expression. I was picking my head where I could have seen him until I remembered that coming-of-age dramedy "Vhagetz". Further readings subsequently place him as a GMA talent ("Batang X", "Paano Ba Ang Mangarap") which I have no idea of, since I find GMA teleseryes prosaic, vapid.

The narrative is a curious hybrid of seemingly bright ideas that shines the spotlight on gay men: Teroy is gay, Robert and Sandy are a gay couple, a flashback on Sandy's past has gay uncles giving blowjobs to anonymous neighbors. It is such a gay gay world after all! To be honest about it, the first quarter of the movie showed a lot of promise. It had an interesting premise about an abused child who buries his head in the characters that populate the dramatic novels that he reads. Cinematography is more than adequate, what with Romy Vitug doing camera. To my mind, Director Nico Jacinto has a chance of redeeming himself in future projects since he conjures scenes that don't smack of a novice's awkwardness. Maybe it's Mr. Vitug's influence? But he will probably do well with a good story and a decent scriptwriter. Probably.

At the other end of the spectrum is the obvious intention to satisfy some demographics. So here's the perv's quota:

- nipple watch: Viva Hot Babe Zara Lopez shows 1 of the twins

- male genitals: 3 (unless I blinked and missed) - an outdoor bathing scene (unknown male), a BJ scene (unknown male), another guy urinating (unknown male). None of the scenes was necessary to move the plot.

The scanty sex scenes were few, and divested of emotions. As I mentioned earlier, they had the passion of a fly! ;->

Jaycee Parker cameos as the mysterious "white lady" clouding Sotero's sanity - who turned out to be his mother, while Matet de Leon had a "special participation" billing, though I wasn't too sure where she figured in the movie. The avenging Virgin Mary perhaps? (The credits didn't run a character list.) And for the record, shame on you, people, for depicting the virgin mother as an avenging soul - in a movie that showed penis! Surely, some topics are sacred and need to be restricted from the filthy hands of opportunistic film producers! Di na kayo kinilabutan.

Carlos Morales is Robert.

Alec Romano

Carlos Morales

Kirby de Jesus in another gay role: Virgin Mary gives Sandy glaucoma?

Zara Lopez: framed to kill

Jaycee Parker - Mother or Virgin Mother? Or is it just an itch on the scalp?