In an unfinished house made of concrete, infidelity is played out by
Jiggo (Ace Castro of "Lamog") and his father’s mistress, Pia (Mocha Uson). Pia just
recently arrived from a two-week Asian holiday with Jiggo’s influential father,
the owner of the house. Their clandestine rendezvous is being documented by
Jiggo’s video camera. The only other witness to their affair is Andoy (Rufert
John Lirio), the bashful caretaker whose other vice is peeping through holes
while Jiggo and Pia lollop from getting high to relishing their endless sexual
games.
Jiggo is restless, willful and determined, but his ambition’s been
mostly off tangent. In fact, he’s been indecisively jumping from one collegiate
course to the next: from aeronautics to engineering – now he’s into films; something
that has frustrated Jiggo’s father no end. Pia, on the other hand, is a former
model who has succumbed to the lure of financial security offered by Jiggo’s
dad. But Pia hasn’t been the good girl. She keeps hopping from one indiscretion
to the next. To avoid getting spotted by her benefactor’s people, she navigates
the bowels of Binangonan wearing a flurry of disguises. Meanwhile, youthful but
destitute Andoy is mostly ignored by Jiggo and Pia. The soft spoken caretaker plays out his fantasies sneaking around the tenement’s crude corners, diligently
spying on the sexually charged couple.
Jiggo’s recording of his concupiscent rendezvous with Pia isn’t
all that whimsical or innocent. He has plans for the footages;
something that would earn him money. And he couldn't care less if others get hurt along the way.
Director Alejandro “Bong” Ramos
utilizes the same narrative element of the first “Butas” with Marco Morales and Gwen Garci. In fact, “Butas 2” is a retelling of sorts. Ramos
ambitiously tries to up the ante by giving the viewer three perspectives: Jiggo’s,
Pia’s and Andoy’s. Thus the scenarios are repeated several times from the point
of view of our three protagonists. While it’s a refreshing style, the novelty
soon wears off because Ramos soon recklessly transposes these perspectives. In fact,
it’s easy to discern wayward perspectives. Suddenly, there were more than three
perspectives and the whole exercise becomes a tedious predilection. The
gimmickry will initially call your attention, but it soon becomes clear that
the story’s too flimsy to be compelling. Besides, we have seen this story
before, populated by different actors. The story is further hobbled by characters that the story could have done away with: the DVD pirate Obet (Alvin Duckert) and his girl friend Miranda (Jhoy Ortiz).
FACETS OF VOYEURISM
There are narrative facets that hook you like when Jiggo discusses how
there are more stories that we don’t see: “May
dalawang mukha ang butas – ang naninilip at ang sinisilipan.” Pia then
interjects, “Gusto ko ako ang sinisilipan”
– because the life of the voyeur is a sad one. It is an interesting thought.
However, at some point you notice these thoughts to be wantonly moving away
from the premise. Voyeurism has always been a shady part of our psyche and we're forever intrigued by what we're not supposed to see. Director David Lynch ("Twin Peaks", ""Blue Velvet", "Wild at Heart") once said, "We want to know secrets and we want to know what goes on behind those windows.There's an entertainment value to it. I think people are fascinated by that; by being able to see into a world they couldn't visit." To others, it's a sense of empowerment. There's God Complex in knowing what others do when they thought people weren't looking.
Ramos “Butas 2” boasts of
several full frontals that would have you blush. Ace Castro proudly displays his considerable appendage in full,
well-lit scenes, as does Alvin Duckert
(in a shower scene with Jhoy Ortiz where he’s the only one doing the full monty - he doesn't even have qualms facing the camera; such a dirty dirty boy). Alvin isn't shy parading his half-Swedish falukorv (click the link below to find out what it is) in half a
dozen Pink Films. Newbie Rufert John Lirio exudes innocence,
thus when Jiggo playfully films him taking (yet another) shower, you feel sorry
for Andoy whose most challenging scenes were his self pleasuring moments.
Oohlala indeed. Even Marklen Trinidad
has a surprising scene borne out of an exigent need to pepper Ramos’ cinematic
canvas with as much nudity. Ramos makes G.A. Villafuerte’s films seem like Walt
Disney movies.
Mocha Uson is a captivating femme fatale. What’s
more, like Duckert, she isn’t shy displaying her bits-and-pieces.
Unfortunately, her role doesn’t give her much thespic grit to munch on. She's merely meant to be ogled at; and not derive emotive inspirations from. But let’s hope she succeeds to crossover to mainstream cinema instead of wallowing
in godawful flicks like Z Lokman’s “Seksing Masahista”.
The visuals in “Butas 2” are a joy to watch because of
the film’s crystal clarity (with Jepoy
Tarnate’s cinematography). Ramos further experiments with angles and views
that you hardly experience in the films of Crisaldo Pablo, GA Villafuerte, Lucas Mercado, Cleo
Paglinawan, Paul Singh Cudail, Edz Espiritu and other purveyors of cheap,
shoddy sex flicks. Having said all that, Ramos’ weakness is in the exposition
of his narrative. He eventually turns aimless. The concluding scenes in the
movie feel uninspired as though they belong to a different story. Rough plot
transitions occur when film makers need to suddenly complete their projects.
With a rather gaunt story, “Butas 2”
could have benefitted from judicious editing. Too bad they forgot to patch the
holes.
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| Why would a "straight" man film his naked caretaker? Sure gives you wayward ideas. |
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| Alvin Duckert as Obet and Rufert John Lirio as Andoy find something they could sell. |
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| Dexter Castro as Jiggo |
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| Mocha Uson as Pia |
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| Rufert John Lirio as Andoy |
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| Alvin Duckert and Marklen Trinidad want you to smell their arms. |
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| Mocha Uson is the femme fatale Pia. |
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| Mocha Uson |
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| Rufert John Lirio |
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| Rufert John Lirio peeps through a hole. |
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| Rufert John Lirio, Mocha Uson and Dexter Castro |
Note:
Please read our featured post on Cinema Bravo and why Web Criticism isn't always about good writing:
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http://makemeblush2.blogspot.com/2016/10/cinema-bravo-film-criticisms-execrable.html
