Bikini Boys - Consented Exploitation and Seedy Confessions

WARNING!

This feature contains sexual content, direct quotations from the its "documentary" subjects (pageant contestants). DO NOT PROCEED TO READ IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY SEXUAL MATERIAL. This, like most of the local films featured in this blog, is a "review" of a film we saw at a commercial cinema. The details have been painstakingly included to provide an objective description of the movie's contents.

UNNERVING EXPERIENCE

It's a bit unnerving finding myself in a cinema showing well sculpted, albeit half naked men constantly threatening to pull down their skimpy bikini briefs - moreover, they seem to have mastered sliding down their hands underneath their briefs to check out if the family jewels were still there. Are they detachable? And every time they do, I felt like slouching down my seat - then wear a Venetian mask as I'd eventually make my way out of the theater hall. Is paying for an admission fee a form of condoning the obvious exploitation? This is what I get for this obstinate desire to watch all local commercial releases.

BIKINI PAGEANT DOCUMENTARY

Styled like a pageant and documentary, director Rad Francisco's "Bikini Boys" features 10 physically fit men who join a bikini contest. The criteria for winning is never mentioned, but I was sure it included the propensity to caress oneself in front of a camera. Each contestant is presented in an interview. After which, he is highlighted in an erotic solo scene where he ends up languidly breaking the 4th wall as he slides his hands down his crotch. This is obviously the art of masturbating with briefs on. LOL. To cap a scene, the contestant is then shown by the poolside, taking some laps before getting out of the water on his wet bikini.

LITTLE STORIES AND SEEDY CONFESSIONS

It is interesting how these men are lured into such an endeavor, as they superficially get to unravel in their individual interview portions (yes, they're still in bikinis while getting interviewed).

Eugene Tejada, the 21 year old runaway winner, did it for the "exposure". This, he hoped, would open opportunities and maybe allow him the chance to follow Dingdong Dantes' footsteps (his "idol"). One of three siblings in a middle class family, Eugene took Food Technology at the Bulacan State University. He admits to having had several girl friends in the past. It's his second time to join a male pageant and he "liked the experience". "Feeling ko, artista ako," he enthuses on the attention showered on him. Even his first sexual experience is asked: "First time ko, 16." Prodded about sexual encounters with gay men, he says he had one when he was 18. "70% naman ng mga artistang lalaki, meron eh," he rationalizes. Wherever did he get his figure? Favorite food: "Cake... because it's sweet." Tejada, blessed with boyish charm, is a natural interviewee; he is candid and speaks with confidence despite the relative sensitivity of some intrusive questions. I guess he knew what he was getting into. Did he deserve to win? This 5'10" looker obviously has the best chance to crossover to mainstream cinema, in my opinion.

Some interviews get too abrasively intrusive, short and disinterested. DJ, for example, gets asked about his sexual stamina. "I've done 7x in a day," he replies, and considers "doggy style" his favorite position. The only other thing we learn from him: he grew up with a single mom, and he is currently single.

Jethro Sanchez is a male pageant fixture. He's been in contests held in San Juan, Novaliches and Fairview. His best finish: 1st runner up. How does he prepare for a contest: diet and gym. He admits to not having any gay experience yet. How often does he pleasure himself? "Dati nung nasa apartment pa ako, araw araw," he declares matter of factly. Which does make me blush. Favorite position: missionary and dog style.

Jerome, 21, is in his 2nd contest. He previously won "Darling of the Crowd" (you'd wonder what he actually did to please the crowd) and "Mr. Placenta". Life hasn't been easy for Jerome. He grew up not having the constant presence of his dad. "Second family kami, at dalawa ang kapatid ko," he says. He's had two girl friends in the past. He hails from Floridablanca, Pampanga.

It is Carlo Serrano's second time to join a contest. This 5'11" Ilocano, currently residing in Quezon City, is taking Tourism in Trinity College. His dad works at the Customs while mom stays home. Though he's currently unattached, this 20 year old chinito has had 3 girl friends in the past, and works in a bar. His first sexual awareness was at age 7 when he inadvertently watched an X-rated film. Says he has no sexual experience with gay men. Favorite sport: Volleyball. When he pulls down his undergear's lining, we see a couple of tattoos of huge stars peeping from under. Who knows there could be a whole gamut of constellations if he pulled his bikini further. A moon maybe? LOL

Jay Viernes, with his sexy chinky eyes and 5'11" frame, asserts a magnetic presence in front of the camera. He should be Tejada's main competition. This 19 year old looker took HRM in Lyceum and is currently working as a waiter. He lost his virginity in 3rd year high school to his second girl friend.

Jed Rivera's only entry during the interview was losing his virginity at 14 to his then girl friend during the JS Prom. Rommel Rabida is better seen than heard, but he is also one of the more provocative and less inhibited in the bunch. He admits to having lost virginity at 15 to his girl friend, but soon thereafter, he got his first time with a gay man. He joins these contests to help support the studies of his siblings. In one scene, he is shown changing his briefs in front of the cam (while cupping his endowments). But of course, something has to peep through.

Dandy Yap is a curiosity. He is a Korean model who wants to experience joining a male pageant. His skin is luminescent and his accent is noticeable. He would say "I rearned my Tagarog" (learned my Tagalog) - and "You nevel know who wir win", which sounded sexy. LOL. He then pleads to the audience to "Vote for me. If i win, I can stay longer (in the Philippines)". Then adds, "If you see me in a club, tell me you voted for me. I will buy you a drink." It is rather unusual to find foreigners join such contests because this isn't exactly Body Shots which has spawned several big names!

Clyde Cruz works at a call center, but I find his enunciation a bit troubling. His rolls his words together, they sound incomprehensible at times. He has won a couple of male pageants in Alabang before, thus he carries himself with confidence. He is a bathroom denizen, taking at least 45 minutes to shower, then 1 hour and 30 minutes to "fix" himself up. Asked about his bedroom jaunts, he boasts, "Ang pinaka-wild ko, 8 to 10 rounds in 12 hours." Are we talking about food? Or online games? Or musical chairs? Then he adds, "Karamihan sa kuwarto." LOL

There was absolutely nothing about DJ Lopez so he must have lost a few points without an interview - or the makers weren't interested in one. But of course, he still has to do the requisite "caressing of the crotch" then jumping into the pool. That's the main objective of the contest: to get them wearing a bikini then parade them wet!

Jethro Sanchez and Jed Rivera

To be honest about it, I was surprised to find such flagrant display of masculinity (constant mashing of crotch) sans the customary pretense of a story because this, after all, is a documentary and reality TV-styled bikini contest. Rommel Rabida is even seen thumbing his genitals as he prepares to face the camera for his swimming pool shots. (That way, it doesn't "shrink" when he jumps into the pool, perhaps?) Another guy is highlighted showering for the requisite peekaboos. There is no doubt about it, "Bikini Boys" is made to titillate and display the masculine form.

DVD FIRST, COMMERCIAL EXHIBITION LATER

I am, of course, of the idea that such cinematic project seems misplaced in a public cinema. I feel this should only be made available in the privacy of someone's bedroom. There is something quite seedy having it shown in a commercial cinema. My friend Kyle told me that a DVD of this film was actually released last year, which commenced an online contest through the all-male site www.rddantes.com. This means that the DVD version doesn't have Eugene Tejada as the winner yet, right? But what intrigues me is the "amount" of frontal nudity possibly available in the DVD version. The commercial film offers a couple of fleeting frontals. Does the DVD offer more?

CENSORSHIP, OPPRESSION & THE ARCHAIC SYSTEM

The question above is a valid one because we are curious of the new MTRCB's permissiveness and liberal sensibilities. Ms. Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, the new Chairman, seems like a smart executive who hails from a more liberal new generation. Though I am not too pleased that a movie like "Bikini Boys" gets shown commercially, I am also more concerned with the continued presence of "censorship" in this country (Check out Nicholas Cage's latest actioner, "Drive Angry" and tell me you aren't jarred by its numerous cuts.). We should adopt a more acceptable Ratings System where the artistic freedom of expression in films is upheld - no cuts, no censorship. Censorship, after all, is oppressive! Haven't we learned anything from the despotic Marcos Regime? Let the public choose what they want to watch, according to a well appointed ratings system (i.e. G, PG, R, NC-17 and X). Cutting provocative or sexual scenes is archaic and belongs to small minds and socially repressed societies.

Are we a backward society? "Censorship" still exists in the Philippines. Maybe we are.

Carlo Serrano and Clyde Cruz

DJ Lopez and JayViernes

Korean model Dandy Yap

Rommel Rabida, one of the braver contestants (with Dandy behind him).

Please read our post about Cinema Bravo (featured post) and why we sometimes feel nginig about Web Criticism:
- http://makemeblush2.blogspot.com/2016/10/cinema-bravo-film-criticisms-execrable.html

Students Project - Disjointed Vision and Homophobia

We follow a quartet of Manila teenagers - Louie, Benj, Rich and Mackoy - through their lazy class-skipping hours, spent in pool halls and street corners, taunting and harassing gay men ("mang-aagaw ng lakas"), punctuated with boozy hours and the occasional sexual jaunts - and, invariably, their boredom. But this graduating bunch is being assigned a video thesis that covers homosexuality for their Psychology class.

Before long, we see them take the road to Laguna interviewing what should be their idea of a cross-section of the third sex which includes a foul-mouthed, cantankerous female impersonator; two prepubescent "dalaginding"; a successful openly-gay businessman; a maton-looking homosexual, and a beautiful transexual. Why they would travel two hours and sleep in a tent just to find these subjects is a mystery to me. I am sure there are thousands of willing interviewees in Metro Manila. But these admitted homophobes soon discover unnerving thoughts among themselves - and these discoveries have been captured on cam by their leader Louie (William Redmond). This spawns conflict that soon escalates into violence. The video cam is fought after and a chase scene follows. They go their separate ways. But why is the police after them?

It would seem that director Deo J. Fajardo, Jr. isn't sure where to take his (and Digna Fabian's) story. To cinch a sure thing, he takes us in so many direction, we suddenly felt like this was an interactive medium where a hundred ideas get insinuated : part-documentary piece on homosexuality; a crime offender (a rapist) is caught on cam sodomizing a hooker who earlier gave them "tulo"; a gay man gets kidnapped - and so on. All these take us to a dizzying spectacle of scenes that are badly executed.

The lines are curiously careless. Define "gay", they ask an interviewee. He replies: "Gay is a social being who is creative and responsible". He might as well describe National Artist wanna-be Carlo Caparas, right? Or Sharon Cuneta, for that matter. When the guys came to pick up the hooker Scarlett (played by Julia Lopez), Richard pays her a compliment: "Ang ganda mo. Para kang isang magandang dilag!" Huh? Maybe Rich thought Scarlett was a transexual? At one of the class scenes, their professor introduces, "This is Psychology. Do you know what the world needs now?" Love, sweet, love, maybe? LOL. As a testament to the production's meager budget, this Psychology class is held - hold your breath! - under the canopy of a mango tree. No desks, or chairs or blackboards! Doon po sa manggahan. Bow!

When their professor assigns the quartet their topic on homosexuality, the former asks, "Ba't kayo galit sa mga bakla?" They reply, "'Di kami galit. We hate gays!" And I was suddenly curious what "hate" exactly meant to them?

THREE YEARS OLD

The performers are lookers: William Redmond plays gang leader Louie. (Redmond is Fil-Am.) In fact, columnist Dolly Anne Carvajal - in 2008 - wrote about (star and assistant director) Redmond, allegedly a major player in the indie scene. She also mentioned that Redmond will "soon" be seen in a flick called "Schools Project". And that was 3 years ago! This would make this film 3 years old!

IN MEMORIAM

And in that span, it has already lost one of the cast members - Bench Peralta, playing the good looking Mackoy (the youngest in the bunch)! This explains why the film is, in part, dedicated to Peralta's memory who died 1 year after he shot this film (2009) - and I do wonder how. His Facebook account is a memorial fan site boasting of 2,000+ members. What a waste of a young life.

Deo Fajardo Jr. (the director) sure has an eye for "artistas". After all, he discovered one of showbiz's most beguiling icons, Robin Padilla. But Fajardo's directorial intuition was never a source of envy. He comes from an old school of tired Pinoy action movies. "Student Project" (sic) is a mishmash of drama, a protracted documentary, pseudo-Pink Film (solely captured in their tent scenes), and action. There isn't much flesh on display except for Redmond's backside and Julia Lopez's melon mammary doing harmless peekaboos in the sodomy scene.

As to the rest of the cast: Jerome Gernale who plays Rich is particularly good looking; he even looks comfortable on-screen, and makes a good (and sometimes bored) interviewer, better than Fil-am William Redmond who starts most of his questions (as an interviewer) with the redundant, "My next question is..." when he could have gone straight to what he wanted to ask. Martino Martin plays Waray boy Benny who does the requisite male-on-male scene with Gernale (just a lot of hand action).

PUZZLE PIECES

The film is mostly pieced together like disjointed jigsaw puzzle pieces, eternally presupposing that one of its many side threads will conflagrate into a rich narrative.

Though the whole flick is a representative of mediocrity, the most interesting portion is seen in the segment where a beautiful transexual named Rhian was being interviewed. "She" worked in Tokyo, met a rich boyfriend who financed her transexual operation (worth P1.5 million; a Manila operation with a Dr. Jorge will cost P500,000). Rhian has since separated from her Japanese boyfriend and moved on, and she even won a beauty title in Pattaya (Thailand), and you wouldn't be surprised. Rhian was a sight to behold. She dictated the interview with confidence and candor. She knew what to say. In fact, she told her little stories with much gusto that her protracted 20-minute footage provided the film's most captivating segment. An interview is rightfully as good as its subject!

In memory of Bench Peralta who plays the young Mackoy.

Bench Peralta: Gone too soon, but becomes an actor posthumously.

Julia Lopez

Morning Glory - What's Glorious About Morning News?

There’s a scene in Roger Michell’s “Morning Glory” where the protagonist’s mom dispenses her thought about “dreaming” at specific ages. And it struck a chord:

At 8, it’s adorable.

At 18, it’s inspiring.

At 28, it’s officially embarrassing.

You have to stop before you get to “heart breaking”.

Coming from a mother, the effect should be excruciating. We are talking about Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) who gets fired as executive producer of her New Jersey morning news show. Well, Becky eventually finds another, in a fourth-rate broadcast morning show. She gets to meet her haughty lady anchor Colleen Peck (the adorable Diane Keaton), fires the slimy male host – and ropes in a cranky, cantankerous multi-awarded Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) who’s repellent to anything but hard news.

Morning show TV producer Becky Fuller

Becky pep talks her anchors Colleen and Mike, who don't see eye to eye.

The film runs with frenetic energy from the voluble and expansive Rachel McAdams who sometimes goes over the top with her theatrics, it could get exasperating watching her. The cat-and-mouse bickering of Colleen and Mike as work politics gets in the way (who gets to utter the last word on screen) gets boisterous too. Am having trouble imbibing the thought that Indiana Jones is a hard news reporter, but on the whole, “Morning Glory” is a throw back, if a tad superficial, to the old glory of 1987’s James Brooks’ film, “Broadcast News” which starred the beautiful William Hurt and the spitfire Holly Hunter (the film received 8 Oscar nominations).

As bonus, Patrick Wilson’s character Adam Bennett talks about the “communist rebels of the Philippines” when Becky drops by his office.

This was fun.

You have to learn to banter with Colleen, begs Becky.

Colleen tries something light and fun... for the ratings.

Adam Bennett is attracted to manic soul Becky, but she's too attached with her work.

Rachel McAdams

Harrison Ford in his younger days (above and below).

Patrick Wilson

Senior Year - When Too Much Stories Spoil The Narrative Broth

Jerrold Tarog's "Senior Year" follows the last 4 months in the lives of the graduating class of St. Frederick's Academy, a well-heeled Catholic high school in Alabang with a hundred stories to tell.

There's brainy and hefty Henry (Aaron Balana) who's expected to run away with the Valedictorian plum. He is, in fact, agonizing over his Valedictory Address even before the formal declaration of the honor roll. He harbors special feelings for Sofia, a pretty lass who's more concerned with her social status in school than saving her down-spiraling grades. She eventually turns to the sophisticated Solenn (Nikita Conwi) who moves like a queen and carries herself like the next royalty. Meanwhile, there's young love constantly teetering on the brink of breaking up - Bridget, a campus beauty, and Briggs (Daniel Lumain), the class lothario.

MORE STORIES

There are plenty more side stories that inhabit this cinematic platter, each one as interesting as the next: The female class toughie Bunda who is a constant witness to domestic violence; sports jock Carlo and his minions who terrorize their limp-wristed basketball team mate; the suffering Mitch who craves to join the in-crowd; the teacher who's enduring an abusive relationship; the seemingly harmless anonymous letters sent to Steph by someone who turned out to be a girl. Did you say "enough"?

At some point in the movie, we had to close our eyes to catch our thoughts. It was a demanding exercise following this parade of little stories because just when you're starting to warm up to a character, a new set is introduced. It is difficult to emotionally invest complete empathy when these stories are just superficially grazed through in slap dash fashion. As far as I am concerned, story telling has to have focus. And it's just mentally impossible to aim your attention on 2 dozens of characters laid out in a 2-hour cinematic palette. It's easy to rationalize that this indeed is a story about high school, thus it is peppered with a hundred-and-one characters, but still there has to be ample character definition set on major characters. Having pointed that: "Senior Year" is nevertheless a good movie. It is entertaining, if a bit muddled - and at times confusing.

RJ Ledesma takes on the role of the adult Henry, the class valedictorian. His wistful concerns - while he waits in the car - as his indecision mounts to a fervid dilemma is palpable: would he find the nerve to meet his former classmates at their 10th year anniversary? After all, he didn't become the physician that he was meant to be, but another call center agent. Dimples Romana, as the adult Sofia, provides warmth and a sense of denouement to the iffy tale of Sofia (deftly played by Roxanne de Boda).

Most of the young cast does well: energetic, charming, effusive in expression, but aren't most "kids"? De Boda, Nikita Conwi and Daniel Lumawin register very well, possessing the natural instincts that make actors effective chameleons, they could grace our screens in the coming years and I won't complain.

We have a problem, once again, with Ina Feleo who plays the adult Mitch, and Arnold Reyes as the adult Carlo. They appear at the Homecoming scenes with such smug demeanor, you could swear they devoured something absolutely piquant. Whatever it was, they didn't let us in on that. Kalila Aguilos makes a delectable cameo as the adult Solenn, we almost had to clap for the all-too-similar bearing of the two actresses who both played Solenn.

As to the little stories, isn't it a little too presumptuous to trouble oneself with a Valedictory speech 4 months before graduation? Four months is sometime November, which means there's a lot more exams, quizzes, preliminaries, finals. There's even the tallying of the extra-curricular activities to consider which Henry never seemed to bother with. Most of the time, he stares longingly at Sofia - or worry about his speech. Take my word for it, the speech is the last of your worries when you're running Valedictorian.

We have always admired Jerrold Tarog's story telling acumen. He is such a prolific litterateur that even his peanut gallery pleaser like "Shake, Rattle and Roll's Punerarya" is still a cut above mainstream clutter. Even his music is insightfully appropriate. He is yet to disappoint me as I am such a big fan of his "Confessional" as well as "Mangatyanan". Tarog is a major talent that we shall keep our eyes on in the coming years.

Daniel Lumawin aka Joseph Lumawin: photographs well.

WHERE'S THE MOVIE CROWD?

Now, I shall digress on this issue of patronage of Filipino Films.

Time and again, we have read from online threads and discussion boards the sensible thoughts of seemingly intelligent movie goers who, like myself, continuously complain about mainstream movies churned out by the likes of Star Cinema, Regal Films, Viva Films and GMA Films. But as God is my witness, where are these high and mighty intellectuals? In the first quarter of 2011, very few Tagalog films opened for commercial exhibition, 90% of them vomit-inducing crap! Finally, last week, two good films opened. They weren't Pink Films. Neither were they produced by the aforementioned mainstream film productions. They boasted of a good cast as well, since many people complain about amateur actors. So what is the excuse?

WHERE ARE THE WHINERS?

I watched "Mayohan" (starring Lovi Poe) at the Galleria with my friend Kyle. Aside from us, there were 2 lonely souls watching it with us! Four people came to watch "Mayohan" on a Thursday night! I watched "Senior Year" in Megamall on a Wednesday evening with my mom. Aside from us, there were 4 people watching with us. Six people came to watch "Senior Year" on a Wednesday evening! So I ask again. Where's the darn crowd? Where are these intellectuals who, like me, keep whining about the absence of great Pinoy films? By Friday, the execrable Catherine Hardwicke film, "Red Riding Hood" opened, and both good Pinoy movies were sent to oblivion. So without much fanfare, I say, "Shame on you, Pinoy moviegoers!" You all deserve the cinematic stool that's being fed to you!

Kainis!

Ina Feleo and Arnold Reyes: Embraced by utter smugness!

Dimples Romana is the grown up Sofia.

Ledesma, Romana, Feleo and Reyes, plus Che Ramos who plays the concerned teacher Miss Joan.

"Senior Year", like "Mayohan", had a two-day run at Robinson's Galleria and SM Megamall.

Eye Popping Moves and Shallow Tales - League of Extraordinary Dancers

As a rule, I watch dance flicks without expecting a plausible story. Most of them are logic-challenged. In short & sweet description - lame, and having prior expectations will only bring disappointment. However, Jon Chu's "League of Extraordinary Dancers" started with a propitious premise. Moreover, the visuals are out of the ordinary.

In provocative fashion, a group of people are being recruited to join a team that will start an uprising against an evil force. These people possess special abilities - they can dance up a storm; they are "specialists" in their own field (Bboys, Hiphop artists, Tappers, etc.)

I didn't realize that I was watching a season premiere of a TV series. The story of Trevor Drift, played by Luis Rosado, was a promising start - about a shy high school kid who's too bashful to invite a girl to prom, but as the story moved on, it turned into something else. A narrator - Roger Aaron Brown - smugly tells the story of how it all began, using some of the most gratingly stale lines. "You can forget the past, but..." Get it?

Divided into chapters, the "extraordinary" people are gradually introduced - and how they got their "LXD invitations" - in well conceived choreographed dances telling their stories. I have two favorite portions: the "Duet" (a guy and a girl wakes up one morning - each one is showcased in a separate panel, but they share a uniform dance) and the spectacular "magical shoe" segment that showcased Harry Shum Jr. - a segment called "Elliot's Shoes"! With my jaw dropping 10 floors down, I couldn't believe the gravity of Shum's terpsichorean skills, it's practically impossible to describe "movements" like that into words. You simply have to see it to believe it! In one part of Shum's dance, he was dancing with a mop! And I wouldn't have it any other way! Solo dancing has never looked this good - or sexy! And you slowly understand the magic of solitary pleasuring!

Through dancing, I mean! ;->

Luis Rosado is Trevor Drift, a shy Bboy who doesn't have the "balls" to invite a girl for the prom.

Harry Shum Jr. and the pleasures of dancing alone!

Shum - Doing it alone is his best talent!

Mayohan - Tender Tales of Youthful Summers

Little did teenage boy Nino (Elijah Castillo) realize that forgetting his cell phone would be the least of his worries as he travels with his Aunt Marta to Infanta, Quezon. For a month, he will witness how a little town prepares to celebrate Mayohan, a yearly festivities celebrating the impending harvest, as well as the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Nino meets Lilibeth (Lovi Poe), a lucent town beauty who is the appointed "presidenta" assigned to oversee fund raising ("ambagan") to finance the "tapusan", a town ball that culminates Mayohan where the prettiest lasses are invited to dance with the town's gentlemen. Lilibeth's task is no mean feat. She needs P20,000 for the whole production, and she is roaming every nook of the sleepy town to succeed. Despite appearances, Lilibeth finds the deed as her final obligation for her birth place. She's in fact itching to head to the big city, to leave Barangay Libjo and continue her studies in Manila. Nino, on the other hand, sports a limp. He survived a vehicular accident that took the lives of his parents. In the trappings of his convalescence, Nino is enamored with the incandescent 19 year old Lilibeth who has offered him friendship: feeding him the delicious "binagkat"; taken him around town over rice paddies and streams, etc.

But could Lilibeth be running away from something? Will the "Tapusan" be as festive as it was before?

In the simplest, almost ruminative narrative strokes, Dan Villegas' "Mayohan" (Maytime) reminds you of the warmth and tenderness of your first crush; the facile bliss of lazy laidback summers when time was innocent and smiles were unadulterated joys. Paul Sta. Ana's ("Slow Fade") script mines the the mores and tradition of Infanta, from the "binagkat" to the sabaw ng tinipay; from the "padasals" (novena) to the "tapusans"; brushing into the story humorous "little town whispers" like why the very handsome mayor's first dance at the annual event is always with the town's ugliest girls; on the perceived virginity of barrio lasses. Each little bit brings a smidgen of smile.

Lovi Poe is luminous all throughout (thanks in part to the brilliant cinematography) taking her character Lilibeth with edifying intuition. It's quite palpable why young boys would fall for Lilbeth. Elijah Castillo ("Pepot Artista") does well as the limping Nino from whom the perspective of the story is being told. He innocently follows Lilibeth around until he realizes his growing infatuation (he gets drunk from his Tito Ruben's lambanog or coconut vodka). Ping Medina as Ruben (Nino's girl crazy uncle) suits up adequately as the town's lothario, dispensing adult advises on hooking up with women. Dan Villegas' coming-of-age tale may initially suggest the poetic lyricism of Katski Flores' "Still Lives" but as the film moves to its curtain call, it becomes clear that director Dan Villegas' light and lucid story telling is an unabashed original and a breath of fresh air with a distinct voice all its own.

Luminous Lovi Poe