WAITING FOR SUNSET
Philippines, 2018, 90 minutes, Colour.
Dante Rivero, Perla Bautista, Menggie Cobarrubias, Romnick Sarment.
Directed by Carlo Catu.
This is quite a moving film about ageing.
The film focuses on a couple who have been together for 26 years, not married, because the woman had not been divorced from the husband who walked out on her. But, she has been in a loving relationship with the doctor. She does have a son who does come to visit but there does not seem to be a strong bond with her son as the doctor has a daughter and has to give her advice when the daughter’s marriage is it a breaking point. This couple gives very comfortably, a house, a suburban Street.
Another character is introduced, living in a rather broken down house, not caring for himself, preening cocks for a cockfight. However, he has cancer.
At the core of the film is the former wife’s kindly response to her ailing husband, assisted by the doctor’s ability to diagnose and treat. There is a lot of talk and reflection on what has happened in the past. There is particularly powerful sequence where the ex-husband explains how he fell out of love with his wife and walked out on her, preferring that blindness to any deception. The wife then reflects that she is now out of love for her husband but this will not prevent her from looking after him.
There are a number of episodes, this is to hospital, visit to a cinema to watch a film in 3-D…
However, the final sequence is one of great beauty, eliminating the title, the camera photographing three deck chairs on the sand at the beach, looking out over the water and the setting sun.
1. The title, the final sequence and the three characters pondering the sunset along with the audience? Themes of life, death, preparation for death?
2. A Filipino film, suburbs, pleasant homes, the streets and harsh homes? Hospitals, the cinema, scenes of ordinary life? In the towns and countryside? By the sea? The musical score?
3. The theme of the weather, the opening with the rain, the later flooding of the house and sweeping up the water, rain and moods?
4. Tere and Chelso, their lives together, her exasperation with the hairs on the soap, his nonchalant response, their arguing, together for 26 years? The situation, deserted by her husband, no divorce? Her life, her relationship with her son, Chelso as a doctor, the scene with his daughter and coping with her marital problems?
5. Bene, his friends, preparing the cocks for the fight? His character? Age, illness, contact with Tere?
6. The challenge to Tere, Chelso and his help, care for Bene, coming, cleaning, caring from his illness, the doctrine the diagnosis, his going to hospital?
7. The motivations, Bene and his not having love for Tere, his leaving in the past, blindness, the visit of his son, the son and his critique in anger? Tere and not having love for Bene anymore? Hurt by him, but willing to help?
8. The growing understanding between the three, tolerance, helping illness? The visit to the cinema, 3-D? His collapse?
9. The effect of the marriage breakup on the younger generation, their bitterness?
10. The decision to go to the beach, the van, the chairs, sitting, looking out over the water to the sun?
11. A film with a touch of humanity?
