MANILA
Philippines, 2009, 90 minutes, Colour.
Piolo Pascual, Jay Manalo, Alessandra de Rossi.
Directed by Adolfo Alix Jr and Raya Martin.
Raya Martin directed Independencia and co-directs Manila, keeping his preference for filming in black and white.
We are offered two stories of hardship in contemporary Manila, entering Brillante Mendoza territory without the explicit treatment.
The first story is of a young addict, his search for drugs, and the story of his mother, a respectable church-going matron (who is revealed as having a shady past) who attacks and disowns her son, leaving him in drug destitution.
The second story is longer though it takes place over less than 24 hours. Philip (Piolo Pascual, the same actor as the previous addict) is chauffeur and bodyguard to a spoilt playboy would-be politician who takes his girlfriend and an associate to a night club, is involved in a drunken brawl where Philip, to defend him, produces a gun and shoots an assailant. The rest of the story is Philip on the run, dropped by his patron, taking refuge in a refuse dump and pursued by the police.
Vivid presentation of the city of Manila in all its aspects, rich and poor. But pessimistic.
And, for those who stay for the credits, after them there is another brief tale of a young man trying to reconcile with his nurse girlfriend, allowing audiences to leave the cinema with more hope than the end of the film led them to expect.
1.Philippine slices of life: interest, observation, as stories?
2.Black and white photography, the city of Manila, the slums, the garbage heaps, the homes of the wealthy, clubs?
3.The first story: the club, the raid, the chases in the street, the police, the arrest of the woman? The contrast with William’s mother, her maid, daughter and her texting her friend, affluent way of life? William, drugs, age, wandering the streets, sleeping in the park, trying to get hits from his friends, going to the health club, the blind masseuse, her clients, his mother going into the church to pray, devout, meeting the woman from her old way of life and the revelation, the people doing the interview with the rich devout lady, her collapse, going to hospital, their camp talk? William at the hospital, his mother beating and rejecting him? Going back to the club, surrendering to the drugs?
4.The second story: Philip, waking up at his grandmother’s, his family, his work for Barry, getting ready, Barry’s story of politics, spoilt, his going to the fashion shoot, his attraction towards Amy? Barry’s house, his father, Jake and his birthday, the work as a chauffeur, the gun? Getting the new shirt to wear? The celebration, Barry smoking, the waiter backing down, Philip paying him off? Barry drinking, brawling, making Amy dance with Philip? The gun, the attack, Philip dared, shooting? Fleeing, in the street, Barry and the car, ditching him, the money? Meeting Amy, her concern? Hiding with his friend, the garbage dump, his fears, running instead of staying, the police and their raid, looking for criminals, everybody rounded up? His running, hiding in the garbage, the police chasing him, kicking him, telling the new recruit to shoot him? Lying dead in the rubbish?
5.The postscript: Denise and Gerald, Gerald pleading with Denise, her working at the hospital, her asking him to learn Tagalog, the happy ending?
6.21st century glimpses of Manila life? Value?
