Definitely not a formula Sharon Cuneta movie
December 18, 2003 | 12:00am
The 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival offers fantasy flicks with lots of special effects, moving dramas of epic proportions and big productions with a star-studded cast . Unitel Pictures Crying Ladies has none of these elements. Well, almost none. It does have a big-name starSharon Cunetabut her co-stars, Hilda Koronel, Angel Aquino, Ricky Davao and Raymond Bagatsing, though highly regarded as actors, do not have the same drawing power as the Megastar.
I have a feeling, though, that this "small" film should pull a surprise or two at the box office and during the awards night.
The story is quite simple. Three women from the backstreets of Chinatown are hired to cry at a Chinese funeral. During their five-day stint, we are afforded glimpses of their ordinary lives that make us laugh, cry and cheer as they struggle to survive under trying circumstances.
Sharon plays Stella Mate, whos trying to make both ends meet doing odd jobs so that she can get back her son from estranged husband Guido (Ricky Davao). Hilda plays Doray a.k.a Rhoda Rivera, whose only claim to fame is that she played a minor role in the movie Darna and the Giants starring Vilma Santos. She got stepped on by the giant. Now, shes forcing her reluctant daughter to crash the world of show business. Angel is Choleng who does charity work for a religious foundation. Her weakness is that, shes having an affair with her friends husband (Raymond Bagatsing).
The movie opens with Stella trying to get a job as a singer in Japan. This early, we are reminded that this is a Sharon Cuneta movie. Unlike her previous movies, however, Sharon doesnt land a recording contract and lead a comfortable life. She needs to get an NBI clearance which is not possible because she has spent time in jail for estafa.
In another scene, she reaches the finals of a Pera o Bayong-type contest where she could win a brand new car. Alas, its only a dream and she doesnt even make it to the first 200 contestants allowed in the studio.
Stella, however, is a survivor so she always finds ways of earning some money. Once, she takes a bus in front of a factory where a strike is going on. She pretends shes a labor leader and castigates the capitalists for oppressing the workers. Later, she asks the passengers for money to help the strikers. Another trick she uses is to avoid paying the jeepney fare by telling the driver that she took the wrong ride and gets off at her destination.
This is definitely not a formula Sharon movie where she shares kilig moments with her leading man (she doesnt even have a leading man in this movie) or suffers at the hands of the contravida. This is not to say that she doesnt suffer in the movie. Stella has to deal with poverty, separation from her son and even a fire that razes her humble abode. The movie, however, does not dwell on her problems but on how she copes with lifes adversities.
Sharon is not given "dramatic" dialogue nor does she shed copious tears to get our sympathy. It is to the Megastars credit that she restrains herself even in the most gut-wrenching scene in the movie. Initially, we laugh at her travails and how she and her friends fake their tears at the wake. As we get to know Stella, however, our heart goes out to her as she fights seemingly insurmountable odds.
Hilda, on the other hand, does the opposite. Her character is a caricature of a stage mother and someone whos holding on to her past.. Shes ecstatic when her old movie is aired on TV. Shes the most OA when the three do their stuff at the wake. Its Hilda in a campy role that we usually dont associate with the star of Insiang.
Angels Doray is the weakest of the three. Were not referring to her performance but to her character. Doray is a religious woman but she cannot resist temptations of the flesh. She confesses her sins to a priest, played by Johnny Delgado, then goes to bed with her friends husband the next day. Angel is able to project the contrast between her spiritual and sinful side without much gimmickry.
This is the movies main asset. Its devoid of artificial elements. No one gets slapped or raped to get the audience to cry. The actors dont deliver lines. Theyre just characters talking to one another. There are no violins in the background to highlight dramatic moments.
Whats artificial are the tears the three shed at the wake for someone they dont even know. They are contrasted with genuine tears shed by different characters in the movie: Sharon pining for her son, and Eric finally realizing how much he loves his deceased father. Moviegoers may find themselves shedding a tear or two after watching this movie. Not necessarily tears of sadness but also tears of joy as the main characters experience changes in their lives.
And yes, the movie has a happy ending. Sharon doesnt become a successful singer but scores a minor triumph which we wont reveal so we dont spoil your enjoyment of the movie. Clue: she wins an acting award. We wont be surprised if she wins another during the filmfests awards night. Hilda, Angel and Eric all experience joyful moments before the closing credits roll.
Congratulations are in order for first-time director Mark Meily, who also wrote the screenplay from his Palanca award-winning work and Unitels Tony Gloria for bankrolling this thoroughly enjoyable movie.
I have a feeling, though, that this "small" film should pull a surprise or two at the box office and during the awards night.
The story is quite simple. Three women from the backstreets of Chinatown are hired to cry at a Chinese funeral. During their five-day stint, we are afforded glimpses of their ordinary lives that make us laugh, cry and cheer as they struggle to survive under trying circumstances.
Sharon plays Stella Mate, whos trying to make both ends meet doing odd jobs so that she can get back her son from estranged husband Guido (Ricky Davao). Hilda plays Doray a.k.a Rhoda Rivera, whose only claim to fame is that she played a minor role in the movie Darna and the Giants starring Vilma Santos. She got stepped on by the giant. Now, shes forcing her reluctant daughter to crash the world of show business. Angel is Choleng who does charity work for a religious foundation. Her weakness is that, shes having an affair with her friends husband (Raymond Bagatsing).
The movie opens with Stella trying to get a job as a singer in Japan. This early, we are reminded that this is a Sharon Cuneta movie. Unlike her previous movies, however, Sharon doesnt land a recording contract and lead a comfortable life. She needs to get an NBI clearance which is not possible because she has spent time in jail for estafa.
In another scene, she reaches the finals of a Pera o Bayong-type contest where she could win a brand new car. Alas, its only a dream and she doesnt even make it to the first 200 contestants allowed in the studio.
Stella, however, is a survivor so she always finds ways of earning some money. Once, she takes a bus in front of a factory where a strike is going on. She pretends shes a labor leader and castigates the capitalists for oppressing the workers. Later, she asks the passengers for money to help the strikers. Another trick she uses is to avoid paying the jeepney fare by telling the driver that she took the wrong ride and gets off at her destination.
This is definitely not a formula Sharon movie where she shares kilig moments with her leading man (she doesnt even have a leading man in this movie) or suffers at the hands of the contravida. This is not to say that she doesnt suffer in the movie. Stella has to deal with poverty, separation from her son and even a fire that razes her humble abode. The movie, however, does not dwell on her problems but on how she copes with lifes adversities.
Sharon is not given "dramatic" dialogue nor does she shed copious tears to get our sympathy. It is to the Megastars credit that she restrains herself even in the most gut-wrenching scene in the movie. Initially, we laugh at her travails and how she and her friends fake their tears at the wake. As we get to know Stella, however, our heart goes out to her as she fights seemingly insurmountable odds.
Hilda, on the other hand, does the opposite. Her character is a caricature of a stage mother and someone whos holding on to her past.. Shes ecstatic when her old movie is aired on TV. Shes the most OA when the three do their stuff at the wake. Its Hilda in a campy role that we usually dont associate with the star of Insiang.
Angels Doray is the weakest of the three. Were not referring to her performance but to her character. Doray is a religious woman but she cannot resist temptations of the flesh. She confesses her sins to a priest, played by Johnny Delgado, then goes to bed with her friends husband the next day. Angel is able to project the contrast between her spiritual and sinful side without much gimmickry.
This is the movies main asset. Its devoid of artificial elements. No one gets slapped or raped to get the audience to cry. The actors dont deliver lines. Theyre just characters talking to one another. There are no violins in the background to highlight dramatic moments.
Whats artificial are the tears the three shed at the wake for someone they dont even know. They are contrasted with genuine tears shed by different characters in the movie: Sharon pining for her son, and Eric finally realizing how much he loves his deceased father. Moviegoers may find themselves shedding a tear or two after watching this movie. Not necessarily tears of sadness but also tears of joy as the main characters experience changes in their lives.
And yes, the movie has a happy ending. Sharon doesnt become a successful singer but scores a minor triumph which we wont reveal so we dont spoil your enjoyment of the movie. Clue: she wins an acting award. We wont be surprised if she wins another during the filmfests awards night. Hilda, Angel and Eric all experience joyful moments before the closing credits roll.
Congratulations are in order for first-time director Mark Meily, who also wrote the screenplay from his Palanca award-winning work and Unitels Tony Gloria for bankrolling this thoroughly enjoyable movie.
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