With its latest offering, D’Anothers, Star Cinema and Director Joyce Bernal take on the role of "doctor", bringing us temporary relief from the by-now numbing frustration and exasperation we feel over the current political turmoil and uncertainty we’re mired in. Essentially light, frothy entertainment, the film comes to us at an opportune time, when audiences may be precisely seeking that two hours of just giving in to comedy and laughter. It seems it’s not even "deep, philosophical, social statements through comedy" that this film aspires to; but simple, unadulterated, common denominator, broad humor and belly laughter – and we sure could use some of that right now!
There’s a skeletal storyline that casts Vhong Navarro as a cowardly "loser" who inherits a haunted mansion. He lives with his aunt (Arlene Muhlach) and two cousins who torment him (shades of a male Cinderella), and has an ongoing relationship with a girl from the right side of the tracks (Toni Gonzaga), whose parents despise and loathe Vhong’s character (the classic "rich girl/poor boy against the world" angle). The various ghosts and spirits who inhabit the mansion need Vhong; as unbeknown to him, he is their connection to the "real" world – the D’Another. It is against this foundation of a story that direk Joyce concocts a dervish of spoofing and broad comedy. Anything and everything under the sun is poked fun at; and if at times, some conceits are more successful than others. There’s a shotgun approach of taking potshots at everything that guarantees the audience will react to a good number of the jokes.
The Others, Ghost, Sixth Sense, Feng Shui, popular TV commercials, The Ring, Bollywood-type musical numbers that suddenly appear out of context, Kill Bill, etc. – they’re all fodder for the fecund vision of our director and screenplay writers. And don’t think the spoofing and cultural references end with the listing above. They come fast and furious, and part of the fun comes from taking note of what has just been spoofed as each scene unfolds.
Vhong is the perfect conduit for Joyce’s directorial vision. His facial expressions and body language exemplify how even in the era of silent films, Vhong would have been a dream to work with. He contorts his face and body with ease, ready to make use of everyday objects in creating contextual humor and pathos. And thanks to Joyce’s prodding, he finds a very willing partner in Toni Gonzaga. Not content to be mere foil or accessory to the jokes and visual gags, Toni shows a willingness to "hold her own" and create her own brand of physical humor. That she so willingly makes fun of herself augurs well for her maintaining a niche in our local comedy scene.
The supporting cast of John Prats, and the SCQ bunch of Roxanne Guinoo, Joross Gamboa, Michelle Madrigal and Neri Naig provide able support, although the delivery of some of the neophytes still needs polishing. Jhong Hilario and Mura are especially terrific as a Mutt and Jeff team of rebel ghosts, as is Arlene Muhlach as the "aunt from hell". Her sons, played by Archie and Joshua, are over the top, spoiled brats with a combined IQ of one, and while there were moments when the humor seems a bit forced, they were by and large well-received by the audience. Tado, Bella Flores, Jaime Fabregas – they all add to the mix of excellent visual humor combined with full characterization.
Ultimately though, it is Vhong and Toni who carry the film, and, with excellent repartee between the two (perhaps honed from working together on Wazzup), you could sense the audience who watched the night I viewed the film relished those moments when they would be together onscreen.
If D’Anothers proves to be a box-office success, this will be the kind of success that defies expectations. It has no big name star other than Vhong (and you decide if he is that big a star). Computer-enhanced images pretty much stick to the basics if placed against Hollywood films and the storyline is about as solid as a bahay-kubo on stilts in the middle of a tsunami. Yet, judging from the audience reaction I witnessed, everything jells and works, perhaps because of the times we’re in, and how it still is a pleasure to surrender to what transpires on screen.
D’Anothers is not trying to be pithy or intelligent in some exalted cinematic manner. Rather, it earnestly seeks a connection with that masa audience that knows and appreciates references and allusions to their day-to-day experiences and the attempt to elicit laughter from those experiences. In that sense, despite the technical glitches and at-times lack of continuity, D’Anothers succeeds in being an antidote to the humdrum and repetitive regularity of life in our fair city in 2005. It’s easily digestible, pampalipas ng oras, and by precisely not striving to be anything more, has a great chance of finding favor with its viewers.