Reality check

I watched ZsaZsa Zaturnnah: Ze Moveeh primarily because during my younger days, I did back-up singing for its lead actresses, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Pops Fernandez. I wanted to see how they would perform because singing live in a concert is entirely different from singing, acting and dancing all at the same time in a movie. The talents of the two leads were showcased as they performed in the movie’s production numbers.

Opening the picture is an upbeat song-and-dance number introducing the central character, a gay beautician in the slums, Ada (Rustom Padilla). Ada is a soft-spoken homosexual who leaves Manila and his heartaches behind for the peace and tranquility of simple living in the province. With his cousin Aruba (Pauleen Luna), Ada seeks a fresh start in the quaint setting of a rural community. There, Ada meets a bunch of lively characters including Dodong (Alfred Vargas), his newfound secret love, and Didi (Chokoleit), his gay parlor assistant and confidante.

The story unfolds when a mysterious rock engraved with the words "Zaturnnah" literally crashes into Ada’s life during one of his birit sessions in the shower. With much urging by the frilly-mouthed Didi, Ada apprehensively swallows the rock, and transforms into the voluptuous Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah (Zsa Zsa). Much to his delight, by transforming into Zsa Zsa, Ada becomes a biologically real woman, complete with a pair of "you-know-whats" and to-die-for abs! As all superheroes and supers in the comics, this super also comes with her own brand of superpowers (including one that enables her to zap her enemies with a sonic blast emitting from her chest). With the help of Didi, Zaturnnah tests and actually uses her powers and abilities. Our hero (or heroine, depending on how you look at it) becomes the savior of her little town from a giant frog, a horde of creepy zombies and some domineering Amazonistas led by the aptly-named Queen Femina (Pops). Leading to the classical climactic confrontation between good and evil, Zaturnnah and Queen Femina, along with her Amazonista followers, clash in an all-out catfight. In the end, as always, good triumphs over evil.

All in all, the X-Factor of the film isn’t exactly the plot. The storyline is quite predictable. The movie’s edge over other filmfest entries is that Zaturnnah is the only flick adapted to the style of a musicale. Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah: Ze Moveeh is a movie adaptation of the production Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah: Ze Muzikal, which in turn, is a version of Carlo Vergara’s graphic novel Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.

The movie starts and ends with song-and-dance numbers. Musical numbers are thrown in along the way to add color to the important sequences like the Walang Ibang Pangarap Kundi Siya scene where Zsa Zsa, Ada and the obnoxious Krystal (Ada’s rival to Dodong’s heart) express their undying love for Dodong. Another wonderful sequence is the "Transmorfication" sequence where the Amazonistas prepare and get into their battle gear as they set out to fight Zaturnnah. Lifted from the musical version, production numbers really add life and color to the film.

Acting and dialogue were also superb. Filipino movies have never been as candid as this one. This is one movie where the actors did justice to the characters. Watching Rustom and Chokoleit go at it in their respective roles felt surreal. Well, I guess their being gay in real life was a big help. But the fact still remains that the two did a marvelous job with their roles.

Gay lingo has never been this entertaining. Pops also did a great job in being the English-speaking feminist villain. Her proficiency in delivering spoken English showed superiority complex worthy of a baddie. Another amazing performance came from Alfred as Dodong.

With the negative stereotypes against homosexual relationships in our society, I half-expected that Alfred’s portrayal of a hidden love for Ada would be half-baked on his part as an actor, but no, he pulled it off well. In the final sequence where Dodong confesses his affection for Ada, that warm feeling of genuine love radiated from Alfred’s acting. It was an awkward moment watching a mushy encounter of two male actors, but Alfred’s acting skills carried the over-all effect of the scene.

The most important aspect of the movie is its social relevance. The film brings to light social issues put aside by our conservative nature as people. It questions our belief systems on what is a real hero, on what it is to be a real man or woman, and whether or not love is restricted only to those with a "straight" sexual preference.

Zaturnnah is a reality check on all of us. We talk of freedom from oppression and freedom of expression, yet we sometimes shun homosexuals who are by all means equal to us. We look at them with bias and prejudice. As a mother of my 11-year-old Mika, I intend for my daughter to grow up in a society that does not impose limits on anyone or anything based solely on what they appear to be.

I rest my case. With its marvelous production numbers, superb acting and subtle yet lasting images of an ideal society, I give ZsaZsa Zaturnnah: Ze Moveeh a rating of four stars out of five. So, what are you waiting for? Go out and watch a good Filipino movie today. Better yet, keep on watching Filipino movies and help our ailing Philippine movie industry!

(E-mail me at [email protected])