'Rare bird' of an indie

MANILA, Philippines - Film review: Noy

Cine Media’s Noy, directed by Dondon Santos and distributed by Star Cinema, is a “rare bird“ of an indie film. With elements of documentary footage, soap opera/drama, and a glimpse into the life of a tele-journalist, it’s an earnest, sincere effort that attempts to make a statement about hope, expectations, family and yearning in these troubled, yet guardedly hopeful, times. In terms of scope, intent and vision, you can’t find much fault in the film — and if there is a downside to it, it would have more to do with trying to “juggle too many balls“ and in the execution. But having said that, it is an eminently watchable film, and one that deserves its day in the spotlight.

At its core, it’s about the life of Noy (Coco Martin), who at the start of the film, is a protagonist trying to make ends meet by falsifying his diploma to gain meaningful employment as a tele-journalist. Living in a still flooded area with his mother (Cherry Pie Picache), crippled brother (Joem Bascon), and young sister, Noy is assigned by his TV studio to follow the campaign trail of his namesake, Sen. Noynoy Aquino. The relevance and immediacy of the film’s intent is made evident by how current this backdrop story is - echoed in Noy’s line of “Lahat ay totoo...pwera lang ako.” Following Cory Aquino‘s death, the announcement of the senator to run for the highest office, and the film chronicles both Noynoy and Noy on election day — which was less than a month ago! This documentary aspect reveals a very human side to our President-elect, and the scenes of President-elect Aquino with Kris and especially, Baby James, are priceless.

As we dwell on Noy‘s life, we find a man seemingly in need of a moral center. In his relationships with his family and girlfriend (Erich Gonzalez), it’s cynicism and a dearth of values rules his every action and behavior; he’s user-friendly to the max. As he becomes enmeshed in the campaign and learns to appreciate the journey and challenge his namesake has embarked on, and as the propect of losing his girlfriend gets imminent, there is a sudden shift towards a real moral center, and we are shown how this has a favorable impact on his work. The soap opera element occurs as we follow a prospective American boyfriend pursuing Noy’s mother, and as Noy’s brother attempts to give meaning to his crippled existence by dealing with the criminal underworld to make fast money, with dire consequences.

Coco, Joem and Erich all turn in tight, assured portrayals, and we’ve come to expect nothing but the best from Cherry Pie. On the acting front, the ensemble cast all shine; and as mentioned, the documentary footage gives us new insights into our new President’s character. It’s when you put all this intent and vision into one feature film, that one feels the over-reaching aspect of the film — such that, we laud the film for the very same things that also frustrate us. For me, it’s this conundrum that makes the film something of a flawed gem — seeming to change direction at certain junctures, but still a gem.