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‘Mono No Aware’
George (Perry Dizon) was a Filipino from Davao who married a Japanese woman. His wife has now passed away and George had seemingly lost the zest for life that he was known for in his neighborhood. He usually hung out at the bar of his friend Kaito (Kouichi Hanagasaki) to drink his beer. A young female volunteer from the local welfare office named Mori (Momoko Kobayashi) visited George regularly to make sure that he was doing fine.
Ichi (juan karlos) was a young father-to-be from Cebu who went to Japan to earn more money for his future family. He was employed as one of the staff of a special cleaning service who were called to clean out the abandoned houses of elderly folk who had died alone inside, the so-called "lonely deaths." One day, Mori smelled a foul odor coming from inside George's house but could not find the source. Ichi was called in to solve the problem.
From there grew the friendship of the two Bisaya-speaking guys as an ominous veil of death hung over them both. A heavy theme of death pervaded throughout this pensive film by writer-director BC Amparado is death. While Ichi worked, we see the unsightly stain resulting from the fluids and maggots from the decomposed body, not only the tatami mats on which it laid, but seeping through to the wooden floor under it. We actually smell the stench of death.
With his technical staff — director of photography TM Malones, film editor Edmund M. Telmo, production designer Remton Zuasola, costume designer Juan Pablo Pineda III, musical score and sound designer Willie Apa Jr. — Amparado told his tale with a decidedly Japanese aesthetic and mood. Despite the uncomfortable subject matter and off-putting images we can see, the whole film felt clean, uncluttered and restrained with emotional elegance.
As way he was made up here, Perry Dizon could credibly pass as Japanese senior citizen. His portrayal felt very real as it embodied the anxieties of many widows and widowers, not seeing the point of existing anymore, as they are left behind counting the days leading up to their own death. Momoko Kobayashi had one great speech about why she advocated for the care of the elderly, a single scene that earned for her the award for Best Supporting Actress.
juan karlos's portrayal of flawed Ichi had that elusive quality of relatability. His Japanese sounded as natural as his Bisaya. Ichi's personal issue was the usual inner conflict felt by all OFWs, in his case leaving behind a wife with a fragile pregnancy. When that dam that held his guilt and grief within him finally broke down, we see the very heart and soul of juan karlos literally breaking in front of our eyes — a true Best Actor-worthy performance.
‘Apol of My Ai’
The mother of 10 year-old Apolinario "Apol" Medina, Jr. (Zion Cruz) passed away 10 months ago. His father Poli (Zanjoe Marudo) just came back one month ago from his job as a folk singer in Japan to take care of his son. However, both found it difficult to connect to each other as father and son. Having lived without him for most his life, Apol believed that he did not need his father anymore and shunned his father's efforts to establish rapport with him.
At school, Apol was a frequent visitor to the principal's office for his numerous infractions of school rules, together with his BFF Max (Jacob Cawagdan). One day, their FIlipino teacher went into labor prematurely. A substitute teacher, Miss Maria Aileen 'Ma'am Ai" Melendez (Rochelle Pangilinan) was assigned to take over, on whom Apol developed a serious crush. Ma'am Ai was also the adviser of the school choir, so Apol auditioned to join.
The story of this film fell right into the wheelhouse of director Thop Nazareno, whose past films all showed his proficiency in telling stories about young boys who are going through tough father-son relationships, like "Kiko Boksingero" (2017) and "Edward" (2019). The charming screenplay was written by Mark Raywin Tome and Che Espiritu-Istrael, adding the angle of a boyhood crush on a teacher into the mix.
Zanjoe Marudo imbued the father Poli with regret and patience. He was being treated rudely by his son, but he remained calm and worked harder to win his love. He recognized that owing to his long absence, earning his son's trust back would not be an easy process. Rochelle Pangilinan was a refreshing screen presence as the disarming Ma'am Ai. She handled those awkward moments with her lovestruck student with sensitivity and compassion.
The shining jewel at the center of this precious film was the winsome Zion Cruz as Apol. With his fair complexion and deep dimple, he can charm audiences effortlessly, especially in those "kilig" moments with Ma'am Ai. He can also sing, delivering a mean acapella rendition of kundiman "Bituing Marikit." All the pent-up resentment he had against his long-estranged father had to blow up at one point, and Cruz went all-out for it, making us all feel his anger and pain. Cruz gave a strong lead performance deserving of a Best Actor consideration.
This review was originally published in the author's blog, “Fred Said.”