Verdict: Essential Viewing
Pinoy Rebyu Score: 4.00 (3 ratings)
Genre: Drama
Writer/Director: Joselito Altarejos
Cast: Angeli Bayani, Paolo Constantino, Allen Dizon, Mark Fabillar, Dexter Doria
Synopsis: Natoy, like any other child, finds joy and excitement in the simplest of things, especially eating halo-halo filled with pink gelatin and red sago. Things change suddenly when, as he is watching television, a news report about the ongoing war in Mindanao shows footage of a badly wounded soldier waiting for rescue . That soldier almost bleeding to death is his father, Corporal Lino Bolante.
That report starts his journey as he and his mother Sonia wait for help that comes too late. As far away as the war, this story does not just show how the war in Mindanao robs a child of his innocence, but also shows the shadows of the wars that Filipino homes confront everyday.
Trailer:
Reviews:
5.0 Tessa Maria Guazon (Young Critics Circle)
“Yet the film avoids the histrionics that beset the depiction of grief and despair, reminding us that like heat and rain, misery and joy make life in equal measure. This fact is presented beyond artifice, and a contained, measured tranquility prevails throughout the film. No doubt, the film owes this to its eloquent handling of time and its thorough knowledge of place.” (Read full review)
3.5 Oggs Cruz (Twitch Film)
“Much of the film is fueled not necessarily by spectacle or technical knowhow but by a more appreciable earnestness and simplicity that is quite rare in cinema nowadays.” (Read full review)
3.5 Cathy Peña (Make Me Blush)
“The film could have benefited from a judicious editing of some scenes that unnecessarily stretch out too long; an awkwardly realized serenading as a father bids goodbye, and the dialogs could have enjoyed a more interactive demeanor. But on the whole, we found its simplicity ultimately affecting! Even the alternate use of Tigaonon dialect and the occasional Tagalog were beautifully seamless!” (Read full review)
SFFR 