| 12.29.2018 – The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has been one of the important events in the Philippines when they only screened Filipino made films from December 25th to the first week of January the following year. This has been a tradition since being introduced as an annual event since 1966.
There are no foreign films that get shown during the Holiday Season to focus on showing this type of films. In other countries, there is no such thing as cinemas in Australia are well diverse to show all types of movies. It’s not about having a bigger market it’s getting you to have enough choices to see well-produced quality films. But of course Filipino produced films that go with that standard of the category is very rare when you think about it for the reason the movie market in the Philippines is very much more on they think would sell than what would be more appreciated by the audience. For this year there were eight films that are presented for the 44th annual MMF that appear to be less expecting when it comes to standards. There is a hint of bias on some of these films but the one that really stands out was the one that has less glamour and more about substance as some might think but they’re actually not. |
At first glance “Rainbow’s Sunset” appears to have an interesting premise. It’s a story of a well decorated and respected 84-year old man who comes out as gay to his children in his senior years, to take care of his cancer-stricken lover. The simple synopsis is given enough interest to see it for what’s worth about this type of film that touches on reality about how Filipinos in culture react to LGBT.
Besides that Eddie Garcia, one of the oldest actors who used to portray villain roles and anti-hero characters portray a challenging performance along with Tony Mabesa and Gloria Romero. These veteran actors certainly gave their best among the talented cast, which by far should be the main focus of the story.
The film directed by Joel C. Lamangan should have been great if not for the dialogue for the younger cast. When they speak in Taglish (Filipino-English) it felt like they memorize the script down to the exact wordings not breaking and owning their respective characters that tend to sound like they’re not believable. But Garcia, Mabesa, and Romero certainly had made this film engaging throughout which was mostly diminished by having other character’s storyline step on what actually the heading title of the film that should be the main focus.
What the film suffers is the smorgasbord cast that is unnecessary and should have minor plots to the main story about the revelation that the patriarch in the family was coming out as gay, not about the other storyline about the son’s scandals or the issue between sibling rivalries. It’s the usual issue in Filipino films they have to expand the story to focus on other parts that this film slowly loses its appeal.
There’s nothing wrong about having a school of a family being part of this film, but entirely the more characters the spotlight loses its shine on what the film was all about and there are also unnecessary scenes that were cringed worthy like the ‘golden girl’ scene that is wasteful. There’s not fifty years old who would have a party that looks like she’s in her 18 candle debut.
This scene a friend reminded me back in the day how hilariously he remembered Aiko Melendez was part of a defunct television drama series aired on IBC-13 with Carmina Villaroel and Ruffa Guttierez in the late 1980s for that show titled “13, 14, and 15” for those who can remember where all these three started in their teens.
There was a potential for this film to be interesting, which suffered from the dialogue, plot hole, and most of all the huge cast that would have focused on the three main actors that should have reduced some casts into minor scenes that were overblown. The premise was definitely sold out just how local Filipino films become interesting they became stale towards the end with too many convoluted unnecessary storylines.
“Rainbow’s Sunset” was an interesting film; Eddie Garcia, Tony Mabesa, and Gloria Romero are still impressed with their performance. But suffers from the extensive plotlines overlapping the main story at the same time the dialogue was too much by the book as well as too much of everything that is unnecessary that made this film a waste of good actors with a weak narrative.
The film is distributed by Solar Pictures as part of the 44th annual Metro Manila Film Festival that started playing in all Philippine cinemas from 25 December 2018 to the first week of January 2019.
RATED: C-
NOTE: This film was screened publicly at SM Cinema in SM Megamall in the City of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. This is reviewed with a personal opinion without spoilers not for you to agree or disagree about the views written by the author but to gain insight on his perspective about the film.
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