Pagdating ng Panahon

Coming home last night from a doctor's appointment (I was informed that my left eye grade is LOWER than my right. All the while, I thought they were the same), I planted my seat in front of the TV and channel surfed. As I was changing channels in warp speed, my fingers paused when I came upon the PBO station. Blame me for being not nationalistic but I really don't like watching Filipino movies. If ever I do watch one, it's because it's really good and highly recommended--and that's quite a few. But while watching the opening credits roll for this movie, I don't know what made me stay and watch it (maybe because Mamu--Kiko's yaya and our wonderful cook was watching as well).

Pagdating ng Panahon, if I'm correct, is the second (or is it third?) movie featuring the Sharon Cuneta-Robin Padilla tandem (I don't dare call it a "love team". Somehow, "love team" is more appropriate for teeny boppers, but not in the age group of Sharon and Robin). The first one was Maging Sino Ka Man where Robin Padilla popularized the line "taas kamay ko sa yo!" (and that was during his pre-carrying-firearms-without-a-permit days). If there was a second movie, I can't remember it. (Disclaimer, the reason I watched the first movie was that my twin sister had a huge crush on Robin Padilla then and she wanted to watch it.)

Anyway, I was not able to catch in the credits who directed "Pagdating" but I really have to hand it to her. Surprisingly, I really liked the movie. It's really great to watch a movie without any expectations. Liking it was a pleasant surprise.

The movie started off with sweeping shots of a coconut farm where tuba (it's liquor made from the juice of a coconut) is being harvested. I love the cinematography here. I like watching Filipino movies that features the beautiful places of our country. I was kept guessing where the movie was shot though. Probably in the Laguna/Batangas/Quezon area. That's where tuba is usually harvested and cultivated. And the town plaza was the typical provicial town plaza--with a big church in the middle with the town square in front of it.

The story is also a bit interesting--although it could use a bit of tweaking--but interesting nevertheless. There were still cliches, but enough non-stereotypical characters and funny dialogue that kept me entertained. Lynette (Sharon's character) lives with her widowed mother (Rosemarie Gil), old-maid sister (Amy Austria), and a couple of widowed aunts (Baby O'Brien and Marissa Delgado). Their family runs a buko pie business in the province. Marissa Delgado's character married into the family of Robin Padilla (Manuel) but the guy (Manuel's uncle) died in their wedding night. Apparently, Sharon's family has a curse that the men die early into the marriage.

Fortunately, the story did not focus on this so-called curse that caused the feud between the two families. Moreover, Manuel was Lynette's crush since grade school and when she mistakenly mistook a question posed by Manuel as a wedding proposal, she hurried off home and announced that she's getting married to Manuel. Talking with her family, there was a line that really had me in stitches when Sharon was arguing with Amy (honestly though, I feel that Sharon is OLDER than Amy but the wonder of make-up really made Amy look older than Sharon. Haha). Sharon said, "Ate, sabi nga ni Ninang, malaking karangalan na i-rape tayo sa edad nating ito." (Sister, it's a big compliment that we can still be raped at our ages) It may seem so politically incorrect, but it was really funny. Their ages were not revealed but I would assume that they're in their late 30's or early 40's.

Robin also delivered a funny line that I swore I'd memorize and write down. In the movie, it was rumoured that he was gay. When he was strolling one evening in the town plaza and he saw the town bullies beating up the town gays, he approached them and tried to stop it, but one of the bullies hit him in the process. He said, "Alam niyo, tingin ko sa inyo mga bakla kayo dahil binubugbog niyo eh mga bakla. Pero dahil sinuntok ninyo ako, tingin ko na sa inyo, lalaki na kaya puwede ko nang gawin ito", (I thought you were gays when I saw you hitting gay people. But now that you hit me, I see you as men so I can do this) and he hit the guy in the face.

Anyway, going back to the story, Lynette later found out about the mistaken proposal and overnight, she made a transformation. She put order into their buko pie business, changed her "old maid" outfits to more sexy ones and decided that she'll move to Manila to stay with her cousin (Bing Loyzaga). So she left Manuel and put up a business in Manila. Manuel followed her but threw a jealous tantrum when he saw her going out with her business partner. This lead him to go back to their province where he nursed his broekn heart.

Lynette, in the meantime, was called home due to a family emergency. While there, she mended her relationship with her sister, who was very bitter over her leaving, and her relationship as well with Manuel. They did end up together.

One thing that I did not like about this movie was the abundance of talented actors and actresses who had no use at all. Baby O'Brien had less than 5 lines in the movie. In terms of casting, the story would've held if it was just Marissa Delgado as the aunt. Her character had more flesh and she was absolutely entertaining. While Baby O'Brien rarely said anything which contributed to the story. And Ruffa Mae Quinto. She's there as a kababata of Robin and Sharon. She was just a decoration in the movie. I really love Ruffa Mae (I remember my friends who dragged me to watch "Booba" with them and even if I was the one vehemently opposed to watching it, I was the one who laughed the loudest in the theater. Thus, I did not put up much of a fight when they dragged me to watch "Super B" with them) and her comedic acting style. Though it won't win her any awards, she just makes me laugh.

The family of Robin's character almost had no use at all. I wish they did not had to sing "Pagdating ng Panahon" harana style as it was really embarassing, and his mother just disappeared in the end. What happened to her? Why was not she present during the pamamanhikan? And Bing Loyzaga. She's a talented actress but again, she barely said 5 lines in the movie. Her character just has a nice house and a couple of really loony maids.

I liked Marissa Delgado's character most of all. She's really kooky and funny. When she converses or tells story, she does so through multiple choice questions. During the burial of her husband and while she was sobbing over his coffin, she said, "Bakit mo ako iniwan? Dahil ba a. hindi mo na ako mahal? b. panahon mo na? or c. talagang may sumpa kami?" the last one being added by the family of her dead husband. ("Why did you leave me? Is it because a. you really don't love me? b. it's your time? or c. we're really cursed?") Though it may not be too believable, it was a very convenient tool to build and flesh her character.

Oh, and what's with the advertisements??!! It was so obvious that the movie was also sponsored by Alaska and Dove. The milk being used in the buko pie factory was blatantly Alaska (and the aprons featured the Alaska logo as well). Dove soap was also on the vanity table of Sharon. Three bars of them, I think. And the town fair was sponsored by Dove! Wow. I didn't know Dove's campaign brought them to even the most remote provinces.

Nevertheless, I still liked it. The editing was really good and believable. I remember watching a Filipino movie wherein I was just amazed how unbelievable the whole thing was. Imagine, the bida and his lady is running away from the bad guys on top of a mountain and the next scene shows the bida running with the heroine along a beach with the bad guys hot on their heels! Naman, it's really an insult to our intelligence. And for the life of me, I don't know why a beach scene (complete with a production number) is mandatory.