Heartfelt and hits close to home with its theme of fulfillment versus affirmation, Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay is one of those rare offerings that layer the mundane with humor, heartbreak, and some surprise philosophical agenda to full affect.
The Good
- heartfelt and heatbreaking story presented in mockumentary format that works
- humorous in its entirety, makes for a good watch
- the surprise philosophical agenda is subtly expressed, does not preach, but teaches instead
The Bad
- has its dragging moments
- you would often have to read the subtitles as the lead, Cuntapay, has a tendency to speak in garbles
Synopsis
After more than 30 years of work as a professional horror film extra in the Philippine entertainment business, Lilia Cuntapay is getting her big recognition, following a nomination as Best Supporting Actress in the AFTAP Awards (a fictional award giving body) for her role as a pimp in an indie film Sangangdaan (Crossroads). As she goes on to prepare her acceptance speech for an award she has yet to win, Lilia's daily life is presented--from her (over)practicing for an extra role that goes to waste, to her interview with TV Patrol on her nomination and its consequences--giving a picturesque presentation on what it is to give something extra than what is required and to receive so much less than what one gives.
Being Human
On the outside, Lilia Cuntapay is a greying old lady who might strike one as uninteresting, if not scary. She has been the "pagan era" face to horror movie ghouls that haunted us during our childhood. So much was her effectiveness in portraying the horrendous plus her popularity among directors and producers that she became a horror movie staple to the point that her tricks have gone stale and commonplace. What Director Antoinette Jadaone tried to achieve with her film is to reintroduce Lilia Cuntapay to the audience as human, the very same species she sought to frighten on her decades-spanning career, and as actress, too. The idea was neither original nor brilliant, but it is risky and not immediately obvious--a pretty ballsy move for Jadaone.
Cuntapay, for the veteran that she is, is far from being a seasoned actress. I can imagine how it could've been a task had Jadaone set it up to be less raw than a mockumentary, but the treatment meant that Cuntapay had to just be as natural as possible, as effortless as everyday life requires. And with the rawness of a mockumentary lending proper lead ups to emotionally stirring scenes, Six Degrees... achieved the right mix of commonplace, humor, and heart.
The Woman in Black
Like last year's Ang Babae sa Septic Tank that revolved around the concept of creating a film, Six Degrees... used the same idea to a much larger and poignant effect. While Septic Tank struggled to find any story by focusing on the idea of making a story, Six Degrees has a central character that's more real and more affecting than any of the former's. There is something so commercialized about Septic Tank that wasn't present in Six Degrees, and that worked in its favor. Don't get me wrong, if it's just accomplishing objectives, both film did well, but between the two, Six Degrees is more poignant.
It was also surprising how witty Cuntapay is. Her simple musings about being human ("Waiting is part of being human") sheds light on her persona as a veteran horror extra, and her humility to accept simple roles and going the extra mile for these simple roles was a testament to her commitment to her work, albeit at times the testament is more comic than arduous. And all these musings work so well with the quirky narrative.
Six Degrees has a philosophical punch hidden underneath all its quirkiness and wit. And Cuntapay's struggle and lack of recognition was the perfect vehicle for this agenda. Gallaga's commentary on self-fulfillment and Cuntapay's desire to win the fictitious award was a conscious battle between recognition and self-fulfillment, something that everyone may have had a struggle with one time or another in their lives. Why do we all crave for recognition so much Jadaone just nailed that one, especially with Cuntapay's final closing speech where she proclaims her name and the film cuts to black--it was probably one of this year's greatest cinematic highs. Kudos to what Jadaone has achieved with something so simple and yet not obvious.
My verdict:
I hope this film comes out on DVD because people ought to see it.
4.3 out of 5 stars. Passed and highly recommended
No comments:
Post a Comment