MIRASOL Movie Review Thanks to Dan for this information! From:http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/newsh/items/moviereview/item_3806.html Sunday March 3, 2002 Funny and Heartwarming AMERICAN ADOBO Check out the Flipcritic at www.geocities.com/flipcritic January 22, 2002 Mike: Christopher De Leon Marissa: Dina Bonnevie Gerry: Ricky Davao Tere: Cherrie Pie Picache Raul: Paolo Montalban Sam: Randy Becker Gerry's Mom: Gloria Romero Chris: Wayne Maugans ABS-CBN Entertainment and UNITEL Pictures presents a film directed by Laurice Guillen. Written by Vincent R. Nebrida. Rated R (for sexuality and language). BY MICHAEL MIRASOL American Adobo is a rare gem among Filipino films. It is a funny and heartwarming story about Filipino-Americans trying to weather the trials of life's relationships and how the bonds of family and friendship help them make it through. What makes it entertaining is its humor and charm, but what makes it unique is its warmth, intelligence, and honesty. It is to Filipinos what Soul Food is to African-Americans. The film concentrates on the lives of 5 individuals. Mike (Christopher De Leon - Madrasta) is family man whose love has fallen out of his marriage and whose happiness has seeped out of his family life. Marissa (Dina Bonnevie - Tatarin) is upper class working woman who despite her intelligence, wealth, and good looks, seems to be in love with the wrong type of guys. Gerry (Ricky Davao - Saranggola) is an aspiring artist, who is looking for a way to let his traditional mother know that he is gay. Raul (Paolo Montalban - Mortal Kombat: The Series) is a suave playboy, with little regard for the feelings of his lovers. And Tere (Cherrie Pie Picache - Anak) is the embodiment of a loving, understanding, and kind woman, desperately hoping not to become an old-maid despite her admirable qualities. Never before have I seen a Filipino film with such an interesting mix of comedy and melodrama. For a while I was having trouble believing I was watching local product. The characters are so well-drawn, the writing so crisp and believable, and the events so well-mingled that despite some of the film's weaknesses, it plays much better than it actually is. By the end, I didn't care whether the movie's closing scenes seemed to play out too neatly. It is such a skillful and caring exercise that we are happy for each character's resolution. When it comes to humor, American Adobo delivers an attractive package, from situational comedy to surprising wit. I didn't think that you could effectively mingle Filipino and Western comedy in a film, but the movie pulls it off. I was pleasantly surprised that I was enjoying every bit of fun the film was offering me. I relished in Marissa and Tere's verbal sparring, and snickered at the ongoing sexual escapades in the upper rooms of Mike's house. Raul's playful abandonment of his relationships with his lovers, although cruel, is made amusing by his choice of words. The film's funniest moments occur when Gerry finds out he has accidentally switched letters intended for his lover Chris (Wayne Maugans) and his mom. His reactions are absolutely priceless, and his near-miss solution is hilarious. The real power of American Adobo however lies in its intimate moments, in conversations, musings, and emotional confrontations. Most Filipino dramas have the habit of becoming entirely unrealistic. They usually become preachy, unreasonably mushy, unnecessarily overacted, or just plain screamfests. Those conversations cease to exist and turn into speech competitions of astounding unoriginality and become annoyingly cornball. It is so refreshing to see sharp conversation and clever dialogue among American Adobo's pivotal characters. Consider Mike's letter to his wife as he decides to leave his family: "I have become tired of waiting for you to change, and now knowing that you will not." Notice how Tere confronts Marissa, caring for her well-being due to latter's foolish taste in men. The most powerful moments occur between Gerry and Chris, and Gerry with his mother. The film deals with "coming out of the closet" (revealing one's homosexuality for those of you who don't understand) more maturely than any other film I have seen. And the words spoken among these three characters in their times together are some of the most tender and touching expressions I've ever felt. Vincent Nebrida's script is uncommonly good. The effectiveness of American Adobo's movements can be credited to how well cast its actors are. Each player's screen persona has already been established, hence it becomes easy for us to identify the characters. Christopher De Leon has always been excellent at playing well-meaning fathers. It is not hard for us to believe that Dina Bonnevie could be a sexy, intelligent, and cynical working class professional. I was amazed to find Paolo Montalban in this picture (he was named one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people in 1998). Despite playing what would normally be considered a repulsive personality, his charm just keeps on shining through (Ladies, I dare you not to melt at his smile). His image is perfect for his role, as is his performance. Gloria Romero as always is just wonderful, being able to convey and old woman's hope and distress for her only son, and the future of her family. They are the film's personality landmarks. The one truly remarkable performance in American Adobo belongs to Ricky Davao, who is brilliant. I am so sick of non-gay actors who portray gay men as being super-effeminate. They obviously have no clue as to what are the mannerisms needed to play such a role, thus stereotyping homosexuals. Mr. Davao is totally convincing not just as being a gay man, but as a loving person under stressful circumstances. The manner in which he shows his anguish in the fear his mother discovering his sexuality, and the grief he conveys as his lover is dying. His sweet words on the phone and his warm caressing of Chris' hand. His is the most challenging role, and he is more than up to it. His subtle heartfelt performance cannot be ignored. Laurice Guillen seems to be fascinated with the interlocked relationships of close-knit groups. In her previous work Tanging Yaman she focused on family ties, on what strains and strengthens them. This time, she focuses more on friendship of the Filipino kind, on how empowering it can be in healing relationships and in compensating personal shortcomings. It's true that the "barkada" type of mentality is a two-edge sword. It's nice to see a director showing how the beneficial edge can make us better people. She has shown us once again why she is one of the great Philippine directors. She's cooked up a savory dish filled with unlikely ingredients, with great skill and lots of heart. I loved what I found in American Adobo. It confronts its characters with worthwhile questions for them to enrich their lives. In its story, you'll find three intimate meals among the 5 main players. The first shows their troubles, the second displays how they intend to deal with them, and the last reveals their resolutions. So what if the ending seems too good to be true? These people faced their worries and dealt with them. They deserve a happy ending. My rating for this movie is **** (four stars) © 2000, GetAsia.com Pte Ltd : Legal notice : Privacy policy Technology powered by IBM and Lotus.