In My Life (2009) poster
8.0
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Ratings: 8.0/10 from 33 users
# of Watchers: 71
Reviews: 2 users
Ranked #15112
Popularity #99999
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Shirley Templo is a ruthless woman. Many people deal with her strong attitude only for fear of her cold stare, or her outlash. She works as a librarian in a school, and lives in a compound that is owned by her ex-husband, Benito Salvacion. Many of the Salvacion family members that live near the compound, even including her eldest daughter, Dang, plead with her to sell it so they can make a profit, and she can move to a more suitable living area. Hard-headed as she is, Shirley refuses and feels betrayed by her two daughters, Dang and Cherry, for even siding with their father who left them nearly fifteen years ago. Even more upset, she finds out that Dang will want to move out of the Philippines to Australia. Leaving her alone in the Philippines since all her children moved out, Shirley decides to move to New York City with her youngest and only son, Mark Salvacion. Mark is unaware, however, that this supposed vacation of his mother is actually a permanent visit. Upon her arrival to the States, Shirley is picked up at the airport by Noel Villanueva. Thinking he was only hired help, she rudely offers him payment for his services, but he declines. As she walks around the apartment, she notices pictures of Mark and Noel being affectionate toward each other. She then realizes that Noel is, in fact, Mark's new boyfriend. Although she was aware of Mark's homosexuality since his high school years, she gives Noel plenty of trouble and hard times. The story reflects how Shirley changes her attitudes and views from two men that become a big part of her life, and how she accepts the reality that has been presented to her. Unfortunately, unforeseen tragedies occur, and a rift between Shirley and Noel arise. But as she understands Mark's reasons for having her be around Noel all this time, she resolves her issues with him and soon embraces him as a member of her family. (Source: Wikipedia) Edit Translation

  • English
  • magyar / magyar nyelv
  • dansk
  • Norsk
  • Country: Philippines
  • Type: Movie
  • Release Date: Sep 16, 2009
  • Duration: 2 hr. 0 min.
  • Score: 8.0 (scored by 33 users)
  • Ranked: #15112
  • Popularity: #99999
  • Content Rating: 13+ - Teens 13 or older

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Reviews

Completed
jiritwist
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 23, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
A longer and above average Filipino film with seven wins and 29 nominations for the film. festivals, which this time does not take place in shacks and slums, but between Manila and New York, has a stronger story dominated by the excellent Vilma Santos as Shirley, although I think she sometimes "ran away" from the role a little. But it's still a Filipino film, it could use a little editing, at the beginning it's also a lot of screaming, maddened and even hysterical.
The gay component here is indeed prominent, but in my opinion it is only a means to the film's story, however, played no less well by both protagonists Mark and Noel (John Lloyd Cruz - he collected several film awards for this role).



Delší a nadprůměrný filipínský film se sedmi vítězstvími a 29 nominacemi na film. festivalech, který se tentokráte neodehrává v chatrčích a slumech, ale mezi Manilou a New Yorkem, má výraznější příběh, ve kterém dominuje výborná Vilma Santos jako Shirley, i když si myslím, že z role někdy malinko "ujížděla". Stále je to ale film filipínský, slušelo by malinko prostříhání, zpočátku je i hodně uřvaný, ztřeštěný až hysterický.
Gay složka je tady sice výrazná, ale dle mě je jen prostředkem k příběhu filmu, ovšem zahraná neméně dobře oběma protagonisty Markem i Noelem (John Lloyd Cruz - posbíral několik filmových cen za tuto roli).

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Completed
wesleydlin
0 people found this review helpful
Mar 21, 2021
Completed 0
Overall 1.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

That was awful... definitely not the Filipino version of The Wedding Banquet...

I had seen this marketed as the Filipino version of The Wedding Banquet on GagaOoLala so I had high hopes for it because, as a Taiwanese-American gay man, the "original" holds a special place in my heart.

There are slight correlations between this and the TWB: someone needs a green card, there's a gay couple, etc. But that's about all that connects them.

The family dynamics are completely different, it's barely "hysterical" as GOL describes it, and the surprise death was so out of nowhere and an overused trope and unnecessary. The amount of tension between the characters was incredibly heightened too and the connections didn't resonate, especially after the scene of violence between two of the leads.

TWB was based on family obligations, figuring out what's right for each person based on those, happy mistakes, and everyone coming together as a family. This was none of those things.

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Details

  • Movie: In My Life
  • Country: Philippines
  • Release Date: Sep 16, 2009
  • Duration: 2 hr. 0 min.
  • Content Rating: 13+ - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

  • Score: 8.0 (scored by 33 users)
  • Ranked: #15112
  • Popularity: #99999
  • Watchers: 71

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