Pa-Mine Pare (2021)

A Cute Snapshot of Love, As It Happens

This short film successfully showcases the abilities of relatively new actors, recruited by ABS-CBN for possible further roles. It is a sweet and very watchable snapshot of a love that is struggling to find its voice. Well worth a half-hour watch.

Plot: The plot is about exposition, not development. We learn about the characters; we don't see them change. The action takes place over a two-day period as one of the characters (Davey) is about to leave to stay with his family in another city. That forces him to confront how he feels about leaving his best friend Anton behind.

The interactions between the two are very true to life -- a mixture of playfullness, seriousness, and physicality between males that will be familiar to any guy who struggled when growing up to make sense of confused feelings of attraction for his best buddy. And also true to life is Davey's initial inability to admit, even to himself, what he's feeling. His struggle doesn't last very long though (it's only a 29 minute movie) and the resolution (apparently "chosen by the fans" in some sort of poll) produces a happy ending.

Actors/Chemistry: The two leads are quite good looking and enjoy excellent boyish chemistry. Don't expect fireworks -- there's no sex in this movie; the most intimate moment occurs when Anton gently takes Davey's hand, after Davey's admission that he's so confused...... But the actors really succeed in making viewers understand what the characters are feeling under the surface. (They are so successful that the viewers figure it out well before the script does!)

Minor Roles: There are several interesting looks at friends of the happy couple, but not enough time to develop them fully. One is out-and-proud, and the other is homophobic and negative - until he figures out that his friends' happiness matters more to him than his prejudices. Their roles broaden the movie in a very useful way, so it is not just monofocused on the leads.

Music: There is some nice background music but this is not one of the strong suits for this movie.

Production Values: Very good. ABS-CBN knows their stuff. However, one can see that production was obviously crimped by pandemic precautions. (By far the largest portion of the screen footage is of single characters, talking on a phone or interacting over the internet.) The two leads have some scenes together, fortunately. (It will be soooo nice when film production can go back to normal filming protocols.....)

I think there's a lot more interest to be wrung out of all these characters, and I hope ABS-CBN takes this as a pilot for a continuing production of some sort.

Read More

Utterly disappointing

PILIkula tells a story of two best friends who lived together and sell stuff via FB live. Until a Banderswitch-esque choices were introduced to the MC and made him do something out of his will—in that scene was to kiss his best friend during a live.

Then, the MC went back to his hometown, leaving his best friend. And we're introduced to their clique which consists of a gay, a homophobic, and a spaced-out junkie (who doesn't really helps the story to progress).

Our MC is daze to label himself. Internalized homophobia crepts in, and Sotus-like bullshits about being gay is also present.

"We're not gays."

And then, back to live selling. MC's bestie and love interest received harsh and homophobic comments from the viewers, making him stop the live. MC, then confronted his bestie, clearing things about themselves. Are they gay? Confusion. Denial. Fear. Consuming our MC. (xoxad)

Another Bandersnatch moment—he chose to tell his feelings. Then, the gay bestie came to the rescue, saying it's not about labels, blah blah, with bland and underwhelming acting. Unconvincing. Cringe-worthy dialogues, and monologues of our MC telling himself he's not gay but he loves his best friend. So what should he do?

Love interest bestie cried without valid reasons, then his mother called, and finally answered it—resolving their beef.

Back to online selling again. Our MC, who lived miles away from his love interest, amid pandemic, surprises his bestie saying he knows what to call him: MINE. And so, they hug, facing the camera in front of the live viewers, they two reveals that they love each other.

The end.

I am proud of myself I finished this 30-minute film. Bold of me to continue a short film that seemed to be from the delusions of a 15 year old, novice Wattpad writer and a BL enjoyer/fetishizer. Sure, the production is okay. But that's just it: OKAY. They didn't even give the script and the story depth. It was shallow, uninspiring, and trying-hard.

They really tried to push the lecture on being GAY and how it works. It was meh. As a gay person, I wasn't even touched when they did that. I was holding back not to throw my cellphone because it was an utter BS.

Not only the acting, but the whole ass script is annoyingly cringey. My ear bleeds by listening to their arguments during the scene where their clique was playing an online game. The homophobic bestie spurts BS, and the gay bestie get mad. Long ass shallow argument follows.

There are some shows where the script is lacking but the acting and the storyline was fine. There are also with unskilled actors, but the script and storyline was interesting. But in this film everything was lacking.

OH, BUT IT WAS ONLY A SHORY FILM. WHY ARE YOU EXPECTING TOO MUCH?

Then, stop making a BL film.

Like, can we go back to the whole point of BL series (in PH context)? Isn't it for the public to finally understand the life of people who doesn't conform to the heteronormative concept of love? Isn't it about the struggles and status quo of those in the LGBTQ spectrum?

Why are we following the recipe Thailand follows? Are we producing BL contents for the sake of advocacy or for the sake of cishet gay fetishizers?

I don't know but tons of Pinoy BLs out there aren't even trying. Just put hot and handsome guys together, choose a trite story, then voila, a BL show. I don't understand when Gaya sa Pelikula and Gameboys are the forerunners of the industry yet the shows that follow them wasn't even near to their impact!

Well, the only good thing about this film is it ended.

Read More