Mano Po: The perfect festival film

In the 2001 Metro Manila Film Festival, the decision of the jurors to give the number one Best Picture prize to a supposedly lightweight film like Yamashita: The Tiger’s Treasure over the more socially-relevant Bagong Buwan elicited a lot of discussions and arguments among the movie-going public.

In the recently- concluded Metro Filmfest, however, Mano Po’s winning over Dekada ’70 was not considered an upset victory at all. (What upset most showbiz observers was the walkout staged by the Star Cinema people over the non-inclusion of Dekada writer Lualhati Bautista’s name in the list of nominees for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Never mind if Dekada ’70 was the most-awaited film project the past two years. Sure, it had its own share of supporters who were disappointed that it didn’t win the number one Best Picture and (I can’t blame them because Dekada ’70 is basically a well-crafted film). But most people I know who saw both movies concurred with the jurors’ decision that Mano Po is the superior film.

Actually, Mano Po’s winning Best Picture didn’t come as a surprise even to those who didn’t get to see it before the awards night. Most of them simply relied on the big pre-publicity promo orchestrated by Regal Films drumbeaters. Weeks before it opened in movie theaters nationwide last Christmas Day, the public was already being brainwashed into thinking Mano Po is a big film that should not be missed by anyone who loves movies.

Fortunately, Mano Po is able to deliver what it promised and manages to live up to expectations – something Dekada ’70 fails to do because everyone expected it to be the greatest film ever made.

Directed by Joel Lamangan who finished the film in 21 days, Mano Po is big, grand and rich in color. It’s an epic that spans three generations of the Chinese Go family.

But no matter how much I like this film, I just have to say it’s not exactly as flawless as most Chinese complexions go. The story, for one, is a bit shallow – especially when the script resolves the conflict by having the lead character, Ara Mina (along with Kris Aquino), kidnapped in the climax. Of course, kidnappings in the Chinese community seem to be a daily occurrence – which is really unfortunate. But the way it is presented in Mano Po, it is contrived and just used as a convenient excuse for the rebellious Ara Mina and her Pinoy cop boyfriend Richard Gomez to be accepted by the Go family.

But Mano Po really has other things going for it that makes it great viewing. The presentation of the very rich and colorful Chinese tradition (and how it is sometimes incorporated into Pinoy culture), for instance, is a feast for the eyes. And I take my hat off to Tatus Aldana for his wonderful production design.

I also like the way it nonchalantly tackles the Pinoy prejudice against Chinese and vice-versa (especially the Chinese’s extreme mistrust of Filipino law enforcers). Mano Po really makes Pinoys understand better the Chinese in our midst and there are so many of them here and all over the world.

Another strength of Mano Po lies in the colorful performances of its actors in the film, from the lead stars all the way down to the secondary players like Jim Pebanco who plays Richard Gomez’ sidekick in the police force.

Ara Mina’s winning Best Actress for her role as the rebellious Richelle Go is well deserved. She is able to portray correctly the various layers in her very colorful film persona.

Kris Aquino (also deserving of the Best Supporting Actress prize) actually gets the most difficult role in the film because it’s the one with the least highlights and acting moments (except for the confrontation scene with Maricel Soriano at the restaurant, which Kris delivers very well). All throughout the movie, she is left with no choice but to merely project little nuances here and there, which is really a tougher job. But to Kris’ credit, she manages to shine in spite of the fact that her screen character really lack in color.

Maricel Soriano as the stern and eternally rigid eldest sister Vera Go, also delivers a fine performance, except that her character is written in such a way that her mood only swings from angry to angrier.

The veterans, Eddie Garcia and Boots Anson Roa – as always – are more than reliable in their roles as the first generation in the Go family. Tirso Cruz III, however, does extremely well as the father of the third generation Go sisters. And so does Amy Austria, who must have been Kris Aquino’s closest rival in the Best Supporting Actress race. Although she doesn’t do that many scenes, Amy is wonderful in each and every one of them.

I find no fault either in the performances of the other characters in Mano Po: Gina Alajar (as Tirso Cruz III’s wife), Eric Quizon (as the husband of Kris), Jay Manalo (as the Lance Gokongwei-type boyfriend of Maricel Soriano) and especially Richard Gomez.

Mano Po is the type of movie you will enjoy watching over and over again. It may not end up as the Best Picture of the year, but it surely is the perfect festival film.