Internet-driven obsession

Film review: Unfriend

MANILA, Philippines - The dark side of Internet use is treated in effectively creepy mode by filmmaker Jay Altarejos in his latest movie titled Unfriend. The title alone is a familiar jargon among Facebook buffs, though its seemingly wholesome tone is twisted by a young lover’s obsession depicted in this same-sex romance-gone-sour.

The film, produced in part by Solar Entertainment Corporation, held its premiere at Robinsons Movieworld last Monday night (Feb. 24). It stars Angelo Ilagan and newcomer Sandino Martin, with able support from veteran actress Boots Anson-Roa who portrays the grandmother of teen gay boy David who’s obsessed with his one-time partner Jo.

The director shared his thoughts with The STAR, encouraging movie fans to take his latest flick first and foremost as a platform in the discussion of Internet misuse. “I just want to make a film at mag-usap-usap tayo after seeing it. Internet has given us the power to show and see. Pero kagaya nga ng sinabi ni Prof. Randy David, dapat pagnilay-nilayan natin ang epekto nito sa buhay natin,” he said.

Unfriend begins with images showing the two male lovers convincingly attached to each other. Then it cuts to their passionate love scene which ends meaningfully with David in tears.

Some scenes show how the extent of Internet access influence youth in negative ways, like one where a porn actress is seen and heard doing her obscene act, and in another, a guy teaching YouTube viewers how to use a gun. Boots effectively acts out her role as a traditionally raised, church-going woman but who accepts David’s gender preference embracingly, even expressing amusement when her kin declares that he’d like to attend a Simbang Gabi Mass wearing a gown.

Asked if it appears more effective to have two “straight” actors play gay lovers which arguably is often the case in movies with such theme, Jay noted, “My take on that is, if kaya gawin ang role, I don’t mind if they’re gays or not in real life. Di tayo nagdi-discriminate.”

He further explained, “This movie doesn’t judge and the issue doesn’t end here. It just happened that my research involves ang dalawang kabataang bakla.”

With Brilliante Mendoza and Wilson Tieng as executive producers, the film’s director’s cut was shown to the press during the premiere, while a Rated-16 version opened to local theaters last Wednesday, Feb. 26.

The film also had its premiere at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival or more popularly known as Berlinale.

Meanwhile, the United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp. released to theaters late last month another “bromance” film to satisfy the cravings of horror fans. Well, it was the spin-off of Paranormal Activity subtitled The Marked Ones and directed by Christopher Landon.

Safe to say, people who got hooked by the groundbreaking original film kept coming back to the big screen each time a new offering arrives. Not that they’re required to see them, but because they want to keep revisiting that feeling of anticipating a scary sequence out of a found footage peppered with reality-like elements and enveloped by that backdrop of eerie silence.

The Marked Ones diverted from some elements present in the past four Activities, and the film made its own mark, especially among its core of series followers. Several outdoor camera shots were also taken more than ever, while past characters reappear for a reason or two.

The movie, topbilled by Andrew Jacobs as main character Jesse, narrates a high school graduate who one morning discovers an odd bite scar on his arm and suddenly finds himself possessing super human abilities.

The plot begins with the murder of his old lady-neighbor allegedly by his former classmate Oscar Hernandez (Carlos Pratts). When he and bestfriend Hector (Jorge Diaz) goes into their dead neighbor’s apartment, they find black magic paraphernalia that includes, to his shock, his picture.

Minus the scare factor, audiences get the experience of watching seemingly real people (partly because they’re not played by famous actors) who actually don’t want to make their moments public. One still wants to see what’s going to happen on it even if he’s already that familiar with the format or can actually guess where the scare punches would hit based on the previous installments.