The Janitor: Grim and bear it

MANILA, Philippines - As a cinema fan, it’s always refreshing to experience Cinemalaya time, knowing that the films one watches will not be pandering to mainstream feel-good endings that look forced or tacked on.

Such is the case with The Janitor, where the grim, even bleak, ending is the most refreshing aspect of the true-to-life bank robbery story — and the consequent miscarriage of vigilante justice. Directed by Mike Tuviera, and with a strong ensemble cast headed by Dennis Trillo, Richard Gomez, LJ Reyes and Derek Ramsay (wonderfully playing against type), the film dutifully explores the various faces of justice/injustice, and paints for us a picture of grim despair and surrender to hopelessness — but does so with such energy and verve.

Disgraced police cop Crisanto (Dennis) works as a mentor at a security agency as a “penance,” while his case of misuse of police power is left pending. A telling opening scene is the one at a church where while deep in prayer, he completely ignores a purse-snatching incident. Living with his parents (Dante Rivero and Irma Adlawan) and having a pregnant wife (LJ Reyes), the seeming monotony of his domestic life and the standstill of his professional career belie his work as an undercover vigilante, meting out “justice” as directed by his PNP superiors (Richard Gomez, taking orders from Ricky Davao). A bloody provincial bank robbery perpetrated by a masked gang resulting in the wholesale murder of all the employees and security guards becomes the focus of Crisanto’s handiwork, when the capture and torture of the robbery’s suspected lookout yields four names.

What makes up the film’s plot is Crisanto’s pursuit of the suspected perpetrators, and the twist comes when doubts about the tainted confession creep in, and we’re left stranded, questioning just how “blindfolded” the Statue of Justice can be — in this case, not necessarily representing impartiality. As the crooked vice cop who himself indulges in the vices he’s sworn to stamp out, Derek is one of the film’s standouts, playing against type with relish and gusto. And there’s Dennis, giving us yet another solid, consistent portrayal, clearing cognizant of the irony of the film’s title.

A janitor is someone who cleans up, and beyond the metaphor, there’s the irony of how with the great mess surrounding him — even in his domestic situation, Crisanto is powerless to make any sort of decision on righting the mess and just cleans up after. One great sequence is the one where Crisanto visits the bank weeks after the robbery, and is haunted by scenes of what transpired during the heist. Visceral to the max, and leaving us with realistic, grim questions about justice and law enforcement, The Janitor is a new feather in the cap for direk Mike. — PHILIP CU-UNJIENG