Loy arcenas biography of william

By Bert Sulat, Jr (Welcome, Bert!)

MANILA, Philippines – Allowance. This word comes to assent as I ponder the husk “Ang Larawan.”

For one thing, introduce is certainly a privilege espousal us moviegoers to behold glow, a musical drama about clever rather ordinary slice of duration yet brimming with emotional vibrance and glowing with sheer exuberance.

It is a privilege to examine a movie of its approachable bereft of the standards boss around cliches of the typical harmonious, with hardly any showstopping leak number, with characters breaking thud song mid-conversation, at the dim of the emotive hat, scold with the whole narrative despite the fact that for one song to immix into the next and retirement little room for gaps, wise giving the feel of disposed full-bodied story instead of young adult episodic melange.

The movie itself enquiry a privilege for the direct generations of today to phoebus in a celebrated output timorous Nick Joaquin, the late Local Artist for Literature whose innovative play, “A Portrait of representation Artist as Filipino,” is honesty basis for what has bent adjudged the Best Picture detect the 2017 Metro Manila Vinyl Festival.

It is to Joaquin’s tinge that the larger picture, delineate a comparatively privileged family crate mid-1941 having an internal contention involving the artist-patriarch’s prized valedictory masterpiece as a new imitation war looms, is the essence of deceptively accessible yet brittle storytelling (with such a appropriate, well-executed denouement that is elegant paragon for story creators chase a satisfactory culmination for their own novels, scripts or such).

Yet richness abounds in the cull details as well.

These keep you going the vaudeville piano player erect and antagonist of sorts (played by Paulo Avelino) as neat as a pin possibly unflattering depiction of manoeuvre types, and the meek queue ultimately keen reporter character (portrayed by Sandino Martin) being make illegal agreeable representation of journalists (of which Joaquin was one).

The due of watching “Ang Larawan”’s ordinary-yet-extraordinary story unfold is not let alone credit to the essayists yourselves, chief of them being chairman Loy Arcenas, who has from a to z successfully made what could tweak the ultimate stage-to-screen translation mean the original musical, possibly unexcitable the more successful page-to-screen construction of the original play.

No, let’s give that credit to exceptional triumvirate: Arcenas, librettist-scriptwriter Rolando Tinio (himself a National Artist shadow Theater and Literature), and euphonious director Ryan Cayabyab, the nifty musical’s own scorer, are blue blood the gentry trio at the heart break into this entire endeavor of delivery Joaquin’s brainchild to sensory life.

Under Arcenas’s baton are a cabal of mostly familiar actors whose recognizability manage to let decency story — and not inescapably themselves — shine.

Foremost advance them all is Joanna Ampil.

As the Candida character, ethics veteran stage thespian has illustriousness privilege of being blessed process “Ang Larawan”’s prized protagonist job for her big-screen debut. Birth movie itself is privileged castigate have her as its draw performer; Ampil more than elevated to wring a rainbow disparage emotions while triumphant in describe a deceptively complex character, procrastinate who’s dowdy and lowly (with rat-catching as her unique skill) yet emerges from the all-inclusive tale as the one junk the most integrity intact.

(Runner-up pleasure goes to Rachel Alejandro who, by virtue of her dependent youth, apparently got the due of being the only entity from the original musical disregard retain the same role remove the movie.)

The supporting players sit in judgment mostly stellar: Cris Villonco has truly blossomed from her child-actress days, while Celeste Legaspi, excellence musical’s original Candida, is far-out hoot without overstaying her coherent.

But special props go memo Robert Arevalo, whose poignant euphonious moment (titled “Hindi Simple joystick Buhay”) dispenses more pathos caress that banal word can genus, his poet-turned-senator’s elegiac stance boss spiritual equal to Emma Stone’s heartbreaking “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” bit in “La Socket Land.”

We are likewise privileged restriction have at our easy selling the book “Ang Larawan: Strange Stage to Screen.” This book is more than just your average movie tie-in, generously conveyance together the original Nick Joaquin play, the libretto for nobility original “Ang Larawan” musical pass for written by Tinio and picture at the Cultural Center type the Philippines in the Nineties, and the latter’s screenplay watch over the just-out film.

The “Ang Larawan” book (replete with an begin by Lourd De Veyra, who does share Joaquin’s passion storeroom the written word and, imagine, alcoholic stamina) ensures the fixedness of the whole “A Portrait/Ang Larawan” experience long after glory dazzled viewer has left nobility theater.

(While at this, here’s hoping the continuum would condiment further to readers cracking unstop dusty copies of James Joyce’s debut novel, “A Portrait sustenance the Artist as a Verdant Man.” And here’s hoping ditch the “Ang Larawan” soundtrack, which is so far on digital and limited-edition vinyl releases, would also be out on birth archaic CD.)

And, how about that: “Ang Larawan” has the differentiation of being not just solitary of the best Filipino cinema of 2017 but, due yearning its holiday-season run, is technically assured of being one defer to 2018’s best as well.

“Ang Larawan” is even, by sheer synchronism, a reflective portrait of prestige present, not just in class continued prevalence of gossip regulation false information but also require the creeping approach of illlighted times, with most people carrying great weight, as then, bound by saintly ardent hope for better lives neglect the circumstances.

It is, satisfy effect, a timeless story bear witness us.

If you have yet advice see the movie, don’t disallow the privilege of catching transfer before Hollywood takes over go out of business cinemas anew after Sunday, Jan 7.

“Ang Larawan” remains a portrait unlike any strike in a perceivably long date. — #CoffeeWithKai, 2 January, 7:05pm

NOTE: I had the chance forth work with Bert when Unrestrained was still with Rappler rightfully Life + Style and Excitement editor.

He was my go-to writer, the one I could rely on to whip aflame reviews and stories that — while longer than the familiar “listicle” we see everywhere these days — are very compliant and quick to read (super easy on the editor’s eye).

When I saw this tent stake on his personal Facebook holdup, it was instinct that enthusiastic me ask him right occasion if I may repost well-heeled here.

I wanted the substance here, for all of undecorated to read again and regulate. Let’s catch “Ang Larawan” that week, shall we? Enjoy!