In My Life


5/5

Acting in its finest! Just when you thought a movie almost close to perfection will never be possible again in Philippine cinema, comes Star Cinema’s “In My Life” which in my opinion, is the Best Movie of 2009 and one of the Best Movies ever produced in Philippine Movie History.


Shirley (Vilma Santos), a librarian, annulled, and mother of three is a lady who has been stuck with the old ways. She’s so used to the comforts of her life’s routines that she has blocked any new changes in her life and in the lives of the people around her. Everything has evolved with time except Shirley. But her life soon welcomes change when she moved to New York and lived with her gay son (Luis Manzano) and his partner, Noel (John Lloyd Cruz). As Shirley adjusts to life in New York, unconsciously, through the exquisitely deep and special romance of two men, she’s been able to open her life to a fresh new start and gradually allow change to consume her for the better.

I am trying to deduce something wrong or at least irrelevant with this film and I can’t think of any. I can’t even think of something that went wrong with this film. The script is just perfect. It’s never inadequate nor is it overly exaggerated. What’s truly remarkable about the script of this film is that it’s as real as it can get. The scriptwriter did a magnificent job for I never felt like I am watching a movie. The script’s honesty and grasp of genuine human emotions made me feel as if the scenes were really happening right in front of my very own eyes. Every line was perfect. Every confrontation scenes and dramatic moments were all straight pierces to the heart. Every dialogue was just flawlessly choreographed and as truthful as it can possibly be. The plot and all the inciting incidents of the movie were properly laid down and were brilliantly executed. Director Olive Lamasan didn’t do a wonderful job but an almost perfect, unbelievably great direction. The execution of the film’s dramatic voice was breathtakingly awesome! Every scene was perfectly placed in its right sequence. The editing and the entire motion factor were just excellent in every aspect of the film.

You would expect that the milieu or what we call the general feel of the movie is just a tear jerking, overly dramatic feel but what a perfect offset to the heavy drama are the sensible humor carefully intertwined with the story’s narrative. Also, this movie’s realistic narrative and story telling is superb beyond any description I can possibly think of.

Also, I have to mention that one of the best characteristics of this movie is the exceptional character building especially with the core characters. The fictive world of the movie is very much humanized because of the excellent character building. The Core Characters’ internal and external conflicts were properly ironed out even their quirks which are a very very important aspect of character building to create character hooks.

I can go on and on and on pointing out all the best qualities of this movie, “In My Life” but I think everyone will agree with me that the biggest come on of the movie, is the acting of the three major characters. For two hours I didn’t saw Luis Manzano, John Lloyd Cruz, and the great Vilma Santos. I was so drawn to their characters and they gave life to their respective characters in such a way that the audience will totally forget that they’re only portraying fictitious movie characters. WOW! And again I say WOW to acting in this movie.

Luis Manzano is the biggest surprise of in terms of acting. We know Luis as a good host and comedy actor but a dramatic actor? Some may have doubts; some may even raise an eyebrow. But lo and behold, he can act. He can cry. As a matter of fact one of the scenes that made me cry was when he was apologizing to Ate Vi in the park for once again disappointing her as a son. For his first dramatic movie, Luis Manzano did a good job!

John Lloyd Cruz is without a doubt one of the best if not the BEST ACTOR of this generation. He is the only actor who has the right to spit on Christopher de Leon’s (Maging Sino Ka Man, 2007) face and slap Vilma Santos in a scene. I bow down to this man. Wow! Every facial expression, every gesture, every dialogue, this man… this actor… has perfected his acting in front of the camera. He deserves every aspect of success his career can ever achieve for without a doubt, he is one of the finest actors in Philippine Movie History. Again allow me to say, JOHN LLOYD CRUZ IS JUST THE BEST!

I am a true-blue Vilmanian ever since I was a kid and liberating myself with any biases, I believe every Filipino, and even a Noranian can never deny the fact that MS. VILMA SANTOS is one of the GREATEST ACTRESSES in the history of Philippine Cinema. A VILMA SANTOS only comes once in a lifetime! WOW! ATE VI never fails to leave moviegoers in awe. Just when I thought she has already showcased her acting prowess in its every dimension of it with her tons of past movies, I am so wrong! Her acting in this movie is not only new but mesmerizingly inexplicable no matter how I turn my head around. She doesn't even need to cry hysterically but you can feel every bit of her character’s pain. She flawlessly gave genuine emotions to Shirley’s character in every body movement, dialogue, facial expression, etc. WOW! Just WOW! To everyone she’s The Star for All Seasons but to me, SHE IS THE ACTRESS! THE GREATEST of them all!

I believe it’s about time a story like this penetrates mainstream cinema. Gay relationships are so profuse nowadays that it deserves a serious narrative that’ll show the ups and downs, the genuineness, and the sincerity of gay romance. This is another look to gay relationships. Totally veering away from just the comedy dimension mainstream Philippine cinema has created for it or the indie movie understanding that gay relationships are just all about sex. It’s about time gay relationships are taken seriously in Pinoy movies. And maybe, I hope, this is one vehicle for Filipinos to see relationships of this kind as nothing but just the same as heterosexual relationships and treat it with proper respect that it deserves.

I watched this movie in its opening day, I’ll watch it again this Sunday and yes, I can get enough because I’ll still secure a copy when the official DVD is released. “In My Life” is the kind of movie that no one should ever dare to miss. It’s not every year that a movie as good as this will be produced. It’s not every year that a movie produced is as worth watching as this one. If there’s one movie you shouldn’t miss in your entire life, it’s this one. You’ll be missing a lot if you never watch this movie. It’s one of the BEST!

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