CINEMALAYA 2014 - Mariquina Review: Not Your Ordinary Tear-jerker

If you are looking for a tear-jerker in this year’s festival, I suggest that you watch Mariquina.

However, Mariquina is not just your usual sob story as its aesthetic appeal was far beyond average. It tells the story of Imelda who finds herself and rediscovers her marred relationship with her father as she wishes to find the perfect pair of shoes for the latter's funeral.

The simplicity of the story matched with a great storytelling and visual impact made the film beautiful. Milo Sogueco, the director, did not only capture the perfect picture of a teenage girl disgruntled with the separation of her parents with reasons unknown to her, but also, the evolution of Marikina (the shoe capital of the Philippines) from an empire of shoe business that is socialized properly amongst local shoemakers until it has been demolished by foreign brands and gigantic monopolized business.

Sogueco’s extraordinary talent did not stop there as he was able to use the shoes as a representation of different forms of love in the film. He has this special skill of combining different elements to intensify or represent emotions. I could still remember the joy I felt when I learned the significance of the opening salvo of the film to the its narrative

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More so, aside from knowing where your tear glands are, he effectively injected humor for the audience not to be sucked up in the path of loneliness. I don’t know if it is good or bad but it is the kind of film that would not bother you once you get out of the theaters.  

The film’s brilliance is also attributable to the great actors and actresses behind it. Mylene Dizon establishes her name once again. The nuances, even the subtlest ones, which she delivered, were right on the dot. She knows how to bring the audience beside her for them to feel the emanation of her emotion. 

Ricky Davao’s character is the film’s condenser as he would surely make clouds of tears in your eyes while Dennis Padilla is the film’s jester which broke the ice of grief and loneliness. Both of them know how to deliver their own specialty punches – melodramatic and comedic respectively. 

Bing Pimentel’s performance only showed that her number of years in the industry honed her outstandingly. I have no words to say in the magnificent acting of Che Ramos given the fact that she has been a household name in the indie film industry. 

Barbie Forteza was the film’s surprise. Honestly, I did not have any idea of her acting prowess as I have never watched any of her shows. However, I believe that she could go far with her talent. It is just amazing how she could deliver big emotions and then shift gears.

The only thing that I did not like was the addition of the scenes between Forteza’s character and her male lover. There could have been other ways in presenting the effects of her character’s depression. It just prolonged the scene without adding spices to its delectability.

Would I watch it? Yes, if I still have time.

To check the schedules, please click this link: Cinemalaya 2014

Rating: 8.5/10   
Photo credits: Cinemalaya, lifestylehub.net