"Ang love story raw nila ay
isang malaking kaso ng bad timing"
Let me borrow that line from a
recent blockbuster mainstream film to quickly identify what K'na The
Dreamweaver is trying to achieve. But don't get me wrong. K'na is much better
than "that film" as it deviates from the usual oxytocin-driven scenes
but rather focuses more on creating a solid foundation of conflict and character
building that would make someone appreciate the sacrifice done by the female
protagonist (K’na) and the undying love of her male lover.
I salute Ida del Mundo, the
screenwriter and the director, as she has the ability to recognize that in
order to make the audience grip the story, she needs to familiarize them first
of what they are about to face. Indeed, the film immersed me to the customs of
the T’boli tribe as if I have taken a visit to South Cotobato.
It might seem dragging at first (well, according to some of my co-viewers) but I appreciate how exceptional it was done. The director makes you wait for something to arise instead of quickly presenting a lame conflict which tends to fall into an anticlimactic denouement. It was like having an appetizer that makes you crave for the main dish.
Aside from that,
del Mundo's framing is lyrical that even the colors of the abaca played a key
role of the film's storytelling (I wouldn't divulge too much information, just
take a closer look on how it was used after it has been defined by Silaw). Her talent does not end there because as you munch into the lines delivered by the character most especially by K'na's grandmother, the profoundness creates an impact - in layman's term, it is "worthy-to-be-shared-in-your-status-in-Facebook".
I highly commend the actors, Mara
Lopez, RK Bagatsing, Noni Buencamino, Bembol Roco and Alex Medina for
effectively portraying their characters. Heck it is hard to pretend that you
are a conversant of the T’boli language but they were able to do it successfully
as they perfectly blended with the townsfolk. Lopez, without a doubt, is an
amazing actress who can pull off the nuances of her character as the daughter
of the chieftain. She shattered my bias image of her as a sexy half-snaked
creature in Debosyon (Cinemalaya 2013). Bagatsing was the film’s supplier of
roller coaster of emotions. He would make you fall in love, laugh and sadden.
Hands down to the pro’s Buencamino and Roco whose acting skills are still at
par. Medina, even with a little role, was able to deliver but to be honest, I
was quite disappointed that his acting prowess was not maximized (Yeah, I am his
fan. Watch Babagwa, Palitan, Ina, Kapatid, Anak).
The film’s cinematography is
AMAZING. The tight shots, long shots, aerial shots and many others did justice.
The colors, lighting and other frame elements were chosen perfectly in every
scene to catapult the emotion it would like to convey.
Overall, the film did not only accomplish to tell a great tale of a t'nalak weaver but also introduced how amazing the culture of the indigenous tribes here in the Philippines. This is a must-see! (Actually, I am looking forward to watching this film AGAIN to add more criticisms on this review)
To check the schedules, please click on this link: Cinemalaya Schedule
Rating: 8.5/10
Photo credits: Cinemalaya, pep.com
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