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Quicktrip


Pantawid
Rebyu ni Vives Anunciacion
Inquirer Libre September 3, 2008
Review in Filipino

Written, Directed and Produced by Cris Pablo
Sept 3-9 sa Robinson’s Galleria IndieSine
Rated R, gay film

May karapatan bang lumigaya ang breadwinner na bakla? Ito ang gustong sagutin ng pelikulang Quicktrip ni producer-director Cris Pablo, isa sa mga pinakaunang filmmaker na nagrelease commercially ng digital film sa isang sinehan nang itanghal ang Duda/Doubt sa SM Megamall noong 2003.

Masasabing isang unresolved study ang Quicktrip tungkol sa sitwasyon ng mahirap na bakla na hindi nakapaglaladlad dahil sa pangangailangan ng mga taong umaasa sa kaniya. Isang hamak na waiter si Cris (Topher Barreto) na pinagkakasya ang karampot na kinikita para sa gamot ng sakiting ina, upa sa maliit na bahay, pagkain, pamasahe at pambaon ng dalawang nakababatang kapatid. Hindi nila alam na bakla si Cris. Kung may tira sa sahod, ipinanlilibre niya ito sa call center agent boyfriend na Dexter (Ian Atocador).

Magse-celebrate sana ng monthsary ang magboyfriend, pero dahil sa financial situation ni Cris, hiwalayan ang kalalabasan ng dalawa. Bago matapos ang araw, maghahanap ng kapalit ni Dexter si Cris, maghahanap ng pansamantalang kalaguyo kung kailan sana masaya sana niyang kasama ang kasintahan. Makikilala niya si Andro (Andro Morgan), na akala mo’y hulog nang langit kay Cris. Ngunit sa huli, babalik si Cris sa bahay, uuwi nang mag-isa at sugatan

Simple lang ang paglalahad ng kwento, baguhan ang lahat ng tauhan sa pelikula kaya wala namang expectations nang manood ako. What is impressive ay ang pagka-natural ng mga pangyayari, walang malalaking drama kahit na sabihing over-acting ang ilan sa mga actors dito. Makatotohanan ang dialogue, kahit na minsan hindi convincing ang delivery ng mga baguhang actors. Promising na rin ang bidang si Topher Baretto for a first-time actor. Technically, may improvements na si direk Cris Pablo from previous movies (gaya ng CinemaOne comedy, Metlogs: Metrosexual Jologs), at mas malinaw na ang storytelling niya ngayon.

However, there is nothing exemplary in the movie, at wala akong nakitang dahilan kung bakit kailangang itago ni Cris ang kaniyang seksuwalidad sa kaniyang pamilya.

Sa Quicktrip, makikitaan ng improvements si Pablo in terms of directing and treatment, pero masasabing variation lang ito ng mga nauna niyang tema tungkol sa identity at relationships ng mga bakla. Hindi naman ito pelikulang hubaran lang, although may isa itong love scene na integral sa premise ng kwento.

Pero hindi dahil gay film ito’y hindi na pwedeng irebyu sa pahayagan. Dahil ba gay, bawal na? Ito ang tanong ng katauhan ni Cris sa lipunang pumapalibot sa kaniya. Kung nangyari, walang pinagkaiba ang pagsasantabi ng gay film sa mainstream newspaper sa pagtatago ni Cris ng kaniyang seksuwalidad sa kaniyang mga kamag-anak.

Tuloy, ang isang simple at cheap na pelikula tulad ng Quicktrip ay nagiging makabuluhan dahil sa honesty ng filmmaker na maghayag ng punto de bista. Gaya ng sinasabi ng titulo, sandali lang ang malisya dito.

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