And so ends my Metro Manila Film Fest series of blog posts.
I’ve been meaning to write about Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow since the film festival started. Seeing as it was the only traditional drama entry, I was curious to see how it was going to go against the more mass-friendly entries like Enteng ng Ina Mo, Ang Panday 2, and the always present Shake, Rattle and Roll. Unfortunately, no one wanted to watch the movie with me. So on the last day of the festival, I found myself going alone–and liking the quiet drama of the movie.
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow centers around a powerful family whose lives change after a massive earthquake. Secrets get unearthed, pardon the pun, and lives are ruined.
If there is anything not to like about the movie, is that it wasn’t longer. Well, that and Jericho Rosales’s grief-acting. When people are laughing while you’re showing despair, there must be something wrong, right? But going back to the fact that the movie is only two hours long, while servicing a host of well-rounded characters–it was… limiting.
Most of the time, my complaint against movies is the loss of characterization. In most mainstream movies, character development is sacrificed for comedy, or to service the movement of the plot. In this film, we have great characterizations for all the major players–and the problem is the lack of time. And lack of acting push, in the case of Jericho Rosales. Or maybe I was just getting distracted by his slang.
What is up with celebrities trying to sound like Americans anyway? *Insert eye roll here.*
Going back to the film; I have to give kudos to how each story thread crosses with one another. None of the stories are new–in fact, all of them are soap opera staples. But the way they were weaved together was exceptionally done that you wouldn’t mind the fact that you already knew how most of the stories would unravel. And while one of the three main storylines does end traditionally with a happily-ever-after, the other two do try to give new endings to age-old tropes.
After watching the film, I left with an impression that the movie would’ve fared better outside of the Metro Manila Film Festival. It really didn’t fit with the produced-for-the-masses feel that the other film entries had. Initially, I thought it might fare better in the Cinemanila festival, or as a director’s showcase entry in Cinemalaya. But a couple of days has given me new perspective. Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow didn’t really fit the Metro Manila Film Festival because it didn’t fit the film mold. The story structure and character development on their own was clue enough that the film would’ve been better as a soap series.
That said though, I think this is the best of the six films I’ve seen in the 2011 Metro Manila Film Festival. With Shake, Rattle and Roll 13‘s Parola coming in second, and Enteng ng Ina Mo coming in third.
