Just like the protagonists of his movies, since Kiko in “Kiko Boksingero” is 11 years old and Edward in the homonymous film, a teenager, Thop Nazareno seems to grow with every film, to the point this his future path is one of the most exciting things to take place in Filipino cinema at the moment.
“Edward” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival 2020
“Edward” begins with a rather long single shot that introduces the chaotic circumstances of a public hospital in Manila. There seems to be only one doctor in an establishment where scores of patients, even the ones in critical situation, are spread all over the building, and not necessarily inside rooms. People yell at the doctor for attention but he tries to deal only with the serious incidents and the ones where political influence becomes a factor. The nurses are not enough, so they ask from patients' relatives to stay in the hospital and take care of them, a concept that, unfortunately, is not Filipino-specific, but global. In this labyrinth full of patients and doctors, young Edward and his friend Renz try to temper their boredom by racing with wheelchairs, flirting with nurses and betting on whether patients in critical situations will die. This is until the night of course, when they take their place underneath their parents' bed, where they sleep on the floor. Edward's older half-brother takes care the most serious aspects of their father's condition, but at one point, he leaves to tend to his family, leaving a hopeless Edward behind, who now has to deal with chores like bathing and cleaning his father, and expectedly, completely fails. In this intense situation, however, a ray of light appear out of nowhere in the form of a new patient, beautiful Agnes, who steals Edward's heart from the beginning. The two of them soon become friends and romance fills the air, until, inevitably, it does not anymore.
Thop Nazareno directs a story that could easily become an intense melodrama, in a way that keeps it light, funny and entertaining, without, though, stripping it of any kind of realism, of depth or of the importance of the comments it makes, in probably the biggest trait of the film. This accomplishment is achieved by having a teenager as the protagonist, with Louise Abuel presenting Edward in a naturalistic as much as nuanced fashion, with his crooked smile becoming a trademark of his performance, and, most of all, by the romance, which soon begins to dominate the narrative. aspect also benefits the most by Ella Cruz's performance as Agnes and from the chemistry of the two actors, which can only be described as excellent.
Furthermore, another combination benefits the narrative significantly. Thop Nazareno retains a sense of hilarity even in the most dramatic situations, but takes care of making his comments-accusations through small scenes and dialogue here and there. “The doctor is only here in Tuesdays, because he tends patients in his private clinic,” says a nurse at some point, while another doctor tells Edward and his brother that their father must be transported to a quarantined section, IF there is room. Furthermore, the rather grotesque episode with the cadavers adds even more to this sense, while also adds some elements of thriller in the narrative, that also benefit the entertainment offered here. Lastly, the whole of the movie makes an eloquent comment about the state of public health in the Philippines, with Nazareno's accusations being more than palpable, and also the ones that, eventually, induce the storyline with some genuine dramatic moments.
Kara Moreno's cinematography captures all the aforementioned elements in truly realistic fashion that occasionally borders on the documentary, while the couple of long takes highlight both her effort and Nazareno's direction, along with the excellent music selection. His own along with Joyce Bernal and JR Cabrera's editing induce the film with a sense of speed that suits its aesthetics and particularly the chaos and its brief breaks in the best fashion, while at 83 minutes, “Edward” does not overextend its welcome in any way.
“Edward” is a true gem, a film that manages to work in a number of levels and a testament to Nazareno's progress as filmmaker.
