Sometimes summer nights call out for a deep dive into nostalgic cinematographic homages. “Manila”, a 2009 movie directed by Adolf Alix Jr. and Raya Martin, might be just the perfect choice, accompanying us with an ode to Filipino cinema. The film was screened as part of unique, out-of-competition screenings at the 31st Moscow International Film Festival and the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.
By independent directors Raya Martin and Adolfo Alix Jr., the movie pays their homage to masterpieces of Filipino neorealism “City After Dark“, also known as “Manila by Night” (1980) by Ishmael Bernal and “Jaguar” (1979) by Lino Brocka. The project perfectly succeeds in its goal to open the door for a new audience to learn about the wonderful works of the old masters.
The social environment that Manila provided for those topics hasn't changed all that much in the last three decades, after all. A disconnected, dialogue-free montage separates the two short films, which are essentially one long one. Each one is a compressed story that lasts less than 90 minutes and covers a time span of less than 24 hours.
The first part stars Piolo Pascual, one of the movie's producers, playing heroin addict William. The straightforward narrative follows his lengthy day's trek to his next heroin fix. In the second, Pascual reprises his role as Philip, a bodyguard. Philip thinks his boss sees him as a family member, but following a shooting, he understands his real value to his boss. Another tale in between follows the brief, essentially happy existence of Barry, a politician's son played by Jay Manalo, and his devoted sidekick. But the latter finds himself being “kicked aside,” as it were, and worse, for merely going above and beyond the call of duty during his work.
By naming its protagonists William (after actor William Martinez of “Manila By Night”) and Philip (after Philip Salvador, the main lead of “Jaguar”), the movie alludes to the works of Brocka and Bernal. In the first tale, Martinez appears in a cameo role as a taxi driver. With nocturnal visuals that should be recognizable to anyone who has dared to wander through the capital's cluttered streets in the early hours, the opening sequence instantly bares the city's essence and establishes its tone and rhythm. The entire movie was shot, or at least rendered, in stark black and white, while the band Radioactive Sago Project provided the background music.
There is no avoiding comparison when rookie directors engage in film projects meant to pay respect to established artists. Following the masters' example too much would be to give in to inauthentic writing. Directors Alix and Martin have, in some way, accomplished the pinnacle of tribute to the past masters while managing to depict two original and genuine stories.
