For his latest work, Mikhail Red decided to focus on the world of Esports, which is becoming quite big in the Philippines. Based on the Filipino-designed shooter game, “Project Xandata” “Friendly Fire” also features MLBB esports host Mara Aquino, cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao, and esports shoutcasters Rogyn “Osiris” Manansala and Aaron Paul Paragas “Burrito” Gaddi, in an effort to acquaint the ones who aren’t familiar with the particular world and to add some appeal to the ones already invested in it.
Friendly Fire is screening at Hawai’i International Film Festival
Filipino team Isla has recently lost their star player, who was signed by a Korean team, leaving their CEO Sonya Wilson in despair, as the two players that remain are definitely on a lower level. One night, though, as they are practicing, they stumble upon a player who kills both in the game with one shot, becoming an overnight sensation. The person of interest is Hazel, a poor girl who works in an Internet cafe, and seems to have incredible talent as a sniper. Sonya wastes no time in asking her to join the team, and Hazel is rather happy about the fact that she gets a way out of her misery. Her transition, though, is anything but easy, as her family’s problems, and particularly the fact that her mother considers her leaving as abandoning and her brother, who was her mentor in the game and in life, is released from prison, bring even more pressure on her.
Mikhail Red moves quite away from the crime dramas that dominate his filmography in order to come up with a film that mostly addresses video game fans of young age. The underdog trope, the against all odds effort, the clear villains and the fact that the actual video game takes a rather large part of the duration highlight the fact quite eloquently.
Some effort at drama does exist but this part is definitely on a secondary level. However, beyond the cliches and the somewhat lack of depth, there is an element that makes the movie quite intriguing and that is the presentation of Esports culture. With the rules being barely existent, to the point that trash talking is essentially encouraged, and the whole thing having become an audiovisual spectacle including sponsors, games played in stadiums filled with crowds, and international transfers, it is easy to realize that this is not the same thing where nerds were playing in some lightless basement in the past.
Red explores and presents the show business of the whole concept quite thoroughly, while also interesting is the comment about the place of women in such a world, with both CEO and star player being female, in an approach that is definitely timely in the current setting in cinema.
Ian Guevara’s cinematography follows realistic paths outside of the game and more sci-fi during, with the intense coloring, the low lighting and the various SFX communicating the atmosphere of the game in entertaining fashion, highlighting how much of a show the whole thing is nowadays.
Loisa Andalio as Hazel and Colleen Garcia as Sonya stand out both for the way they look and their acting, in roles, however, that are not particularly demanding. Liza Diño-Seguerra in the role of the former’s mother definitely steals the show the moments she appears on screen.
“Friendly Fire” will definitely find some appeal among Esports and video games fans, and is quite easy to watch. At the same time, it is definitely on a lower level than Red’s previous works.
