Movie No. 43 (Cinemalaya 2018): LIWAY

Liway (2018)
Director: Kip Oebanda
Cast: Glaiza De castro, Dominic Roco, Kenken Nuyad, Soliman Cruz
In Tagalog, with English subtitles

The best thing about Liway is the emotional buildup leading to the end credits. Other than that, the movie, in my opinion, is a letdown. This story, we'll learn seeing the movie, is very personal to the director. It's told on the point of view of a child. So, we don't expect to be presented the horrors of the waning days of Martial Law as they were. The child's mother (Day) even tries to make a normal family living while in captivity, telling her child fairy-tale-like stories to escape harsh realities in captivity. That's fine. 

The movie fails to distinguish between life in the prison for criminals and those for the so-called freedom fighters. There's one scene where the father (Ric) refuses to be transferred to the prison for the criminals. Then in one scene, Ric seeks the help of the criminals to look after the kids when he and Day are summoned to a formation of the rebels outside. It also keeps me wondering why Day and Ric always look fresh with clothes that may not be apt for prisoners.

While Glaiza De Castro is good in portraying Day despite a characterization that is wanting, Day's character appears to me as flat. She's supposed to have "double-life" - as a mother and as a freedom fighter. It's normal to be confused which button to switch on. But, I didn't feel it. I didn't see it.

Those cards before the end credits, while telling truth, is manipulative. I don't know if those cards prompted the anti-Marcos in the audience to turn the movie house into a protest rally. But, I guess, they were planted in the theater. It was planned. It was dramatic. It was gimmickry. It was annoying.

Rating: 2.5/4.0

Date seen: August 8, 2018