Movie No. 23 (2019): CHILDREN OF THE RIVER

Children of the River (2019)
Director: Maricel Cabrera-Cariaga
Cast: Noel Comia Jr., Rich Asuncion, Jay Manalo
In Tagalog, with English subtitles

It is very rare that we see a film about teenagers dealing with their growing pains. This film is even more interesting because of its claustrophobic setting. Elias, Pepsy, Agol, and Robin, friends in their early teens, live in an isolated community for soldiers. In practically the entire running of the film, we don't see their fathers, all soldiers currently engaged in a war in Marawi during the siege. 

Seeing the film, I was reminded of A Separate Peace, a classic by John Knowles I read decades ago.  The film takes time in showing the teens take time dealing with their coming-of-age experiences and pains. Then, a phone call disrupts their almost idyllic daily routine.

Like I said in the first paragraph, this film is a respite from the the kind of films that we see nowadays. The cinematography effectively captures the isolation that reflects on the teenagers and their mothers. The actors who play the teens are very natural, especially Noel Comia Jr., who at 14 is already showing depth in his every performance.

Rating: 4.0/4.0

Date seen: August 5, 2019