Very rarely one can see a Filipino “indie” film made by a foreign director who captured details of the intimate Filipino “culture”. The characters in the film were animatedly portrayed as if the director is a “native”. Because in some of the film I’ve watched before, the foreign director often failed to vividly capture the natural “authenticity” on how a typical Filipino character would portray it.
“Metro Manila”, an Indie film directed by a British Film director, Sean Elis is quite exceptional among other indie film I’ve seen before. The platform of the story is quite similar, a person’s struggle over hardships and injustices that is prevalent in the society. However, what is unique is the plot where they used the life and the everyday intricacy of an armored-van security guard. The nuances and dynamics of everyday pinoy life was shown in its purest form.
Jake Macapagal, the lead character in the story and a very familiar indie-celeb handled the character very well like it was his second nature. Jake, a veteran stage actor and Indie film actor who have displayed his acting prowess in the film such as “Aswang” and “Sa pagdapo ng Mariposa”, played the role of “Oscar”, the dedicated father and husband who will do everything just to give his family a better future.
Another newbie but yet a very promising actress, Althea Vega, displayed a very compelling role of a desperate housewife and mother, willing to go against moral-values just to save her family from starvation. Her role posses a strong character and yet a very supportive beacon of encouragement for her husband, Oscar.
The story revolves in Oscar’s family and his work as an armored-van security guard, which in the beginning, was the source of their redemption from a rock-bottom poverty state but eventually, became the bane of their lives as family. A tragic story that ended up with a cunning twist and an ultimate sacrifice that was needed to full-fill a dream.
Metro Manila will start its debut screening this October 2, 2013 in all major cinemas in the Metro Manila.
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