By Macky Macarayan, July 30, 2013
Vilma Santos in her long and illustrious
career in cinema has her playing a stripper (BURLESK QUEEN), a dying woman
(DAHIL MAHAL KITA, PAHIRAM NG ISANG UMAGA), the other woman (RELASYON), a
superhero (DARNA), a freedom fighter (SISTER STELLA L), countless mothers
(ANAK, BATA BATA PAANO KA GINAWA, DEKADA '70, IN MY LIFE) and sometimes even a
tormentor (SINASAMBA KITA) yet what EKSTRA, her new indie film offers is
something we have never seen Vilma do- underacting. The role demands it, and
Vilma more than handsomely gives her finest performance as a bit player.
The screenplay, penned by Jeffrey
Jeturian (TUHOG, KUBRADOR), Antoinette Jadaone (SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM
LILIA CUNTAPAY), and Zig Dulay (HULING HALIK) is peppered with countless dashes
of humor, that even non-workers in the entertainment industry will find funny.
For those who work or have worked in the entertainment industry/similar media,
the laughs will be relentless. The one-liners and the sarcasm explode like time
bomb. Watch out for Vincent De Jesus (who plays the Assistant Director or
"AD" in the movie). Heck, even Ate Vi exacts her subtle brand of
humor in this movie.
For those of us working in the media,
EKSTRA hits home, chillingly home. We know how the production staff gets
irate faster than Taylor Swift can write a song about an ex-boyfriend because
they, too get scolded by their superiors. The director verbally assaults the
AD; the AD tortures the casting director and the production assistant (PA); the
PA harasses the talents and the talents cannot complain simply because they
have none under them- they are the bottom of the food chain, the lowest of the
low. Even the caterers take them for granted.
We know all of this because we've
experienced it, one way or another.
As Loida Malabanan, Ate Vi shines even
in anonymity. She is supposed to fade into the background, not outshine the
"stars" and just do what is assigned her- to be a bit player. But
even in the crowd, Ate Vi makes Loida stand out. She gives Loida the bit player
enough motivation, and a poignant love for the acting craft that she has
forever changed the image of the bit player, in the same way that she redefined
the term "mistress" when she did Ishmael Bernal's RELASYON way back.
For the director, the staff and the big
stars, Loida is a nobody. But for us, the audience, we recognize Loida's
magnanimity. Watch out for that pivotal scene in the third act where Loida, and
us the audience learns the true meaning of ingratitude in the media.
EKSTRA is Vilma's movie. We cannot
imagine any other actress for her role. At the end of the day, as Loida
descends from the jeepney, and prepares to go to bed just about when everyone
is supposed to go to work, we feel exhausted. It's not the physical work that
made us tired, but the system of a dog eat dog society.
Filmmaker Jeffrey Jeturian, through
Loida exposes the hypocrisy of the thankless and unjust world of entertainment,
and after that whole bout of laughing and laughing and crying afterwards, we
are forever changed. Yeah right, like you didn't already know you were gonna
cry after seeing the trailer.
EKSTRA, in all boldness and certainty is
the best Filipino film of the year, so far. Some often compare it to Jadaone's
2011 mockumentary SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM LILIA CUNTAPAY, and I admit
that there are obvious similarities, but EKSTRA and SIX DEGREES are in
different leagues of their own. EKSTRA is the ultimate tribute to the millions
of bit players in the industry, made even more grandiose by having "the
star for all seasons" play as one of them.
RATING: 5/5
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