Barber's Tale, also known as Ang Kwentong Barbero was first shown in international festivals before being shown in the Philippines. Winner of the Best Director award in the Madrid filmfest, and Best Actress award for Eugene Domingo at the Tokyo International filmfest, the film received a unanimous 'A' rating from the local MTRCB.
Highlights:
- film set in the Martial Law era offers a multi-layered commentary on the role of women, friendship, politics in a period of rising armed struggle
- film invested in production design creating a believable setting that transports the audience to a small rural town in 1975, where rebellion against the Marcos dictatorship is starting to rise. A place where people know everyone, and where it is an effort to travel to the "bayan" (major city). In a time when women play subjects to their husbands.
- a slow start that seem to depict the unhurried rural life starts to embrace a faster cadence the same time Marilou starts to discover herself and her new role
- solid screenplay with sporadic humor that is intelligent. The ending was thankfully realistic! otherwise, it would have been a disaster. It offered a creative but believable resolution that actually ties the theme of solidarity and the role of women during in a period where men governs the country, the village and the home
- musical score that added depth
- some shots were spectacular. Like the bridge scene, where the shot was taken from the bottom. It established the bridge as a central meeting point in the film. It is where secrets are shared, confrontation made and forgiveness extended. The scene atop the rock formation where Marilou talks to the Mayor's wife was beautifully shot
- brilliant performance from Eugene Domingo, which could very well be the best performance of her career
- sterling supporting cast that includes Eddie Garcia, Nonie Buencamino and Sharmaine Buencamino. Nicco Manalo's portrayal was intense. But the most surprising was Gladys Reyes, who turned in a charming and sincere performance of Susan
Lowlights:
- did not like the sepia feel of the movie. the production design is already good, we did not think there was a need for this
- while Iza Calzado's wardrobe choices looked good on screen, her emotions did not. She was lonely, yet we found it difficult to empathize with her character
- somewhere between an open-ended and an explicit finale, the film opted for a multiple choice. Do you think the film ended a, b or c? Was it a cop-out?
Nevertheless, the film's merits completely outweighs the negatives. The storyline, the daring theme, the exceptional direction and the thoughtful screenplay, what other reasons do we need. It is a story of women empowerment. And also a commentary on the sordid state of military rule during the Marcos dictatorship. Outside Cinemalaya, this is the film the Pinoy's had been waiting for. Please please watch.
Rating: 9/10
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