Aishite imasu (Mahal kita) 1941 (2004)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Joel Lamangan

Writers:

Joel Lamangan (story)
Ricardo Lee (story)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

Inya, a heroine of the Philippine resistance against the Japanese during World War II, recalls events...

Plot Keywords:

Heroine | Spy | Transvestite | Gay Interest | Village Chief

Awards:

14 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Judy Ann Santos	...	Inya
Raymart Santiago	...	Edilberto
Jay Manalo	...	Ichiru
Dennis Trillo	...	Ignacio / Inya
Jacklyn Jose	...	Mabel
Iya Villania	...	Julia
T.J. Trinidad	...	Anton
Angelu De Leon	...	Maura
Neil Ryan Sese	...	Hiroshi
Anita Linda
Marco Alcaraz
Yasmien Kurdi
Tony Mabesa	...	The Mayor
Gilleth Sandico
Dante Javier

Runtime:

Philippines:107 min

Country:

Philippines

Language:

Filipino | Japanese | Tagalog | English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Philippines:PG-13

Company:

BAS Film Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Onemig Bondoc was the first choice to play the gay Ignacio. He turned down the role which won Dennis Trillo a Best Actor trophy.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Yamashita: The Tiger's Treasure (2001)

Excellent

I rented out this movie with friends and I expect that its going to be another Filipino drama movie. I was wrong.

Its rare to find these gems in the Filipino cinema. I love the way it is narrated using flashback techniques and notably, the acting done by Trillo, Santiago and Jose.

Character development is very rich which makes the viewing experience very memorable. The special effects used are somewhat mediocre (the explosion effects of the bombs dropped off from the Japanese planes) but the costumes, language ('pure' Tagalog) and yes! the vintage cars used in that era were faithfully shown.

The major aspect that I love about this film is how they achieved the 'fulfillment'that educated viewers will surely appreciate because of its multidimensional approach in achieving the ultimate objective - To tell the story!