Ang pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Auraeus Solito

Writer:

Michiko Yamamoto (story)

Release Date:

4 April 2007 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A 12-year-old gay who comes from a criminal family falls in love with a handsome policeman.

Plot Keywords:

Gay | Criminal | Petty Criminal | Hair | Policeman

Awards:

19 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Nathan Lopez	...	Maxi
Soliman Cruz	...	Paco
J.R. Valentin	...	Victor
Neil Ryan Sese	...	Boy
Ping Medina	...	Bogs
Bodjie Pascua	...	New Sergeant
Elmo Redrico	...	Sarge
Ivan Camacho	...	Art
Lucito Lopez	...	Pulis
Sir Jett Desalesa	...	Leslie - Maxi's friend
Anastacio Cruz	...	Nar - Maxi's friend
Raychell Torre	...	Monique - Maxi's friend
Peter Anthony Tombasa	...	Peter - Maxi's friend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudine Najera	...	Janet

Also Known As:

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Philippines

Language:

English | Filipino | Tagalog

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Philippines:PG-13 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Manila, Metro Manila, Luzon, Philippines

Company:

Cinemalaya Foundation

Trivia:

Joey Pepe Smith who plays the piano man being teased by the kids is the one who scored the film.

Movie Connections:

References Anak (2000)

A comment about the elements of the movie.

I had the chance, finally, of catching ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS last Saturday afternoon at Glorietta 1.

Used to watching digital works, more or less Alma KO Na Kong No Ange MAG limitations nag movie even before I took my seat in the decently filled theater and anticipate the first reel to roll. (I say decently Dali Hindi man Ito pun, Mariam ring nonfood.) The cinematography, Dali nag shot in digital, may problem SA quality, especially during the interior and night scenes, very grainy. Pixelized pa nag. Or pa rang Kuhn SA Super 8. The scene when Maxi got the letter from Victor, obviously Natka-auto focus Ange Lent Dali fighting Ange rear SA foreground. A problem that could have been solved by either re-taking the said scene or using more adept manual camera lens operation; Na med yo unforgivable Kong abuses Lang cameraman.

Medyo irritating din for me Young MAG zooming in shots SA Gurkha Ni Maxi. Ilang bases tong giant. This passé technique Na Kincaid Lang normally SA MAG amateur, handy camera handlers, at nays Rina SA Lian noting MAG bold movies during the 80's and the pity-PTO of the 90's ya Sang very unimaginative way to make emphasis.

Most scenes are shot using hand-held cameras, and even using the protracted takes or mies en scene. Uso Ito SA video, where mas natural Ange flow nag Sang Essen Kong Atatürk Na Lang at walking Ange camera, either surrounded or NASA Gina para Hindi Na clanging i-edit. Very evident Ito SA Ubangi Essen Kong Sana SAM-seaman Jamaican SA hap-Kienan SO Maxi Kasai Ange Pamelina Nina. I can understand Na Dali saguaro SA spatial limitations, kayak halos narcotic Na Ange camerae SA MAG tao. Think NYPD Blue, like the scene mung shaken Ange bong bahs Nina Maxi.

I like the grimy vignettes showing the slums and its inhabitants. Au natural.

The audio is sometimes inaudible in a few scenes Dali nag live sound. Sana mas ma-enhance pa. The music, especially the strings, is just played at the right time. The movie is mostly quiet, and I guess that's more fitting.

Meron ding counting problem SA continuity. There was one scene Na caplet nag among SO Victor, the next scene shows him wearing shorts. At pa rang ubiquitous SO Maxi, Na tipping Nansen gad Siva SA counting Abra o may menagerie Kay Victor. Like the scene nonage Donal nag very 'lithe and fragile' body Ni Maxi Ange 'bulk at heavyset' body Ni Victor SA bahs into. Well, well…Sabik nag, if you only think of terms of plausibility SA beat Essen SA pluckily, ala Lang bubo. Anyway, cliché man Siva, Sabik nag, it can only happen in the movies.

Nathan Lopez carries the movie single-handedly. A born natural. Very perfect for the role of a 'nagdadalaga'. JR Valentin as the well-mannered and principled policeman is convincing enough save for some bland and monotonous line deliveries. Sa exchange penman Nina SO Maxi Kong apatite nag into Ange nailing pumas, para saying nabobs nag script. His best scene however for me was mung Nanjing Siva nag hulk Ni Maxi SA posing. Genuine Young surprised Nina, at Page-shake nag UL Saba git.

The 'barako' family of Maximo are all stalwarts: Soliman Cruz as the father dotes on his 'unica his' Maxi at almost every scene. Nakakabagabag Ange Essen Kong Sana sample Nina SO Neil Ryan as Bogs bang Majesty Ito nag tao. Si Ping Medina, halos carbon copy nag Tatar Nina, SO Pen. The scene where Maxi cries on his shoulder makes one feel on the pains of rejection.

The ending, contrary to public reaction, is not totally original. Obviously, the filmmaker must have taken his inspiration from the closing shot of Carol Reed's The Third Man, Kong Sana glimpsing Ni Alida Valli SO Joseph Cotten ha-bang accentual din Ito SA Saskatoon Nina Na pa rang waling Nikita.

Technical-wise, the film is flawed. Pero all in all, for a digital effort, this film is a gem. Michiko Yamamoto shows she is not just a one-shot-wonder scriptwriter. Aureus Solito is in, definitely. The film's main strength I guess is its simple, bittersweet storytelling of two figures that have the most unlikely relation – a dignified cop whose conviction is on the brink of collapsing, and an adolescent boy challenged to face his loyalties between love and family. Siguro Ito Na Lang Ange mas banyan nag pan sin nag Kremlin nag MAG jurors Kong kayak't Kalila't-Janean Nguyen Ange accepting noting MAG papery.