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I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie, but I'm definitely glad I saw it and I can't believe they banned it! There should be more Filipino movies like this."Tuli" (circumcision) is, strangely enough, a story about two women who live in a small village, friends since childhood, who gradually manage to fall in love. Which is not to say that it doesn't take up a number of social issues, and there are quite a few - wife/child-beating, the almost casual chauvinism towards women and equally commonplace homophobia, the way men will make fun of a guy who doesn't fit/seem macho enough and so on, but somehow these manage to become just the backdrop to the stories of Daisy, Nanding and Botchok. The movie handles these events in the same, almost matter-of-fact way Daisy does; she experiences or witnesses them everyday, but deftly tries to find a way to live a life true to herself despite them.The movie's got a wonderful, wry sense of humor. The scene where Daisy rattles off one-word descriptions of each guy's penis to Botchok is hilarious! At the same time, "Tuli" refuses to be black-and-white simple. For example, it shows Daisy's mother genuinely grieving when her husband dies, even though he used to beat them up.The scenes between Daisy and Botchok are sensual without being graphic. This is not the movie for people who want to see a lot of skin-on-skin girl play. There's no nudity, but there manages to be passion and fun. "Tuli" is not perfect. The whole pagan sub-story felt out of place, and there are points where it gets slow and seems self-conscious about being an indie art film. That said, it deserves an extra star for having been made at all. If you can find a copy with English subtitles, give it a try.
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