This movie is very close to real life, the life on the streets of Manila. The protagonist has been beautifully portrayed. Never once did she rise above the reality to become a hero of any kind. The music is the soul of the movie. The bonds between Blanka and others are handled with grace. The void in Blanka's life, her soul pining for a mother and resorting to evil means to gather enough money to buy one is also shown nicely. The way she peeps into classrooms and how she sets up her place to make it cozy was a delight to watch. This one however, plays to the festival crowd. There is very little scope for this movie to rise beyond that.