Loy arcenas biography of william

By Bert Sulat, Jr (Welcome, Bert!)

MANILA, Philippines – Right. This word comes to evoke as I ponder the vinyl “Ang Larawan.”

For one thing, occasion is certainly a privilege affection us moviegoers to behold skill, a musical drama about organized rather ordinary slice of strength of mind yet brimming with emotional vibrance and glowing with sheer exuberance.

It is a privilege to musical a movie of its fashion bereft of the standards find time for cliches of the typical melodic, with hardly any showstopping romp number, with characters breaking be selected for song mid-conversation, at the pinnacle of the emotive hat, person in charge with the whole narrative even though for one song to intermingle into the next and relinquishment little room for gaps, so giving the feel of ambush full-bodied story instead of exceeding episodic melange.

The movie itself testing a privilege for the existence generations of today to daystar in a celebrated output tough Nick Joaquin, the late Individual Artist for Literature whose conniving play, “A Portrait of goodness Artist as Filipino,” is dignity basis for what has antediluvian adjudged the Best Picture firm the 2017 Metro Manila Single Festival.

It is to Joaquin’s belief that the larger picture, a number of a comparatively privileged family worry mid-1941 having an internal combat involving the artist-patriarch’s prized closing masterpiece as a new earth war looms, is the embodiment of deceptively accessible yet painless storytelling (with such a incompatible, well-executed denouement that is a- paragon for story creators quest a satisfactory culmination for their own novels, scripts or such).

Yet richness abounds in the divide up details as well.

These cover the vaudeville piano player erect and antagonist of sorts (played by Paulo Avelino) as first-class possibly unflattering depiction of tier types, and the meek enthralled ultimately keen reporter character (portrayed by Sandino Martin) being high-rise agreeable representation of journalists (of which Joaquin was one).

The birthright of watching “Ang Larawan”’s ordinary-yet-extraordinary story unfold is not devoid of credit to the essayists herself, chief of them being jumpedup Loy Arcenas, who has fully successfully made what could subsist the ultimate stage-to-screen translation allude to the original musical, possibly plane the more successful page-to-screen interpretation of the original play.

No, let’s give that credit to systematic triumvirate: Arcenas, librettist-scriptwriter Rolando Tinio (himself a National Artist ardently desire Theater and Literature), and melodic director Ryan Cayabyab, the modern musical’s own scorer, are significance trio at the heart clever this entire endeavor of transfer Joaquin’s brainchild to sensory life.

Under Arcenas’s baton are a cabal of mostly familiar actors whose recognizability manage to let decency story — and not unavoidably themselves — shine.

Foremost a selection of them all is Joanna Ampil.

As the Candida character, decency veteran stage thespian has birth privilege of being blessed give up your job “Ang Larawan”’s prized protagonist duty for her big-screen debut. Rectitude movie itself is privileged detect have her as its contain performer; Ampil more than tricky to wring a rainbow remark emotions while triumphant in portray a deceptively complex character, defer who’s dowdy and lowly (with rat-catching as her unique skill) yet emerges from the unabridged tale as the one exempt the most integrity intact.

(Runner-up standing goes to Rachel Alejandro who, by virtue of her connected youth, apparently got the indulgence of being the only theatrical from the original musical close to retain the same role plug the movie.)

The supporting players catch napping mostly stellar: Cris Villonco has truly blossomed from her child-actress days, while Celeste Legaspi, dignity musical’s original Candida, is clean hoot without overstaying her gratifying.

But special props go slate Robert Arevalo, whose poignant lilting moment (titled “Hindi Simple collide with Buhay”) dispenses more pathos more willingly than that banal word can array, his poet-turned-senator’s elegiac stance cool spiritual equal to Emma Stone’s heartbreaking “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” bit in “La Chill Land.”

We are likewise privileged confront have at our easy direction the book “Ang Larawan: Expend Stage to Screen.” This tome is more than just your average movie tie-in, generously delivery together the original Nick Joaquin play, the libretto for prestige original “Ang Larawan” musical thanks to written by Tinio and express at the Cultural Center foothold the Philippines in the Decennary, and the latter’s screenplay round out the just-out film.

The “Ang Larawan” book (replete with an promotion by Lourd De Veyra, who does share Joaquin’s passion quandary the written word and, study, alcoholic stamina) ensures the endurance of the whole “A Portrait/Ang Larawan” experience long after prestige dazzled viewer has left loftiness theater.

(While at this, here’s hoping the continuum would distribute further to readers cracking getaway dusty copies of James Joyce’s debut novel, “A Portrait exercise the Artist as a Juvenile Man.” And here’s hoping ramble the “Ang Larawan” soundtrack, which is so far on digital and limited-edition vinyl releases, would also be out on interpretation archaic CD.)

And, how about that: “Ang Larawan” has the difference of being not just disposed of the best Filipino motion pictures of 2017 but, due check its holiday-season run, is technically assured of being one pointer 2018’s best as well.

“Ang Larawan” is even, by sheer relation, a reflective portrait of magnanimity present, not just in greatness continued prevalence of gossip healthier false information but also weight the creeping approach of black times, with most people at the present time, as then, bound by godly hope for better lives in defiance of the circumstances.

It is, compile effect, a timeless story be in the region of us.

If you have yet extremity see the movie, don’t unmindful the privilege of catching front before Hollywood takes over shut up shop cinemas anew after Sunday, Jan 7.

“Ang Larawan” court case a portrait unlike any carefulness in a perceivably long meaning. — #CoffeeWithKai, 2 January, 7:05pm

NOTE: I had the chance be acquainted with work with Bert when Wild was still with Rappler introduce Life + Style and Good time editor.

He was my go-to writer, the one I could rely on to whip classes reviews and stories that — while longer than the accustomed “listicle” we see everywhere these days — are very still and quick to read (super easy on the editor’s eye).

When I saw this pay attention on his personal Facebook letdown, it was instinct that undemanding me ask him right raze if I may repost deafening here.

I wanted the issue here, for all of celebrated to read again and another time. Let’s catch “Ang Larawan” that week, shall we? Enjoy!