REVIEW: Juana C The Movie

Juana C. The Movie is an admirable effort. It has equal parts comedy and political commentary, both of which are excellent.

Juana C. The Movie tells the story of Juana, a young girl from the province who gets get an education in a top private university in Manila, to save her district from the ravages of mining. Because she’s ignorant of the ways of the city, she falls prey to bad influence, who gets her neck deep in debt.

To save herself, she agrees to immerse herself in prostitution, with the help of Yani (John James Uy), who poses as her love interest. Later on, Juana becomes society’s top escort, providing her services to the government’s highest figures. But living the good life isn’t easy. When she encounters secrets that may change the nation, she is forced to make a choice.

Juana C. The Movie was borne of the viral videos of the Juana Change movement, a group that comments on political issues through social media, and other publicity-indusing actions. Some of their popular campaigns are for the passage of the RH Bill, and the anti-EPAL movement in the last national elections.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the movie has tinges of politics, despite being promoted as a sex comedy. There may be well-shot scenes of playful bed scenes and laugh-out-loud comedy, but the movie still manages to comment on corruption and the ever-widening poverty gap. It is hard to balance the movie’s two components, but Jade Castro’s masterful direction makes it possible.

The movie also succeeds because of the seasoned performance of Mae Paner, the theater actress who plays the title character. Mae may not have Eugene Domingo’s great comedic chops, but she carries enough hubris and self-knowledge to carry the movie’s hardest scenes.

The rest of the cast also fare as well. Despite problems in speaking Filipino, John James Uy aces his role as a likable love interest . Annika Dolonius shines in a small role as Juana’s kolehiyala rival. Indie actress Angeli Kanapi makes a mark as the movie’s over-the-top villain.

In spite of the movie’s high quality, it still remains to be seen if it will be an effective tool for change. Juana C. The Movie is billed as a sex comedy, so viewers may not be able to catch on to its more serious message because of this.

Then again, there have already been countless documentaries that tackle the same problem, and they do not work in rousing the public. Maybe this time, Juana Change’s brand of comedy will work.