Considering all the talk against My Little Bossings in the previous MMFF season, you'd think that it's the scourge of the Earth, single-handedly destroying whatever good there is left of Philippine cinema.
But it isn't that bad. Most of the criticism leveled against it is that it is full of product placements, such that it is a symptom of today's mainstream cinema that puts box-office earnings as a priority instead of cinematic artistry.
I'm not here to defend My Little Bossings against this criticism, because I think it is very valid. What I don't like is how the movie's critics are judging the movie based only on these merits, most of them giving the movie the lowest score possible.
What's more confounding is how many of these critics haven't even seen the movie. They did not spend time to go to the cinema to watch the film, yet they unfairly say that it is the worst movie ever.
But My Little Bossings isn't that bad. There's a good story under the trappings of sponsor-driven mainstream cinema. It has heart.
The movie explores the strange relationship between two characters played by Vic Sotto and Aiza Seguerra. Their characters are suffer from deep sadness caused by the past events in their lives. Discovering the cause of their relationship's problem, and seeing how they try to mend each other, makes for a remarkable experience.
The movie is better than the previous Vic Sotto efforts at MMFF, those that force a fantastical story around a tired, old actor. What I like about it is how it doesn't paint Vic Sotto as a viable heartthrob. Here he looks old and haggard. Realistic.
We also see Aiza Seguerra as a viable actress, whose talent has always been ignored because of her gender. Her portrayal as a lesbian in the film is the most honest portrayal of an LGBT character in mainstream cinema to date, so it's a shame how the awful GBBT, which thrived on gay stereotypes, got MMFF's gender sensitive award.
Sure, we don't see much of Ryzza Mae Dizon and Bimby Aquino in the film, but it doesn't matter because the story is not centered on them.
(Let's just forget that Kris Aquino is in the movie. She sucks.)
But what about the numerous product placements? I can say that they are not too divert the film's message. Director Marlon Rivera should be praised for choosing to integrate these sponsorships into the movie so that they are not distracting. Most of them are chosen as backgrounds, or are products that are used within the story.
Some of these placements work. The bit about the wound disinfectant, for instance, happened to me as a child, and watching the same event play out on screen made me nostalgic. There are also a few that are annoying, most notably the bit centered on a brand of detergent powder.
My Little Bossings may feel like a movie-long commercial break, but that should not be the only basis for dismissing it. One should also consider that it presents a good story that would resonate had it not been drowned by a few ads.
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