Too Much
posted on Friday, April 18, 2008 in Movie Reviews
Manay Po 2: Overload is kitschy, brazen, and had the promise of being an honest-to-goodness comedy. Except it never delivered.The movie follows the continuing saga of Luzviminda Dimagiba (Cherry Pie Picache) and her three gay sons Oscar (Polo Ravales), Orson (John Prats), and Orwell (Jiro Manio). The family is doing much better now, and all is well until Oscar and his lover, Adrianne (Sid Lucero) decide to start a family of their own and take out an ad for a “babymaker.” While the couple busy themselves interviewing potential surrogate mothers, the more flamboyant Orson and the adolescent Orwell get into their own misadventures. Orson is desperate to find the right man-- as in right now. While riding in a taxi cab, he and his friend Cher (IC Mendoza) spy a good-looking guy. Unfortunately the mystery guy is held up and knocked down by a thug, prompting Orson to bring the guy to the hospital. The guy develops amnesia, which fits in perfectly with the lovelorn Orson's plans, and he makes an elaborate ruse to make “Marky” his perfect lover. Meanwhile, the youngest Orwell is struggling to fit in, and although being gay doesn't bother him, his deference to dressing in drag and his attraction to a girl friend confuses him. On top of that, he wants to join the Ms. Gay Universe beauty pageant, but it coincides with his beloved swim team meet!
Holding their hands through all of it is Luzviminda their irrepressible mother, who has problems of her own as well. Luz is threatened of the idea of being a grandmother, no matter how much she adores having young kids around. Also, her hunky younger husband Gerry (Christian Vasquez) is starting in the movie business and is always hanging out with the flirty Summer Rain (Rubi Rubi). But the shenanigans don't stop there. The overload comes in the form of Betty (Ruffa Mae Quinto), the ditzy, con-artist with a heart of gold. She schemes with her thug boyfriend to become the baby mama of Orson and Adrianne's child, so that they can run away with their money and jewels.
Putting all of that together is no mean feat, and even seasoned director Joel Lamangan barely gets away with it. The story lines run amok and the characters are flip-flopping all over each other. True, it doesn't attempt to hide what it really is, which is an over-the-top comedy in the traditional Filipino style, but a heavier hand in editing room would have helped this film a whole lot more.
When you have an award-winning actress, one of local tinseltown's hottest bodies and a whole team of hardbodied men caressing each other, you do not have to do much to get the movie noticed. Let's not forget the subject matter-- this movie is about gay people for heaven's sake. Listening to the local gay-speak peppering the script is more than enough to induce the giggles, but Lamangan takes everything a step further, perhaps too far in fact.
Kudos must be given to the cast and their uninhibited display of physicality and wit on the screen. Much props to John Prats who plays the most colorful character in the film and just throws himself into it. The lines were all crisp and full of zingers, and Prats put them all into good use. Jiro Manio comes in second for his honest and restrained acting. He doesn't flinch during the risque moments, and his seeming unconcern for his celebrity image makes him a rarity, especially with the current crop of image-conscious actors . Polo Ravales is the only one of the three who seems painfully self-aware in most of his scenes,but then again he was playing the straightest character of the bunch. Cherry Pie meanwhile, remains a riot. She plays the physical comedy deftly and is at ease throwing down her lines. There were reports that she was not happy with Quinto's inclusion in the film, but Picache need not worry. Quinto is a delight herself but Picache succeeds in getting more done with doing less. Quinto completely vamps and sasses herself up in the movie, and most of the hearty belly laughs heard in the theater were due to her doings. Ample figure aside, Quinto is certainly an overload in many aspects, and to her credity, she keeps the movie from getting dragged down during the “difficult” scenes.
Production wise, there isn't much to say. The score was fun and upbeat, filled with crazy side effects I haven't heard since the Palibhasa Lalake days. The film obviously adores the campy 80s, as evidenced by the extended dream sequence which had everyone in the theater doubling in laughter. The sets were kept to a minimum, possibly to serve as a foil to the wild and crazy people that inhabit the movie.
Manay Po 2: Overload has a number of good skits and laughs. But with so many things happening, things just get a little out of hand and a little indulgent, making the comedy less effective. Sometimes, less is definitely more.
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