Masahista

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Independent

UNLIKELY

Masahista. The internationally-acclaimed and internationally-awarded film by Brillantes Mendoza is definitely a catch for indie film lovers here in the country.

A film of substance and artistry, the story revolves around Iliac (Coco Martin) the masseur, his unlikely job, his family, and his sense of yearning – for a father. The film also starred Jaclyn Jose, Alan Paule, and Katherine Luna.

This controversial yet essential film tickled the thoughts of the audience through its R-18 scenes and dialogues.

For such kind of films, the story itself of this hit indie movie is much unexpected. Unlike the usual methods of story-telling in filmmaking, Masahista’s approach was puzzling but enjoying as well. The sequencing of events is impressive, well thought of. But there would be times that viewers would be left mouth-open, hanging, because of its technique of parallelisms and flashbacks.

Coco Martin’s performance was superb here, aside from his boy-next-door looks which would definitely make girls drool over him, he rendered a character full of eminence in the world where he revolves in that makes him connect to the film straightforwardly. He was able to convince the public that he is a Kapampangan because he delivers the language very fluently, and that he was able to entice the audience with his innocent charm as a masseur in this film. Another plus would be because he has no inhibitions about showing off his not-so-perfect body for the sake of art in the movie. Actor Alan Paule proved again the local and international film viewers that he was not just a piece of junk on the bold wagon before. This man can truly act, may it be a macho dancer or a homosexual, and he was able to portray his roles with utmost performance. Jaclyn Jose was a disappointment for this film. She was a total left-out here, as though her presence wasn’t actually in the movie. She was the mother here; she played a significant role, so she deserves more exposure than the others.

Artistry is seen on the scenes of the movie. There were shots where men in their total nakedness would be seen, but it did not look pornographic at all. Instead, it turned out to be well-lighted views. After all, without those scenes, this film would be non-realistic. It was put on the movie to give more justice on Iliac’s unlikely job.

Another disappointment here was the musical score. Some sounds were not very well suited on scenes, and there were also times that sound effects would be distinguished from a normal sound – which would turn to confusion on the audience. One particular scene would be when Iliac and the relatives were putting his father’s deathbed on its final destination. There was a camera man there who took pictures, and the camera’s sound was heard – which is not good because it was distinguished as a sound effect at that precise moment. Yes, that scene was a bit off for the film’s entirety.

Masahista is a film brought to life with compelling story uniqueness and catchy packaging. For the adults and young-adults, this is a mind-opening film; it would definitely tickle one’s imagination. And yes, this is an indie film to watch for and which should not be ignored.