A Reaction paper on the movie
"ANG MGA KIDNAPER NI RONNIE LAZARO"
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| photo from www.fdcp.com |
At the first glance when I looked and criticized the picture of the indie movie entitled, "Mga Kidnaper ni Ronnie Lazaro" made by Sigfried Barros-Sanchez, i hardly and badly needed to contemplate for I was a bit puzzled and nunplused to enter the cinema with that movie because of the turbid concept running in my mind. I was thinking pensively while staring blankly at the poster of the movie. Sort of hesitating whether to go inside the cinema or not. But I have no choice but to go because of the lack of time for I still have a curfew to hound and I am craving for a reaction paper to make.
Still thinking, will this movie be worth watching for and worth spending my precious time? Doubting because this might be just one of those puny Pinoy movies that I have seen for the 16 years of my existence. The movie might be boring, unententaining, not cool, or worst... another non sense movie. But of course, compared to the other movies produced with a huge amount of budget, sometimes, the indie films are a lot better, more sensible and have greater effects in the society and that's a REALITY, right?
But of course, I am anticipating for a wonderful and socially relevant movie; A movie which will show the reality in our country today, a movie which will shaken and reverberate the awareness of the masses.
When the movie started, all I did was to laugh and laugh and laugh. There was a chortle in the cinema. I was not alone laughing. a grotesque reaction because I, myself did the same as well.
The movie was way too far from it's title. Yes, it all happened because of the kidnapping of those aspiring film makers who wish that Ronnie Lazaro will be the actor in their sort of non sense, typical Filipino film, but the way the story happened, it is such a stupendous movie! It really made a great surprise.
This the story all about. BEBOT, a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) has been down and out of luck after the Middle East crisis, that left him jobless and his family leaving him in the process. He hatches a plan with his loser friends from Quiapo --- PIPOY, a call center agent; BOY GEORGE, a camera repairman; ABDUL, a Muslim pirated DVD seller; HESUS, a prophet of doom; and HECTOR, a former stuntman who has grown fat because of the demise of action films --- to make an independent film of their own starring what to them is the most famous Filipino indie film actor nowadays especially with the sudden boom of indie films --- RONNIE LAZARO. However, things became complicated when RONNIE LAZARO decides to beg off from acting on their supposed indie film. They suddenly found themselves accidentally kidnapping RONNIE and holing him up at BEBOT’s old dilapidated place in Quiapo. What will happen now that they have the most famous indie actor in the Philippines? Will they be able to finish their film on time? Or will the kidnapping test their bond of friendship? (http://www.fdcp.ph)
The movie did not only concentrated on the kidnapping of Ronie Lazaro. It also recapitulated what the typical movies are before and in the present as well; the reactions of the common Filipino whenever he sees a celebrity, showing that whenever a celebrity is around, he is a fan without knowing what are the movies the celebrity was in and what made the celebrity legendary, just knowing the fact that there is a celebrity. This happens often, right? I can never deny, I know the feeling. It's sort of a shame on me. For it is the reality. When there is a celebrity, national bands, actors and actresses, you easily become a fan when they are around. But when you will be asked, what are the songs they've made? What are the movies that they were the highlight and the star? What made them famous? With a saddening truth, I am an instant fan. Fan? oh, well, it is a falsehood lie. I never became one since the day that they were around.
This is just one of the things and realities that the movie had shown. But what is it like if Ronnie Lazaro is gone? Indie film will be gone dead. There will always be a disparity. Admit it or not.
There's a lot more in the movie, it also showed the difficulties that a poor film maker is facing, the impediments along their way, their act of far-seeing yet they don't know what they can do because of the lack of budget, and all they have now is the wonderful idea and marvelous movie inside their heads yet they can never make it for they have none. They have no support from anybody. It showed that film making is so hard in the first place. You may have a brilliant concept in your mind but with nothing in your pocket, you can do nothing as well but to keep that idea in your coconut shell waiting for a producer to come and support your movie.
The movie is nothing but a wonderful reality among Filipinos. After watching it, I myself wanted to make a movie. Aspiring to be like them. Despite of the difficulties, they had made a movie worth a thousand smiles and happiness. At the end, they had made a movie for the masses. The truth behind indie films. The hardships that they are facing yet after all, a great movie has been done. Two thumbs up plus a standing ovation to the movie "Mga Kidnaper ni Ronnie Lazaro." After watching this movie, all I can say is that, "PAANO NGA BA GUMAWA NG ISANG PELIKULANG PILIPINO?".
