There is something particularly exciting about watching a film set in an environment completely unfamiliar to its audience. Metro Manila is the Philippines’ National Capital Region, with a population of around 12 million. Flanked by the mountainous Rizal to the west, and the fertile Bulacan to the north, it is the ultra-urban, pounding heart of the islands. And all this I learned from the comfort of my living room. Bless you, Google.

As such, my expectation of Metro Manila, much like my expectations of a lot of world cinema ventures, was rich colour, tremendous scenery, and difficult, even alien, narrative. I wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t entirely right, either. Sean Ellis’ Oscar nominated feature is tenderly, creatively, much, much more.

Its settings, its language, even its storyline, are foreign, but the raw themes of desperation, love, and loyalty, though not perfectly executed, are entirely universal. It’s a testament to Ellis that at no point is the audience made to feel like perverse observers of Filipino plight, and yet the director clearly appreciated that the film would never have the same impact had it been shot in his native Britain. If filmed on the streets of London, Metro Manila would undoubtedly be lost to Jason Statham-esque hammy performances, and a garish, painted faux-reality all too familiar to viewers. Instead, what we are presented with is something far less relatable, and yet, something far more real.

When their earnings working in the rice fields prove too meagre to live on, Oscar and Mai Ramirez take their two small children to the capital of Manila in the hope they can secure a better future for their small family. Needless to say, things don’t work out, and whilst Mai (played tenderly, if just a little woodenly, by Althea Vega) takes a job as an exotic dancer, Oscar (sensitive, beautiful Jake Macapagal) eventually finds work at an armoured truck company. Befriended by his erratic partner, Ong (hectic and brutally played by John Arcilla), the mortality of his new found position becomes immediately apparent to Oscar, and his determination to provide for his family begins to challenge his desire to remain honest, moral and compassionate to the world outside their various, tiny homes.

Part family drama, part buddy film, part heist; it’s difficult to identify full scenes that make the film enjoyably tense without giving the somewhat convoluted plot away. There are delightful standout moments (though ‘delightful’ may not be the right word), such as a brief, tender shower scene between Oscar and Mai, antagonistic conversations between Ong and Oscar as they discuss the right to riches, and an excellent moment when a drunken Oscar is heartbreakingly overwhelmed by where his life has lead him.

Whilst some of the acting is overly theatrical, and certain scenes wade too heavily into clichéd waters, Metro Manila, and in particular Macapagal’s performance, is also uncontrived and clever. It isn’t perfect by any means, but perhaps that’s sort of the point. After all, as Ellis’ narrative points out, neither is life.

---

We hope you're enjoying BRWC. You should check us out on our social channels, subscribe to our newsletter, and tell your friends. BRWC is short for battleroyalewithcheese.

---

Trending on BRWC:

---

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

---

---