ReviewofGraceland

Originallypublishedonhttp://www.asiancinevision.org/gracelandreview/MarlonVillar(ArnoldReyes),asubservientchauffeurforthecorruptCongressmanManuelChango(MenggieCobarrubius)andafamilymandesperatelywaitingforakidneydonorforhiswife’s,isnothingmorethananeverymanthatwouldbeeasilypassedbyinthebuzzingstreetsofManila.Hisinsignificantstaturegoesunnoticedevenwhenheissuddenlydraggedintothemostunimaginableturmoil.HisdaughterElvie(EllaGuevara)ismistakenforChango’sdaughterandkidnappedandworstofall,Chango’smischievousprincessisshotdeadonthespot.NowMarloncanonlykeepthetruthundertheradarofChangoandtheinquisitiveDetectiveRamos(DidodelaPaz)foreverythinghehasintheworldisatthemercyofothers.Inthefirst20minutesGRACELANDhitsyouwithhammerblowsnon-stopandthenthestoryunfolds,asthemadnesssnowballsalongtheway,withmoresecretsrevealed,andeveryoneinvolvedstrippedoffthethinlayerofinnocence.RonMoralesstudiedPhotographyinParsonsandearnedaBFAinfilmmakingatNYU.Workingasakeygripforstudioproductionsbutalwaysinspiredbyavarietyofindiegems,hewentontomakehisfirstfeaturefilmSANTAMESAin2007aboutanorphanedboydepartingforthePhilippinesfromNewJersey–alludingtohispersonaltrajectoryofhomecoming.Inhisresearchforhissecondproject,RonencounteredtheissuesofhumantraffickingandchildprostitutionthathavebeenvisibleandpressingtopicsinthePhilippines,butthecombatagainstwhichhasbeenconstantlyimpeded.Forasummerheinterviewedpeoplefromallwalks,manyofthemwerevictimsofthesetrades.“Theytoldmewhotheywereandtheytalkedaboutallkindsoffamilystruggles,”Ronsaid,“Toletthemtalkabouttheirownexperienceswasakindofsupport.”BeyondthetherapeuticlisteningRonhastransformedtherawmaterialstoanarrativefilm,becauseitwouldcopemoreindepthsandreachtoabroaderaudience.Withastrongbeliefinthepowerofstorytelling,andwithanextraordinaryimpulsetotellthestorywell,heconstructsascenariothatstudiesthebehaviorsofindividualsenmeshedinadysfunctionalsystemandintricateintereststruggles.Thedocumentaryaestheticsappliedtothehandheldcamerawork,thevisceraltextureofMetroManila’sunderworld,andtheun-exploitative,yetunwaveringapproachtothedarksubjectmatters,aredelicatelyframedwithinthesombernessofatragedy–everymovewouldpotentiallyleadtodevastationonalargerscale.Likemostcrimethrillers,Marlonisareluctantherosnatchedontoanimpossiblejourney,butthefilmalsomakesitclear,non-judgmentally,thatheisapassiveaccompliceaswellasavictim.WalaisaTaglogcockfightingtermthatcametoRonMoralesoftentimeswhenhewaswritingthescript.The“havenot”(literaltranslationof“wala”)istosomeextentonthesamewavelengthof“thedisfranchised”,butmorepoignantinitsemphasisonsurvivalthatfirstandforemostentailspossessionintheunderworld.Thereisneithertemptation,norsuperpowerbestowedonMarlonVillar,onlythebadluckthatkeepscatchingupwithhim.Justiceappearsirrelevantinthisgame.ItisaluxuryunaffordablebyMarlon,andaresponsibilitynevertakenbythepowerfullikeChango.Butintheend,thekarmicpriceispaidbythemostvulnerable:themotifofprematuredemiseorvictimizationrunsthroughoutthefilm,fromtheshockingshoot-deadofChango’sdaughter,totheheart-wrenchingexposeofthebrothelofchildprostitutes,totheveryend,whenMarlonhastowitnessthatthenecessityofbeingdishonestisimposedonandtheninternalizedbyhisownkid.WhatmakesthefilmstandoutofthecurrentFilippinocrimethrillersisitsunderstateddisplayofwealthandsex,twosubjectsthatwouldeasilyberenderedself-congratulatoryorexploitative.Ontheotherhand,Marlon’sbehaviorallogicstrappedtothenaturalismthefilmmakerenvisionsforthefilm,curbsaQuentinianunderdog’srevengefulkillingspree.AtintofturquoiseintheruralsceneisreminiscentofParkChan-wook’sSYMPATHYFORMR.VENGEANCE,astoryalsoaboutkidnappinggoingawry,organtraffickingandunrequitedindignationthatturnsflamboyantlyabsurdintheend.WhatconstituteMetroManilaintheworldofGRACELANDarethedilapidatedslums,vastdumpsites,seedystreetsandstagnantwaters,stylisticallyframed,dimlylitandcompassionatelytintedinMorales’lens.Therepressionneverhasachancetoturnintotoacarnivalesque,everymoveofMarlon,hiswordlesslessconnivance,muffledgrowlsandsilentlies,arealltiedtotheimmediateurgencytosavethefamilyandtosurvive.SecondPlaceAudienceAwardwinneratTribecaFilmFestival2012,wherethefilmhelditsworldpremiere,thesombermessageofGRACELANDanditsgenreelementsmadeitasuccessbothathomeandworldwideinthefestivalrun–“generallyspeaking”.PeopleoutsidethePhilippineshavealwaysapproachedRonwiththe“Isitreal?”kindofquestions.WhileamongthedomesticFilipinofilmaudiencewhohavebeenexcitedaboutaseriesofrecordhittingromanticcomediesin2012,“whenpeoplegettoseethefilmtheyreallyappreciateit.”Theproductionofafilmofsuchaweightonamicro-budgetisasuchrarityinbothU.S.andthePhilippines.Inthefive-yearlongmarchtogetthefilmmade,theactuallyshootwasfinishedwithin17daysinManila,thankstoadevotedcrewmixinglocalsandU.S.filmmakers,andblesseddiscoveriesoftherightlocations.Uponthefilm’stheatricalreleaseintheU.S.,asidefromtheawareness-raisingaspectsofthefilm,RonhopesthatthefilmwillalsoencouragetheFilm-Amcommunitytogobacktothehomeland:“ThePhilippineshaschangedalot.EverytimeIgoback,Iamamazedbyhowbeautifultheplacesandthepeopleare.”