Bikini Open

While all the theatres in Glorietta had dedicated themselves to Star Wars Episode 3: When the Sith Hits the Fan, I went to the one and only theatre that decided to show some flexibility. Cinema 5 was showing the latest Jeffrey Jetturian film, Bikini Open.

Jeffrey Jetturian has been an amazingly clever director since the start of his career, always pushing the limits of Philippine cinema without making it totally foreign to the masses who still want their movies spoon feeding them all the information. Tuhog was an amazing romp into how the film industry exploits the victims of social inhumanity in their efforts to make a buck. He also used a love story as a backdrop for a much larger vision in the award winning and critically praised Minsan Pa.

Thus, Bikini Open, with its premise of a parody of a news reporter (Cherry Pie Picache) who decides to feature a bikini open and raise dirt to boost her falling ratings is bound to be sheer delight. And it is. Jetturian is very capable of switching his material from the actual movie to the episode of Isyu Ngayon (Cherry Pie Picache's television show) to the show itself and then, lastly into many of the hidden truths (and even one sequence where their goals and ambitions are revealed).

Great editing and a good script (courtesy of Chris Martinez) makes the movie flow quickly and doesn't dally too long with the characters. Jetturian doesn't linger on the things that don't matter. And if the characters seem shallow or stereotypical, it has to be for the movie to work. It's a parody; it's satire. The complexity comes from how funny it is and how close its portrayal to reality. In effect, it shouldn't be too far or too near. And that distance is ably controlled by Jetturian. The characters are familiar enough for us to relate to but far enough for us to laugh at.

Cherry Pie Picache, once again, shows us her amazing talent as an actress, taking this character to its lowest level. She is mean, heartless and greedy but still manages to show us that she's also desperate for a hit. Despite the one-dimensional evil that her character possesses, there is still an underlying reason for it all. And the other actors are amazing as well.

Rafael Rossell has shown great improvement since his days in Tabing Ilog. In Tabing Ilog, Rossell suffered from an inability to speak the language which made his acting seem mechanical. Behind his eyes, you could see him translating his dialogue into English so that he can react appropriately. In Bikini Open, you can see him acting more naturally. After years in the country, he has done what other foreign pseudo-Filipino actors have promised but has yet to accomplish, he has learned the language and is now a better actor for it. Kudos to him.

Alfred Vargas departs from his cardboard portrayal of Aquil in my favourite local show at the moment Engkantadia to show that there is much depth beneath the gorgeous face. Here he shows a brightness in his eyes as his character sparkles at moments of inspiration (talking about Gail played by Diana Zubiri, the girl he fancies). Alfred Vargas, with good direction, is a promising young actor with a bright future ahead.

Diana Zubiri is a fine young actress. I like her a lot alone from Engkantadia, so seeing her here was also one of the reasons why I enjoyed the movie a lot. She has a freshness to her and an unself-conscious way about her. She knows she is sexy, so she doesn't hype it up, she doesn't play it further than she must. She is focusing on portraying a character and though she may be a little off sometime, I admire her for trying. I think with more experience, Diana Zubiri may shock us yet with a bunch of good performances.

I also like Francine Prieto. Her character merely has one line she repeats over and over and while many found the ploy to be redundant and unfunny after the 5th time, I think it was very telling of how Jetturian and Martinez think about these "career pageant contestants." And Prieto does an amazing job with her Lala, whose whole life is geared towards winning beauty contests and bag a career as a model. Behind the one liner she says throughout the film, there is a deeper, darker intention that is conveyed in her eyes. Prieto is amazing.

Newcomer J.E. Sison is a breath of fresh air with eyes that actually convey thought. When Picache's reporter interviews him and prods him to talk to the camera as if the camera is his father. Sison looks away and says "nakakahiya" (it's embarrassing) but then begins to cry and pleads for his father to show up and answer his questions. This is from the same guy who, clad only in a skimpy bikini, smiles at the judges and plays to the eager looks of the audience. He is a player but he is also a poor little puppy looking for something stable in his life. He maybe a little over the top, but with more experience and some training, he's going to be a better actor than anyone expects.

And there is a wonderful supporting cast from Marissa Delgado, Michael De Mesa and Ricky Davao.

More over, I'd like to comment that while the movie did show a lot of skin, it was neither sexy nor unnescessary. Every inch of flesh was done tastefully and with meaning. There were no gratouitous nudity, no exposed breast that led to any form of pornography (be it soft-porn or hardcore porn). Kudos to you, Mr. Jetturian. Show them hacks that sensuality, sexuality and sexy has nothing to do with what is seen but what is suggested. Sexy is not a visual but an attitude.

Over all, I enjoyed the movie. I had a blast and saw the way Jetturian and Martinez had left their mark. They made their comment on our media's lust for sensationalism. They attack this inhumane display of the lack of respect for other people's privacy. It also attacks our natural attraction to nudity and the story that is not any of our business to know.

And while we laugh, we think: what exactly has been shed here? Was it the contestants clothes or their privacy? Good job, Jetturian, good job.