Mar Adentro y El Bola
Wednesday, October 12th, 2005 So there, on a Friday night - October 7, I lined up at Greenbelt 1 for El Bola & Mar Adentro. I first heard Mar Adentro(Sea Inside) from JP. (That night was his birthday and he can’t make it. He invited me to come over to their place for a simple celebration but there was a cocktail and earlier, I had already my sushi and sashimi. ).
El Bola was all about domestic violence. A beaten-up kid was able to foster a beautiful friendship with an "enlightened kid" and his family that he was finally save from his abusive father. It ends with him giving a testimony, finally giving back to his father cuss words he used to label him.
What I love about this film are those little moments of tenderness that were further articulated in the contrasting characterization of his family and that of his friend, though a case of good-and-evil, there were restraint and certain ‘freshness.’ What with the ‘good’ kid’s pop as a tattoo artist and his smart little brother.
I smiled at recognition that the actor playing an abused kid here is also the smart-aleck cancer patient in Planta 4. His acting is natural, thus, refreshing. Only that I was not able to get his name. Umm, I’ll do some little research next time. I’m sure I’ll encounter more of him at Instituto’s filmshowing on Saturdays.
Mar Adentro, on the other hand, proved to be brilliant. I wish, though, that the last part should have been shorten. ‘Yung bitin pero gets mo na.’ Para kasing masyadong na-extend ang narrative though iniisip ko rin na kelangan ‘yun to depict what end up to those characters who were left behind.
I was also sort of frustrated that the female-lawyer - who fell in love with the protagonist who petitioned for euthanasia and to whom she promised to be with him (to also kill herself) when the first copy of his book will be released - ended up having an amnesia after suffering from an equally life-paralyzing disease. Feeling ko it killed the ‘philosopizing’ aspect to which the film is heavily made of. Well, it’s a one-man’s story - a sea-lover and an expert at that who met an accident and is now bedridden - and of the people that were able to ‘connect’ their personal life-stories to his desire and plea to die. Because for him one must live with and in dignity. In absence of that, man should opt for death.
There was this poor, single mom of two who claimed to have fallen in love with him after several visits. She offered to help him act out his death, after a painful realization and acceptance that this is, indeed, what he wants for himself, that perhaps this is what it means to love him.
In love, you must deeply care for what your partner wants and needs, never mind if you don’t want and need it for yourself.
I myself have realized this after months of insensitivity: I bought him packs of Chippy - barbeque flavor - on grocery days simply because he loves it. It worked, only that in love, there are many other little things we have to take care of and the journey to forever can be exhausting that I gave up along the way. And what is left for me to savor are memories and epiphanies.
Yes, they are beautiful in its bittersweet, layered and steamy details but again, you cannot "touch" memories and epiphanies.
or else…