Director: Sean Ellis.
Starring: Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, Althea Vega, Ana Abad-Santos, Moises Magisa.
Running Time: 114 minutes.
Synopsis: Seeking a brighter future in megacity Manila, Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal) and his family flee their impoverished life in the rice fields of the northern Philippines. Though they fall prey to the rampant manipulations of its hardened locals, Oscar catches a lucky break when he’s offered steady work for an armoured truck company. However, the realities of his new job force Oscar to confront some uncomfortable truths.
The premise of METRO MANILA is something we have all seen before – a good old-fashioned tale of a family desperate to find a better life in a city they have no real knowledge of. But METRO MANILA uses a much more realistic approach, dragging out characters’ stories and heightening plot to create a well thought-out drama.
Oscar Ramirez is the perfect bright-eyed protagonist, albeit with the strange motivation of doing a very dangerous job in the city because his daughter has a toothache. His story is completely compelling, but the character that hits you most is his wife, Mai (Althea Vega), who struggles in a horrible job just so her family can eat, all the while standing by her man.
The twists and turns come and go, but more intensified action would have given it the push it really deserved. Fighting its way between fired up action sequences and drawn-out drama, the final half an hour doesn’t know quite what it is, but other than that small issue, the film plays out brilliantly. With Sean Ellis taking on both directing and co-writing duties, the performances he gets from his leads are remarkable.
Though it takes a while to really get going, METRO MANILA will give you complete satisfaction by the end. Filled with great characters and clever twists, it will definitely capture the drama lovers.
METRO MANILA is released in UK cinemas on Friday 20th September.
