Danton Remoto, Manila Times, 1997

OF WOMEN AND GAY MEN

For once, the critics are right when they say that "Babae" is one of the best films Nora Aunor has done. Her acting here has the fire of her performance in "Minsa'y Isang Gamu-gamo" and the depth she showed in "Himala."

The movie, directed by Lupita Kashiwahara for Premiere Productions, begins with shots of women engaged in traditional and non-traditional jobs, from being a homemaker to a carpenter. I can hear my friends saying, "Oh no, not another boring "woman's film." It's that, yes, but it also goes beyond that.

Nora Aunor is a hotshot architect married to Mark Gil, who to put it mildly, is an under-achiever. She has a daughter (Judy Ann Santos) with her gay boyfriend (caloy Pimentel), who is now living in with another gay man (Cris Michelena). Now that's two potential houses, demanding multiple roles for a woman; as wife, as mother, as friend. But then Nora's father (Luis Gonzales) also dies, leaving her mother, Nida Blanca, in grief.

The death of Luis so early throws in bold relief one of the insights of this film. In a quietly moving scene in the graveyard, Nida talks to her dead husband, asking him to teach her how not to forget, but how to move on, wounds and all. This runs parallel to Nora's relationship with her husband. Unfortunately, Mark Gil is portrayed as too one-dimensional for comfort. I would have wanted a scene to establish the meanness of this man. Was he a brat? A philanderer to the bone? Or just plain dumb? We are not given any clues. Mark Gil is competent, but this weakness in writing doesn't give texture and modulation to his performance.

To watch Nora Aunor here is to hold your breath as long as you can. Then you breathe slowly, as this magnificent actress burns you with a scorching look, or leads you to the wells of sadness with those eyes. She is a national treasure.

Thank God Judy Ann doesn't "mew" all over the film. She can turn in a good performance if only she could control those tear ducts from flooding her moon-like face. Unfortunately, her boyfriend, Jao Mapa is also a one-dimensional character here. As in the case of Mark Gil, we are not shown why he batters women. Surely there must be a spider's web of motivations somewhere beneath the surface of our lives, making us act---or not act---the way we do. Moreover, the car chase at the end seems like a tack on. A phone call to Judy Ann's friend asking where she hangs out would have saved the film from this embarrassment.

But you have to welcome the return of Ms. Kashiwahara to the industry. She and cinematographer Marissa Floreindo frame their scenes with intelligence. Nora and her her gay boyfriend are best friends, and this summed up succinctly by the lovely painting of a man and a woman hanging on the wall in the foreground of Boston Gallery. In her confrontation scene with Mark, Nora is made to walk up a flight of stairs, then spit her venom when she reaches the landing of the stairs. The musical scoring though, can be intrusive.

I also like characterization of the two gay men. Caloy and Cris complement each other wonderfully. Please note that theirs---along with Nida and Luis---are the only non-toxic relationship in this film. Clearly they love each other, and the film shows their relationship with subtlety and tenderness. I wonder how the moviegoers reacted to this new arrangements that goes beyond stereotypes. Moreover, the gay men are successful, happy, relaxed. Cris is a computer whiz who applies for a working visa so he coulkd work in the United States. His boyfriend supports him, in stark contrast to the envy that tears at Mark Gil.

The film shows that a gay man and his lover can be fathers---and friends---to their children, whether natural-born or adopted. When Cris finally gets his working visa, we are shown a beaming Caloy. But as he walks slowly to the right foreground, sorow darkens his face. Moreover, Caloy isn't a wimp. Like many gay men I know, he will not cower in the face of danger, especially if the lives of their loved ones are at stake. I wish there would be more gay portrayals as full- bodied and complex as this.

Thus, this film celebrates not only the women but also the gay men in our lives with passion and joy. We should stop carping about the death of the industry and patronize good movies like this one. I'm sure Nora and company will bring home the trophies Saturday night, in the awarding ceremnonies of the Metro Manila Film Festival. If they don't, then I'll just go back to my cross-stitching.