Isagani Cruz The Philippines Herald, 1972

Taming a Superstar (A review of ‘Nora Mahal Kita’)

What happens when an immovable object meets an irresistible force?

The immovable object is Nora Aunor. Easily the biggest of past and present superstars. Nora is nevertheless still a promising actress with a very good voice. She has had the misfortune of being in films with no meaning, no art, no subtlety, no relevance, or a combination of the above. There is even a joke going around that the easiest way to earn a million is to put Nora in front of a camera, pin a white sheet or a calendar on the wall behind her, and make her sing for five minutes. The joke is rather unfair, but it brings out correctly the fact that Nora’s films have been characterized by a lack of imagination, logic, and meaning.

The irresistible force is LEA Productions. This particular company has an enviable record of award-winning films, films which have earned the praise not only of the moneymakers, but also of academicians and reviewers. In particular, LEA Productions excels in acting and directing, what with Hilda Koronel and Lino Brocka leading the way.

Immovable object meets irresistible force in O.R. Nadres’ “Nora, Mahal Kita.” The result of the confrontation is tragic.

Nora does something really commendable in the film: she sings Pilipino songs. But whatever significance this development has is attenuated by the role that Nora plays. Nora plays a poor barrio girl who turns out to be a rich woman’s granddaughter. Nadres, who wrote the story, thus neutralizes the relevance of Nora’s shift to the vernacular. Nadres seems to be saying that it is good to sing local songs, but only during idyllic retreats. In reality, one should try to be rich.

LEA Productions loses much of its reputation with this potboiler. The usual good points of a LEA picture are all missing. The cinematography is very bad (the overuse of the zoom lens is unforgivable), the screenplay is confused (the dream sequence are meaningless), the plot is contrived, the acting (except for the stage actors and actresses) is unbearable, the dialogue is inconsistent, the editing is particularly faulty.

When an immovable object meets an irresistible force, something is bound to give. In “Nora, Mahal Kita” what gives is the audience’s faith in the future of Philippine cinema.