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REVIEW: "Sidhi"
Lito B. Zulueta
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1999
THE ULTIMATE NORANIAN MOVIE
"Sidhi," the new Nora Aunor movie, is a prime example of the actress'
majestic range of achievements. She is certainly one of the most
gifted to grace the screen.
Depending on who's watching, too, the movie may also show the
pitfalls of extreme fan adulation of its makers, certainly among the
most fervent of Nora Aunor cheerleaders.
Based on the late Rolando Tinio's Palanca-winning teleplay expanded
into a movie script by Ricky Lee, "Sidhi" is the engaging story of Ah
(Aunor), so called because she's mute and can only utter the first
syllable of her name Anna.
He private world is filled with conversation with her late mother and
play-acting with scarecrows.
Her father (Ray Ventura) is dying and is intent on marrying her off
so that someone can take care of her when he's gone.
Enter Miguel (Albert Martinez) a traveling middleman who, lured by
her modest land inheritance, agrees to marry her. She's delighted and
promptly sets up a scarecrow in the field to honor her husband.
In the absence of her traveling husband, Ah meets Mayang (Glydel Mercado), and
they become fast friends.
Accompanying Mayang to her house one day, Ah chances upon Miguel and
learns he's also married to her new friend. It's only a matter of
time before Miguel can bring Mayang to Ah's house.
Angered at first, Ah cozies up to the scandalous cohabitation, even
setting up three scarecrows in the field to represent her ideal
household. She even has herself crucified on Good Friday to atone for
her sin of accommodation.
But when Miguel tries to play a dirty trick on her to make her sell
the land, Ah fights back.
**Unsustained thesis**
As a mute, Aunor deftly turns into acting greatness the
circumscriptions that come with the role. She makes full use of her
expressive face, particularly her fecund eyes, to etch an array of
emotions and turn worldlessness into something eloquent.
Under Joel Lamangan, a fine actor's director, Aunor gives a sublime
performance, easily one of the hallmarks of her long and spectacular
career.
Perhaps it's a mark of her greatness that Aunor excels, despite a
material hobbled by either over ambition or thoughtlessness. Although
tackling the rather constricted topic of an unorthodox love
triangle, "Sidhi" lacks focus and meanders.
For example, the setting in the 1950's is very artificial and
awkwardly established by the introduction of a Huk character, killed
off soon by the authorities, to be a telling comment on the agrarian
troubles of that era. But the thesis is never sustained.
Worse, it is undermined by the character of Miguel, a penniless but
ambitious man who attempts to rob the mute peasant of her land. The
poor prey on the poor, the movie appears to say, and in one fell
swoop, the agrarian dilemma is trivialized.
Perhaps it is overreaching that dooms the movie.
**Needless words**
After setting the story in the agrarian polarized Central Luzon, the
movie take son a wild fantasy flight and portrays the secret life of
a mute. In what appears to be a take-off from Emily Watson retardate
character in "Breaking the Waves," Ah is shown talking to her dead
mother, who was supposed to have been also mute, and thriving in a
private universe all her own.
But the movie again fails to convince because of its clumsiness. When
the two mute characters converse in their magical world, they
exchange needless words.
"Alam kong nalulungkot ka," the mother (Angie Ferro) tells Ah, who's
disconsolate after the death of her Huk fiance. But of course.
Aunor's character should not only be disconsolate. She should also be
appalled by the rigors she's made to go through by the writer and
director.
She's made dumb-witted enough to idolize a wife-beater and become a
consubine. She's made to plough the field like a beast of burden.
She's passed over a night for the younger and sexier spouse. She's
nearly duped into selling her inheritance. And to top it all, she's
nailed to the cross.
**Terrible scenes**
Watching all these terrible scenes unreel, one can't help but feel
that Aunor has done all of these before.
Her unconditional worship of her good-for-nothing husband smacks of
the "alalay" in "Bona." Her slavish treatment of him has shades
of "Atsay." Her disability seems a rehash of "Bakit Bughaw ang
Langit?" The spurned wife has echoes of "Bilangin Mo ang mga Bituin
sa Langit." The fact that Ah, too, is a miracle-worker (she has the
strange gift of treating sick agricultural animals) apppears like a
resurrection of Elsa in the memorable "Himala." The only one missing
is Annie Batungbakal.
Of course, the novelty here is that she gets to play Christ. But the
crucifixion has been obviously grafted to the narrative to belabor
the character's pitiful state and provide Aunor with another "high
moment" in which to show off her prowess. The fact that it's hardly
integral to the story should show that the filmmakers may be either
pulling our leg or mocking Aunor.
Perhaps the latter. Despite Aunor's many "dramatic moments," the
movie also shows gratuitous sex scenes between Martinez and Mercado,
which cause the male hormones to go haywire. How can a crucified Nora
Aunor compete with salacious sex?
"Sidhi" has flaws, but it should be seen because it demonstrates
Nora Aunor in total possession of her awesome powers. The fact, however,
that she is made to portray a role that seems a parody of all the
roles that have made her name should underscore that the road to
artistic crucifixion is paved with good intentions, even by those who
call out, "Nora! Nora!"
Nora's worst enemy may be the Noranians.
Lito B. Zulueta
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1999
THE ULTIMATE NORANIAN MOVIE
"Sidhi," the new Nora Aunor movie, is a prime example of the actress'
majestic range of achievements. She is certainly one of the most
gifted to grace the screen.
Depending on who's watching, too, the movie may also show the
pitfalls of extreme fan adulation of its makers, certainly among the
most fervent of Nora Aunor cheerleaders.
Based on the late Rolando Tinio's Palanca-winning teleplay expanded
into a movie script by Ricky Lee, "Sidhi" is the engaging story of Ah
(Aunor), so called because she's mute and can only utter the first
syllable of her name Anna.
He private world is filled with conversation with her late mother and
play-acting with scarecrows.
Her father (Ray Ventura) is dying and is intent on marrying her off
so that someone can take care of her when he's gone.
Enter Miguel (Albert Martinez) a traveling middleman who, lured by
her modest land inheritance, agrees to marry her. She's delighted and
promptly sets up a scarecrow in the field to honor her husband.
In the absence of her traveling husband, Ah meets Mayang (Glydel Mercado), and
they become fast friends.
Accompanying Mayang to her house one day, Ah chances upon Miguel and
learns he's also married to her new friend. It's only a matter of
time before Miguel can bring Mayang to Ah's house.
Angered at first, Ah cozies up to the scandalous cohabitation, even
setting up three scarecrows in the field to represent her ideal
household. She even has herself crucified on Good Friday to atone for
her sin of accommodation.
But when Miguel tries to play a dirty trick on her to make her sell
the land, Ah fights back.
**Unsustained thesis**
As a mute, Aunor deftly turns into acting greatness the
circumscriptions that come with the role. She makes full use of her
expressive face, particularly her fecund eyes, to etch an array of
emotions and turn worldlessness into something eloquent.
Under Joel Lamangan, a fine actor's director, Aunor gives a sublime
performance, easily one of the hallmarks of her long and spectacular
career.
Perhaps it's a mark of her greatness that Aunor excels, despite a
material hobbled by either over ambition or thoughtlessness. Although
tackling the rather constricted topic of an unorthodox love
triangle, "Sidhi" lacks focus and meanders.
For example, the setting in the 1950's is very artificial and
awkwardly established by the introduction of a Huk character, killed
off soon by the authorities, to be a telling comment on the agrarian
troubles of that era. But the thesis is never sustained.
Worse, it is undermined by the character of Miguel, a penniless but
ambitious man who attempts to rob the mute peasant of her land. The
poor prey on the poor, the movie appears to say, and in one fell
swoop, the agrarian dilemma is trivialized.
Perhaps it is overreaching that dooms the movie.
**Needless words**
After setting the story in the agrarian polarized Central Luzon, the
movie take son a wild fantasy flight and portrays the secret life of
a mute. In what appears to be a take-off from Emily Watson retardate
character in "Breaking the Waves," Ah is shown talking to her dead
mother, who was supposed to have been also mute, and thriving in a
private universe all her own.
But the movie again fails to convince because of its clumsiness. When
the two mute characters converse in their magical world, they
exchange needless words.
"Alam kong nalulungkot ka," the mother (Angie Ferro) tells Ah, who's
disconsolate after the death of her Huk fiance. But of course.
Aunor's character should not only be disconsolate. She should also be
appalled by the rigors she's made to go through by the writer and
director.
She's made dumb-witted enough to idolize a wife-beater and become a
consubine. She's made to plough the field like a beast of burden.
She's passed over a night for the younger and sexier spouse. She's
nearly duped into selling her inheritance. And to top it all, she's
nailed to the cross.
**Terrible scenes**
Watching all these terrible scenes unreel, one can't help but feel
that Aunor has done all of these before.
Her unconditional worship of her good-for-nothing husband smacks of
the "alalay" in "Bona." Her slavish treatment of him has shades
of "Atsay." Her disability seems a rehash of "Bakit Bughaw ang
Langit?" The spurned wife has echoes of "Bilangin Mo ang mga Bituin
sa Langit." The fact that Ah, too, is a miracle-worker (she has the
strange gift of treating sick agricultural animals) apppears like a
resurrection of Elsa in the memorable "Himala." The only one missing
is Annie Batungbakal.
Of course, the novelty here is that she gets to play Christ. But the
crucifixion has been obviously grafted to the narrative to belabor
the character's pitiful state and provide Aunor with another "high
moment" in which to show off her prowess. The fact that it's hardly
integral to the story should show that the filmmakers may be either
pulling our leg or mocking Aunor.
Perhaps the latter. Despite Aunor's many "dramatic moments," the
movie also shows gratuitous sex scenes between Martinez and Mercado,
which cause the male hormones to go haywire. How can a crucified Nora
Aunor compete with salacious sex?
"Sidhi" has flaws, but it should be seen because it demonstrates
Nora Aunor in total possession of her awesome powers. The fact, however,
that she is made to portray a role that seems a parody of all the
roles that have made her name should underscore that the road to
artistic crucifixion is paved with good intentions, even by those who
call out, "Nora! Nora!"
Nora's worst enemy may be the Noranians.