C1 ORIGINALS 2018: Review of PANG-MMK: Funny Fracas at a Funeral

October 15, 2018

In 1999, the story of 10-year old Janus Lopez and his family was featured on the TV drama anthology MMK (or "Maalala Mo Kaya"). In that episode, entitled "Origami," his father Jun, a movie scriptwriter, left their mother Celia to live with his mistress Alora. 20 years later, Janus, now a theater actor, wrote MMK again to relate an update about their family story. When his father, already a noted action director, succumbed to a heart attack, Janus had to be the one to take charge of the contentious funeral arrangements.

Neil Coleta was not the original child actor (Alwyn Uytingco) who played Janus in the 1999 episode, but he was supposedly the actor of choice of the letter writer to portray his role. To his credit, Coleta was able to carry the whole film on his shoulders as the central character who had to contend with the wacky people at his estranged father's wake, account for the finances for the burial and keep his sanity throughout the whole crazy process. Coleta was consistent with Janus's sassy gay persona throughout, never losing a beat at any time.

Nikki Valdez returned to play the role of the eldest daughter Luisa, who had grown up to be a loud, overly dramatic, potty-mouthed housewife. Her current pregnancy (her 7th) was not stopping her from chugging down one family-sized bottle of Red Horse beer after the other, cursing like a sailor at anybody who she thought was not welcome to her father's wake. This was a scene-stealing, attention-grabbing role for Nikki because her voice was decibels louder than anyone else in the film.

The original actors who played their parents are also back. It was good to be reminded how they looked like twenty years ago. Joel Torre came back as the corpse of Director Jun Lopez. He actually played dead very well, not breaking out in laughter despite the histrionics going on around him in that morgue. Great looking funeral portrait he had! Cherrie Pie Picache again played the role of Mrs. Celia Lopez, who was conveniently abroad touring various cities in the USA during the funeral. It was not clearly indicated how she got the money to be constantly touring the world.

Ricky Davao hammed it up to play Senator Lon, who used to be a movie actor launched to super-stardom by the King Cobra action/bold film series written and directed by Jun Lopez. That bit about King Cobra 4 was a bit too repetitive, but sort of saved by that final time when it was mentioned. Jojit Lorenzo and Agot Isidro (CinemaOne Originals Best Actor and Best Actress last year for "Changing Partners") played various funeral parlor staff who handled the casket, makeup, urn and columbarium niche. 

Marife Necesito, as mistress Alora, was just seen crying through the whole week of the wake, with no line of dialogue given her to explain why. At least young Ricel Vito, as her daughter Girlie, got to say a few words. Zeppi Borromeo played Janus's supportive best friend Boyet. Of course, since Janus was a young gay guy, there were handsome hunks Anjo Damiles and Erik Gudelano, Jr. for him to flirt with. Not to be forgotten is the appearance of Ms. Charo Santos herself as the MMK narrator, as only she can do it. 

John Sweet Lapus was one of the writers of the original script of "Origami" in 1999, along with Jun Lana and Don Michael Perez, both of whom had become film directors since then. Now, Lapus had the bright idea to write a sequel of sorts for the story and took on the directorial mantle himself for the first time with promising results. His signature brand of broad noisy comedy was clearly stamped over it. Lapus even wrote the lyrics to the original song played over the closing credits sung by a ghostly Kakai Bautista.

 "Pang-MMK" reminded me of "Crying Ladies" (Mark Meily, 2003) and "Ded na si Lolo" (Soxie Topacio, 2009), films in that particular niche of macabre comedy that humorously dealt with Filipino behavior and traditions during funerals. It may have been a bit rough or too over-the-top at certain spots, but overall it was engaging, good-natured (well, except maybe for Ate Luisa's endless profanities) and a lot of fun to watch. 6/10.