Vivamax: Review of BARUMBADINGS: Grilling Gay Gangsters

November 5, 2021

Even as young orphan kids from the local DSWD center, Jopay (Lance Obero), Izzy (Janrey Torres) and Rochelle (Carlo Mendoza) always got involved in fights against bullies who teased them about their being cross-dressing gays. One day, they met a fashion designer Mother Joy (Joel Torre) who tried to get them into the glamor of gay beauty pageants instead. The three young ones gave it a try but ultimately decided that pageant life is not for them.

As grown men, the three (now played by Mark Anthony Fernandez, Jeric Raval and Baron Geisler respectively) joined a gang of gay assassins led by Queenpin (John "Sweet" Lapus) who targeted men who treated gays badly. One day, there was a series of murders against prominent gay people being perpetrated by an anti-gay group called the Butchers led by Buchi (Cecil Paz). Seeing Mother Joy on the list of targets, they immediately jumped into action.

The age gaps of three child actors looked too big, so that their transition into the three adult actors was not smooth. Jeric Raval looked too much older to be the middle child Izzy. Mark Anthony Fernandez underplayed Jopay, as Baron Geisler overplayed Rochelle. Joel Torre must have welcomed this flamboyant role as Mother Joy so much, he gave it his award-winning all. John Sweet Lapus chewed his scenes as Queenpin for all their worth. Character actress Cecil Paz gets a meaty role to sink her teeth into as Buchi. 

With a comical title like "Barumbadings," this film may give an initial impression of being a senseless silly comedy about gay men. However, it actually raised a lot of serious questions about gays. Should gay men just remain quiet and accept society's taunts against them, or should they actively fight back against their tormentors? Are gays indeed the balancing force in the world, providing the softness and gentility in the steely cold world these days? 

It would also touch about the trauma a number of gays inflict on women whom they marry to save face and hide their gayness. There was also a significant time talking about how lesbians and how their problems do not get as much public attention than what gays get. Are the gays getting too noisy with their self-interests, or are they still as deprived as they think? Writer-director Darryl Yap provokes more thoughts again on his 10th project this year alone. 5/10.