August 8, 2023
Eric (Mikoy Morales) was an smooth-talking playboy who can easily charm his way into bed with any girl. Kate (Jorybelle Agoto) was a timid loner who could not speak up against people who take advantage of her. One day, Eric, ever on the prowl, saw Kate by herself at the bar and struck up a conversation with her, which would eventually lead to a romp in the bedroom. The next morning, an extraordinary connection happened between them.
You have to give it up for writer-director Gian Arre to come up with such a bizarre concept for his very first feature film. When two people fall in love, it is said that the have found a perfect connection with one another. However, in this film, the connection was so complete, in that one partner can totally feel what the other partner is feeling. This connection was so total such that both partners literally share their every sensation with each other.
I doubt if there is such a pathological condition that can affect two people, especially when it came to feeling pleasure or pain even when the two partners are not in the same place. When Arre upped the ante by showing that even real bleeding wounds can be inflicted on each other from a distance, this is already clearly in the realm of fantasy. It is practically voodoo, using one's own body as the voodoo doll against the partner.
In this type of story, it was tough for the writer-director-editor Arre to not have biases between his two characters. While it was Eric who was clearly the delinquent and unfaithful partner, it was Kate who used their mysterious connection to manipulate and hold Eric hostage against his will. It was Kate who was shown to be the mentally-unstable, overbearing and actually terrifying partner, while Eric was shown as her trapped helpless victim. Is the ending
While Mikoy Morales channeled Michael Douglas's charming, philandering male in "Fatal Attraction," while Jorybelle Agoto channeled Glenn Close's unhinged female who was not going to be ignored. Perhaps unjustly, the transformation of Morales's Eric from a cheerful free spirit into a dulled down zombie can gain audience sympathy, while Agoto's crazy mood swings and loud irrational arguments make her the bad guy.
The production values of the film were not so polished, with dull colors, erratic sound and awkward costumes, likely because of budget limitations. The original songs did well to liven up the depressing atmosphere. Ultimately, it was all up to Morales and Agoto who gave performances so strong, they lifted the film up another level, not allowing the stiff acting of their neophyte supporting actors to sink some key scenes. 5/10.
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