November 18, 2023
Living on an island three hours away from the mainland, fisherman Arthur (Benz Sangalang) was a very devoted boyfriend to ambitious Lena (Angeli Khang). When she was accepted on a scholarship program in a university in Manila, her parents Maring and Lito (Gilleth Sandico and Arrian Labios) were not in favor. However, Arthur was supportive all the way, going out of his comfort zone just so that Lena had enough money to graduate.
The title word "salakab" referred to a traditional equipment used in catching fish, a basket-shaped fish trap, wider at the bottom than at the top. Aside from being a reference to the lead character's occupation as a fisherman, it was also a metaphor for the situation we see at the very beginning of the film where someone was being held captive in a cage made of bamboo, and perhaps also a clue as to who was behind it.
Writer Ruel Montanez crafted his script around a story by cult director Roman Perez, Jr. The story of someone corrupted by the temptations of the city is not new, but this one had a twist, which was revealed at the very start of the film. So, we started with the twist and then watched how and why the situation reached that level. Not sure if that was the best way to tell the story, but it gave the audience a chance to play detective.
The two lead stars Khang and Sangalang carried the film creditably. Director of photography Albert Banzon had a field day with them in the beautiful beach and giant rocks of Tingloy, Batangas. Sahara Bernales and Horace Mendoza earned "introducing" credits by having their own outdoor tumble in the sand, but unnecessary and forgettable. Gilleth Sandico got her chance to stretch some acting muscle in a scandalous public maternal breakdown.
As Arthur, Sangalang got to play another meaty role after "Hugot" just earlier this year. His Arthur was noble and generous to a fault, disregarding the advice of his father and friends to take it easy on his gallantry. His story could have, and maybe, for me, should have, gone another way instead of the way it did. Didn't think I'd see the day director Perez would have a gay sex scene, but here it was, between Arthur and an exploitative gay tourist. 5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment