One of the first lessons I learned in Film 101 in my university in New South Wales, Australia was to NEVER lose focus of the story you’re trying to tell because you’re telling too many side stories. As was repeatedly stressed to me then, focus is key – unless, of course, your goal is to confuse, then you can stuff as much stuff (at times useless) as you want, then whether or not the REAL focus of your story will be understood or not does not matter.
This is what came to my mind when I watched Adolfo B. Alix Jr.’s Porno.
Let’s get something clear first: THIS IS NOT AT ALL ABOUT PORN.
Call it the come-on for people to watch the film; but no, sex per se isn’t the issue for this film.
Yes, expect to see penises and vaginas – heck, there are even cum shots. But if the intention is titillation, this isn’t the film to watch.
And I suppose this should be good – after all, I don’t think the intention of the film is to titillate.
Except that the supposed thread that links the lives of the characters in the film is about porn (thus sex).
And if I may say so, I have never had sex this… blandly.
DON’T READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU DON’T LIKE SPOILERS, as the film merits to be closely looked at for it to be (somewhat fairly) criticized.
The film (really) starts with the story of an assassin (Yul Servo) getting jiggy with his woman (Rosanna Roces) in a motel – both acknowledging that they are getting watched (and recorded). Rosanna bares; Yul hides – something that, in itself, should be discussed in the local film industry (just as it is being discussed internationally), i.e. that women are expected to bare all, but men are not. Alas, before we can even know, therefore care about the character played by Yul (who is headed back to prison after their time together) or Rosanna (supposedly whoring because she is in need), Yul was shot in the room, with Rosanna (with a different client) seeing his dead body.
Before their sexual act, as recorded, is sold, Yul’s moaning is voiced over by Carlo Aquino. So now we are supposed to follow the (also short) life of Carlo, who has squeaky-clean skaterboys as friends, and who also records for (supposed) blackmailing what his chatmates does online (i.e. bare their all). Yes, yes, this is now(almost) in the territory of Jason Paul Laxamana’s Babagwa (The Spider’s Lair). For a while we follow Carlo – running from the police chasing him for the videos he dubbed, texting, et cetera. And then, before we can care about him, too, oh-so-suddenly, Carlo is shown having an epileptic attack while the completely under-utilized Anita Linda is leading a rosary.
And so we have the third storyline, which is the life of a transsexual (played by Angel Aquino), who watches the film of Yul (already dubbed by Carlo). As a male-to-female (MTF) transpinay, she is facing what may be the biggest challenge in her life – i.e. separation from loved ones before she transitioned. In a gist: she loses her sanity (or something), though (as if just to be sure that the supposed thread that connects the three storylines is emphasized) not after we see her watching Yul’s flick as dubbed by Carlo.
And so the basic lesson I was taught hit me.
Too much, is the thought that comes to mind.
Considering that, by itself, Angel’s story is GROUNDBREAKING. With this film, Alix actually became the first Filipino director to make a film about one of the difficulties faced by those who transition in the Philippines – i.e. (possible) loss of loved ones who do not accept them.
Plus Angel’s story is but one of those being told in the film, of course.
Yes, I could find what may be trivial “flaws” – for instance, there were continuity issues (e.g. Yul already got dressed after having sex with Rosanna, even telling her to start moving as their time in the room is over; and then… he’s showering and then getting dressed again); and those tatts are so… fake. Angel’s trans portrayal is also but a series of mannerisms that transwomen are supposed to have.
This isn’t all bad, of course – take the beautiful lighting that reminded me of Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love somehow… at least until those seeming Sadako (of The Ring) appearances. The costume (and even lack thereof) design is good. And the camerawork’s similarly good.
But then there’s the over-emphasis on sex. I, for one, did not need to see Angel’s body double’s breasts and (supposed post-SRS) vagina to join her in her journey – but Alix won’t let me NOT see these, if only to remind me that, hey, this film’s title is, after all, Porno (!). Using sex simply for the shock effect is so… passé.
When it was premiered in Cinemalaya 2013, if you listened to the noise that the film made, people said that this film is supposed to be good because it brings to the fore an issue (i.e. porn – therefore, sex) that people tend to sweep under the rugs. But this is a misguided summation of the film. Because John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus this is not. Or even Lars von Trier’s Antichrist. Because this film is NOT NECESSARILY about sex (and its trappings).
Even as it (supposedly) attempts to tackle exploitation of the self, Porno also dealt with (among others): dirty politicking (including the corruption happening in government agencies), prostitution, employment, religiosity, use of technology in abuses, challenges of transitioning, psychological state of the characters, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…
And so, yet again, there’s way too much in Porno, so that even the thread that supposedly ties the narratives isn’t stressed.
Yes, the approach has been done before – i.e. tying of various stories via some common thread (like François Girard’s The Red Violin). But in Porno, that thread is way too thin (if at all supposedly existent).
Early on in the film, when Rosanna was talking to Yul, the TV was included in the shot and it was showing (no surprise) a sex act (double pene, in fact). A question that may be asked is: How can Rosanna talking nonsense compete with the TV showing the cum shots? But what actually came up my mind was: For a talent like Rosanna to have to be “covered up” by something unnecessary, then something must be wrong about this film’s narrative.
Maybe I didn’t get it.
But I’m not the only one. A few walked out of the cinema midway through the film; and I saw some actually snoozing.
And that’s exactly the point.
Because if you tease us, you should be ready to make us climax. Else, you fail.
