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| Problem Child |
Mahusay ang estruktura ng pelikula mula sa pagpapakilala ng mga tauhan hanggang sa paggamit ng diyalogong angkop at malaman. Marami ring imahe ang nagpapayaman sa materyal, ang makinang na pagsasadula, plantsado, pulido, walang gusot, buong kinis at sadyang makintab tulad ng mga eksena ng karangyaan, ng magarbong pamumuhay ng pamilya ni Alyssa. Namumukod-tangi ang pelikula dahil sa malalim at may kalawakang pagsasalarawan ng milyu. Sadyang kaaliw-aliw ang mga balitaktakan at ng mga angkop na lokasyong napili para sa mga eksena. Naipahayag sa lengguwaheng biswal ang mga hidwaan at sagupaan ng mga tauhan. Ang daloy ng naratibo ay angkop na nailatag ng pelikula. Naibunyag kung gayon ang mga pagkatao ng mga protagonista sa paraang sikolohiko at kapani-paniwala. Habang hindi naman lumalabas sa genre na kinabibilangan ang Problem Child, lumilikha rin ito ng mga pakahulugan na siya namang ikinauungos nito bilang pelikula. At hindi matatawaran ang pagganap, bagama't hindi pumapainlalang ang mga ito sa kaganapan ng sining. Maliban na lamang kay Rosemarie Gil. Naging kapansin-pansin ang simple ngunit malalim niyang pagdulog sa kahingian ng papel na kanyang ginagampanan. Naging matingkad ang paghamon ng pelikula sa kumbensyong may kinalaman sa seksuwalidad. Bagama't inilako bilang sex-drama, kinakitaan ang Problem Child ng sariwang naratibo at paraang lumihis sa palasak na pagsasalarawan sa katawan ng babae bilang lunan lamang ng kamunduhan at kalaswaan. Subalit kailangang tandaan na malinaw na sumakay ang pelikula sa kahingian ng panahon. Isang pelikulang pansamantalang umaliw sa manonood na nagtampok sa katawan ng babae bilang sentral na panghatak.
Direksiyon: Elwood Perez
Dulang Pampelikula: Jose Javier Reyes
Sinematograpiya: Totoy Jacinto
Musika: Lutgardo Labad
Editing: Rogelio Salvador
Disenyo: Mel Chionglo
Produksiyon: Regal Films, Inc.
Release Date: February 1, 1980
3:39 AM
Hi Jojo,
Great review. It's nice to know that Cheri Gil used to star in her own movies. She's a great actress and I only usually see her in supporting roles or in an ensemble.
Regards,
RSE
6:15 AM
Thanks so much Ron...
Cherie Gil appeared as Charito Solis' daughter in Beerhose and Alma Moreno's sister in Sugar Daddy before she was launched into full stardom in Problem Child. Later the same year, Cherie headlined Ishmael Bernal's Girlfriend but the film was a critical and commercial flop.
11:29 AM
Hello Jojo!
Before anything else, I would like to point out the very beautiful image of Cherie Gil in your screencap. I'm referring to the one her lying down. She was really a sight to behold.
Very insightful also on film deemed as yes, a sexy-drama. Hopefully, C1 will air this again. I totally forgot that Direk Elwood helmed this! Somehow, during Regal Presents days on Ch.2, I always associate this with Dina's Anak. Sort of a companion piece.
By the way, I didn't know that Girlfriend was not only a commercial but a critical flop as well. How did Problem Child fare that time?
11:50 AM
Hi Dennis!
Direk Elwood always told his actors to feel beautiful and Cherie's beauty in the scene was in one word, breathtaking.
Problem Child is one of the better sex dramas of the 80's. What makes the film work is the dynamic between Cherie and real-life mother Rosemarie Gil. The movie is a far cry from Mel Chionglo's Anak. The conflict in Problem Child is psychological whereas in Anak it's social.
Problem Child made a killing at the box office and Girlfriend relied mainly on the same audience hoping that they would duplicate its success. Unfortunately, it backfired and since then Cherie was never offered a lead role although she continued to play ensemble parts in films like Manila By Night, Ito Ba Ang Ating Mga Anak? and Oro, Plata, Mata.
7:43 AM
And it really shows Jojo in Direk Elwood's films most especially in the 80s.
I agree, it really helps that they're both mother and daughter in real life.
Regal should had made more Cherie Gil lead starrer despite a poor box office take on Girlfriend. On the other hand, the movies you mentioned where she played are standouts especially Manila By Night and Oro Plata Mata. She held her own on those films.
I just can't help but remember, her voice in Manila is not hers but Louella's, if I wasn't mistaken.
10:59 PM
I remember Christopher de Leon's answer when asked how it was working with Direk Elwood, he said "lagi niya akong sinasabihang Christopher, feel beautiful!" And true enough, he always looked handsome in all the movies he made with Direk Elwood.
During my phone conversation with Direk last night, I mentioned your observation about Problem Child's similarities with Anak and he told me that it was first offered to him but he refused to direct the project. Sabi niya he doesn't want to repeat himself.
I feel the same way about Cherie Gil. In spite of Problem Child's box office success, the decision to make Girlfriend outside Regal affected her stature as lead star although when she was offered to play Rosita Monteverde in Maging Akin Ka Lamang, Cherie was pregnant at the time. I guess it wasn't meant to be, which was really unfortunate. I believe she used her own voice in Manila By Night. Rio Locsin's voice was dubbed by someone else...
4:25 AM
Good am Sir Jojo! Where could I get a copy of "Problem Child"? Where could I download it? It's one of my favorite Pinoy movies of all time. Thanks!
4:49 AM
Hi!
I'm not sure where you can download the movie and its not commercially available in any format. Sorry...
11:24 PM
The mark of a great director Jojo! Thanks for the insight, I never thought Anak was first offered to Direk Elwood.
I also wonder what if Cherie Gil did play Rosita's. Lorna's take, however, on that movie is still one of the best peformances, if not her best ever.
And all this time, I thought it wasn't Cherie's voice in Manila. Thanks Jojo.
5:54 AM
So did I, not until Direk Elwood told me. He mentioned before na maraming siyang mga projects na tinanggihan like P.S. I Love You, Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin?, Lagi Na Lamang Ba Akong Babae? and Akin Ang Iyong Katawan and we all know na napunta kina Eddie Garcia, Emmanuel Borlaza, Ishmael Bernal at Lino Brocka ang mga pelikula. I wonder how these films would've looked kung siya ang nagdirek.
Iba ang magiging atake ni Cherie Gil sa role. Although in my book, Lorna's performance in the movie is among her best if not the best of her career along with Init Sa Magdamag.
Yeah, Cherie used her own voice in Manila By Night, medyo ginawang paos ng konti to signify 'yung pagod at puyat ng character niya na halos hindi natutulog. The only time sa movie na medyo relaxed siya was the scene na naligo sila sa Manila Bay...
7:59 AM
Direk Elwood would have a lot of Viva-produced films pala if he had said yes to those films. Ano nga kaya ang magiging dating ng P.S. I Love You at Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin? if he had directed it.
I always associate Lorna with Maging Akin that I sometimes forget she also did Init Sa Magdamag too. She is really good in that film too. I do not get it the first time since I'm too young to watch such an adult theme back then hehe...
And you even noticed that Jojo, thanks!
3:58 PM
Direk Elwood would've been the first director na gumawa ng movie sa Viva Films. Siguro the outcome of P.S. I Love You ay may similarity sa mga youth oriented movies na ginawa niya under Regal and with his experience sa paggawa ng mga melodramas, Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin? could have followed in the footsteps of his highly successful movies such as Mahal Mo, Mahal Ko, Pakawalan Mo Ako and Till We Meet Again.
Pinanghihinayangan ko ang hindi pagkakatuloy ni Cherie sa Maging Akin Ka Lamang although hindi ko naman pinagsisisihan na kay Lorna napunta ang role.
11:24 PM
It was Eddie Garcia who was the first director na nagdirek sa Viva tama ba? Kakaibang touch talaga 'pag hinawakan na ni Direk Elwood.
100% agree ako sa sinabi mo! Sana man lang ginawan ng decent dvd release ng Viva ang Maging Akin.
11:55 PM
Eddie Garcia was indeed the first director who worked for Viva Films and since then he directed many of the movies produced by the movie outfit during its first three years.
The quality of the VCD release doesn't really qualify for a decent DVD release of the movie. It seems to be the same copy used for the VHS release way back in 1988.
11:44 PM
I've noticed that Viva movies made in later part of the '80s and earlier '90s released on beta were not as clear as those in early to mid '80s. Some very good video quality were Tinik Sa Dibdib, Bagets and Bituing Walang Ningning to name a few.
If only Viva made some effort to better the picture quality of their films during those times.
6:12 AM
Again, it has something to do with the lack of decent copies. One would think that Viva took good care of their movies. I heard that they don't even have a copy of their second film, My Only Love...
12:17 PM
I had that impression too that they really took care of their movies. Most probably, all local production companies wasn't able to do that was well.
1:11 PM
It was the checker's responsibility to make sure that the prints from each theater are returned after the showing. Most of the time, they just take care of the earnings and forget about retrieving the print kaya maraming mga kopya ng pelikula ang makikita sa mga projection rooms ng mga sinehan. At dahil nga sa marami na kaya ibinebenta ng mga projectionists at ginagawang torotot.
When I visited Mowelfund, ipinakita sa akin ang mga prints na nakuha nila sa mga lumang sinehan sa probinsiya. Unfortunately, halos wala nang ma-save dahil mostly warped na at amoy suka. Nakakapanghinayang talaga...
10:30 AM
Nakakapanghina ang kinalabasan ng mga pelikula natin 'no? Kahit pa hindi acclaimed 'yan o ano pero part pa rin ng heritage natin ang binabalewala.
10:10 PM
Hindi ko ikinagulat na walang kopya ng mga mainstream movies from the 80's ang malalaking production companies dahil higit nilang binigyang halaga ang pagkolekta sa kinita ng kanilang pelikula hanggang sa makalimutang bawiin ang print ng pelikulang ipinalabas sa mga sinehan...