A memorably bitter highlight in Adolf Alix, Jr.’s Padre de Familia (CCM Creatives, 2015) was the coruscating funeral scene. The tone of this disastrous wake is set by Noel (Coco Martin), whose resentment against his mother, Aida (Nora Aunor) as well as various other near and dear, get a thorough and unhinged airing. There’s just too much potential in Noel’s outbursts and the revelations they unleash. The last act is a series of gobsmacking handbrake turns which send practically the entire cast off packing. Martin’s utterly convincing portrayal of a self-sacrificing young man whose journey into the world is tenuous and difficult is one of those cinematic gifts, a multi-faceted gem that can be appreciated anew each time it is brought out for inspection.
Mother of the family, Aida, is probably the most interesting character in the film, played to perfection by Aunor. She stubbornly resists any external show of the emotional turmoil she undoubtedly feels. Aida inexplicably gives priority to keeping up appearances and wants to give no one outside the family any inkling of their troubles. But her pretence extends within the family where she comes across as disconnected, her brittle surface barely conceals the depth of insecurity and grief that lies underneath. The strain between Aida and Noel is written with raw truth, it is achingly apparent. In one of the most finely wrought scenes of the film, Aida attempts to bridge the gap but she possesses neither the energy nor the skill to break through the emotional carapace with which her son has armoured himself. When Aida reaches the point where she is ready to confront the issues that have created a wall between her and her son, Noel pushes her away, by obliquely criticizing her relationship with Job (Joem Bascon). Padre de Familia artfully affirms a universal truth about the human condition. It epitomizes what a Filipino independent film can be when the director is willing to abandon the safety net.
Sound Design: Addiss Tabong
Music: Von de Guzman
Editing: Renewin Alano, Benjamin Tolentino
Production Design: Adolfo Alix, Jr., Bobet Lopez
Director of Photography: Albert Banzon, FCS
Written By: Jerry Gracio, Nikki Bunquin
Direction: Adolfo Alix, Jr.
