The astute new thriller Kamadora (Viva Films, 2023) is one of those rare movies that reinforce their themes with an insinuating, sustained tone. Its atmosphere becomes a stylistic precondition for the impulse to surrender. As a rule, filmmaker Roman Perez, Jr.'s control is so unerring that the occasional miscalculations seem unusually disruptive. A director skillful enough to impose a style can also lull you into a false sense of security. Caught up in the unfolding narrative, you forget that everyone is subject to lapses of judgment and concentration. Moreover, it's clear that sexual heat fuels the plot, inspiring a breakdown of inhibitions that transcends mere fornication. In this context, Perez would probably be justified in wallowing much more graphically in sex acts than he chooses to. He prefers to make his points incisively. Perez employs a narrative device that allows Ica to share her confessions with the audience. Kamadora is filled with a number of unusually well written characters, superbly performed by a cast of comparatively new actors. Tiffany Grey's entrance announces that Ica is the film's center of power. Grey is an intriguing original. Slender, with hair down to her shoulders, the pitch in her voice gives a playful edge to the challenging dialogue. Even in Perez's devious scheme of things it would be preferable if Ica were encountered more often in situations with other characters. I don't think there's any aspect, sincere or treacherous that Grey couldn't embody if asked to. Her slight physical assertion and urgency are scarcely reassuring to begin with. She obviously means trouble, but how much trouble?
In retrospect, you understand why Perez feels impelled to play Ica's motives close to the vest. Still, it's a sneaky necessity that probably costs him a satisfying denouement and a certain amount of good will, particularly when viewers begin reflecting on the plot and discusses the twists and subterfuges. Perez can't achieve the emotional identification with Ica that comes naturally when dealing with Dave and other male characters. Victor Relosa is a man with certain arrogance to his speech, as if amused by his own intelligence. He successfully mixes both laconicism and innocence. Relosa’s got an impressive command of seemingly involuntary movement in his facial muscles that appears to reveal unguarded yearning and apprehension. He also has the working actor's versatility. His Dave is a straight leading man with a character actor's particularity. Kamadora has proved an absorbing, tangy entertainment. One may feel a trifle had, but there's little cause for rejection. Moreover, the virtues linger along with the nagging questions: cunning lines of dialogue; evocative setting and crisp, supple imagery; consistently sharp supporting roles and performances. Jun Jun Quintana is startingly effective as Roman, Ica's abusive policeman lover. Angie Castrence plays Aling Adeng who watches over Ica with a cheery but detached curiosity. Elora Españo's Monica is not on long, but what she does is very good. Perez falls short of a foolproof plot, nevertheless, he's got a lot to offer beginning with an intuitive appreciation of the look and atmosphere appropriate to an effective genre thriller. More important than any of these individual contributions is Perez's easy command of his work as director. There's not a decision in the film that betrays that command, it doesn't look like a director's idea imposed on the characters. Instead it's a revelation of the way Ica sees herself and Dave and the outrageous situation they have feverishly worked themselves into.
Sound Engineer: Aian Louie Caro
Musical Director: Emerzon Texon
Editor: Aymer Alquinto
Screenplay: Ronald Perez
Production Designer: JC Catiggay
Director of Photography: Dino S. Placino
Directed By: Roman Perez, Jr.
