Despite its supreme box-office reign at the recently concluded 39th Metro Manila Film Festival, film critics openly rated My Little Bossings (MLB) as a trashy slapstick comedy movie shot from a loosely written script loaded with up-front hard-sell product endorsements. Even the wonder tot’s avid followers were dismayed with Ryzza Mae’s less-than-expected exposure and the hackneyed editing of comic scenes that were obviously passé and over-used. With the way things are trending, Vice Ganda’s Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy (GBBT), where he effectively delineated quadruple roles, is slowly inching its way up the top-gross-ladder and if predictions from reliable sources are to be taken seriously, this might even surpass the massive earnings of MLB after its extended theater run.
Yes, movie-goers are much wiser now and aware of the purchasing power of their hard-earned peso but still why the run-away success of MLB amid negative criticisms and below-the-belt remarks? Who should really be credited for the film’s box-office drawing power? If its contents are really cheap and the entirety is so bakya (the masses’ poor taste), then, why the unprecedented supremacy at the tills?
But no matter what they say against MLB, reality is clearly before us. And who could argue with success? People behind the much-patronized MMFF 3rd Best Picture awardee have openly admitted that their film entry wasn’t treated with utmost seriousness but primarily aimed to merely entertain. Sorry for those intellectuals who are for really flawless and well-polished productions. My Little Bossings, no matter how crudely done (as they say), made a successfully concocted formula from cast to comic script to promotion that met movie-goers’ (inconsistent) impeccable taste.
We just have to admit that My Little Bossings has effortlessly set a new record…dislodging last year’s box-office champ, Sisterakas, et al. The Vic Sotto-Kris-Aquino tandem made it big while clearly capitalizing on the phenomenal popularity of cinema’s new child wonder Ryzza Mae Dizon. And as if The Ryzza Mae Show host’s presence wasn’t enough to sell the movie, she’s “unmatch-ly” paired with cute Aquino royalty James “Bimby” Yap, Jr. to boost even a much stronger box-office appeal. And the formula works!
But the box-office bout is still far from being over. Vice Ganda’s Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy trails close to My Little Bossings’ earnings. The same can be said with the rest of the films in the festival. Every entry has still the chance to climb the box-office ladder for the producers to at least recoup their investments.
After a 14-day theater run (December 25, 2013 to January 7, 2014) My Little Bossings still leads the pack with an amazing 529.9 million pesos gross as against its closest rival Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy with 449.1 million pesos. MLB breaks existing top gross record and grabbed the spot from the former title holder, Sisterakas, a Kris Aquino-AiAi Delas Alas- Vice Ganda starrer, which was the 2012 MMFF highest earner with a total gross of 342 million pesos after a theater run of the same period. The given data was based from the official results excluding extended runs after January 7.
An open letter to Vic Sotto from an avid fan
As they always say, nobody pleases everybody. There will always be somebody who doesn’t subscribe to one’s opinion or one who’s dauntless enough to point out faults and flaws on what one says or does.
A self-confessed Vic Sotto fan (actually, a die-hard of the famous Tito, Vic & Joey triumvirate) sent an open letter to the former voicing out his sentiments and personal views about the current top-grossing film, My Little Bossings. In just a short period, the post became viral. The sender, Lourd de Veyra (Lourd Ernest Hanopol de Veyra), 38, ??a multi-awarded writer, musician, emcee, poet, journalist, broadcast personality, activist, and critic, was frank enough to enumerate in detail what he personally feels and thinks about Bossing (Vic Sotto) as an actor and the distinct influence he has in the movie industry. Lourd, a nephew of rock singer-guitarist Mike Hanopol, became famous for being the lead vocalist of Manila-based jazz rock band Radioactive Sago Project.
I was appalled by his sterling honesty, the eloquent tone of his pen, and the straight-forward remarks that compelled me to share some significant portions of his letter that was originally published in SPOT.Ph. The encouraging message could be an outright eye-opener, not only to whom Lourd’s letter was intended, but for all Filipino film aficionados concerned, as well.
The following excerpt is printed in its original composition to preserve the very essence it conveys and the writer’s genuine flow of thought.
“Bossing, heto lang talaga ang gusto kong sabihin: ngayong ikaw ay nasa mainpluwensiya at makapangyarihang posisyon, kaya mong gumawa ng mga pelikulang makabuluhan, isang pelikulang maipagmamalaki ng lahat sa punto de bista ng kultura at estetiko. Hindi ko sinasabing gumawa ka ng indie film na may mga tauhan na nakakatitig lang ng isang oras sa kawalan. Hindi ko sinasabing gumawa ka ng pelikulang tatlong tao lang ang nakakaintindi…’yong tipong masusuka ka sa lalim. Hindi ko sinasabing gumawa ka ng pelikulang pang-Cannes. Pero, wala namang masama dun, ‘di ba? Buti pa si nga si ER Ejercito eh, nagte-take ng risks sa mga pino-produce na proyekto (ang pangit lamang ng mga posters…siya raw kasi mismo ang nag-design porke’t VisCom grad daw ng UP Fine Arts).
At least si Dolphy, merong Ang Tatay Kong Nanay. Ang problema, Bossing, mukhang wala sa filmography mo…mula sa Good Morning, Titser hanggang sa Enteng ng Ina Mo…ang puwedeng mapabilang sa tinatawag na “canon” ng Pinoy cinema. Kahit isa lang? And don’t even think about remaking Ang Tatay Kong Nanay, that would be a sacrilege. Please.
You’ve always understood your strength as an actor, for the past several decades, mapa-Enteng man o partner ni Dolphy, you’ve always played the same character. At alam mong click ito at mukhang ito ang nagugustuhan sa iyo ng Filipino audience, dahil honest ka lagi sa iyong karakter. Pero what if: kunin mo ang prototypical Vic Sotto role at ilagay sa isang sitwasyong sumasalamin sa kondisyon ng mas nakakarami nating kababayan? Imbes na mga multo at lamang-luma ang humahabol sa iyo, bakit hindi ang mga abusadong pulis, mga mapang-aping panginoong may-lupa? O kaya’y mga pork barrel scammers? Pwede namang magpatawa pa rin habang nagtataas ng antas ng kalidad ng paggawa ng pelikula. At hindi na nito kailangan ang mga mamahaling special effects. Kayang-kaya n’yo ‘yan. We only have to look at Eat Bulaga Lenten specials. May kurot talaga sa damdamin.
Bossing, kahit wala ka sa pulitika, ikaw ay kasama sa iilan sa industriya na may pagkakataong baguhin ang kamalayan at panlasa ng mga manonood— kahit pakonti-konti lang.
Sana’y pag-isipan mo ang posterity. Tandaan: iba ang paghusga ng sining at kasaysayan. Twenty years from now, wala nang makakaala-ala ng My Little Bossings kahit kumita pa ito ng 50 million pesos. Hindi ito pag-aaralan o hihimayin ng mga unibersidad bilang halimbawa ng isang mahusay na pelikula. Puwede kang makabola sa festival, pero ika nga ni Andres Bonifacio, hindi mo pwedeng takasan ang hatol ng kasaysayan. Hindi rin naman kumita ang Kisap-mata ni Mike de Leon pero sino ang nakakaala-ala sa mga kasabay nito sa 1981 Metro Manila Film Fest?
Bossing, ayaw mo bang maging Chaplin? Na hindi lang nagpapatawa kung hindi tumatalakay din sa human condition at nagkakaroon ng komentaryo sa lipunan (The Director, Modern Times)?
Tingin ko naman ay puwedeng gumawa ng pelikulang nakaka-aliw at pinipilahan ng buong pamilya na hindi sinasakripisyo ang kalidad ng kwento. Ang tagal mo nang kumikita, Bossing…malaki-laki na rin ang naibigay sa iyo ng taumbayan. Oras na siguro para suklian. Magbalik ka naman. “To whom much is given, much is required”, ika nga sa Bibliya”.
Lourd De Veyra’s letter came just in time to effectively inject that much-needed dose of “change” to upgrade the quality and standard of films in the local cinema. It’s never too late to remedy the ailing industry. When his vision and great expectations of Vic Sotto’s capability in handling the “job” becomes a reality, without a doubt, the industry faces a much brighter future while the movie-going public gets to see quality films tantamount to their money’s worth.
So, will Vic Sotto be the much-awaited Messiah to revive the Philippine movie industry? Let’s hope Lourd De Veyra’s sixth sense works and his “third eye” sees the light.
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