Kabisera begins with a dream sequence of a man and his family happily partaking in a meal together. Kabisera then ends with a real sequence of that same man and his family partaking in a meal together, but under heavily different circumstances. How we got from point A to point B is what Kabisera is all about.
Joel Torre plays Andres, a fisherman who discovers a bunch of drugs in a box. With the help of his friend (Art Acuna), they engage in the drug business. Shit inevitably hits the fan, and our protagonists find out that the drug trade isn't so easy.
There have been comparisons made between this film and another television show that deals with the business of selling drugs. The similarities, however, are superficial at best.
Kabisera (Tagalog for Capital), in this case, refers to the front and center place of the father on the dining room table. Andres only wants to keep his family together, despite all the horrible things that happen as a consequence of his actions. The concept of the "Kabisera" in the film's context could also be Andres wanting to make his home the capital or center of his life, both in terms of his family and his illegal business - and there he sits at the head of the table of his dining room, of his house, like a brazen dictator, firmly in control.
Bing Pimentel plays Dindin, Andres' wife. In contrast to the damsel in distress/voice of reason types that we see in these 'wife roles' we see a woman firmly beside her man, actively helping him advance his trade by giving advice.
Any semblance of this trade being a noble one is thrown out the window when we see the impact of this fledgling drug trade on the small town Andres lives in. Then again, perhaps none of the characters involved (much less, the audience) had any illusions about the true nature of selling drugs. The story spirals out of control as the PDEA (the drug enforcement agency) steps in and makes it harder for Andres and his partners to stay in the shadows, forcing our fisherman to make a choice that is in many respects a point of no return.
Kabisera utilizes a lot of darkly illuminated shots in some scenes and shots saturated by natural light in others. There are a lot of wide shots of the small town Andres lives in, a backdrop to his rise to power. In between those scenes, Andres has a house built for his daughter Ana (Meryll Soriano) against her wishes - a lear parallel to the drug empire he is slowly building.
By the film's end you see this family eating together, and thanks to your partaking in this journey with Andres, your reaction will be markedly different from same scene at the beginning of the film. I won't spoil it for you, as I recommend you watch it. It's a fine film, buoyed by some great performances.
Bing Pimentel plays Dindin, Andres' wife. In contrast to the damsel in distress/voice of reason types that we see in these 'wife roles' we see a woman firmly beside her man, actively helping him advance his trade by giving advice.
Any semblance of this trade being a noble one is thrown out the window when we see the impact of this fledgling drug trade on the small town Andres lives in. Then again, perhaps none of the characters involved (much less, the audience) had any illusions about the true nature of selling drugs. The story spirals out of control as the PDEA (the drug enforcement agency) steps in and makes it harder for Andres and his partners to stay in the shadows, forcing our fisherman to make a choice that is in many respects a point of no return.
Kabisera utilizes a lot of darkly illuminated shots in some scenes and shots saturated by natural light in others. There are a lot of wide shots of the small town Andres lives in, a backdrop to his rise to power. In between those scenes, Andres has a house built for his daughter Ana (Meryll Soriano) against her wishes - a lear parallel to the drug empire he is slowly building.
By the film's end you see this family eating together, and thanks to your partaking in this journey with Andres, your reaction will be markedly different from same scene at the beginning of the film. I won't spoil it for you, as I recommend you watch it. It's a fine film, buoyed by some great performances.
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