I used to think the nineties were the dark ages of Philippine Cinema. But recent screenings care of ABS-CBN's film restoration team have begun to change my mind. Today, we tackle the 1996 thriller Sa Aking Mga Kamay, restored in glorious 4K.
The movie begins with a murder; one of many committed by the "Cattleya Killer," who murders mainly married women, leaving behind a Cattleya flower (not the notebook!) as his evidence/trademark. Joven Dela Rosa is hot on his trail, but then, thanks to a quirk of fate, the killer targets Joven's wife Camille as his next victim...
Aga Mulach plays the role of the serial killer very much against type. He's charming and manipulative, but is prone to maniacal outbursts of violence. His character's backstory is fleshed out quite well - as his murderous impulses stem from a very traumatic childhood experience. He and Chinchin Gutierrez have very interesting character interactions, especially when everything is revealed and Aga's character shows his true nature. Their acting sells the sexual and emotional brutality of their subsequent scenes together.
The story, while very entertaining, can get a bit cheesy sometimes, and near the end of the film Mulach really cranks the ham-o-meter to maximum levels. The last third of the film almost feels like a slasher flick in the way it was made, combining Romy Vitug's backlit cinematography with flashing red strobelights reminiscent of Natural Born Killers, which was released only 2 years prior.
The film tackles topics of shame and family, where communication between family is easier said than done; where the sins of the parents trickle down onto their children. It also puts a spotlight on the double standards between cheating wives vs. cheating husbands, perhaps lampshading or even subverting the tropes established by infidelity films. Unfaithfulness at first seems tantalizing, but it ends up dangerous, even fatal, for the people involved in this film. It takes away the romanticized artifice of the whole thing, showing us the darkness uunderneath.
The restoration job is gorgeous. Because it was recorded digitally (probably the first in the country), the sound is crisp; the picture is equally good, and the movie could pass for a film released yesterday, if not for the 90's outfits, pagers and cassette recorders.
I've said it a lot of times before, but it bears repeating: mainstream cinema doesn't make movies like this anymore. It's a rare local treat from the nineties, and a very enjoyable film.
ABS-CBN is showing a number of restored films, including this one (AND KOKEY! LIKE wtf man) at Power Plant Cinemas from April 5-12.
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