As of late, local movies are starting to recognize the most unsung of film heroes, the bit player. We saw one particular bit player get her chance in the spotlight in 2011's Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay. This year, Jeffrey Jeturian's Ekstra delves a bit more into the trials bit players and aspiring actors have to endure.
Loida (Vilma Santos) is one such bit player. She is a single mother who has taken care of her daughter single handedly since childhood. She is also a veteran "Ekstra," who usually serves as a member of the crowd or a character in the background. She dreams of performing with well known actors and actresses (among others, Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera as themselves).
But life is not so simple for Loida and her ilk. Her working conditions are harsh: one quickly sees that these bit players are at the bottom of the food chain. Often they are treated as no more than disposable props, a glorified kind of living set decoration. Waking up at unholy hours, working nonstop in hellish conditions, and frequent verbal abuse is the norm. Yet Loida always takes it in stride, optimistic to the end.
Despite a plethora of lighthearted scenes (and shoutouts to Vilma Santos' films and film career) the underlying tone of the film is surprisingly dark. We see the struggle of these people vying to be noticed and seen; the allure of stardom almost, but not quite, within their reach.
Vilma Santos proves her chops as one of the country's most accomplished actresses (and as her fanbase declares, the "Star for All Seasons.") She nails her role perfectly, and we feel her pain alongside her. There is a bit of irony at work as well to the mere fact that a person of Vilma's acting stature is playing a lowly bit player.
The film shines thanks to a well written script that never sounds forced or artificial. Technically the film is polished and edited well.
Loida seems to break the fourth wall at the end of the film, probing us, asking us, the audience, to look at her, to recognize her plight. And I hope that through this film, more than a few people do look and listen, and recognize the achievements of these unsung heroes.
8 extras over 10.
Loida (Vilma Santos) is one such bit player. She is a single mother who has taken care of her daughter single handedly since childhood. She is also a veteran "Ekstra," who usually serves as a member of the crowd or a character in the background. She dreams of performing with well known actors and actresses (among others, Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera as themselves).
But life is not so simple for Loida and her ilk. Her working conditions are harsh: one quickly sees that these bit players are at the bottom of the food chain. Often they are treated as no more than disposable props, a glorified kind of living set decoration. Waking up at unholy hours, working nonstop in hellish conditions, and frequent verbal abuse is the norm. Yet Loida always takes it in stride, optimistic to the end.
Despite a plethora of lighthearted scenes (and shoutouts to Vilma Santos' films and film career) the underlying tone of the film is surprisingly dark. We see the struggle of these people vying to be noticed and seen; the allure of stardom almost, but not quite, within their reach.
Vilma Santos proves her chops as one of the country's most accomplished actresses (and as her fanbase declares, the "Star for All Seasons.") She nails her role perfectly, and we feel her pain alongside her. There is a bit of irony at work as well to the mere fact that a person of Vilma's acting stature is playing a lowly bit player.
The film shines thanks to a well written script that never sounds forced or artificial. Technically the film is polished and edited well.
Loida seems to break the fourth wall at the end of the film, probing us, asking us, the audience, to look at her, to recognize her plight. And I hope that through this film, more than a few people do look and listen, and recognize the achievements of these unsung heroes.
8 extras over 10.
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