Pepe (Pepe Smith) is an aging rock musician. For years he has impersonated an older, more popular rockstar, Joey Smith (also Pepe Smith.) The years haven't been kind to Pepe: he's estranged from his family, he's working at a run down bar, where people only use him because of his connection with Joey Smith, despite the fact that he has his share of remarkable deeds as well. The curious thing is, the "real" Joey Smith in this film isn't that well off either: his bandmates are all dead, he hasn't performed in years and he's an arrogant ass who has sold out, selling himself on whatever trash reality TV show will take him. The current Joey Smith is a far cry from the legendary rock star of the seventies.
So how does one become a shadow of a shadow? The concept of one's self image and how that reflects how people view that same person is at the center of Singing in Graveyards. Pepe is trapped in a loopy situation where he tries to recreate the past while the spectre of the present haunts him, and the present is impossible to escape as it is in the here and now.
This theme of identity affects most of the other characters in the film as well. Pepe's partner is Mercedes (Mercedes Cabral), a struggling actress trying to break out of her image as a sexy actress, reflecting the real Mercedes Cabral's wish to shy away from exploitative sexy roles and do thoughtful, high concept art film roles. One wonders what dreams lay in the mind of Pepe's estranged son (Ely Buendia), who seems to be as equally talented with the guitar but shows no intention to follow in his father's footsteps.
Perhaps it is easier to view Pepe and Joey Smith the characters as two aspects of the same person, the real life Pepe Smith, a legend and pioneer of Filipino Rock. In that case the film takes a pseudo-biographical slant, while also tackling ideas of artistic integrity versus acquiescing to the system and compromising art for commerce. Director Bradley Liew mixes setpieces with elements both surreal and grounded in reality, the film steeped in influences rooted in contemporary Malaysian filmmaking, but with Filipino sensibilities as well.
The characters in Singing in Graveyards either find a way to escape from this shadow, while some don't. Some make this escape too late. Ultimately, when a shadow looks back at a life following someone else, he finds out that his footsteps are lost; a consequence of walking single file with the person they are following. And in the resolution of Singing in Graveyards, identity is discarded, perhaps replaced, and one wonders where the impersonator ends and the real deal begins.
Cinelokal screens at selected SM cinemas, with new films out every Friday. Visit the Cinelokal Facebook page for more details.
So how does one become a shadow of a shadow? The concept of one's self image and how that reflects how people view that same person is at the center of Singing in Graveyards. Pepe is trapped in a loopy situation where he tries to recreate the past while the spectre of the present haunts him, and the present is impossible to escape as it is in the here and now.
This theme of identity affects most of the other characters in the film as well. Pepe's partner is Mercedes (Mercedes Cabral), a struggling actress trying to break out of her image as a sexy actress, reflecting the real Mercedes Cabral's wish to shy away from exploitative sexy roles and do thoughtful, high concept art film roles. One wonders what dreams lay in the mind of Pepe's estranged son (Ely Buendia), who seems to be as equally talented with the guitar but shows no intention to follow in his father's footsteps.
Perhaps it is easier to view Pepe and Joey Smith the characters as two aspects of the same person, the real life Pepe Smith, a legend and pioneer of Filipino Rock. In that case the film takes a pseudo-biographical slant, while also tackling ideas of artistic integrity versus acquiescing to the system and compromising art for commerce. Director Bradley Liew mixes setpieces with elements both surreal and grounded in reality, the film steeped in influences rooted in contemporary Malaysian filmmaking, but with Filipino sensibilities as well.
The characters in Singing in Graveyards either find a way to escape from this shadow, while some don't. Some make this escape too late. Ultimately, when a shadow looks back at a life following someone else, he finds out that his footsteps are lost; a consequence of walking single file with the person they are following. And in the resolution of Singing in Graveyards, identity is discarded, perhaps replaced, and one wonders where the impersonator ends and the real deal begins.
Cinelokal screens at selected SM cinemas, with new films out every Friday. Visit the Cinelokal Facebook page for more details.
No comments:
Post a Comment