MMFF 2017 | Siargao

When Diego (Jericho Rosales) returns to his hometown of Siargao, he meets a heartbroken woman (Erich Gonzales) who visits the island to get to terms with a major decision in her life. Throughout the film, their paths intersect, and they begin to form an unlikely friendship. The two seem to have chemistry, but this is complicated by the presence of Abi (Jasmine Curtis-Smith), Diego's old flame, and a bunch of past regrets.

From the getgo, it's clear that Siargao is more about the place than the romance. It's pretty laid back, content to let its characters sort themselves out naturally. In a way, it's about how a place can help transform people and guide them to where they belong, be it home or in the embrace of another. It doesn't have a lot of dramatic heft, but I feel it doesn't have to; forcing the issue would probably have made the film feel contrived for my taste.

I'm immediately reminded of the earlier I Found My Heart in Santa Fe, which tackled similar themes (perhaps it is not a coincidence that both Will Devaughn and Roxanne Barcelo have minor supporting roles in this film.) Siargao is obviously the better film, one that's more fleshed out and more realized.

Numerous are the drone shots and wide shots revealing the beauty of Siargao, and it's a film that makes you want to visit and see for yourself. The film is lovingly lensed by Odyssey Flores, known for DP work for a number of Brillante Mendoza films. The shots can be vast and epic, or intimate, as if the characters are the only characters in the world at that exact moment.

The three central performances are good, but it's Jericho Rosales who deserves the most credit; his character is the pillar that holds up the film. Perhaps one of my few complaints about the film is that I wished his character was given more screentime, as I found his character arc fascinating compared to Erich Gonzales' arc.

And finally, the film adds an interesting layer by adding a short mid-credits sequence, telling viewers about Siargao and how to respect the island and its native inhabitants. It's clear the filmmakers have immense respect for the place, and it seems to be a response to several points of ecocriticism leveled against similarly themed movies in the past, such as how That Thing Called Tadhana caused a sudden boom of tourists to Sagada. That in itself is something great from an ecocritical standpoint, that filmmakers are beginning to acknowledge this relationship and responsibility between people and the places they inhabit.

Siargao may not be the best local beach film out there (that goes to Apocalypse Child) but it's a relaxing enough diversion compared to the rest of the films of this year's MMFF.