[PPP 2019] The Panti Sisters is a mainstream experiment with mixed results

Jun Lana's latest film, The Panti Sisters, feels like something straight out of the MMFF: a relatively entertaining, mainstream comedy for people of most ages. It's colorful, wacky and doesn't take itself too seriously, thanks to Ivan Payawal's script. Unfortunately, like many MMFF films, the humor can feel a bit stale, cliched and even stereotypical.

One wonders why such a film is even necessary, in the light of the fact that Lana's already directed a film about LGBTQ concerns, 2018's Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes. Viewing it in that light, this feels like a step back.

But look at it this way: this film is an experiment in delivering such issues in a mainstream package. If presented in a way that more audiences can see it (and as of this writing, the Panti Sisters is the highest grossing PPP 2019 film), maybe the accompanying message can get across to more people. And in a country that believes the LGBTQ community doesn't deserve equal rights, it's important to get that message across, somehow. If even one person out of the hundreds of thousands who have seen this film learn an important lesson by the end of the film, then it would have made a difference.

That said, the message of the film itself is partly the problem as well. While it does make a point that sometimes all the LGBTQ community wants is love and acceptance, it manages to inadvertently say a lot of other things too. In telling its jokes, the film often retreats into the stereotypes it should be escaping from, such as the idea that gay people are perpetually lustful. While Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes explores and teaches the experience of having a closeted lover, in this film the film struggles to explain these ideas of gender expression and identity. There's a character in the film that identifies as a demigirl, but this concept of gender identity is touched upon very lightly.

As a mainstream experiment, The Panti Sisters is fine as it is, but if the filmmakers really wanted to get the message across, there are a lot of better ways to go at it. At the very least they tried, and I hope they keep on trying.