Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Movie producers should be inspired to shell out a few extra cash for more movies like Little Miss Sunshine. Like the early rays of sunlight, it neither bores nor burns but radiates a unique storyline at the heart of which is the endearingly fractured Hoover family who, in spite of their misunderstandings, maintains an inimitably strong attachment to one another.
Who says an ideal family has to be perfect?
Put together a dad who sells motivational success guides…with no success, a devoted mom who always serves chicken for dinner, her intelligent but suicidal brother and a foul-mouthed grandpa whose fondness for his young grandchildren, 8-year-old beauty-queen-in-the-making Olive and 15-year-old Nietzsche-reading Dwayne, comically transcends typical grandfatherly affection, and you’ll definitely wonder why society is waving flags of admiration at the so-called “perfectly normal” families.
The movie kicks off with each Hoover member going about his or her daily routine only this time Uncle Frank joins them for dinner and the whole family learns that Olive has been invited to join the Little Miss Sunshine pageant.
As Olive, in her adorable gullibility, ecstatically packs her belongings, a series of arguments ensues from dad Richard who has to attend to something more important than a beauty pageant, Grandpa who coaches the girl and wants nothing more than to see her strut her stuff, and mom Sheryl who wants everybody’s display of support and affection to their youngest member but is torn between letting the old man tag along and leaving her suicidal brother all alone.
After much deliberation, the whole family squeezes into a conked out RV and travels across the country. The 6000-mile road trip would’ve sounded like an uplifting respite from their tedious confinement had it not been for the string of awkward or unfortunate events trailing them from one rest stop to another. Surprising tragedies and realizations confront each family member, often leading to agitated rows or, in Dwayne’s case, the end of his 9-month vow of silence.
“Nobody gets left behind,” Richard says. And indeed, as gloomy as it sounds, the movie is anything but depressing. Each character has a different personality that draws out sympathy and fondness from the viewers. One cannot exist without the other because the movie wouldn’t do without Dwayne’s silent protests or Frank’s avuncular wisdom. It wouldn’t be complete sans Granpa’s penchant for heroine and porn, Richard and Sheryl’s spats, and Olive’s charming innocence. She unknowingly becomes the little ray of sunshine that prompts the whole gang to move on and finish the journey, and as she proves herself in the contest, her family’s love and support for one another also gets tested in the most hilariously poignant manner.
Imperfection meets perfection in this engaging tale of a “family on the verge of breakdown”. Relate bankruptcy, divorce, suicide, addiction, and beauty pageant to Hollywood and you get an Oscar-worthy family of losers who can definitely give winners a run for their money.
The well-known yet unfamiliar music filled the auditorium. The audiences’ gaze lingered on stage, on the lone performer seemingly oblivious to the rapt faces of around 900 spectators. World-renowned classical guitarist Michael Dadap was playing the Five Visayan Serenades for Guitar and by the time he was finished, everybody applauded.
But it wasn’t his traditional barong tagalog or his wispy salt-and-pepper mane that got hold of the crowd, nor was it his gentle features that glued the audience to their seats. It was probably one of the simplest yet most intimate presentations I’ve seen. Devoid of bulky props and fancy décor, the Luce Auditorium’s cozy ambiance was just right for a night of classical guitar music.
I couldn’t have come up with a better way to start August than with a trip down Luce Auditorium to see Michael Dadap in concert. Watching him in action was like looking at a story of a man and his guitar, and the music that spelled their bond. He began by introducing each song and its composers, and after a few tweaks and twists of his guitar strings, his fingers worked their magic as they glide, scurry, and manipulate the strings, thereby producing either the softest tune with his flesh or the fastest jingle with his nails.
I particularly enjoyed Imo Ako, Wala’y Djaga’-djaga’, a Visayan serenade inspired by soft drink crowns the musician and his elder brother used to collect during their childhood years. True to its idea, the complicated string play included the raspy chinking sound made when shaking a bunch of crowns.
I was amazed with Asturias, originally composed for piano by Isaac Albeniz and written for guitar by Segovia and Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak by Ernani Cuenco. I could feel Huling Awit composer Resurrecion Bunyi’s grief writing the song, craving for the company of the poor man she fell in love with before dying of misery.
I liked all the songs in the repertoire but my top five favorites were Agustine Barrios’ Valse Junto del Corazon (Waltz Close to Your Heart), Francisco Tarrega’s Capriccio Arabe, Constancio de Guzman’s Maala-ala Mo Kaya? (Will You Remember?), and Dadap’s very own folk song settings for guitar, Kuratsa Leyte and Pobreng Alindahao.
One couldn’t ignore the hint of Latin influence in Barrios and Tarrega’s music. Barrios’ waltz evidently showcased his native Paraguay’s culture and love for music that burns with passion and romance. It was Tarrega who revolutionized classical guitar music by introducing the complicated banduria technique. The Spanish composer’s gift for music has made him the father of modern classical guitar whose brilliant opus like Cappricio Arabe could never reveal he was born with no nails.
My favorite among the Visayan folk songs played was Kuratsa Leyte, a lively vibrant piece clearly fit for festive occasions. It was, after all, a wedding dance. Visayans might have a different way of showing emotions, as reflected in their folk songs. Dandansoy Ilonggo has such a depressing melody for a happy song, while Pobreng Alindahao Cebuano has a bit lively tune for a sad song.
The repertoire would not be complete without Constancio de Guzman’s Maala-ala mo Kaya? (Will You Remember?), a certified classic that anyone who doesn’t know the song was either a foreigner or probably living under a rock.
The audience stayed till the end, perhaps hoping for an encore. Some hurriedly went backstage to talk or shake hands with the musician. A few friends who got up close and personal with Michael Dadap could only say good things about him. World-renowned as he is his feet remained firmly planted on the ground and his heart securely fastened to his humble beginnings. He was a true Filipino, a true musician, and I could only wish to see him perform again. It was a night of classical guitar songs and mostly Pinoy serenades, a celebration of world class talent, and a story of one man and his guitar.
*Thanks for lending me your ticket, Mickey!
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