CAMP SAWI (2016) Review
Directed by Irene Villamor
We’re in the “hugot” generation, in all formats, media, TV and in films. As long as the material is decent, why not, right? Here goes Camp Sawi, a film about a group of girls taking a break from their heartbreaks and escapes their troubles to find answers and solutions to their love problems.
From the humble but moving 2014 film Relaks, It’s Just Pag-Ibig, director Irene Villamor helms Camp Sawi. The film is quite a surprise, it may not be perfect but it’s the perfect reason to be in the cinemas and spend your time and money. While the “Camp Sawi” in the film is hardly the main story, when the film tells the deepest feelings and thoughts of its characters, it hits, it hits deeper than you would expect.
This might be Andi Eigenmann’s best film yet even though her character doesn’t have that much screen time, Yassi Pressman would have made more out of her character but was pulled out because of a reality show, Kim Molina might not be the most popular of the five but that’s not stopping her from stealing the show. The film is a Bela Padilla and Arci Munoz show, because it’s mostly’s Padilla’s story highlighted in the film while Munoz’s character and performance gets to be the most interesting one.
But the thing is, this is not just an Andi Eigenmann, Bela Padilla, Yassi Pressman, Kim Molina, Arci Munoz and Sam Milby’s show, when Sarah Brakensiek and Cholo Baretto opened up with their experiences, they had the most honest and heartfelt dilemmas of all the campers, and they expressed it compellingly.
The best moments are the quiet scenes, the ones where they just talk or just say something sincere, far from cliches and obvious dramas where they just express what they feel in a way the audience can relate, might not be directly but will still affect you.
3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
“Camp Sawi” is now showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide from VIVA Films and N² Productions. Rated PG by the MTRCB.