SIARGAO (2017) Review
Directed by Paul Soriano
It isn’t new that a film wants to promote a place, a destination. The beauty of Siargao, with the ever appealing Jericho Rosales and two beauties Erich Gonzales and Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Paul Soriano’s Metro Manila Film Festival entry Siargao will never ran out of attraction visually. But as a film, it needs more than just something for the eyes.
We get to see a relatable drama, people moving on from their past love through travelling and being lost and finding their way back. The drama here may not be that superficial, but they are written lightly. Not going deeper as if everything in the film doesn’t want to go as personal as it can be. Because the main attraction of the movie is first and foremost, Siargao.
Paul Soriano made it obvious that they didn’t want to present something like what some romance drama films have been doing – “hugot.” They want to present characters that are damaged in a place that can be called paradise. The irony of it all, right? That’s the beauty of it, but it isn’t really enough.
You feel unsatisfied as a viewer not getting something emotional at the end of the film. But then again, it wasn’t written badly. Everything is just more about visually than narratively.
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
“Siargao” is still showing in cinemas nationwide from TEN17P, distributed by Solar Pictures. Rated PG by the MTRCB. An official entry to the 43rd Metro Manila Film Festival.