FAN GIRL (2020) Review
Written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone
WHAT. A. RIDE. If someone tells me that Antoinette Jadaone is doing a movie about a fan girl starring Paulo Avelino and newcomer Charlie Dizon, this is not what I would expect.
The film is deeply engrossing from start to finish, and not just because of the sensational performances of Avelino and Dizon but also because of the story and how writer and director Antoinette Jadaone presents it.
The film’s clear vision helped the audience follow the character of Jane (Charlie Dizon) from the craziness of being a fan girl to the craziness of what she’s about to experience. I was in awe of Charlie’s performance, one of the best I’ve seen this year. The rawness, the innocence and the rage she showed are what makes the film an essential viewing. She owned her character and she was perfect for it.
Kudos to Paulo Avelino for taking the role and using his real name even if it may be too much to portray. The way Paulo shifted from being the boy-next-door to the disturbing and dangerous character is remarkable. It was uncomfortable to watch that I was already questioning myself whether Paulo can really be this demented.
Fan Girl is the best Filipino movie of 2020. I know there aren’t a lot of competition because of the pandemic, but its take on a fan meeting her hero is twisted and riveting. This is Antoinette Jadaone letting go of her anger, of the issues about women and idolatry we have today. And this is a story worth telling a thousand times.
4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Fan Girl’ is now streaming at upstream.ph. An official entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival 2020.
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