Mercury is mine (2016)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2016
	Director: Jason Paul Laxamana
	Actors: Pokwang, Bret Jackson
	Country: RP
	Genre: Comedy, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 22.04.2017, Teatro Nuovo, FEFF2017, English/Tagalog version with English subtitles
Synopsis: Carmen (Pokwang), a middle-aged cook, is about to close down her eatery at the foot of Mt. Arayat when a white American teenage boy named Mercury (Jackson) approaches her and begs for work in exchange of nothing but shelter.
Review: What is impressive in the movie is not necessarily the relationship of Carmen with the young boy, that is something that might be also natural anywhere else in the world. It is the advantage of being blond and white in the Philippines, like a touristic attraction. And moreover the auto-discrimination done by the Philippinos because of that, defining the fact that being blond and white means we can get a better job than the others, independently from the own competences. This belief is something I experienced also in other countries in Latin America and Asia.  The motherly behaviour of Carmen is sequenced nicely, from practical things (e.g. wash his clothes, give a bed) to more familiar things (e.g. sharing experiences, protecting gestures, cooking together). I like the scenes when Carmen is cooking in her eatery and makes as if it was a TV show, talking to the camera SPOILER pig head! This is sooo funny. And I like in general the cooking scenes, whn we can really see the food, unlike in Western movies, and get appetite to it. And this makes also good visuals. So, Western directors! Don't hesitate in putting real food in your movies.  The acting is quite poor especially of Bret Jackson. Some dialogues are Tagalog but most of them are in English and maybe this makes the movie loosing authenticity.
Rating: 4 /10