Showbiz Periscope

JOHN LLOYD CRUZ SHINES IN 'HONOR THY FATHER'

By Pablo A. Tariman
Manila
December 23, 2015



       For another, the film is an education to millions of followers of actor John Lloyd Cruz who re-invents himself beyond “kilig” moments and comes up with a powerful performance out shadowing all his previous film appearances.
       Indeed, Michiko Yamamoto’s script finds   powerful expression in Eric Matti’s latest directorial challenge and it would have been a big loss if this entry didn’t make it to this festival which had seen better years.
       The film opens in a day in a life of a hard-working couple (Cruz and Meryll Soriano) whose religious affairs are chronicled with seeming irony.

       Indeed, the film has disturbing images that recalled true-to-life stories of people caught in ugly scenes as the scam rears its ugly head.
       How the couple copes with this latest misfortune is the stuff of Yamamoto’s story. As it is, the film is really a simple story of how the color of money changes people and how it could hoodwink unsuspecting neighbors and how it could transform friends into brutal collection agents.
       The powerful, if,  multifaceted,  acting  of John Lloyd Cruz  and the well-motivated ensemble of  supporting actors (from Tirso Cruz III, William Martinez, Meryll Soriano,  Yayo Aguila, Perla Bautista and Dan Fernandez, among others)  are the film’s most  outstanding   asset aided in no small way by intelligent direction and by its subtle but equally poignant musical scoring.

As it is, “Honor Thy Father” is a redeeming and timely entry in the MMFF and a good reminder as any that money masquerading as profit isn’t everything.
That scene where people took turns jumping on the murky river to get their share of cash is indeed another masterful cinematic portrayal of another parable of evil as it lurks on men even in holy cloth and their followers.
That scene showing concerned brothers digging underground to find the source of cash is indeed a fitting symbolism called Lower Depths: how people go lower than their real worth to save a brother in distress.
Through it all, John Lloyd is brilliantly focused as he let go of layers of emotions as he copes with another family crisis.

       This early, one predicts a best actor trophy for John Lloyd Cruz and a best supporting actor citation for Tirso Cruz III. Come to think of it, one cannot cite any member of the cast who has no well-defined moment in the film.
       Surely, the film deserves its Grade A rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board.
“Honor Thy Father” produced by Reality Entertainment opensDecember 25 in all theaters.