Film review: Hari Ng Tondo Family matters

MANILA, Philippines - Cinemalaya X’s Hari Ng Tondo is a resounding “welcome back” for director Carlitos Siguion-Reyna. Working with a screenplay courtesy of wife Bibeth, and with son Rafa and niece Cris Villonco in the cast, is it any surprise that the film would deal with family in a big way?

To the audience’s sheer delight, the film is much more than a family saga, and I can see it being a strong contender for the audience favorite in tonight’s awarding ceremony. In what can be perceived as a nostalgic throwback to the Filipino films of the ’60s, but with potent, surprise twists along the way, Hari Ng Tondo could very well be the ultimate, feel-good film of this year’s festival. You’ll cry a little, laugh a whole lot, tap your feet and leave the theater with a broad smile on your face.

Robert Arevalo plays the patriarch of a family, a self-made man who has risen from the slums of Tondo and now lives in Forbes Park. A widower, he has a son (Audie Gemora), a daughter (Ali Sotto) and a son-in-law (Eric Quizon). Representing the succeeding generation are Cris and Rafa. When fortunes turn, and he finds himself on the brink of bankruptcy, the self-proclaimed Hari decides to go back “home,” challenging his grandchildren to join him so that hopefully, they will learn something about life and their roots. That’s all one needs to know about the plot line — everything else that comes our way can be credited to the wonderful twists and turns of the screenplay, the ensemble cast, the music and Carlitos’ masterful directorial touch!

Carlitos is the ultimate “juggler” with this film, mingling various genres and storylines for our viewing pleasure. There’s the family saga, a comic “fish-out-of- water” story, thanks to the Forbes Park-raised grandchildren having to slum it in Tondo, there’s the Can You Go Home theme with the decision of Arevalo’s character to live in Tondo, and there’s the dastardly scheming created by his children along with Tondo native Boyong (Rez Cortez), and there’s romantic comedy from several quarters. Shot like a theater production, with very marked cast placements, there’s also the entertaining use of music. Which when you break it down, is composed of only three songs; but they’re transformed and repeated with superb timing.

What’s truly engaging about the film is how we may start off with archetypes, but are constantly floored by how these characters develop — obviously a nod to the LGBT community, which results in an astute modernizing of these archetypes. I also loved how face on, in this day of political correctness, a marked speech defect is turned into a comedic device; but the character who has this defect is one of the more sympathetic and compassionate figures in the film — even ending up with the girl (or two). Yes, this may be a delightful throwback, but it’s also a gender sensitive and super-entertaining update.