‘A’ for Robin starrer: It’s getting to be a habit

Unitel Films producer Tony Gloria is receiving a lot of congratulatory messages these days for the Robin Padilla starrer La Visa Loca, which was graded "A" by the Cinema Evaluation Board. People say it’s getting to be a habit, albeit a good one. To which Tony says, "We at Unitel try our best to come up with excellent movies."

And that is what CEB says of La Visa Loca, fine script, direction, acting, cinematography, and other cinematic aspects. This is the first time that a film topbilled by Robin passed the exacting standards of CEB. Graded "A" films are entitled to 100 percent tax rebates nationwide, while those graded "B" get 60 percent tax rebates.

But why is it getting to be a habit, a good one?

Well, the first movie Tony Gloria produced under the Unitel banner (not counting American Adobo, which was a joint venture with ABS-CBN), Crying Ladies was also graded "A" by the CEB. But being an entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival (2003) whose amusement taxes are allotted to pre-determined beneficiaries, Crying Ladies didn’t enjoy the tax benefits. But it won many awards, including being sent to the Oscars and a Best Actress trophy for Sharon Cuneta from Brussels’ independent international filmfest.

Mark Meily wrote and directed Crying Ladies (his feature film debut), who’s also behind La Visa Loca.

Last year, Unitel produced Santa Santita, based on the script of Michiko Yamamoto and directed by Laurice Guillen. It was also graded "A" by the Cinema Evaluation Board.

And now comes La Visa Loca, the third Unitel movie to be graded "A" – coming one after the other.

Tony and his co-producers, Sharon Cuneta and Jun Reyes, and the Unitel stars and staff are, of course, mighty pleased with the "A" grade. Especially elated is Robin Padilla, who said he needed the big push these days. His last two pictures, Alab ng Lahi and Kulimlim, did badly at the box-office. The CEB members as well as critics and reviewers praised his performance in La Visa Loca, a Pinoy desperate and determined enough to go through all sorts of ordeal to obtain an American visa.

Co-starring with Robin are Rufa Mae Quinto, Johnny Delgado, Kurt Perez, and American and British actors.

Robin said, "Mahirap magsalita ng English ... lalo na pag Kano at Briton ang kausap mo."

He noted that he could identify with his role in La Visa Loca, having been denied a US visa, an experience shared by thousands and thousands of other Pinoys whose ultimate dream is to go to the land of milk and honey – and work as caregiver, nurse. Any job as long as they earn precious dollars.

Robin wished it wasn’t so, but times are extremely tough in the country. It seems working in America (or Europe, the Middle East, other Asian countries) is, for the moment, the only salvation of the average Pinoy.

No wonder there’s the comedy with biting humor and a touch of drama, La Visa Loca."

From Unitel, these production notes.

Like millions of Filipinos, Jess Huson (Robin Padilla) – limo service driver and certified nursing aid/caregiver – has a dream; to get a visa and work in the United States. However, luck never seems to be on his side. After every interview with the ultra-strict US consul, Jess always goes home with a ‘DENIED’ stamped on his application.

Meanwhile, Jess has to take care of his aging but randy diabetic father, Mang Sancho (Johnny Delgado), who spends his days watching TV and phoning into late night radio talk shows. To make ends meet, Jess drives around his prized client, Nigel Adams, internationally famous television host for Planet Strange, a show that documents all the world’s weirdness and oddities. Jess becomes Nigel’s guide to the strange universe that is Pinoy culture. They go to strip clubs that refuse to serve meat on Lent, and interview a colorful array of characters, from bulletproof shamans to enterprising penitents who charge money to be crucified.

Along the way, Jess chances into an old girlfriend, Mara (Rufa Mae Quinto), who works in a carnival freak show as a sirena, a mermaid, whose authenticity is always questioned because of her bad cold (a result of being immersed in a water tank the whole day). Mara has an 8-year-old son, Jason, who may or may not be Jess’ son.

Incidentally, Jess also learns that Adams has a brother who operates one of the biggest nursing aid agencies in the US East Coast. But Adams’ career is already on the brink unless he finally comes up with some truly bizarre footage. Talisman-toting mystics and Santo Niño-possessed faith healers just won’t do anymore.

In the end, Jess commits the ultimate sacrifice – to please Nigel with all-too important footage and to achieve his dream of going to the US. And when Jess comes inches close to his dream, he is faced with one life-changing choice.

But Mark Meily’s La Visa Loca is more than just the story of heartbreaks at the American Embassy. With biting wit and humor, the new film from Unitel touches on many facets of contemporary Filipino culture – folk superstition, the media, action star mythology, the importance of family, among others. La Visa Loca is also peppered with surprising cameos.

The major inspiration behind La Visa Loca?

"In 2003, I lost a bid for a project to a foreign director on the basis of him being a foreigner. I was so disheartened to realize that we Filipinos still have this common belief that anything foreign is superior," explains the director. "In so many ways, we are losing our identity in the pursuit of being American. After that project, I wanted to write a story about colonial mentality. Initially, I wanted to adapt F. Sinoil Jose’s classic short story The God Stealer, but realizing the difficulty in having to shoot in the Mountain Province, I decided to write my own story about belonging and rejection."

Meily adds: "I also wanted the story to have a uniquely Filipino milieu. I don’t want it just to be Asian but Filipino. One thing that makes us stand out in Asia is that we are pre-dominantly Catholics. And the Lenten season, I thought would make a perfect milieu for the film. That is also why it was originally titled Penitencia Republic.

The fact is that Meily remains fascinated with Philippine culture. "The Filipino psyche is very colorful. We shout about how patriotic we are and yet we laugh at government leaders and celebrities who can’t speak proper English. We are the only country in Asia colonized by Spain and yet the majority of us cannot speak Spanish. We are pre-dominantly Catholics, yet most of what we think are Filipino Christian traditions have pagan origins. The number one symbols of Christmas here are the Christmas tree and snow, but there are no fir trees nor snow in this country. Aren’t we Pinoys special?"

La Visa Loca is also noteworthy in the sense that its executive co-producer is none other than Sharon Cuneta herself, whom Meily had successfully directed against type in Crying Ladies. This marks the first time the Megastar is branching out into the field of movie production, and her confidence in this project shows just how important a film La Visa Loca is.

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