When straight guys go gay

Film review: That Thing Called Tanga Na

Joel Lamangan’s latest film outing That Thing Called Tanga Na is easily living sociology on the evolution of gay relationships in the country.

In the Lino Brocka film, Tubog Sa Ginto some decades back, gay relationships are hidden specially if the partner is married. The role of the “straight” husband played by Eddie Garcia was a landmark film in the early ‘70s and it earned for the Bicolano actor several awards.

In direk Joel’s new film penned by Senedy Que, the case of the threesome relationships is once again explored and indeed they have drastically evolved through the years.

The husband’s third party (a gay partner) has become acceptable to the wife when she learned the “mistress” shares the major part of the family expenses. He is rewarded with more time for the husband and even a baby on which he can imagine himself as “fulfilled mother.” The third party even postpones his sex transplant plan in order to tide up the family of his lover.

The stuff of This Thing Called Tanga Na is romance-cum-comedy and parody.

Director Joel Lamangan

The successful designer (Kean Cipriano) wins back his high school crush who got married to his best friend. When friend finally found the love of his life, he agrees to do the bridal gown provided he spends the night with the ex-lover.

Gay obsession is parodied in the film with one character seen with oversized crotch and thus becoming the object of everyone’s obvious (and hidden) desires.

Tales of unrequited love and romance (narrated as comedic episodes) spice up the movie and the character of Eric Quizon as the married gay (and father of one) has all the dramatic, if, funny lines, most of which were culled from popular movies. The funniest one had Eric watching a Sister Stella L. film and paraphrasing the line calling for action as he mulls break up with his young lover (Albie Casiño).

And to illustrate that the couples in the film narrative are actually existing, the film goes documentary by featuring testimonials from true-to-life gay couples like Aiza Seguerra and Liza Diño and filmmakers Perci Intalan and Jun Lana, among others. They confirm the highs and lows of gay relationships and what they find rewarding in a union still frowned upon in some sectors.

Vangie Labalan as the mother of a gay son is a virtual riot as she ransacks the house of her son’s lover (Billy Crawford, the security guard) and ululating her anguish in the funeral parlor and later in the cemetery.

On the whole, the film expounds on the assorted gay types like the father and ex-husband (Eric), the beauty parlor kind (Mart Escudero), the successful designer (Kean) and the gay security guard (Billy).

The winners in the film are the straight actors who managed to look genuinely gay at least for an hour and a half. Kean and Billy are outrageously funny as they left their true male personas to look the part. Their antics and outrageously witty scenes had premiere night audiences rolling on the floor with laughter.

The women in the cast add to the sense of gay liberation. The betrayed wife (Nikki Valdez) confronts her husband’s lover only to realize the third party is the virtual source of income of her husband.

The poor wife who wanted to become a singer (Angeline Quinto) is likewise helpless over the determined move of best friend (Kean) to acquire her partner.

The film is a funny update on gay relationships and indeed, every frame of the movie is an invitation to reckless guffaws.

At some point, the movie needed some restraint and some ounce of subtlety to send a message.

The gifted hunk shown with oversized crotch need not be that obvious although, of course, one could see it was pure parody.

To be sure, the movie has moments of truth about gay relationships which could be disconcerting to some (like that scene showing a woman who made a sign of the cross when she saw two men kissing in public).

It succeeds as fun film and even as it is quite overcautious not to experiment anything beyond comedy.

After all, the joy of comedy is to realize something deeper after you have unleashed your last guffaw.

That Thing Called Tanga Na produced by Regal Films is now showing in cinemas.