Joyce Bernal's 'very Pinoy' flavor in SONA 2020 direction leaves bad taste

MANILA, Philippines — It’s a film Filipinos had seen before and they didn’t like the ending.

The reviews are in for director Joyce Bernal’s vision for President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), but the coverage which she previously described to have a flavor palatable to the people ended up being panned instead.

“Para sa mga tao naman (ito) so ibang flavor naman. Pinoy na Pinoy. Mas maiintindihan, mas magaan,” the known comedy director described her take on this year’s SONA in a chance interview with reporters.

Related: SONA a report, not a performance. Filipinos remind Joyce Bernal amid her ‘very Pinoy’ vision

Pinoys, however, didn’t feel the “Pinoy na Pinoy” aspect at all, taking to social media to express how underwhelmed they were by the final result.

San banda yung "Pinoy na Pinoy" ni Bb Joyce Bernal???

— JC Punongbayan #StandWithRappler (@jcpunongbayan) July 27, 2020

Maalala ko lang ‘yung sinabi ni Joyce Bernal. Very proud na nagsabing “Pinoy na Pinoy” ang #SONA2020. Pero bakit ganun? Ganun na ba ngayon ang Pinoy na Pinoy ng isang Direk Joyce Bernal??

Kasi dati ang alam ko, kapag sinabing Pinoy, WORLD CLASS kaya hinahangaan ng buong mundo??

— #PunchTheLies???? (@PunchTheLies) July 27, 2020

so ano yung sinasabi ng dds na si joyce bernal na bagong flavor sa coverage ng sona? pic.twitter.com/NNfMLgz84F

— just sagittarius things (@scorsaguin) July 27, 2020

Atsaka Binibining Joyce Bernal, yan na yung babayaran ng mga buwis namin sayo?

Yan na yung “distinctly Filipino flavor”?

Eh lasang panis na dinuguan na pinamudmuran ng giniling na bubog at pako.

— #BatasHindiDahas #ResistTyranny (@claudiopoy) July 27, 2020

Some described the moment as a total "flop" and poked fun at Joyce's choice to direct the SONA again.

Si Bb. Joyce Bernal pala director ng SONA 2020 ?

Taylor Swift be like :

"I think I've seen this film before and I didn't like the ending "- Exile (Folklore album)

— LOVIE (@lovely_verbo) July 27, 2020

Parasite (2020)
Directed by Joyce Bernal pic.twitter.com/1Q6hKKIzHN

— ???????????? — (@tagaislah) July 27, 2020

This is a flop for Joyce Bernal.

— #chubkalbo (@kalboplus) July 27, 2020

Eto na ba yung directed by joyce bernal

— crybaby (@6foot1badbitch) July 27, 2020

Never again to watch a Joyce Bernal movie. Enabler director. Kakagalit ka

— AThousandTimesOver (@pouroutsoul) July 27, 2020

Others joked that Joyce is the perfect filmmaker to helm SONA since they said the Philippine government falls in the comedy category.

maybe Bb Joyce Bernal accepted to direct the #SONA2020 coz she specialize in comedy films.

the gov't is a big circus anyway.

— Vince ?????‍???????? (@vinceliban) July 27, 2020

SONA 2020 (Dir. Joyce Bernal) pic.twitter.com/dX9oeSFbW2

— BON AÑOVER (@kaisipangabitan) July 27, 2020

Joyce Bernal's best work this afternoon is to flash Cynthia Villar's face as the speech giver mentioned "scammers."

— jennylyn mechado (@emceemorx) July 27, 2020

Netizens also observed technical hiccups like nauseating camera angles, zooming into sleeping attendees, a cameo of Duterte's enlarged facial pores, the variety-show-like applause, and the president's difficulty reading his teleprompter or visual cue for his actual address. 

Kung kani-kanino tinatapat yung camera nakakahilo HAHAHAHAHA #SONA2020

— R a f a e l (@raffyxE) July 27, 2020

Direk, pakilakihan ang prompter. Di masyadong mabasa ni tatay. #SONA2020

— Chan ???????? (@chanjarito7) July 27, 2020

Someone is sleeping haha #SONA2020 #SONAgKAISA pic.twitter.com/n6F2QFmqKQ

— ???? tash (????) (@bbtashxxi) July 27, 2020

i mean yung tv namin may box pa sa likod and naka antenna lang kami pero kitang kita ko yung pores niya bhie #SONA2020 #SONAgKAISA

— Mauie Navarro (@adremaunav) July 27, 2020

bat kasi may pagpalakpak na parang sitcom sis? #SONA2020

— ¹??? (@skareut__) July 27, 2020