Oscar Ramirez, a rich farmer, lives a modest life with his family in the rice fields north of Metro Manila. When Oscar discovers he doesn't even have enough money to buy next year's seeds, he and his wife decide to escape their impoverished life and move to Metro Manila. While Oscar believes the big city will offer him plenty of opportunities, he soon discovers the city is overpopulated and overwhelming for him and his family, as they find themselves constantly manipulated by unsavory individuals, struggling to make enough to eat. Oscar seemingly catches a break when Ong, a senior driver for an Armored truck company, puts in a good word for Oscar and effectively gets him hired. LIfe seems to potentially be on the upswing for Oscar and his family, but soon he discovers that nearly everyone in this city is out for themselves. Sean Ellis' Metro Manila isa bleak, Dickenson-esque tale of a man being constantly pushed closer to the edge. This story has been told a thousand times before but Metro Manila manages to differentiate itself enough due to its characterizations. Metro Manila shows how hard the weight of survival can weigh on good men, exposing the desperation that sets in when it comes down to surviving and protecting your family. Metro Manila works because of strong characterizations, most notably Oscar, a genuine-feeling portrait of man grappling with extremely tough conditions. I particularly loved how it isn't until Oscar's first day on the job that he realizes the gravity of the situation, that he is working in a dangerous profession. Struggling for weeks in Manila to find steady work had left him backed into a corner, lost in despair, so desperate to take care of his family that his safety didn't even cross his mind. Metro Manila expoes the true nature of love and sacrifice through Oscar, with a glimmer of hope during the finale in an otherwise bleak film. While Metro Manila may border on exploitative at times in how it shows the peril of Oscar and his family, the film is a well-paced, skillfully crafted story of ultimate sacrfice.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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