QCA Film: Daybreak
LOVERS IN THRALL: Filipino actors Paolo Rivero and Coco Martin play William and JP, the only two characters in Daybreak, a 2008 Philippine gay indie film written by Charliebebs Gohetia and directed by the Manila-based Filipino director Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr. Thanks to Box of Recollections for the great pics.
The bittersweet lover’s drama, Daybreak, opens with William (Paolo Rivero), a doctor driving up to Tagaytay City to meet his secret lover JP (Coco Martin), a local boatman and tour guide in Taal, Batangas and William’s secret lover for a year now. William has a wife and JP has a girlfriend. The two men have not seen each other for two months partly because William is very busy being a Makati physician and partly because he is a family man. Meanwhile JP has been waiting for William while keeping himself busy with his boating job and girlfriend. Deep inside, the two lovers miss each other very much. However, tonight is to be the last night together, as William is scheduled to leave for Australia, but doesn’t know how to break the bad news to JP who is already emotionally attached to him.
According to film critic, Philbert Ortiz Dy, “Daybreak is interesting in that the homosexuality isn’t really central to the plot. This film is really just a story about the end of an affair, and the characters needn’t have been gay for the story to work. It’s a surprisingly mature approach to writing relationships that’s rarely seen in films today. The characters just happen to be gay, and the film eschews the regular approach of pontificating about being confused or conflicted, choosing instead to just concentrate on showing two people in love.”
“The filmmaking is pretty fantastic, however. I’ve sung praises of director Adolfo Alix Jr. before, and he doesn’t disappoint. He’s developing a clear directorial style, and it’s turning out to be captivating. The cinematography is pretty amazing, easily transcending the limitations of digital filmmaking. Alix Jr. also gets a lot out of his actors, and it’s this cast that really makes the film. There are only two actors in this film, and in lesser hands, this could’ve been a disaster. Coco Martin is a proven property, and his skill in building full characters is used to its fullest extent. Paolo Rivero brings a whole lot of pathos to a pretty complex character. The two show a lot of restraint, and it’s what keeps the film at a proper tone. Together, the two are magnetic.”
See the trailer of the film after the jump!
LOST IN TRANSLATION: Please note that this trailer is in Filipino and heavily accented English. Don’t let that discourage you from watching it though. The acting and cinematography are so strong as to convey the complex dynamic between the two men and the feeling of alienation they feel on their last night together. Powerful stuff!
