RAINBOW'S SUNSET
Year of Release: 2018
JR's Rating:
(9.8 out of 10, Impressive)
⭐️ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ⭐️
JR's Rating:
(9.8 out of 10, Impressive)⭐️ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ⭐️
"Condescension and Acceptance"
It's 2018. We should already have accepted many changes that weren't really accepted before. Rainbow's Sunset transgresses a love existent and very much forbidden in the past but is at present slowly being welcomed by a more contemporary mindset. With astounding performances by Gloria Romero, Eddie Garcia and Tony Mabesa, we engage ourselves in an unlikely triangle that is full of love and hope yet so much bigoted by the people around them. It won Best Picture at the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival for a reason. It is more than astounding. The use of a single saturated color for the backstory is one I give too much praise as it was well done and thought. Rainbow's Sunset is an eye-opener towards today's generation presented in the most artistic and empathetic sense. The movie is an ode to people who struggle for acceptance in the past but is now brave enough to brace themselves for more challenging problems that are in need of more attention - such as corruption, scandal and women's rights - which are heavily exemplified by three other mains. As a character concedes to what is accepted through one of the film's powerful monologues, I felt all of that. Time would tell when the people who craves for our acceptance and understanding would bid farewell in this confused world. Prepare for a tearjerking yet feel good story ahead.
🚩🚩🚩SPOILERS AHEAD 🚩🚩🚩
Here are some important points I had on watching "Rainbow's Sunset":
✅ Gloria Romero
- Gloria Romero's take on the wife of a confused husband is so surprisingly superb I can't suppress my tears every time she's on screen. The film might be gay-themed but she's the movie's star. Amazingly, she won last year's Metro Manila Film Festival's Best Actress, something very deserving indeed. One scene I have to mention was when she was resurfacing memories of the past in front of her child. Too much empathy I had felt towards that scene that you just have to root for her.
✅ Unique Take on the LGBT
- While I may not agree on the morality and context of the movie, I have to praise it for delivering something fresh in the genre. Much of our country's gay romance are focused on middle-aged men whereas our neighbor Thailand have it on overly handsome young adults. Never have I seen a likeable movie towards elderly people such from Rainbow's Sunset. While the romance between Garcia's and Mabesa's characters are in a way cute, I also have to root for Gloria Romero's who has full understanding for the situation.
✅ Eddie Garcia & Tony Mabesa
- We really have to give it up to these two veterans in cinema. They were really brave enough to handle characters that were frowned upon during much of their childhood and teenage years (probably even their adult years). They were manful enough to hold hands, kiss and sleep together in this film.
✅ Three Dilemmatic Siblings
- The three siblings, portrayed by Tirso Cruz, Aiko Melendez and Sunshine Dizon, are to look forward to. Each have their own perception on the situation their father is in and would later on have their own different personal issues to handle. One is protecting her name for the sake of politics, one for the sake of family and the other out of pity and compassion for their mother. I would have a separate point on their personal issues as I find them the real concerns to be battled in the film. I have to mention though, as good as the story maybe, deductions on my score were due to how off some of their acting was (obvious smiling and smirks) that made some scenes a bit awkward.
✅ Perceptions
- I didn't score this film on the morality or context of the romance of the elders. In fact, I commend it for stirring the emotions of viewers testing their empathy towards the three main characters, Sylvia, Ramon and Fredo. At such an old age, they all just exemplified understanding and love even at the most embarassing and pejorative when even in our generation we find it hard to comprehend the situations other people are facing. Will you be behind Sylvia or Fredo or rather accept just how the film goes?
✅ Powerful Tearjerking Story
- Like I said earlier, much of my emotions and tears were due to the character of Sylvia, portrayed by Gloria Romero, for her most martyr acceptance and understanding of everything. I also felt bad, though, when the romance of both Fredo and Ramon are still deprecated most especially by the people who are close to them. When the revelation that Fredo donated their land for the family of Sylvia and Ramon, I felt where Sylvia's understanding was coming from. Thankfully, Fredo expressed full support towards her and Ramon that he can't risk ruining everything that Ramon loves and treasures. The condescending attitudes of Filipinos in this modern age are still very apparent. You can just imagine how such romance replicated in real life setting would be seen by dogmatic and bigoted individuals. But graciously enough, there are people who really fight for them even at the gamble of their emotions and reputation.
✅ And The Satisfying Ending
- On a turn of events, reversal of roles would happen in an effort to appease a former love's death. Forgiveness and acceptance towards the family was evident. I just can't divulge how the story ends to save you the experience of awe, surprise, "feel good" and love.
✅ Presentation of Backstory
- Going towards something technical, the use of a single saturated color to present events that happened in the past was a vivid and emotional experience for me. Several movies that attempted such technique are Sin City and Schindler's List. Not that I'm not aware of any other Filipino film that done this method, it's only now, through Rainbow's Sunset, I first seen it done locally. The luscious green foliage on trees, to the gorgeous teal of an old car model, to the bright red and blue of the Philippine flag backgrounded against a black and white scenery are just too beautiful. At one point in the backstory, when Fredo said "I know where I stand. I know what's wrong. I know what's forbidden. Everything he loves and treasures, I also love and treasure", I felt all of that and it's wonderfully presented in black and white.
✅ Political Dynasty and Scandal
- Evident in our country's society is such proliferation of political dynasties and connections especially in small towns that are very much poverty-stricken. How these political families seem to be rich as well is more disturbing. When scandals hit them, a short but eventually forgiveable rise back is evident. I liked how the film attacks such problems giving it more of a realistic view of Philippine politics. The three siblings are each reflective of characters playing in our country. One who has a position of power but very much of trustworthy service, another who has a position but abusive of powers, and another who may not have a position but is helpful to the community.
✅ Relevance to the Times
- Each of the three siblings also have to deal with saving themselves from public scrutiny as the oldest would have a sex video, the middle would have a corrupt husband and the youngest would have a relationship with someone who has a huge gap with her age. There is too much problem in the movie which may appear convoluting but enough to expose us with situations that are more discussion-worthy than just same-sex relationships. These are very evident and also relevant to the present.
✅ "Sa'Yo Na" by Ice Seguerra
- The song captures my emotions by the time it was played. It reflects the entrusting and investing of oneself towards another despite the situations and sufferings that may come later on in life. The song's message is presented, in particular, through the transitions of play between Sylvia and Ramon, then Ramon and Fredo, and finally Sylvia and Fredo.
With 11 amazing reasons to watch and no reasons not to watch,
"Rainbow's Sunset" is a 9.8/10 for me.
#RainbowsSunset #MMFF #MMFF2018
#2019Movies #MovieReviews #JRMovieReviews
It's 2018. We should already have accepted many changes that weren't really accepted before. Rainbow's Sunset transgresses a love existent and very much forbidden in the past but is at present slowly being welcomed by a more contemporary mindset. With astounding performances by Gloria Romero, Eddie Garcia and Tony Mabesa, we engage ourselves in an unlikely triangle that is full of love and hope yet so much bigoted by the people around them. It won Best Picture at the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival for a reason. It is more than astounding. The use of a single saturated color for the backstory is one I give too much praise as it was well done and thought. Rainbow's Sunset is an eye-opener towards today's generation presented in the most artistic and empathetic sense. The movie is an ode to people who struggle for acceptance in the past but is now brave enough to brace themselves for more challenging problems that are in need of more attention - such as corruption, scandal and women's rights - which are heavily exemplified by three other mains. As a character concedes to what is accepted through one of the film's powerful monologues, I felt all of that. Time would tell when the people who craves for our acceptance and understanding would bid farewell in this confused world. Prepare for a tearjerking yet feel good story ahead.
🚩🚩🚩SPOILERS AHEAD 🚩🚩🚩
Here are some important points I had on watching "Rainbow's Sunset":
✅ Gloria Romero
- Gloria Romero's take on the wife of a confused husband is so surprisingly superb I can't suppress my tears every time she's on screen. The film might be gay-themed but she's the movie's star. Amazingly, she won last year's Metro Manila Film Festival's Best Actress, something very deserving indeed. One scene I have to mention was when she was resurfacing memories of the past in front of her child. Too much empathy I had felt towards that scene that you just have to root for her.
✅ Unique Take on the LGBT
- While I may not agree on the morality and context of the movie, I have to praise it for delivering something fresh in the genre. Much of our country's gay romance are focused on middle-aged men whereas our neighbor Thailand have it on overly handsome young adults. Never have I seen a likeable movie towards elderly people such from Rainbow's Sunset. While the romance between Garcia's and Mabesa's characters are in a way cute, I also have to root for Gloria Romero's who has full understanding for the situation.
✅ Eddie Garcia & Tony Mabesa
- We really have to give it up to these two veterans in cinema. They were really brave enough to handle characters that were frowned upon during much of their childhood and teenage years (probably even their adult years). They were manful enough to hold hands, kiss and sleep together in this film.
✅ Three Dilemmatic Siblings
- The three siblings, portrayed by Tirso Cruz, Aiko Melendez and Sunshine Dizon, are to look forward to. Each have their own perception on the situation their father is in and would later on have their own different personal issues to handle. One is protecting her name for the sake of politics, one for the sake of family and the other out of pity and compassion for their mother. I would have a separate point on their personal issues as I find them the real concerns to be battled in the film. I have to mention though, as good as the story maybe, deductions on my score were due to how off some of their acting was (obvious smiling and smirks) that made some scenes a bit awkward.
✅ Perceptions
- I didn't score this film on the morality or context of the romance of the elders. In fact, I commend it for stirring the emotions of viewers testing their empathy towards the three main characters, Sylvia, Ramon and Fredo. At such an old age, they all just exemplified understanding and love even at the most embarassing and pejorative when even in our generation we find it hard to comprehend the situations other people are facing. Will you be behind Sylvia or Fredo or rather accept just how the film goes?
✅ Powerful Tearjerking Story
- Like I said earlier, much of my emotions and tears were due to the character of Sylvia, portrayed by Gloria Romero, for her most martyr acceptance and understanding of everything. I also felt bad, though, when the romance of both Fredo and Ramon are still deprecated most especially by the people who are close to them. When the revelation that Fredo donated their land for the family of Sylvia and Ramon, I felt where Sylvia's understanding was coming from. Thankfully, Fredo expressed full support towards her and Ramon that he can't risk ruining everything that Ramon loves and treasures. The condescending attitudes of Filipinos in this modern age are still very apparent. You can just imagine how such romance replicated in real life setting would be seen by dogmatic and bigoted individuals. But graciously enough, there are people who really fight for them even at the gamble of their emotions and reputation.
✅ And The Satisfying Ending
- On a turn of events, reversal of roles would happen in an effort to appease a former love's death. Forgiveness and acceptance towards the family was evident. I just can't divulge how the story ends to save you the experience of awe, surprise, "feel good" and love.
✅ Presentation of Backstory
- Going towards something technical, the use of a single saturated color to present events that happened in the past was a vivid and emotional experience for me. Several movies that attempted such technique are Sin City and Schindler's List. Not that I'm not aware of any other Filipino film that done this method, it's only now, through Rainbow's Sunset, I first seen it done locally. The luscious green foliage on trees, to the gorgeous teal of an old car model, to the bright red and blue of the Philippine flag backgrounded against a black and white scenery are just too beautiful. At one point in the backstory, when Fredo said "I know where I stand. I know what's wrong. I know what's forbidden. Everything he loves and treasures, I also love and treasure", I felt all of that and it's wonderfully presented in black and white.
✅ Political Dynasty and Scandal
- Evident in our country's society is such proliferation of political dynasties and connections especially in small towns that are very much poverty-stricken. How these political families seem to be rich as well is more disturbing. When scandals hit them, a short but eventually forgiveable rise back is evident. I liked how the film attacks such problems giving it more of a realistic view of Philippine politics. The three siblings are each reflective of characters playing in our country. One who has a position of power but very much of trustworthy service, another who has a position but abusive of powers, and another who may not have a position but is helpful to the community.
✅ Relevance to the Times
- Each of the three siblings also have to deal with saving themselves from public scrutiny as the oldest would have a sex video, the middle would have a corrupt husband and the youngest would have a relationship with someone who has a huge gap with her age. There is too much problem in the movie which may appear convoluting but enough to expose us with situations that are more discussion-worthy than just same-sex relationships. These are very evident and also relevant to the present.
✅ "Sa'Yo Na" by Ice Seguerra
- The song captures my emotions by the time it was played. It reflects the entrusting and investing of oneself towards another despite the situations and sufferings that may come later on in life. The song's message is presented, in particular, through the transitions of play between Sylvia and Ramon, then Ramon and Fredo, and finally Sylvia and Fredo.
With 11 amazing reasons to watch and no reasons not to watch,
"Rainbow's Sunset" is a 9.8/10 for me.
#RainbowsSunset #MMFF #MMFF2018
#2019Movies #MovieReviews #JRMovieReviews
Watched on 30 January 2019 at Cinema '76 (Anonas)
Image Reference: Internet Movie Database
Time Published: 18 February 2019 (08:00 PM)
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