Edinburgh International Film Festival: Part II

And now for a comedic look at societal behaviour...

Set largely in one of the ubiquitous and bizarre taxi cabs that weave through the streets of Manilla, MNL 143 follows Ramil, a middle-age taxi driver looking for his long-lost girlfriend. Despite Rami’s intense loneliness, his job results in all manner of encounters which he genuinely seems to enjoy… for the most part.
The film is often funny, the narrative making sure of this with colourful characters popping into Ramil’s taxi, squeezing next to one another and abruptly leaping out when they reach their stop. We watch through a camera seemingly affixed to the rear-view mirror, though it often travels through the sweaty bodies into the rear of the car. During each turbulent journey, Ramil keeps his cool as he is barked at by aggravated commuters, many of whom turn on one another. Anyone who has worked with the public will immediately identify with the exchanges here and find comedy in the madness.

harrassed commuters in MNL 143



Throughout the film commuters fiddle with iPhones, cameras, video-recorders and iPads and there’s constant sending and receiving of text messages. This is perhaps a nod to our technology-obsessed culture but there’s comedy to be had here too. A giggling young man records a fellow passenger whose testicle has slipped through a hole in his shorts and exclaims, ‘This will go viral’.



Ramil lunches with some fellow taxi drivers in MNL 143



The web of smaller narratives within Ramil’s own are fun to watch. Sadly our protagonist is never able to resolve his own dilemma and the film lacks any twist or sense of finality which is a bit of a let-down after such a frenetic build-up.

I enjoyed my first taste of Philippine cinema. MNL 143 creates an entertaining balance of sadness and comedy in a rough and alien environment, even if it does struggle to find closure.

Frank and Roxy in God Bless America

From one aspect of social commentary to another, God Bless America takes a scathing look at celebrity culture. Frank has just lost his job. His ex-wife is getting re-married and his tantrum-throwing daughter wants nothing to do with him. His neighbour parks too close to his car. Frank also has an inoperable brain tumour. Parked in front of his television he watches the deterioration of human behaviour on grotesque reality TV shows (one altercation involves a woman flinging a used tampon at an enraged co-star) and decides we have suffered too much freedom of speech. On his trigger-happy journey to rid society of its social ills – and rude behaviour - Frank forms an unlikely alliance with a teenage misfit who shares his discontent.
The film nails the sense of stupidity and narcissism that saps so much air time. The story itself though is over the top, and it wasn’t long before I became bored with the premise. It seems to me that stupid people ought to be ignored, rather than targeted for conversion… or death. For this reason, I found it difficult to engage with the plot or care about Frank’s progress.
That said, this is perhaps the first film of its kind, lampooning reality TV shows and celebrity judges, and I think it’s likely to attract audiences. The scathing humour and bizarre shoot-em-ups are amusing enough and well-acted with our Bonnie and Clyde-inspired duo, even if the self-righteous superiority can, on occasion, become tiresome.
An engaging enough film and if the cathartic story appeals to you, it’s likely to hit the spot.

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