Publisher's Note

Publisher’s Note
It was 22 years ago when I arrived in Canada and chose Calgary, Alberta to be my home. Leaving my family and friends behind, it was a new adventure for me to be in a new country without knowing anyone. That was the time I looked for a Filipino community paper and never found any, [...]
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Page added on November 20, 2009

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MOVIE REVIEW: IN MY LIFE

By: Estrella Tata Delos Reyes

I had the chance to watch another Filipino Movie last October when, after a very long absence from the big screen, Star For All Seasons Ms. Vilma Santos , marked a return to the movie industry via Star Cinema’s offering “In My Life”. The movie was on its last day of showing here in Calgary and I did not want to miss it.

Show business is not where it is now without award –winning performers like her. The movies she did in the past were truly remarkable and are blockbusters. I cannot blame why up to now, she has the longest following if not the strongest.

This movie deserves another golden award I must say. The story evolved on a single mom who dreams to reconnect & rekindle the long lost relationship with her gay son Mark, who travelled across the seas in pursuit of his dreams. 90% of the movie was filmed on location, specifically New York City in the USA. There she met her son’s lover Noel, who was a TNT (Tago Ng Tago).

The woman was subjected to the reality of what most of us here in Canada experience. Work, climate change, work, climate change… and the string goes on. The cold and loneliness we all battle especially when the cold front comes. Although it is not that bad after all, things got better of course. But as life for her moved and the acceptance of her new lifestyle was being put in its proper perspective, she lost her son. Tragic and traumatic to some. I heard sniffs everywhere. But only after some time of laughter and resounding hahahahas from the other funny scenes.

The only thing I did not like in the movie was how it exposed the idea, that some of our fellow countrymen would evade deportation by marrying a citizen or a permanent resident. Aptly called Marriage-For-Convenience of course. I strongly think this thought did not give us any more aces to our grading system as immigrants to Northern America or any other country with the strictest and fairest Immigration System. This only allowed them to believe how truly it exists for us Filipinos. Would we still be surprised if the Immigration System put pressure to those claimants for permanent visa via the virtue of being married to a local or a citizen? Do we now have the right to complain if they review in depth the application? The last part of the movie where the main character said, “I will be divorced in 2 years”, was the one that kinda gave it away. How I wish the Writer and Director changed it.

Although it has some unusual twists, this movie was still a beautiful feel-good experience to all those movie-goers who found enjoyment in its story telling. To sum it up, Star Cinema brought in yet another blockbuster alright. We shall be awaiting the next movie in line.

MOVIE REVIEW: IN MY LIFE

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