Standing Ovation for "BOSES"

The film got three minutes of standing ovation. Four encore applause during the end credits. Two national artists cheering for more. And 1,800 people shouting "bravo!".

BOSES is one of the best films in Cinemalaya this year.

BOSES (by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil) is the story of a musician, who regains back his humanity by giving violin lessons to a child who is abused by his father. In turn, the child, through the instrument, is able to get back his voice from a muted, abused and desensitized existence. This is a story of a friendship founded on the sublime beauty of music.

The film is close to perfection.

The story line is very unique and properly layered. It tells the story of an abusive father's conversion, a devoted social worker running a safe house for abused children, a musician who lost passion due to a tragic accident in his life, and a kid who found his lost voice through the strings of a small violin. Layered but not confusing.

The screenplay was well written. It was able to balance in its story telling drama, humor and hope. The character transformation was well laid in the script...making the movie not too "over-acting". Magnifiers were also properly distributed in the plot, weaving it scenes seamlessly (like the act of hiding in the closet whenever he's afraid).

The cinematography was almost perfect. The film was properly lit, with clear distinction between current settings and flashbacks. Color was well saturated, but not to glaring to the eyes. Night scenes were well lighted as well. Camera movements, smooth.

The actors were fantastic. Kudos to Coke Bolipata and Julian Duque. Fantastic duo which made the film so appealing to see.

Editing was great as well. And since this is a film about music, the musical score was just right.

And lastly, the direction was flawless. Combing the elements I mentioned above was not an easy task. Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil was able to put everything together to create a masterpiece.