Monday, 9 February 2015

Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005)

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros) has been notable over the past years, because of his bizarre story that seems not to have faded since it captures the heart of the viewers and won prominent awards as well. The story and plotline seems so simple, but the screenplay tells us so much about life. Its issues are presented in simple shots and are presented in a very realistic way. However, it’s not the typical film you get to watch, wherein it happens to be predictable and mainstream. It offers distinctive feels and vibes to the viewers.

Representation of the World in Films

In a world where different forms of crimes, corruption and discrimination are prevalent, it’s no wonder that conflicts are an inevitable part of our society. In this film “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros”, is the story of an outright gay teen named Maxi, who is torn between his infatuation for a good-looking young cop and his loyalty to his family. The theme of this film involves crime, corruption and poverty in the slums of Manila. Maxi's family is engaged in a life of petty crime, ranging from the peddling illegal drugs to snatching cellular phones. Even though his father is involved in such shady activities, he still earned the respect of the local police chief who give him some sort of extent to conduct such actions. Thus, he has maintained a reputation within the community. In relation to the reality, corruption is the number one dilemma of a society, because this issue is so rampant among government officials, leaders and officers.        

On the other hand, if gays in films usually are stereotyped as unworthy, disgrace to the family, annoying and pathetic, Maxi is a total opposite. He actually becomes the mother figure of the home following the death of his mother. He cooks food, washes dishes and, and cleans the house. Maxi is also very much loved and endeared by his war freak father and two brothers. His world revolves around them and his simple joy of wearing make-up, girl’s clothes and playing around some beauty contest with other gays of his age. But when he meets Victor, a good-looking and kind-hearted young cop, there comes the conflict.


However, Maxi’s dilemma seems easy as most gays in intolerant societies would imagine the slums area in the film. The representation of gay in the film is somehow not so similar to reality, but one thing comparable is that falling in love to a guy is quite impossible, because usually they end up either broken hearted or rather choose not to let it happen. Yet, the thing about gays like Maxi for sure is that they have more strength than the real boys’ combined. 


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