Kalel knows a thing or two about secrets. His mother has an ongoing
affair with a married man. His sister had undergone an abortion at a
young age. And to top it all, he is the
son of a priest. He grew up being told to be ashamed and apologize for
sins he did not commit. Insecure about his past and upbringing, he
winds up recklessly searching for love and validation from complete
strangers he meets online. When, at age 15, he is diagnosed with HIV,
Kalel thinks it will just be another secret that he has to keep. After
all, he has mastered showing a carefree exterior while keeping his
emotional and physical pain bottled up inside. This charade allows him
to enjoy whatever precarious balance in life he can manage. But Kalel’s
already fragile existence comes unhinged. Without any moral compass to
restrain him, he is now in danger of sliding into a life of destruction
and pain.
Just
have a heavy heart after watching this film. It will not force you to
be affected on the film but the way story has been told and unfold
effectively deliver the message it would like to convey. It is a dark, depressing and hopeless film that let us glimpse on the reality on life and society without being so dramatic. This
is also the most subtle pinoy film that I watched that tackles HIV or
AIDS. It will not let you feel that having this virus or sickness is the
end of the world. I like how they showed that in life, the judgement or
ignorance of people around us complicate our ordeals in life. Elijah
Canlas gives is definitely a promising new young actor to watch for that
finally got his break that he deserved. He gives right amount of
emotion and right perspective on his character. Jaclyn Jose performance
on this film is also noteworthy. It’s not the usual Jaclyn Jose you that
you can see in this film giving her most loud and witty performance
without trying so hard. Another remarkable performance was given by the
in-demand indie actress Gabby Padilla which decently nail her character
as a young slutty girl. All in all, this movie did what it sought out to
accomplish - it says a lot about us as human. A must watch and a
relevant film.
My Verdict: 5/5
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