‘Deadma Walking’ is shockingly good

This movie is not gay. The characters are definitely gay, but it is certainly not a movie about being gay.

In "Deadma Walking", the friendship between John (Joross Gamboa) and Mark (Edgar Allan Guzman) shines gloriously — brighter than any romantic pairing in any of the movies that came out this year. Guzman is a stronger contender for an acting award at the Metro Manila Film Festival and the entire film itself could very well make a sweep.

It's absolutely refreshing to see gay characters be absolutely ordinary. John is gay, yes, but he has cancer and preoccupation with his own death defines him more than the fact that he's not interested in women. He is a business owner, he's suffered heartbreaks. He's super proud of his beauty queen mother.

Mark is gay, yes, but he's dealing with his best friend's insane plan instead of worrying about the stigma against his sexuality. He is a dedicated friend first and a funny gay character second, if you choose to see him as that at all.

The plot is mainly driven by John's plan to fake his own death in a bid to "outdo" death and hear his friends' eulogies for him. Screenwriter Eric Cabahug and director Julius Alfonso build around this premise, adding catchy songs from a fake musical someone should consider staging and a surprisingly fitting parody of monochromatic auteur French films. There's a "snippet-y" quality to the film, but it's so damn charming that it discourages the viewer from being pedantic.

Some jokes fall flat, but the movie is funny and it embraces Filipino melodrama and "sabaw" humor with much affection. The structure of wakes — the number of days, the eulogy sequence — provides the film a sturdy path to follow as it ultimately tries to put the audience in John's shoes. We wonder who would speak fondly of us when we're gone...and maybe, we should also ask, who should hear the words we never say. 

Death hardly seems like a great subject for a movie released on Christmas Day, but "Deadma Walking" speaks a lot about what this holiday is supposed to encourage in people. It's so shockingly good, it deserves to be seen twice. — LA, GMA News

"Deadma Walking" is part of the Metro Manila Film Festival and will be screened nationwide starting December 25.