A black comedy about the Pinoy psyche: Director Wincy Ong talks ‘Overtime’

“There are only three kinds of Filipino films nowadays—romance, horror, and family movies. This is different,” says Wincy Ong of his film, “Overtime”, which he co-directed with Earl Ignacio under GMA Films. Starring Richard Gutierrez and Lauren Young, “Overtime” is a black comedy that aims to challenge the idea of identity and family in a Philippine setting, as well as the idea of the Filipino mainstream movie itself.

The premise is this: A woman (Young) goes to work with a bomb strapped to her body. It was put there by an anarchist hacker (Gutierrez) seeking revenge on the company she works for. Now she has to outsmart him using the most frugal means. “It’s a really strange concept for a mainstream film,” Ong admits.

Ong caught the GMA executives’ eye with his first feature film “San Lazaro”, which was shown at Cinemalaya in 2011. Before that, he was already known as a music video and independent film director. Ong lends his indie sensibilities to his first mainstream film, most obviously through its unconventional plot. “[Everyone is a] villain here,” he says. “Even Lauren Young is actually a villain. When I was writing the script, I wanted the audience to ask, ‘Sino ba talaga kakampihan ko?’”

Another carry-over from Ong’s indie days is his insistence on working on almost everything, from writing the script to directing the film to editing and scoring it as well. He cites directors Robert Rodriguez and Woody Allen as inspirations for his indie work ethic.

Production was not without its ups and downs. Ong suffered from acid reflux, hypertension, and high blood pressure on set and had to be rushed to the hospital. His blood pressure had reached 180, and his doctor told him that if it reached 200, it could lead to a mild stroke. He was advised to cut down on work. That was when Ong asked Ignacio to come on board as co-director, taking over when Ong had to leave the set to rest. “I’m very happy with our collaboration,” Ong says. “Earl did a very good job subbing for me.”

Different roles

Audiences are set to see a different side to Gutierrez and Young. “We’ve seen Richard as a lover, a heartthrob, and as an action star. The one thing we haven’t seen him as is the villain,” Ong says. “I like it na nagma-mature 'yung career ni Richard as an actor kasi he’s a different Richard now. He’s a dad, and he’s exploring serious roles.”

One adds that he was “really fortunate” to have Young as his lead actress. “Ang gusto ko kay Lauren is she sees herself as a character actress…so she’s not afraid to look ugly on camera,” she says. “The great thing about Lauren is that she really respects the story.” Ong brings up a crucial scene which he envisioned Young doing in her underwear. He was cautioned against this at first, because of the actress’ age, but when he explained the rationale behind the scene, Young agreed to do it.

Another thing to look out for is the supporting cast—Mitch Valdez, Roadfill Sparks (one-half of Moymoy Palaboy), and Bearwin Meily. “Yung philosophy ko kasi when it comes to comedy, you’ll only be funny when you think you’re not telling a joke,” he says. “So sinabi ko, ‘Understate, understate… When you say ordinary things on camera and you’re a comedian, it’s immediately funnier than if you cracked a real, conscious joke. They understood that. It’s the most understated I have seen them.” He cites director Wes Anderson as another inspiration. “Although it’s a thriller, the way the characters react to the situation is the way a regular person would react when faced with the same thing.”

A learning experience

Ong believes that both mainstream and independent cinema can learn from each other. “Independent filmmakers [can be] very emotional decision makers. [They have to realize] that there’s such a thing as good business decisions, too,” he says.

He also disagrees with the prevailing notion that a film must appeal to the lowest common denominator in order to generate box office sales. “Honestly, I believe that [many Filipinos] invest more on TV sets than education. Hence, I think we should make TV and cinema really intelligent. And now, I think TV is more powerful than school. Video is, for me, more powerful than a classroom. Why not make it smart?” he says. “At the same time… you don’t have to be arrogant. You can be smart and accessible at the same time.”

When asked where he aligns himself, Ong says he is, “a pop director with an indie budget. I see myself as a mom-and-pop mainstream director.”

Ong envisions “Overtime” as a venue for moviegoers to “broaden their minds” with characters who are not your typical cinematic Pinoys. “If you strip away the bomb thriller, it’s a social commentary on the Filipino psyche,” he says.

“I’m very big on villain speeches,” he adds, and quotes Gutierrez' character: “‘Jody, makakalimutin ang mga utak ng Pilipino. Kailangan natin mag-ingay para maalala nila. Kailangan natin ng bomba.’”

If there’s one thing about “Overtime”, it’s definitely not your typical Filipino film. — BM, GMA News

“Overtime” screens in theaters on July 2.

GMA Films is the film production company of the GMA Network.

The views expressed here are the author's own.