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Liza Soberano's 'Lisa Frankenstein' performance gets lauded by American film critics
What a Hollywood debut for Liza Soberano!
The Filipino actress has been getting rave reviews from American critics with her performance in "Lisa Frankenstein," which premiered in cinemas on Wednesday.
Directed by Zelda Williams and written by Diablo Cody, the film stars Kathryn Newton on the titular role and Cole Sprouse as the undead creature who becomes her companion.
While the film itself has mixed reviews so far, Liza has been earning praises for her role as Taffy, Lisa's popular cheerleader stepsister. She has been called a scene-stealer and superstar by American filmmaker Joe Russo.
Here are the thoughts of other film critics on her performance.
"They might, as I did, spend much of the movie wishing it instead focused on Lisa's stepsister, the sweet and chipper Taffy (Liza Soberano), a pert foil for all of Lisa's increasingly mannered quirk. Cody does a good job of rounding out a stock character's dimensions—Taffy has a tartness, an edge that makes her more fully human than she might be in a lesser writer's hands. Or in a lesser actor's. Soberano, a star in her native Philippines making her Stateside debut, is an ace scene stealer."
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times
"The breakout star and true discovery of 'Lisa Frankenstein' is Soberano, who has a real gift for imbuing Cody's famously clever and convoluted dialogue with a sincerity that elevates the character beyond an ironic archetype as she morphs from mean teen to scream queen. In fact, Soberano might be too good in the role— she's so charming and sympathetic that there's an emotional domino effect that exposes some problems with the script."
"The brightest light in these dismal proceedings might be Liza Soberano's Taffy, whose character delivers disarmingly sincere comeuppance to clichéd tropes of vapid beauty queens and mean-girl cheerleaders."
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle Datebook
"The only thing to take from the wreckage of 'Lisa Frankenstein' is the performance of Soberano, in her Hollywood debut. She finds comedy in a weak script and radiates goodness without being boring. Let's hope she has better movies in her future."
"Soberano, as Taffy delivers her lines with a humor that, whether by design or by accident, adds a quirky charm to the story. Her portrayal injects a dose of levity, highlighting the film’s campy sensibilities amidst its darker moments."
"Cole Sprouse is at the center of the movie's gross-out slapstick and makes a solid comic foil for Newton, but the real second lead of the film is Liza Soberano as Lisa's stepsister Taffy. Where an actual 1989 comedy about a high school outcast would probably frame the popular cheerleader as her vain and vapid opposite, Taffy is the heart of the movie."
"Soberano is the perfect foil for Newton. She’s been thriving in Filipino cinema for years, and it’s not hard to see why. Her comedic timing and delivery are phenomenal, and she’s able to bring vulnerability and sincerity to every scene, even when the material she has to say would look completely out-of-pocket and callous on paper. The sisterhood between Lisa and Taffy is a highlight of the film, running the gambit from sibling rivalry to forming an unexpected but affecting bond. In lesser hands, Taffy could be a stereotype—a one-dimensional character we've seen hundreds of times—but Soberano puts a refreshing spin on her, giving her real depth and scene-stealing moments."
"In lesser hands, Taffy would be nothing more than an archetypal Valley Girl coasting off of a 1000-watt smile and vocal fry, but in Soberano's more than capable hands, Taffy earns her spot in the 'amazing sister' roster of the teen girl movie canon. Her comedic chops were a genuine surprise and if she's not waking up on Monday to an inbox filled with leading role offers, something is seriously wrong."
"If there was a breakout star of this film she is certainly the one. Soberano is hilarious and heart-warming and it never feels as though she's making fun of the archetype she's inhabiting. There's a genuine quality there that makes the performance work."
—Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA Integrated News
