Ze Moveeh
I actually first heard of the musical but didn't get to see the 1st run at the CCP nor the succeeding run at PETA. The complexities of my life at the time won't allow me. And so when Regal Films announced that they're shooting the movie for the 2006 Metro Manila Film Festival, I went to see it for the sake of finally seeing ZZZ.
I didn't have high expectations as movies never really give justice to the original form a material was produced for. So overall, I'll say Ze Moveeh was generally entertaining.
Oh, I do have some complaints... er constructive criticisms:
1. The opening sequence pertaining to the rain and its reference to the general situation of lead character, Ada, felt weak and was rather an uncompelling proposition to open the movie. It felt like a typical gay story. It didn't present anything new.
2. I think Mother Lily just came up with the bright idea that Zsa Zsa Padilla should play the role given her name-sake with the heroine. She tried to give her best but she just didn't fit the role. I thought she was a little bit over-acting and simply didn't understand that her role is that of a gay in a woman's body.
3. The musical numbers lacked energy. The opening rain dance was ho-hum. Zsa Zsa's Babae Na Ako didn't really shout with gay glee. Pops's performance whether singing or acting has never really made an impact for me. The transmorphication number lacked the potential of what movie special effects can do to a scene of alien amazonistas gathering power from the universe. The CG frog was so CG unlike the one in the Pinky Montilla version of my youth which was a REAL frog.
4. A lot of irrelevant characters not to mention miscast. Fine, so they felt they needed a love team for the teen audience but then I'm not sure if Pauleen Luna and her partner (who I don't recognize) really had any teen pull. I've already mentioned Zsa Zsa Padilla as a miscast. Christian Vasquez had more 'noodles' than Alfred Vergara but I guess the moreno Alfred would make the girls and gays swoon more.
And while the movie was generally faithful to the graphic novel, it lacked the intensity of the issues of women and homosexuals. And each person's general longing for love and understanding.
After all these, I'd still give credit where credit is due.
Rustom Padilla as Ada was a revelation to me. Others didn't like his portrayal but I think he was consistent with what he wanted to do with the character. His version of Ada was his own. It was similar to the character in the novel but was still distinct from Tuxqs Rutaquio's Ada. He was a natural. Yes I know he's really gay but he's still not a parlorista.
Ze Graphi
c Novel I didn't know ZZZ was originally a graphic novel. I only heard of it from an officemate. It was sold out from all the bookstores when I started looking for a copy. I wanted to enjoy it on its original form before catching Ze Moveeh. Obssessing over it, I got to read the first five pages from the Alamat Comics website after much surfing on the net.
I was immediately drawn in to Ada's seemingly solitary existence and search for true happiness. I readily gave out a snort-kind-of-laugh with Didi's funny quips. I could actually borrow a copy from my officemate but I just had to get my own copy.
Finally, I got my copy fresh from Power Books and dug my nose into it. It was a quick read. Funny, incredulous and nostalgic at the same time. It brought me back to the black & white movie of Pinky Montilla's Supergirl and her fight against the giant frog made by mad scientist played by the late Vic Diaz (or am I mixing movies here?). And as Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah fought off the zombies, I picture in my head the floating coffins on the river amidst the walking dead in probably the same Supergirl movie if my memory serves me right. Not to mention the parody or what you may want to refer to as modern adaptation of Darna's Planet Women in the form of the english speaking Amazonistas was equally witty.
But ZZZ remains to be Carlo Vergara very own with content that may have been very personal or just something he felt strongly about.
My only wish is that they should have released it in color.
Ze Muzikal
No bad reviews indeed! How can you when the cast especially the leads played their respective roles with utmost gusto and sincerity. Let me applaud them here one more time:
Eula Valdez -
I'm officially declaring myself a fan of Philippine telenovela's Amor Powers. She was ZZZ in the flesh! And I never knew, the woman can actually sing. And sing in character at that. She never forgot that she's a gay man trapped --- or more like ecstatically re-born into a woman's body. Joey Paras - his Didi was not jsut your typical gay persona: funny, witty, brutally frank but fiercely loyal. A wonderful talent indeed. I would want to see him in other roles in the future. (Oh, I would have wanted to see Ricci Chan who played Didi during the first run. I loved him as Angel in the local production of Rent.)
Tuxqs Rutaquio - sensitive and reserved was his portrayal of Ada but brave and resolute at the same time. He may not have the best vocals in the cast but he sung in key nonetheless.
Agot Isidro - I didn't really expect much from her portrayal but she was as fantastic as the rest of the lead cast. With her consistency in character and effective delivery of such tongue-twisting lines, you can't help but be impressed with her performance.
Amazonistas - I think it would have been more fun and funny if they had more physical cues (whether hair, make up or costume) that made them look more like the celebrities they portrayed. Or maybe that was just wasn't the intent. It's a pity I missed Wilma Doesnt as I heard she was a blast.
Chorus - Wonderfully energetic but I'm afraid the size of the stage restricted their movements thus dance choreographies didn't have the vigor and power I usually expect from a musical production. Also the fight scene between ZZZ and the Mumus (zombies) would have had more impact if the punches were in time with corresponding musical score.
Huseng Batute was wonderfully maximized by set designer, Sonny Aniceto, both in terms of the cleverly penis-shaped stage as well as ensuring additional seating capacity to the otherwise smallest CCP theater.
Ze Orginal Zoundtrack
Congratulations to Vincent de Jesus (the lyricist, composer, musical director) for successfully mass producing his masterpiece, the first printing of which has already sold out and now making it available in music stores.
How can the music not be a success when it's wonderfully catchy, lyrically funny an
d witty and cheesy at the same time. And just when you think you've had enough of listening to it on a daily basis for weeks, it just grabs you once again into the world of ZZZ as soon as you pop it back into your CD player. Vincent also cleverly reuses musical bars from earlier songs to conote triumph and celebration as in the case of "Babae Na Ako", "Panalo na Ako", and "Victoria! Winner!"My favorite tracks remain to be the danceable tunes "Parlorista ng Bayan" and "Babae na Ako" but I also find the melodramatic "Multo ng Nakaraan" and "Nakikita Ko na ang Nakakasilaw na Ilaw" very memorable.
You can find a complete listing and description of the zoundtrack at this fansite.
And for those like me who just would like more dose of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah, I heard Tanghalang Pilipino is planning another production run this coming June. For updates you can check out TP's website or the mainpage of the ze fansite.
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