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drwexCuddle Weather is a romantic comedy with a bitter subtext and a non-American point of view. It is the story of two Filipino sex workers who have very different outlooks, experiences, and desired outcomes. The question is can they make it work. (4/5 stars for two very good performances and tight-focused storytelling)
The film was funded by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and most of the dialog is in Tagalog. The characters speak Taglish from time to time and there's a bit of English as well. I can't tell if this is authentic or something done for the film but since I rely on subtitles for pretty much all my watching these days I didn't notice much difference.
Sue Ramirez plays Adela, an older experienced sex worker who is nearing her goal of getting out of the life. She's still supporting her family, while keeping them at arm's length from her work. Adela's bitterness isn't just the one-dimensional "my family rejects me"; rather, she's complex and nuanced and we get to feel for and sympathize with her bitterness.
RK Bagatsing plays Ram, a younger kid new to sex work. He has just come off being scammed out of a job and his savings and can't return to his family in disgrace as they are expecting him to send money home. He's a bit naïve but that's not his only trait. Again, a complex character who has the newness trait mixed with his own seriousness and drives.
The two meet, find convenience, and... well, it's a romcom. You kind of know where it's going. It just happens to be a romcom set in the Filipino sex industry. In addition to the two strong lead performances, I particularly like that the film treats its subject industry well. There's neither glorification nor vilification of sex work here. It just is - a fact of life. People treat prostitutes badly sometimes and some people are hypocritical about sex work. Other people don't, or less so.
Romcoms don't need suspense, really, and they don't need propped-up one-dimensional villains. This film avoids both and benefits from that as it lets the story stay tight on the characters, lets the characters be multi-dimensional, lets their tension be developed, lets them play out their differing goals, and eventually gives us a satisfying resolution. Great credit to Rod Marmol who is both writer and director here.
The film was funded by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and most of the dialog is in Tagalog. The characters speak Taglish from time to time and there's a bit of English as well. I can't tell if this is authentic or something done for the film but since I rely on subtitles for pretty much all my watching these days I didn't notice much difference.
Sue Ramirez plays Adela, an older experienced sex worker who is nearing her goal of getting out of the life. She's still supporting her family, while keeping them at arm's length from her work. Adela's bitterness isn't just the one-dimensional "my family rejects me"; rather, she's complex and nuanced and we get to feel for and sympathize with her bitterness.
RK Bagatsing plays Ram, a younger kid new to sex work. He has just come off being scammed out of a job and his savings and can't return to his family in disgrace as they are expecting him to send money home. He's a bit naïve but that's not his only trait. Again, a complex character who has the newness trait mixed with his own seriousness and drives.
The two meet, find convenience, and... well, it's a romcom. You kind of know where it's going. It just happens to be a romcom set in the Filipino sex industry. In addition to the two strong lead performances, I particularly like that the film treats its subject industry well. There's neither glorification nor vilification of sex work here. It just is - a fact of life. People treat prostitutes badly sometimes and some people are hypocritical about sex work. Other people don't, or less so.
Romcoms don't need suspense, really, and they don't need propped-up one-dimensional villains. This film avoids both and benefits from that as it lets the story stay tight on the characters, lets the characters be multi-dimensional, lets their tension be developed, lets them play out their differing goals, and eventually gives us a satisfying resolution. Great credit to Rod Marmol who is both writer and director here.
