McArthur C. Alejandre's Call Me Alma (Viva Films, 2023) has the energy and almost surreptitious illumination of the best improvised work. Daniel “Toto” Uy’s cinematography gives the film an exacting look that cuts nicely against the gathering force of Ricky Lee's screenplay. With a combination of power and grace, Jaclyn Jose delivers one of the more memorable performances of her career as Sheila. This is no small feat, given the depth and breadth of Jose’s filmography and her consistent ability to produce great work. She’s such an instinctive actress that never hits a false note. Jose finds unexpected avenues into her character, a challenging role that requires her to show a mental deterioration that’s inherently internal. When the reality of her situation begins to set in, Sheila’s fear and anxiety turn, at times to hysteria. In other hands these moments could veer into melodrama, but Jose earns the viewer’s empathy. Her glossy circumstances disappear into the background, and all we see is an ailing woman, overwhelmed by her fate. While Alma (Azi Acosta) speaks, Sheila’s face reflects a complex interplay of emotions. The idea of recriminatory conflict between mother and daughter seems fair enough as Jose and Acosta invest their roles with undeniable emotional conviction and impact.
Call Me Alma pains to show the life of its title character. Acosta, the actress you call when you need skill combined with courage understands that prostitution sometimes isn’t about sex at all, but about power. A man who feels powerless over women can spend some money and have power over her. Acosta plays Alma as a plucky young woman, smart, but not deceived. She has plenty of time to share with us, in voice-over, the tricks of her trade, so to speak. Alma lets us in to her personal life, her character reveals all, candidly upfront as she diverges into her clients Mr. Lopez (Mon Confiado), Mr. JC (Josef Elizalde), Miguel (Gold Aceron) and her experiences with each of them. Her delivery masks the small nuggets of heartbreak as she makes a living by selling her body for money. Alejandre allows his actors and script to leave the biggest impressions. It all makes for a film that's perhaps more difficult to penetrate than it should be. Still, it's full of little gestures and beats that all add up to complete portraits of these characters, and the hints stated in the dialogue are gracefully worked onto the rest of the film. Weaving some intriguing character dynamics, Call Me Alma balances its lightweight elements with a more serious look at the burden of past secrets.
Sound Engineer: Immanuel Verona
Original Score: Von de Guzman
Production Designer: Ericson Navarro
Editors: Benjo Ferrer, Celina Donato
Director of Photography: Daniel "Toto" Uy
Screenplay: Ricky Lee
Direction: McArthur C. Alejandre