MAY LAMOK SA LOOB NG KULAMBO... Wonderfully Comic

May Lamok Sa Loob Ng Kulambo

Danny Zialcita's May Lamok Sa Loob Ng Kulambo (Essex Films) speaks of values that are much more contemporary. The film centers on two women, Ellen (Gloria Diaz), the wife and Emma (Lyka Ugarte), her husband's goddaughter. The husband is Lauro (Eddie Garcia). Zialcita explores the relationship between Ellen and Emma by offering the very defiant notion that the two women should not be at odds with each other because they actually share a common enemy, the man. Diaz herself a middle-aged woman, has found an equivalent in Ellen, who is not only the soul of this movie, but also one of the most refreshing female characters in recent Philippine cinema.  Ellen is beginning to have angsts about her sexuality, but she is gorgeous and Diaz, wonderfully comic, is a case in point for perfect casting. In one scene, she prances in her nighties, and the actress, by sheer magnificence of her presence, is a convincing paradox. How can a woman so beautiful think herself unsexual? The problem is not her,  she later realizes, but society, her husband included because of how it regards older women as less sexual than their male counterparts.

The joy of May Lamok is the way everything seems to be moving towards impropriety. Suddenly, Ester (Amy Austria), spies on Lauro, Doray (Suzanne Gonzales) and lover Andoy (Johnny Vicar), are both killed by her husband Cipriano (Ernie Ortega), then Emma gets pregnant and so on. The sequences involving Garcia are hilarious while Diaz's portrayal of Ellen is marvelous. Only Diaz can combine verbal wit and body movement in such an effective comic way. Making Austria act abnormally in the absurdist scenes is also a stroke of genius, it effectively bursts the stereotype of the haughty house maid. Ugarte, unfortunately, makes a fool of herself trying to do justice to a character which she doesn't understand. Zialcita makes everything seem natural, he keeps it fun, lively and witty without losing sight of the subject matter, sex. Sometimes, though, he pushes the film towards the slapstick with his exaggerating camera and most especially the musical score, punctuating every punchline with a vaudevillean horn sound. Because of this, the film sometimes has a cartoonish charm, but sometimes, regrettably, it is just plain cartoonish. After all the impropriety, though, May Lamok makes a full circle and returns to proper decorum. Ellen and Lauro make up and in turn, takes Manny's (Tommy Abuel) responsibility with Emma's baby but given due compensation. Because for all of the film's liberated ideas, it is traditional in one respect and in the end, everyone must do the right thing.

Directed By: Danny L. Zialcita
Screenplay: Benjamin Pascual And Danny L. Zialcita
Director Of Photography: Felizardo Bailen
Musical Director: Demet Velasquez
Film Editor: George Jarlego
Produced By: Essex Films
Release Date: May 8, 1984

Ang Lamok theme song from May Lamok Sa Loob Ng Kulambo performed by Jerry And Mandy

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