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Paano Ang Aking Gabi? |
As a director, Efren Pinon clearly failed to motivate his actors properly since in other films, Ronaldo Valdez played similar characters competently. Greggy Liwag seems undecided about playing his part as a brooding young man or a dashing gigolo. Lala Montelibano's portrayal does a disservice to her reputation as an actress of some talent and to the young girl's characterization which may account for her conscious effort to be dramatic. A misconception that the director did not choose or know how to correct. All of her external manifestations only succeed to create an intolerable and unsympathetic character. Of course she did not get much help from the screenplay, but has she striven for some interiority in characterization, the role of the girl might conceivably come off more credibly. The writers' inability to come up with a more inventive plot development works against Montelibano's character portrayal. In this case, the blame is split fifty-fifty. Similarly, Merle Fernandez is embarrassing. Soledad is supposed to be a woman who just started to live her life, torn by the realization that she is losing her lover to a much younger woman. That is a mouthful, even for an experienced actress. Fernandez, sad to say, just cannot cope. It is the direction, actually, rather than the writing, that is the root of the problem here. Longer and subtler sequences could have brought out the complex emotional problems encountered by the characters, especially Fernandez's. But a film's substance is judged by the coherence and integrity of its screenplay, the intelligence of the acting and the perception and control exercised by the direction. Paano Ang Aking Gabi? exhibits marked flaws on the first two points and as for Pinon's direction, it is mostly and merely functional.
Directed By: Efren C. Pinon
Story By: Ruben Marcelino Serialized In Pilipino Komiks
Screenplay By: Joe Carreon And George Vail Kabistante
Director Of Photography: Clodualdo Austria
Music By: Snaffu Rigor
Film Editor: Edgardo Vinarao
Production Designer: Ben Payumo
Produced By: Seiko Films, Inc.
Release Date: November 7, 1986