John Lloyd Cruz’s crackerjack portrayal anchors compelling legal drama

Chito Roño’s “The Trial” is an emotionally involving legal drama presented with sufficient flair and built around the crackerjack portrayal of John Lloyd Cruz as a 27-year-old simpleton, Ronald Jimenez Jr., accused of raping his tutor, Bessie Buenaventura (Jessy Mendiola).

The well-intentioned film errs on the side of caution, however, by pulling out all the stops to give the accused and his unconventional parents a “politically correct” treatment, allowing his high-strung accusers to deliver stentorian rhetoric with incessant and ludicrous mugging, making the rape victim look guiltier than the crime itself and threatening to turn the film into a discordant muddle. Who’s on trial here, after all?

CRUZ. Effective emotional conduit.

Ronald has the mind of a 13-year-old, but that doesn’t make him incapable of loving his gay father, Naldo (Vince de Jesus), and lesbian mother, Sampi (Sylvia Sanchez). In fact, Ronron is fond of a lot of people, foremost of whom are Bessie and his best friend, Martin Bien (Enrique Gil), who perished in a tragic car accident a year ago. Away from her abusive boyfriend Paco (Benjamin Alves), Bessie has found comfort in Ronald’s friendship and abiding love.

When a clip of an incriminating sex video that catches Ronald in flagrante delicto with his seemingly “struggling” teacher goes viral, his simple but contented life comes crumbling down—a sorry situation that lets the impressionable, social media-savvy public conveniently pin the blame not just on the inability of the accused to properly assess right from wrong, but also on the sexuality and atypical lifestyle of his otherwise doting parents. But, did he commit the crime?

Conflict of interest

People love demonizing those who don’t adhere to what’s “perceived” to be normal. With no one to turn to, Ronald’s only chance at clearing his name lies in the hands of lawyer Julian (Richard Gomez) and developmental psychologist Amanda (Gretchen Barretto), the parents of Martin who are on the verge of annulling their marriage. But, a conflict of interest soon arises—Amanda is close to educator Lally Laperal (Vivian Velez), who happens to be Bessie’s aunt!

Don’t get us wrong. The film reaches its quick-fix denouement awkwardly no spoilers here), but it will make you think. As with many of Roño’s movies, it’s guaranteed to shake viewers out of their apathy. As seen through its protagonist’s perspective, it’ll draw you into Ronald’s special world and its imperfect inhabitants as it unfurls into unsettling complexity.

It’s an indictment of the evils of social media and the people who are lured by its voyeuristic appeal. The persuasively satisfying production also brings out the best in its actors, most remarkably John Lloyd Cruz, the intense Gretchen Barretto and the heart-warming Vince de Jesus, when it examines the strong and corrosive bonds forged between friends, lovers and family members.

Sylvia Sanchez has some of the film’s most heart-wrenching moments, but she occasionally goes over the top when she’s allowed to “chew the scenery” with effusive, vein-bursting theatricality.

Vivian Velez and company are tasked with characters whose parameters are drawn so bluntly that there isn’t much room for nuance.

Coming from the atrocious “Call Center Girl,” Jessy Mendiola goes from bland to brave: She shines in an underwritten role that, for the most part, requires her to look scared of her manipulative aunt, and woefully acquiesce to the demands of her brutish boyfriend.

What about John Lloyd? He’s cast in a flashy but potentially risky role, but his portrayal is never skin-deep and overdone—not once will you see him playing to the peanut gallery. He treats his scenes with judicious restraint and enriches his character’s simple-minded affability with an endearing curiosity that eschews attention-grabbing gimmicks for something more thoughtful.

Cruz’s commitment to craft is reflected in the consistency of his indelible performance—and even when his predicament takes a treacly turn, he remains an effective emotional conduit, who never loses sight of the fact that the flawed character he plays isn’t the acclaimed actor who portrays him!