‘Heroic’ series finally gets it right
PADILLA. Believable breakdown.
After a number of unremarkable episodes, last Monday’s telecast of “Ilustrado” finally came up with a relatively compelling suite of scenes, so (belated) congratulations all around.
The series of well-staged and-performed sequences focused on Leonor Rivera’s (Kylie Padilla) tormented reaction to Jose Rizal’s seeming indifference to her when he was in Europe.
Only later did Leonor discover, to her pain and horror, that her mother had kept Pepe’s letters away from her, to spare her the unhappiness of being the wife of a rebel hated by the Spanish colonizers.
The scenes leading up to Leonor’s discovery of the hidden cache of letters were effectively staged and lit, and the actress’ breakdown was most believable, so kudos to her.
The actor who played the foreigner who married her, Charles Kipping, also did well, but the actress cast as her mother was not as engaged and effective. Still, the scenes gave the show the dramatic bite and lift it’s needed for weeks now, so we hope that things continue to improve on the show, despite Alden Richards’ “irrelevant” dimples as Rizal, and etc.
Another big improvement that the historical drama series should strive for is its need for greater scope and substance.
Approach
The series is generally too small and personal in approach, so we don’t get the “sweep” of major historical events needed for viewers to appreciate and understand the monumental and seminal changes that Rizal’s life and works helped effect on the emerging Filipino nation.
A tall order? Yes, but when you “dare” to “do Rizal,” you have no choice but to rise to his level. —Otherwise, why not do the Manny Pacquiao teleserye, instead?
On “Forevermore,” the dramatic situation appears to be slowly but surely going downhill, despite the series’ perky start a couple of weeks ago. What seems to be the problem? We’ve caught the show on a regular basis to find out, and we think we have the answer:
Its storytelling is too thin and linear to sustain viewers’ attention. Thus far, all it’s done is tell the story of these cash-strapped vegetable farmers, the rich, spoiled interloper who adds to their problems, how he belatedly learns to feel for them, his wealthy, acquisitive family’s designs on turning their farm into a resort, and the love-hate relationship, between poor Liza and filthy-rich Enrique.
The focus is too small, so viewers’ attention wavers and wanders. The series needs more subplots to flesh out its storytelling, and to allow for greater contrast and irony.
Without these wished-for plus points, we’re getting a bit bored with Enrique and Liza’s formulaic hate-love-hate relationship, and hope that they can soon be made to get involved and interact with a wider range of issues and characters.
