‘Coming Home’

(We are running this guide to help you plan your holiday movie-watching activity during the pandemic. The 46th Metro Manila Film Festival Christmas Edition runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2021. Tickets are available online via upstream.ph/mmff/.)

Directed by Adolfo Alix Jr.; stars Jinggoy Estrada, Sylvia Sanchez, Ariella Arida, Edgar Allan Guzman, Martin del Rosario, Julian Estrada, Jake Ejercito, Vin Abrenica, Luis Hontiveros; produced by Maverick Films and ALV Films

Jinggoy Estrada (left) and Sylvia Sanchez

Originally planned for the first—and eventually canceled—Summer Metro Manila Film Festival earlier this year, this dramatic film presents the dynamics of a broken Filipino family as it grapples with betrayal on its road to “love, redemption and forgiveness.”

Jinggoy plays Benny, a man of humble background who tries his luck as an overseas Filipino worker in Qatar. But there, he gives in to temptation after meeting a nurse named Mercy (Ariella), who eventually becomes his “reluctant mistress.” His infidelity inevitably leads to his family’s destruction.

“One of my fears is that I may not be at par at work in terms of acting, because I hadn’t done it in a long time,” Jinggoy said. “But I’m happy to be back to my first love, which is show biz.”

The story takes a turn when Mercy returns Benny, now afflicted with a terminal disease, to his family. The martyr wife, Salve (Sylvia) is left to pick up the pieces.

“She will try to rebuild her family to the best of her ability,” Sylvia said.

“Some of their kids accept their father; the others have emotional baggage,” Adolf added. “It’s about confrontation, reconciliation how the family responds to the situation.”

—ALLAN POLICARPIO