‘A Hard Day’
John Arcilla
(We are running this guide to help you plan your holiday movie-viewing activity during the pandemic. The 47th Metro Manila Film Festival, or MMFF, runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2022.) Directed by Lawrence Fajardo; stars Dingdong Dantes and John Arcilla; produced by Viva Films
In less than 24 hours, detective Edmund Villon (Dingdong Dantes) finds himself trapped in a series of unfortunate events: His mother dies; he and his colleagues get investigated for alleged embezzlement; his recklessness results in a fatal hit-and-run on his mother’s funeral; and then he tries to do a coverup by hiding the victim’s corpse in his mother’s coffin.
After the burial, Lt. Ace Franco (Arcilla) threatens Villon that he will expose the latter’s crime if he doesn’t give in to his demands. “I’m happy and proud to be part of the MMFF yet again. In a way, it’s like serving our Filipino audience,” Arcilla said.
Dingdong Dantes
This action thriller is a local adaptation of the 2014 South Korean movie of the same title. The original version, which stars Lee Sun-kyun (“Parasite”) and Cho Jin-woong, won several awards in its native country, including the best director and best actor trophies at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards. It was also part of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’ Fortnight.
“While we Filipinos have a colorful culture and countless stories to tell, it’s also nice from time to time to remake projects like this one, which is globally known. It’s also a way of recognizing the work of other Asian countries,” Arcilla said.
