MMFF Review: ‘And the Breadwinner Is…,’ a heart-wrenching film on family dynamics

Vice Ganda in a scene from “And the Breadwinner Is…” —Image: Courtesy of Star Cinema

Vice Ganda might have established himself as a box office titan, but the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “And the Breadwinner Is…” exposes his vulnerability, allowing the audience to fully understand what lies beneath his wit, star power, and why he is more than just the “Unkabogable Phenomenal Box Office Superstar.”

“And the Breadwinner Is…” tells the story of Bambi Salvador (Vice Ganda) who returns home to the Philippines after juggling multiple jobs in Taiwan. What was initially planned to be an intimate birthday celebration turned into a rude awakening after discovering that his family (Eugene Domingo, Jhong Hilario, Gladys Reyes, Maris Racal, Kokoy de Santos, Via Antonio, and Malou de Guzman) lied to him about rebuilding their family home. To make matters worse, he was forced into pretending to be dead after an accident so his family would inherit the P10 million life insurance.

Bambi’s reluctance to fake his death—with multiple callbacks to his popular characters such as Private Benjamin “Benjie” Santos VIII and Princess Drilon—unraveled his patience, as he ended up taking out his frustrations as the breadwinner into his family, thus the line, “Ano pang silbi ko pagkatapos kong maging breadwinner (What is my purpose aside from being the family’s breadwinner)?”

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The moment “And the Breadwinner Is…” dropped their trailers and began its promotions, it was clear that Vice Ganda, Domingo, Hilario, de Guzman, and Reyes would emerge as the standouts. But the film was also a moment for Racal (controversy aside) and De Santos to showcase their capability as actors. Each member of the cast, including child actors Argus and Kulot, embraced their characters in their full glory. Everyone had a moment to shine, whether it was throwing a snippy punchline, showing off their goofy antics, or expressing their character’s inner pain in the Salvadors’ heated argument.

“And the Breadwinner Is…” stars Jhong Hilario, Via Antonio, Eugene Domingo, Vice Ganda, Petite, Kokoy de Santon and Gladys Reyes during the MMFF 2024 Parade of Stars. —Image: Arnel Tacson/INQUIRER.net

While Vice Ganda made it clear that the film bared his soul, the 14-minute argument (which happened toward the end) showed what he truly meant. Many Filipino films proved that being a breadwinner is not a black-and-white responsibility. But Bambi Salvador is a gay breadwinner. Even Boy (De Santos) touches on this glaring fact during the argument scene, which could have been expounded further throughout the film.

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Despite the cast and Jun Robles Lana’s efforts to make it work, the film suffers from execution in terms of showcasing the harsh realities of being a gay breadwinner, as well as the reasons behind Baby (Domingo), Biboy (Hilario), Mayet (Reyes), Boy, Buneng (Racal), and Paeng’s (Via Antonio) clear neglect of their duties to keep their family afloat. Bambi resents them for not doing their responsibilities as members of the Salvador family. The crippling fears of falling into the same fate as Bambi (which was touched on by Boy) or relying on life’s mundane joys to maintain their sanity (as confessed by Buneng), are among the touching points of the film.

Some moments also felt confusing as the comedy and drama would clash, instead of choosing a single genre to focus on while allowing the secondary genre to boost the film’s overall message. Vice Ganda has always been an impeccable actor with the innate gift of comedic timing. However, the story could have embraced the opportunity to showcase his brilliance in both aspects more smoothly.

Despite these flaws, “And the Breadwinner Is…” is a heart-wrenching film that hits home for breadwinners. With the help of Lana, Vice Ganda was able to break free from his comedian-centered image and establish himself as a brilliant actor. At the same time, the use of SB19’s “Mapa”—especially with how it was only used in the final sequence—was expertly done, as it allowed filmgoers to fully understand how the theme song tied to the film’s message.

While “And the Breadwinner Is…” is surrounded by heavyweights in this year’s MMFF, it was able to establish itself as a powerful film while showcasing how forging close bonds behind the scenes (as the cast shared on multiple occasions) does wonders in making an ensemble shine.