Daybreak (2008)

the audience applauded

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Perhaps in the play it was Juliet that said "Parting is such sweet sorrow." but in this movie there are only two Romeos. Romeo 1 is a young doctor named William. He's opted for a more traditional route and now has a wife, recovering from an ectopic pregnancy. He realizes that he only somewhat loves her and has decided to move to Australia. Romeo 2, J.P. is his true love. The two apparently met a year or two ago but the back-story is left vague. Romeo 2 also has a girlfriend and a charter-boat business but the two have arranged this evening together, apparently not the first time.William knows he must say goodbye to J.P. or decide to go for what he really wants and change his plans... Or perhaps convince J.P. to abandon his family and his business and come along to Australia.The cinematography is moody and the pacing is languid as we are left to fill in the couple's past and begin to understand where the story is headed.Overall, this story is better told than most Pinoy films, though the local patois, the pastiche of languages and the poor subtitling make it somewhat difficult to follow at times. Early on there's a scene where the two men are talking while settling in and preparing dinner that starts to fill in their back-story but so much is still vague by the time that the two start making out on the kitchen floor that I was more concerned about them ruining their fettuccine than I should have been.One example of the poor subtitling that even I an Ugly American was aware of. William was talking about his writing. He clearly (in English) mentions short stories and the subtitles translate it as poems. It made me wonder just how much else was being said and poorly translated.The story should be a familiar one to many gay men and a sad one. How much of one's self does one sacrifice for what society wants and where does one draw the line? The two leads are both attractive and seem real throughout. Their lovemaking scenes are hot. And the scene where they dance together borders on magical.This is probably the best made Pinoy film that I've ever seen. Well worth the 75 minutes.Two technical notes: The copy I viewed was a used one I obtained on Ebay. It may not be the same version that is currently available for sale and the subtitling on that one may be different. Second. There is a strange interlude in the dinner eating scene half way through the film where some credits appear while the two eat. It's not annoying and it actually works OK as that scene progresses really slowly anyway.

The first gay movie I've seen as a whole, this indie film classic touched me to the very bottom of my heart.Daybreak is a simple film about love... well in a Brokeback kind of way. Pediatrician William (Paolo Rivero) is planning on going to Australia and before he flies to the great down under, he invites local tour guide/boatman JP (Coco Martin, still sizzling hot from the success of Masahista and Tambolista) to his home in Tagaytay. 24 hours in one roof, the two men remind themselves of how they met. From here we learn that they had a relationship. A call from a girlfriend begins the bitter moments of the film but is eased by dancing waltz (a nod to Hong Kong's Happy Together). The evening ends with steamy lovemaking that would be their last. By morning, William packs his stuff, drives off and contemplates whether he will leave an asleep, butt naked JP for his girlfriend or just stay in bed... feeling warmth with the sad boy who's so much into him.yes, the first and last thing to love in this film is its cinematography... Footage of pine trees, Taal volcano at the distance, the foggy swimming pool, the close up waltz... It is icy cold and perfect for the sad story of love and decision.And the other star missing goes to how Cabangon's "Nagiisa, Wala ka na" broke my heart. :( At first a mysterious clinking windpipe score, it went on to become a heart wrenching soundtrack. "palubog nanaman ang ilaw..." okay, so I'll mention the heartbreaking waltz again. When the two men were slowly dancing, this song plays in the background... HAAAAY. I felt really bad... it's the only scene in the film where I wanted to cry. When you see that scene, the music will haunt you.Anyway, Alix's task here isn't very hard. He has only two actors to work with. But wait a minute, the film has sex scenes. And his actors were both men!I admire how Alix managed to direct the lengthy sex scenes perfectly. Aside from these steamy scenes, he also managed to make the gay film a respectable drama. No person will ever make fun of this movie because it has great emotion. I mean look at that poor Coco Martin climbing the stairs while William says "I love you" to his girlfriend. And look at that Paolo Rivero driving away and crying (who to choose? Melissa or JP? Heart or Mind?). Won't that touch you? Hey, there's a kicker. What about the waltz where Cabangon's song tickers in the background? AHHHHHH! I just love it!... and like Ebert to Ghost World in 2001, I want to hug Daybreak (or just Coco Martin)! :)Coco Martin... His performance, flirty... trying to get the other man's attention, reminds me of Jake Gyllenhaal's Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain. He seduces William in a simple admiration of his cooking and the icy cinematography was melted by their lengthy love scenes. Actually he didn't seduce William alone. He seduced the whole audience. He's a sad guy who's left behind in the cold and foggy night.Thus, the film is great. It has to be watched multiple times. Aside from the homo eroticism in it, I loved its sad emotion. Frankly, I watched it because I wanted to see Coco Martin's performance. From that day on, he became my favorite actor. Every weekend, I watch Komiks' Tiny Tony (where he plays an antagonist named Joaquin). I'm starting a Coco Martin collection! haha.Promote Filipino cinema!