Review: Masikip sa Tatlo

Giving an ounce of chance for a turn of event, no matter how impossible to the average person, is real.

Three is a crowd. This is a rule that is often observed when a third wheel or person suddenly comes into the picture. A joke it may be considered but it has become an observation that the third party is always the source of conflict of an existing relationship. However, with today’s sexual liberation this is becoming a cliché for more and more people are slowly considering the idea of experiencing it.

Last week, a friend of mine posted that his film “Masikip sa Tatlo” is already showing in the cinemas. I already have plans of watching it but I still don’t have the time until someone told me that he had watched it already and he had read reviews about it. I asked him to give me some links where I can read the reviews. Unfortunately, the reviews are bad, so it got me curious that I immediately scheduled to watch it that same day.

Rather than watching it in Robinson’s, I watched it in my favourite theatre not only because it is cheaper there but I find the mall as “too expose”. There were many movie-goers at that time. Reviews had it that there are genital exposures so I expected many would flock this film. I selected a good view and sat.

Seeing my friend on the screen even humoured me. His character has not deviated from his real life character. His behaviour and the manner he dressed are very familiar. The only thing I did not see him doing in real life is the manner he kissed the guy on screen.

Eliminating a template that is both typical and ideal, I would judge the film on its own merit. Yes, the technicalities are below average but this is expected in a low-budgeted film but the storyline and the screenplay are realistic. The story in itself is an experience that anyone might be experiencing at the moment. The feeling of intense doubt yet afraid of confronting it because of the fear of losing someone you love. Giving an ounce of chance for a turn of event, no matter how impossible to the average person, is real. The screenplay that could easily be dismissed as inconsistent, illogical, incoherent, and melodramatic is likewise realistic. Would you say that real life, emotions is otherwise?

Technically, the film really suffered. Cinematography is poor to mediocre. Sound is overused that it created a horror effect on the film. Lighting is also poor. The bathing scene is too long that makes the film a voyeur’s feast. If eroticism is intended then they could extend the scene on the couch until the actors are totally naked and then cut it. There’s no need to expose the genitals (I haven’t seen it). The last frames where there’s an adage displayed and narrated looked like a powerpoint slide. There is no creativity in that.

Overall, I would give some credit to the story, screenplay, and actors of the film. It missed a lot of technicalities of a good film but it does not lack in providing the viewers an insight of a very sensitive and prevailing reality of human relationship.

I would recommend it but expectations should be lessened.