Ligaya ang itawag mo sa akin

This soapie conscious flic has a few bones to pick with the hypocrisy of the church and politics. A naive farm boy falls for a local prostitute who wants to go straight. It goes deeper but that was enough to cause trouble with Filipino censors who didn't like this film one bit. A good film festival filler for a late night screening that enables you to go down a lower gear while the filmmaker does all the explaining.

There is always a huge joke about Rosanna Roces' works. Its almost always salaciously titled with heavy double entendre.

So guess, what the big shock I got when I actually tried watching this one.

This film (which is better translated as "For a Good Time: Call me Joy") tells the story of a rural hooker and a local farmer who falls head over heals over her beauty. When he proposed, Ligaya finds a new lease on life and personally tasked herself to change to the woman his well-respected husband wants. But all breaks loose, as people only sees her as a tramp she once was. Storywise, it definitely reminds me of Nights of Cabiria to be perfectly frank BUT defiantly darker.

I think this is one of the best Madonna-Whore Complex in film out there. It could get a bit on the nose BUT I felt especially towards the end, when it falls apart THAT there is a sense of knowingness by the writer AND I appreciate that.

It just works.

John Arcilla, Isabelle Granada, Ping Medina and Eva Darren were precise and wonderful in their respective roles. They were just perfect storm of support for this great film. While she does have some rough moments, I personally feel that Rosanna Roces was a revelation in this film. I see why she is highly respected and tauted. Clearly, her films is often overlooked nowadays due to its ridiculous titles but she handles this role with such roughness without losing authenticity and dramatic flair. I can definitely feel actresses that will try to dramatize and make this part likable but she manages more than what you expect.

Highly recommended.