Crying Ladies

I watched this film in Germany. Looking at the cover alone, I thought it would be a drama but people told me, it was suppose to be a comedy with interludes of emotional scenes. As I watched the introduction, I already noticed that this film had at least high quality production. And even the entering music was great. Another good thing was that the visual scene of the entire movie was very clear, compared to most Filipino movies. Well, it's because good quality equipments were used in this film. One thing I liked the most about this film are the sound effects. Those were the only elements that gave feeling and justice to the acting if the casts. I found the crying of the mourners very corny. The whole plot of the story, I really don't know what to say. Nothing really special. It didn't touch me at all. But the cast played their roles very well. Also the written script was good. Many people hated it and found it corny. But I have to admit that it was somewhat heart-warming. I also noticed after watching the movie that this film pays tribute to the Philippines' Filipino-Chinese heritage and I know that cultural movies do well internationally, which actually was true. For the average Filipino movie, I do not think this one is really anything special. I also don' understand why many people love this film so much. But it is weird that I find it unique in a way. Maybe it's because this film is a refreshment for Philippine cinema. I highly recommend this movie to people who are interested in foreign customs and cultures. I'm sure it will be an eye opener!

Saw this film while channel surfing.

Hey, ain't I right? Almost all Filipino movies contain the same plot (Lust-Love-Death-Drama...) recently.

The plot:

A mother taking care of his son who is being claimed by her former husband,

While looking for a decent job, she decided to apply as a "crying lady" (women who would wail in front of a casket in a funeral, I don't know why).

I was never a fan of locally-made films but hey!

This change my attitude towards them.

Possibly the best Filipino film I have ever watched.

it was not that "earth shaking" nor did it "lack substance". it could have been "whimsical", but this i can attest, it truly deserved the honor of being named best picture of the 2003 metro manila film festival. among the qualified contenders in the aforementioned film festival include bridal shower (a wonderful sex comedy) and mano po 2 (a domestic family drama that has no relation with the original).

crying ladies is a well-written comedy with notable performances delivered by its leads, particularly hilda koronel. sharon cuneta and eric quizon contributed their share of the goods but for mr. quizon to win the best supporting actor plum for the role he portrayed may be pushing it too far considering other notable performances in other competing films. ms. cuneta is rarely seen in a comedic role which makes her performance totally refreshing.

the movie is not dragging; the script a palanca awardee.

this is a film that is made me love Sharon Cuneta, i really hated her films for cheesy lines, soundtracks and other crap but this is a cut above the rest. it is the best film of Sharon Cuneta since "Madrasta". she deserves to win the best actress award. even though there are some technical errors on the film, the story still makes it a real screen gem. we hope to see more films like this. it shows the real situation of how Filipinos live and how they cope up with poverty and how they will prove their love for their love ones. this is a really good movie and star cinema craps can't reach the quality of this film. we just hope to see more films like this really "Pinoy" and realistic film in the future

My friends and I viewed this a week ago with breathless anticipation. Receiving accolades from various award giving bodies in Manila and handpicked to represent the Philippines in this year's Oscar, we expected this film to follow the ranks of some of the best Filipino movie classics that were previously shown abroad. Unfortunately, we were left feeling cheated and disappointed.

The Good Points: The production design, cinematography, sound and the technical framework of the film were exceptional. Truly ahead of all the other films currently being produced in the Philippines nowadays. Some aspects of the film's dialogue were funny, especially the interaction of the couple who reside right above Cuneta's apartment. That was just simply hilarious. Koronel's acting was also the best in the film - in fact, I think it was the saving grace of the whole flick. Every time she graced the screen, she was superb, and her Darna stint was funny as well.

The Bad Points: Cuneta's acting was lackluster (I still think she can do best in drama films over comedy ones). The insertion of Cuneta ads (i.e. Alaska and McDonalds) was just plain tacky. Also, Cuneta's portrayal of a poor, struggling city lady was unbelievable and unrealistic. She, with her porcelain white skin, looked like she just recently re-bonded and highlighted her hair. She just didn't quite suit this role (to her credit, she's one of the best dramatic actresses in Philippine Cinema). Moreover, I think the film researchers didn't really do their job well. Some of the street scenes were not based on facts. When Cuneta tried to extort money in a passenger bus, almost all gave money, mostly in bills, to support her plight. This doesn't happen at all, much less, in ordinary buses. Secondly, when Cuneta paid her fees in the jeepney, nobody attempted to help her pass on the money to the driver. This does not happen at all either. Jeepney passengers, as protocol, almost reflexively, will extend their arms to help pass on fees to the driver. For someone who loves watching realism in Philippine Cinema, these scenes will not fail to disappoint.

To end, I think this film was vastly overrated. Don't expect too much from this film. However, I'd recommend it for Koronel's acting and some hilarious dialogues that, sadly, only come in spurts.

3/10