Crying Ladies

Crying Ladies is a warm film that makes you think and wonder about the little things in life. Family, friends and material things that are thought of to be so important but are really secondary. This is about the determined Stella from the old part of the city, trying to provide for herself and her son but also battling to keep him at the same time. For this, she gets her trio together as they become sought after to provide the old-style crying act for a Chinatown wake.

The acting is superb and actress Sharon Cuneta's role as Stella shows the versatility that Cuneta has always been known for. From her famous drama roles to silly comedies, she can do it. The women joining her in the leading characters are also a great line-up with another screen icon in Hilda Koronel and Angel Aquino, who is not in the name calibre of Cuneta and Koronel, but is a pleasant touch to the trio while playing the role of naive Choleng.

This film has a great formula, a warm story everybody could relate to, interesting technology and cinematography (this was groundbreaking for Philippines movies) and a cast that were perfect for their roles and for working together. Crying Ladies is also a good look at the unique qualities of the Philippines and it reveals the mini community of Chinese and Indian people and because of this, it shows how Stella, Rhoda and Choleng represent the joie de vivre and Latin passion of Filipinos and how hispanic the culture and country is (with American-style everyday influences) while being located right in the asia/pacific ocean region.

Crying Ladies was an entry to be an Oscar Foreign Film nominee, but did not make the final five films (4 or the 5 nominees were from Europe). However, it wouldn't have been a surprise if it did stand beside the Best Foreign nominees such as The Sea Inside from Spain. This film should be used as a mark for Philippine cinema to look at when making future movies.

Although it's not a masterpiece of any sort, "Crying Ladies" deserves the Metro Manila Film Festival award for Best Picture, as compared to its fellow nominees. It had a simple plot, there were a few actors, there was not much distractions, editing was well done, the music was not overused, and the cinematography was impressive.

The plot revolves around three characters, one funeral, and a string of realizations. Sharon Cuneta did well as the main character, Angel Aquino did fine as well. However notable are Hilda Koronel and Eric Quizon, who also won acting awards in the MMFF. Hilda Koronel, especially, did a fantastic job, and she her character was solid, and witty. Eric Quizon had a grayer area in his character, but he had some moments where his character got separated and distinguished from his usual roles.

Editing was good, while cinematography was impressive. Philippine cinema has never been this good.

The soundtrack is good, and spunky, especially "Magbago Ka."

Not a masterpiece and not exactly an art film, if you're watching MMFF films, this should be on top of your list. This film is witty, spunky, and yet not at all preachy; a good, light-hearted movie. 9/10

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.

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!