Markova: Comfort Gay

This film is about an old man recounting his life through his youth, the Japanese occupation and his later life.

The characters are vivid and greatly developed. Walterina's youth is told very well, and I can certainly feel the pain when he got physically abused by his unsupportive brother. The Japanese occupation is only briefly touched upon, so I find it a bit misleading to have the film named "Markova: Comfort Gay". The film successfully avoids being soft porn, which I thought it was when I first saw the title. It is in fact a touching portrayal of coming out, strong bonds of friendship, and surviving through tough times. I wish this film can reach a wider audience than the mere 36 votes it currently has.

Birdcage vibes that is based on the horrors and the true story of Markova's life during the World War II.

After Markova's tormented past; with an abusive brother who can't accept his homosexuality and being victimized by the Japanese soldiers, he still struggles to find comfort of his true self in a world who doesn't make him feel like he belongs. Feeling isolated during his old age, he makes a decision to tell his story to a journalist who doesn't give him the validation he's always needed.

I truly loved the story-telling and how we've seen Markova throughout the ages-how his torment affected him. The comedic dialogues blend well in a very melancholic ambience of Markova's painful story. It captures the past as well as the aftermath of his life and the people close to him.

This movie captures the events of both the past and aftermath of Walterina Markova and his friends and family along the way, and the acting of the actors is outstanding as well, I love the acting of Dolphy, he captures his role in the movie. Despite the storytelling of Markova's life during WW2 mostly focusinging on the "Comfort Gays" it also reflects the comfort women, since the actions during that time make the viewer imagine and visualize the suffering of the comfort women as well, the cinematography is quite nice as well, I love how they also reflect the past and present quite well. It is just a nice well-made movie that captures the story of Walterina Markova.

The movie centers on the life of Markova a homosexual. His struggles during his younger years with his brother who can't accept him. The sexual abuse he experienced during the second world war and the dilemma of being alone during his old age.

The movie is both funny and touching. It also show the horror of war.

what's so cool about the movie? the lead role was played by Dolphy Quizon as old marcova Jeffrey quizon as the young marcova and Erick Quizon as the mid-age marcova and yes jeffrey and erick are the sons of Dolphy.

This is probably the first real LGBTQ drama I had ever watched like ever. I remember watching this when visiting my grandma's house during the early 2000s. I was alone just channel surfing and saw Dolphy in this AND proceeded to watch it. I remember really being moved by its warmth and nostalgia. It stood the test of time too.

Also, I am using he/him here because Markova no longer dresses as woman towards the end of this film.

For the plot, Markova is a gay man living at a home for the elderly homosexuals, the Golden Gays, a still very active home for the elderly LGBT that is even referenced in recent Drag Race Philippines seasons.

While watching TV, he saw a report about a group of comfort women trying their history to be known. He remembers a dark past when a group of Japanese Soldiers assailed him and his friend. As he is troubled by this recollection, he calls help from the home's proprietor JJ (apparently based off a very real person, Justo Justo - a LGBT Activist, Writer and Politician AND actual founder of the home) to get interviewed AND tell his story- shifting the film into a long remembrance of his life from youth to now.

Firstly, I always find it quirky how Dolphy is the face of two of the most acclaimed out gay dramas in the Philippines. He has always played gay roles in his famed comedic career BUT his legacy lies with this two dramatic performances. In this, he really was acting the heck out of it AND you could see the despair in his eyes AS he try to carve the truth out of him. He was after all the last woman standing of their friend group - no else really could.

Another interesting facet of this film, is how family affair'd is this. Almost all the characters are played by Dolphy's son. The three versions of Markova, Markova's Brother, and the Japanese flutist are actually Dolphy's son. I do not know if he actually knew Markova who was seems to also have a Vaudeville act but the family acted to high heaven in this.

Only Loren Legarda (who is a real reporter using HER real name) kinda sucks as the reporter trying to pry the history out of Markova. She is literally just reading the lines in this film lol.

Production wise, this is standard Filipino affair. It is not the most polished (compared to the great 70s-80s stuff) BUT there is an admirable level of craft being shown here. It can look quite cheap lol BUT Gil Portes has always been that guy. He is more of a story guy than a look guy, even with brilliant colors.

Storywise, I really love certain touches here. It has this fly-by narration where Dolphy as Markova literally visits her older versions while reminiscing AND drives down the melancholic tone of the film. It was such a nice touch that really help make it more poignant and alive.

Weirdly enough, I think the main dilemma of the story was not as 'well-plotted' as a wish it could be. It was more about Markova as a person than her being a Comfort Gay AND it really made a point to tell her story as a whole. How oddly accepted they are BUT in the same time always been forgotten AND how it hooks towards the end.

It works but I think how it was structured can get a bit rough. The interview was about the Japanese war but that whiplash away from the main story really was weirdly handled (ie initially starting with how she became gay first, and practically having a long section out of tangent of her 'comfort gay') life especially as a tell-all structure.

It does not help that it starts with Legarda is characterized as irritated by the story. So Markova telling life story as a whole is already weird and non-sensical. It felt like his 'comfort gay' story was dialed in as a plot device to tell her whole life rather than being a true critical moment. I wish that the writer was more conscious in adding the elements together in a more sensible flow. Making it a point that the Comfort Gay is crucial rather than going the distance to detract the main point of the film. It cheapens the narrative in my eyes.

Overall, this is highly sentimental work with a lot of structure problems BUT the Quizon family proves why they are one of the biggest and most respected acting families ever.

Recommended.