"Rakenrol" is a movie about the Filipino rock music scene and is a fictional account of a band called Hapipaks, a quartet of college kids playing "rock music". As a Filipino, I love the idea of a movie chronicling someone's passion for local, homegrown rock and roll but the movie itself is a frustrating and uninteresting mess. The film draws inspiration from the lethargic side of Pinoy rock music (Cambio, Sandwich and various "pogi rock" bands), hence the boring nature of the film. I mean, the narrator got his start with rock music by listening to "Shooting Star" (one of the most mundane and generic sounding "rock" song by the once great Teeth). I wonder if the movie was written by the same people who made the indie film "Ang Nawawala" because the writer or director obviously have the same taste for insomnia inducing rock.
I mean, if you wanted people to get excited for a movie about rock music, you must at least capture the essence and adrenaline rush of a rock concert or gig or at the barest minimum, portray rock music at its most energetic and electrifying. None of the music or performances in the movie though lives up to the hype. Most of the "live scenes" are devoid and lacking of excitement or urgency. Even the scenes that were intended to be funny weren't funny at all. The fictional "Jacci Rocha", aimed to poke fun at "pogi rock" front men simply does not have a counterpart in real life. He doesn't even resemble Kean Cipriano or Yael Yuzon, also the chant written to identify him is simply annoying ("sinong gumawa nito, alam mo bang pangalan ko, ako si Jacci Rocha").
Not even the appearance of local rockstar, Ely Buendia is able to save this movie from its lack of substance or engagement with the audience. It is merely a film to stroke the egos of several indie rock artists. If you want a movie about rock music, watch either "Velvet Goldmine" or "Sid and Nancy", not this debacle.
