‘Paano Ko Sasabihin?’: Of indie nature but with mainstream appeal
Sign language is the language of love in the Cinema One Original film “Paano Ko Sasabihin?” featuring one of today’s most popular pairs, Enchong Dee and Erich Gonzales.
It’s an indie film in core, but “Paano,” directed by Richard Legaspi, is also accessible to mainstream audience for its charming leads, offbeat story, and social relevance.
Cupid hits the pair in one of the most interesting places to find love: the LRT. One fateful day, Erhyl (Gonzales), a dreamy writer, sees Mike (Dee), a teacher, conversing with a deaf child through sign language. She can understand them because her younger brother, Wilhelm, also has the same condition (which is why she works hard to buy him a hearing aid).
Both of them falsely assume the other is deaf and carry on with their disguise until they fall for each other. However, a love based on a lie can only go as far as the last station.
This is EnRich’s debut on the big screen, and perhaps, the popularity of their team-up contributes to the movie’s appeal to a larger audience. Then again, these young stars are not just all about appeal.
Erich shines the brightest here, owing to her strong screen presence, believability, and sincerity. Her playing support character roles until she got her break on “Katorse” has, indeed, honed her talent as an actress. It’s also amusing to watch her and Enchong do sign language as if they’ve known how to do so their whole lives.
One doesn’t have to be deaf or mute to relate to the message of “Paano.” The movie stirs the heart because it conveys one’s insecurity when it comes to love: the fear of rejection, of taking risks, and of the change that the “truth” might possibly bring to a blossoming relationship.
“Paano” is also socially relevant with its presentation of the deaf and mute. In several scenes, one will get a glimpse of the talent these people—particularly Mike’s students—have, just like any normal human being. In their interaction with the fully abled, they were generally treated with respect and care.
There are also a number of noteworthy funny scenes, particularly the opening when Mike’s flirty co-passenger, who thinks he is deaf and mute, got stunned when he blurted, “Para!” Equally entertaining was the scene in which the taxi driver poured out his love life to the would-be lovers, believing they cannot hear him.
Musical scoring is commendable as it captures and enhances the overall emotion of the scenes.
However, the film suffers from poor lighting, thereby diminishing the quality of the cinematography. Erich and Enchong’s much talked-about passionate kissing scenes could have also been better edited.
In terms of the story, it was odd that Erhyl argued with Mike about trusting him again, when both of them lied to each other.
The ending, even if hanging, imparts how love is felt even in silence.
As the song goes, “you say it best when you say nothing at all.”
source: Manila Bulletin
ASAP 2012
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