I didn't have any expectations when I saw this film today with my son. I only had two reasons for seeing it — because it won the Palme d'Or in Cannes for Best Picture, and because I had heard so much about how good our very own Dolly de Leon was in this film.
To be honest, for the first 20 minutes of the movie I was thinking, "Where the heck is this film going?!" and "When is Dolly's character showing up?" It turns out, the exciting part kicks in after 20 minutes or so, in the film's second segment. It's also where Dolly appears for the first time. Not bad, considering that the entire film runs for two hours and 20 mins.
From then on, the story hooks you in and you are drawn into its very rich social commentary on the privileged class and the people who serve.
The star of the film is Dolly de Leon whose brilliance shines in every scene. She owns her character, Abigail, toilet manager turned captain. It's not Dolly you see at all, but Abigail, a hardworking, smart, ruthless Filipina OFW. She made me laugh, applaud, and think, "Yes, you go, girl!" In Abigail, we can see how super maabilidad at matalino ang Filipino. No histrionics here, just plain old great acting that is quiet and so very powerful.
I'm so happy for Dolly's success. I didn't realize that she was 53 years old. I know that she's been an actress for a while, having begun her career in theater at Dulaang U.P. Imagine coming into international recognition and success in your 50s? That is truly inspiring and worth emulating. And to think there was a time she had thought of quitting.
The role of Abigail is very personal to Dolly. In a Vanity Fair interview, De Leon shared about her mother who worked as a housekeeper in Atlanta. She had left in 1989 when De Leon was still in high school.
"I'm very familiar with the conditions that these workers live in and how hard it is to leave your family. It takes a lot of courage, strength, and will to uproot yourself and start over in a foreign land. She was a housekeeper for a family in Atlanta. She did everything for them: She drove the kids to school, bought the groceries, took care of the house. They adore her and are still very caring toward her.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have really empathetic employers."
Perhaps there are good reasons why this rise in stature came late for this petite Filipina actress. She herself recognizes this. I love what she said in a NY Times interview last month.
"What an incredible feeling to experience something like this, however late in life," she said. "I'm not in my twenties anymore, so this happened at the perfect time because my head is not up in the clouds. I'm more grounded as a person and as an actor. If I were younger, I'd be acting like I'm better than everyone."
My wish and prayer is for Dolly to get an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Abigail. It will not only be a distinction for her, but for Filipinos, and not just the OFWs, but for every Filipino all over the world. Usually, it only takes one heavy and truly unforgettable scene in a film for an actor to garner an acting nomination. Dolly, to my mind, has three really good ones here. I hope that the award giving bodies in 2023 will take note of her come awards season.
Is the film worth watching? Definitely. There are so many layers to the story itself, so many nuances that you need to pay attention to and catch. Best of all, watch Dolly. She'll make you smile. She'll wow you and make you laugh. She'll make you clap and make you so proud to be a Filipino.
