MA’ ROSA
MAST D: Brillante Ma Mendoza. Philippines. 110 min. Sep 13, 3 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 Sep 15, 9:45 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 Sep 16, 3 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1. Rating: NNNN
Mendoza’s casual pace lures you into a gripping melodrama set in the underbelly of Manila, where people scramble to survive.
Jaclyn Jose won best actress at Cannes for her convincing portrayal of family matriarch Rosa, navigating the organized chaos of her household while managing their small business, her family’s welfare her paramount concern.
Master technician Mendoza can make a frenetic drug raid as real as the heartbreak of failing to raise bail. His empathy for his characters takes what might have been a mere genre film to a higher humanist level.
