Movie Review: Saving Sally

Image courtesy of Facebook: Saving Sally

SAVING SALLY (Rocketsheep Studios, 2016)

Starring: Rhian Ramos, Enzo Marcos, TJ Trinidad

Directed by: Avid Liongoren

Movie Review by: Atty. Ferdinand Topacio

Who killed John Kennedy? What was the fate of Amelia Earhart? Did aliens visit Earth during prehistoric times?

These are among the many unsolved mysteries in the world. And after seeing “Saving Sally”, I must add another one: why isn’t Rhian Ramos as celebrated an actress and star as, say, Bea Alonzo and Sarah Geronimo?

In this utterly charming mixed media (live action cum animation) by young director Avid Liongoren, Ramos, as the title character, proves not only that she can dish out the acting chops as well as the rest of the A-listers, but that she, too, can light up the screen and dominate it. In fact, any red-blooded male who watches this movie and fails to fall in love with Rhian is either brain dead or in a state of catatonia.

The story is simple, if a bit skewed: bullied boy meets girl who comes to his defense; they become friends; he falls for her but she has “friendzoned” him; she falls for a much older man who is not serious with her; after she splits up with her erstwhile beau, he belatedly tells her his feelings, and – so as not to give any spoilers – they let time tell the tale for them. It is the way the tale is told, though, that makes Saving Sally such a refreshing and enchanting cinematic experience.

Ramos is, of course, Sally; Enzo Marcos is Marty. They are high school classmates who share a passion for the visual arts. After Sally avenges Marty against the school bully, they become fast friends. The novelty in the movie lies in the characterizations: Sally is a genius with mechanical gizmos: automatic flat irons, handheld power dishwashers, personal drone assistants, with the added quirk that in the midst of all that scientific virtuosity, her world is decidedly old-school: no mobile phones or computers or internet. Marty is a wiz kid in illustration, who self-publishes his comic books containing science fiction stories. Timid by nature, he expresses his affections for Sally and his view of the outside through drawings: one wall in his room is filled with drawings of Sally in various settings, which he quickly hides by overlaying it with other drawings whenever she comes to visit.

As if that weren’t unconventional enough, they inhabit a dimly-lit, surreally cartoonish, chromatically-altered world populated by animated “monsters” of grotesque proportions.

And so it is against the backdrop of this computer-generated realm that the live-action story is played out, and how!

Ramos is exceptional both in beauty and acting ability. Although not a heavy drama vehicle by any stretch, she tackles her role with aplomb, acting naturally but with great nuance and, when called for, depth and prudent use of affective memory. She is not only intelligent but has a cerebral approach to acting that trumps many of her contemporaries. She also delivers her lines well, obviously comfortable with English, wherein ninety percent of the dialogue is written. Her subtle nonchalance, with a deeply-rooted melancholy showing in her eyes during close shots (of which the movie is replete) -- the reason for which is hinted at several times during the movie – propels the film all throughout, leaving no doubt as to who the star is.

Marcos also acquits himself well, but his tendency to mumble and garble some of his English lines is a distraction. Nonetheless, the chemistry between him and Ramos is undeniable, and makes the love story seething just below the surface plausible and believable. His attack on the jealous/regretful unrequited lover role as he meets Sally’s boyfriend (Trinidad), which leads up to his shuttling love letters between the two, is a real acting gem, poignantly amusing yet absolutely convincing.

I read somewhere that the animation in the movie was made on a shoestring using off-the-shelf equipment If true, then the animators deserve a standing ovation! The CGI was outstanding. It painted in big and bold relief an alternate Expressionist universe of sharp angles and outlandish magnitudes reminiscent of the jarring visuals in Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a cinematic classic. This is nowhere more evident than in placing the house of Sally on top of an exaggeratedly high and pointed hill, symbolizing the fact that being with Sally is a forbidding prospect. All of these imageries provide the perfect environment for the narrative to unfold, conveying or enhancing what cannot be said through conventional filmmaking.

Special mention must be made of the abundant clever play on words. The protagonists meet at a place called Tuk Mall; they wait for their rides in front of Ka Wawa’s Store and Beh Botica; the “location” of the principal action is made inside Sandara Park. Indeed, due to the rich visuals, the abundance of symbolism, and the aforementioned puns, it will take more than one watching to fully appreciate the effort that has gone into the making of the film.

Lurking just behind the façade of such lighthearted fare is the serious issue of child abuse and battered children which, as mentioned, was hinted at continuously, and aptly – if abbreviatedly – resolved near the end of the movie.

In all, I am happy to say that not only is Saving Sally a welcome change from the “same old same old” that has caused our movie industry to stay immobile in the quagmire of mediocrity for decades, but it has broken new ground in Philippine cinema. It is also hoped that it breaks new ground for Ms. Ramos as well. It would be good for our moviemakers to look beyond the “usual suspects”, so to speak, and cast equally capable actresses like Ramos in future projects.

Watch and enjoy Saving Sally then, knowing that it is a film worthy of a festival, and that the current festival may well be the start of another renaissance of our moribund movie industry.