MAGNIFICO -- one of the best top Filipino movies by: Uel Ceballos

Movie poster from Wikipedia

One of the best top Filipino films, Magnifico is truly a masterpiece that brought its viewers to excessive tears. However, this acclaimed tear-jerker movie didn’t overdo the sentimentality just for the drama’s sake but it let the whole story and the emotions build itself naturally until to such moment that you just couldn’t resist the effect any longer.

Director Maryo J.Delos Reyes and writer Michiko Yamamoto created the film with naturalistic approach. Demonstrating the harsh realities of life and the way a young boy like Ikoy viewed and interpreted it. Magnifico not only showed the life conditions of Ikoy’s family but the entire film also painted the bigger picture of the impoverished lives that were common in the major areas of the country, including the town where Ikoy’s family lived, a town that lived in average and simplicity.

The film told the story of a family with a son who losses his scholarships, a daughter with cerebral palsy and a son, name Ikoy who may not have a good scholastic record like his elder brother but blessed with a good heart that made almost all the people drawn towards him. The story went on how Ikoy, being still a child, already bothered himself about helping to ease his parents’ burdens.  With Ikoy seeing his sick Lola and hearing his mother ranted about the costly burial for the old woman’s expected death, he sought ways to resolve the problem. Together with his bestfriend, Carlo, they worked their ways to the preparations of all things that would be needed for his Lola’s anticipated goodbye.

photo clips from the movie "Magnifico"

Magnifico is amiable on its natural flow and effortless humor, but it became much more remarkable due to its unpredictability. The sudden gush of emotions that the viewers haven’t surely expected is one of the film’s best surprises. Ikoy didn’t just enliven the hopeless town with his positive spirit but he cheered the viewers as well on whatever it is that they may be going through. Through the good hearted character of Magnifico, the film leaves us the lessons that we can deal with any of the life’s hardships as long as we stop looking at things in too much complicated ways.  

For this magnificent multi-awarded Filipino film, let’s drink to it with 8 shots of espresso!!!