over 100 is to 1
la visa loca caught my interest the first time I saw its ad. I don’t even remember where I first saw it but I knew I had to see it. It was the first film I saw that’s rated A.la visa loca is one big irony. Jess, Robin Padilla’s character, is dying to get a US visa. He is living with his very makulit father played by Johnny Delgado. His girlfriend Annette is working at US already and has been sending him money and even hearing aid for his father.
Jess is a hotel driver and most of his customers are foreigners. The story began to evolve when a certain Nigel something, a TV host for a show which features strange things around the globe, became his customer. They then began a journey through Filipino oddities for foreigners and traditions for Filipinos. Nigel interviewed a lady who is said to be possessed by the Sto. Niño. The lady performed her ritual but was revealed to be a fake because she easily lost her “Sto. Niño voice” (read: chipmunks voice) when she got startled. They also went to an old man who has a vast collection of anting-antings but they were not able to prove if he was for real because the old man had a heart attack when his assistant was about to shoot him. Nigel was getting so frustrated and Jess suggested to feature his father who was a Kristo during his younger days. Nigel agreed given that they were going to shoot privately. It was also then Jess learned that Nigel’s brother owns a nursing home. Jess saw this as a big opportunity and he practically begged Nigel to give him a referral.
Jess failed to persuade his father who gave him a number of reasons (which I will not tell you because this is becoming one big spoiler) beside the big fact that the cross will not be able to keep him crucified. Him, being the big fact, of course.
After another series of persuasions with other Kristos, they were able to find one who was willing to do it privately but for a whopping Php 50 000. The Php 50 000 is a donation, by the way. So Nigel gave the money and on the morning of the shoot, the Kristo was gone. The neighbor said, “Umalis siya at nakasapatos. Nagsasapatos lang naman yun pag luluwas.” (He left wearing shoes. He only wears shoes when he’s going out of town)
Nigel got furious. He started yapping about how Filipinos are big thieves and that he went all the way to the Philippines to be ripped off. All that Jess could say was “You’re not going to give me referral anymore?”
With that, Jess gave the biggest sacrifice for a US visa.
And the ironies flowed.
Jess volunteered to be the Kristo. He said that he would do it because he didn’t want Nigel to have a bad impression of our country… and he wants the referral.
Jess’ visa application was accepted because of the employment to the nursing home. Since he’s leaving, he had to admit his father to a nursing home.
And doctors are now studying again to be nurses.
And, at last night’s news, there are 3, 000 students and only 29 teachers at a certain school probably because most of our teachers are now earning dollars.
Oh, I’m sorry. The last two sentences were not part of the movie.
The film was very entertaining and very real. It’s what we see everyday that it has become so ordinary. Of course, it had the ideal happy ending. That was the only unreal thing.
posted by gail @ 4:42 PM
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