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[av_heading heading=’Unflinching ‘Respeto’ tackles poverty, fliptop, martial law’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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YEARS later, Treb Monteras II’s “Respeto” will be considered as one of the most important movies to have come out of Cinemalaya 2017.
“Respeto” captures the harsh realities of young Filipinos who struggle to survive poverty, drug addiction, and extra-judicial killings in neglected communities. It’s an honest depiction that should make viewers aware of these issues, so they will find ways to change them.
At the center of “Respeto” is Hendrix (played by Abra), an out-of-school teenager who spends his time hanging out in an empty cemetery with his friends, if he’s not delivering drugs for his sister’s live-in partner. Hendrix is aware of the hopelessness around him, so he wishes to upgrade his status via rap music. Rappers are seen as stars in his community, so he sees this as a way out.
What makes Hendrix easy to relate to is the brilliant portrayal of rap superstar Abra, who has the talent to make all the rap scenes believable. Abra is also inherently charming, so it is easy to warm up to his character, even when he resorts to violence.
You’ll never look at Abra the same way again after watching Respeto, because he aces his first acting role.
Abra’s co-actors are also as brilliant. Dido de la Paz is Doc, is a sympathetic old poet who keeps Hendrix under his wing. Chai Fonacier (aka Betchai) and Sylvester Bogadiong (aka P) keep things light and humorous. Looney and other rappers raise the film’s street cred.
“Respeto” makes no effort to hide the muck and grime of the slums where Hendrix lives in. It can get dirty; Hendrix gets literal shit on his shirt at one point. But what’s remarkable is how the film can depict the beauty in every scene. Some shots can even get devastingly beautiful, like when Doc relieves the nightmares of martial law.
Respeto is more than just an entertaining movie about rap music. It’s an honest depiction of the cycle of oppression in Manila, the culture of impunity within the city’s communities, and how its people find ways to free themselves via art and camaraderie.
“Respeto” was cited as Best Film in13th edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival for its “infectious, propulsive energy, its highly convincing cast of characters and very effective ensemble acting, its breathtaking, nearly epic sweep of the underside of Manila, its expert application of the resources of cinema to depict a teenager’s drive to rise above poverty and violence, its cogent melding of contemporary rap and traditional oral literature, and its sheer humanity and coruscating poetry.” (Pep.ph)
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