From my understanding, ‘Sunshine’ is the second of a trilogy of films about women by writer and director Antoinette Jadaone. It began with ‘Fan Girl’ and it continues now with ‘Sunshine,’ the story of a gymnast who is preparing to compete to qualify for the Olympics when she discovers she’s pregnant.
Jadaone has mastered what I’d like to call “the journey movie.” From ‘That Thing Called Tadhana’ to ‘Fan Girl,’ her characters take on a physical journey – in ‘That Thing Called Tadhana’ the main characters travel from the airport to Sagada while ‘Fan Girl’ follows the lead characters from a mall show to an abandoned mansion in the middle of nowhere – while also embarking on an emotional one. The movement through space runs parallel to the character’s own inner journey and struggle. In ‘Sunshine,’ the lead character played by Maris Racal has her own journey: through the streets of Quiapo and Manila, in search of abortificents that may help her with her situation. The distance is not as far as other Jadaone films, but the interior one is immense as the film tries to see the vast landscape of women’s issues surrounding pregnancy and abortion.
Sunshine, the main character, embodies a lot of the fears and anxieties that women have when it comes to their bodies. What the film manages to do is to show how much the burden of an unwanted pregnancy falls unto the woman. In the story, her boyfriend (played by Elijah Canlas) gives her money to have it aborted. He’s angry and dismissive and chooses not to deal with it at all. Sunshine lives with her sister (played by Jennica Garcia), caring for an infant, whose father is nowhere at all in the film. Their brother skirts away from doing chores and is barely a figure in their lives, doing his own thing.
All the while, Sunshine is visited by a little girl (Annika Co) who seems to know everything about her. The girl is abrasive, tough, and magical, in a way. She’s a lot like Sunshine. She’s a fighter and already, we know she’s more than just another character.
Throughout the film, we see Sunshine see the best and the worst of people. Her journey brings her to a public hospital where she meets two kinds of doctors – those with compassion and those whose principles and faith can turn away a young woman in need. Sunshine meets a young girl who also looking for help because of the frightening situation she has with the father of her unborn child.
‘Sunshine’ is a film about women and through Sunshine, we see all her hopes and dreams slipping away from her hands because of one reckless decision and a man who chose to not use a condom. What the film does is humanize this important discussion and show us the hard truths of the world that we live in and the current policies at play about abortion in the country.
Maris Racal is a force of nature. Her portrayal of Sunshine is a textured work that balances between Sunshine’s need to be tough but, deep inside, she’s vulnerable and breaking. She has an incredible screen presence that holds on to you and it makes Sunshine’s struggle very real and believable. It’s a daring performance that lays it all out there without playing for sympathy. The other standout performance belongs to Jennika Garcia. As the sister of Sunshine, she’s in charge of both her siblings and her own baby. There’s a story there that the film’s narrative never explores but Garcia carries that history in her movements and in the way her character just looks at a moment. She is warm when she needs to be and then finds strength and fire when her character surges like a lioness protecting her cub when she’s out to protect her sister. It’s a powerful performance despite its limited screentime.
What I love most about this movie is its ending. Jadaone makes a stand and in the most poignant way possible, using the whole narrative to push the characters into an ending that makes sense and without judgment.
The cinematography of Paolo Orendain is luscious, finding beauty in the dark, seedy streets of Manila at night. Rico Blanco’s music properly sets the mood while Benjamin Tolentino’s editing keeps it fast paced yet clear. Obviously, Antoinette Jadaone keeps a tight ship and of all of her works, of which there are many great ones, ‘Sunshine’ might be the best of them yet.
My Rating:
Sunshine is now showing in cinemas. Catch this bold and beautiful film that isn’t afraid to say what needs to be said. Don’t miss it! Get showtimes here.
