Too much of everything

As Good As It Gets

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I did not expect much of this film, (which can be viewed on YouTube with English subtitles), both because it looked low-budget and because I had not to my knowledge ever watched a film made in the Philippines before.Boy, was I wrong!!! This film is chock full of charm, heart, interesting subplots, character development, surprises, laughing, crying, the works! The little boy who played the character "Magnifico" was just perfect for the part -- as were all of the actors. I have told friends and family about this film and both sexes have told me this film touched them deeply.My heart was left with a tear and a bigger smile.

The magnificence of "Magnifico" is just undeniable. After watching it, everything else I watched seemed so bland. This was the first Filipino movie I came across, and it instantly struck a chord. The movie was a welcome change after I had viewed scores of Hollywood flicks."Magnifico" is the best example of how a movie can work just based on fine & natural performances. The child artist is brilliant as an actor and so is the rest of the cast. It's hard for me to believe that just 260 something viewers at IMDb have voted for it (probably only a small number has seen it). It's probably one of the finest movies in recent years. Highly recommended, a must watch: 10/10.

I can't figure out why people are saying that this film isn't melodramatic, because it really lays on the sap. It follows a formula we've seen before of inspiration and tragedy, all just to get a few cheap tugs at the heartstrings. The story's evolution is not convincing and the dignity of the poor aspect is overplayed for what it is worth.All that said, there are redeeming aspects. Most notably is the cinematography. The images are all well lit for depth and contrast of cool and warm colors. Also, the camera shots from low angles with wide lenses give an overall visual perspective that rings true as the way a child would see the world. There is also some good scenes between the protagonist and his grandmother and his sister. These three were probably the best actors to boot.In the end, it is not something worth going out of your way to see though.

This is by far one of the best Filipino films since, I believe, Mike de Leon's Bayaning Third World.Directing - Maryo J is very proud of this movie and why shouldn't he be? It captures the Filipino heart and character fully.Script - Surprising to find out that a young person like Yamamoto wrote this. It makes you realize that the best works aren't the big production movies but the movies that come from the heart.Acting - What do you get when you put Lorna Tolentino, Albert Martinez, Gloria Romero, Celia Rodriguez, Mark Gil and (now) Jiro Manio in one great movie? A great movie with great actors. You can't get anything better than that.It's such a shame this movie wasn't well-appreciated in our land. But I'm glad this movie is still getting the appreciation it deserves.