The title says it all: a version of a tale of one of the most contentious times in modern Philippine history... The title says it all: a version of a tale of one of the most contentious times in modern Philippine history as told from the point of view of three domestic helpers employed in the dictator: Ferdinand Marcos Senior's Presidential Palace.
(This is obviously the root of a recent trending topic on Philippine social media pitting historical accuracy against rumor-mongering - with the clear intent to validate this film's point of view.)
With the involvement in this film's production of a lone, single, individual with the last name 'Marcos,' from the entirety of this point in Philippine history; the film is the embodiment of a lone, single, individual's point of view.
Full transparency: this reviewer could only stand the first 30 minutes of the film before storming out because almost all of the events are conveyed through the incessant shouted narration, screamed narration, and complained narration of three fictional maids.
Context was totally absent - leaving the viewer to figure out for themselves and navigate the precise point in history that is being portrayed on film. As a witness to this history, even I could not make heads or tails of it.
Adding to the confusion, the actors playing their respective roles did not even exert any effort to try to emulate the mannerisms, speech patterns, and idiosyncrasies of the historical characters they are portraying. It's a guessing game, distracting from whatever message the film tries to convey, unless the entire nature of this film's existence is to distract.
The constant cutting between re-enactments and historical footage adds to the confusion since no attempt was made to recreate the footage using the actors in the same context. Go figure!
This is bad. Really bad. Really, really bad. If you're a masochist wishing and willing to undergo being constantly screamed at by the help, then, by all means, waste your hard-earned money.