Pamilya Ordinaryo (Ordinary People): Movie Review

Gritty and unafraid, "Pamilya Ordinaryo" is a very dark and very stark look into the life of a poverty-stricken young family and the people around them who gain more out of their veiled generosity. It feels realistic but also unrealistic at the same time dealing audiences with the absolute worst case scenario possible. Even with its grim and depressing take on society, it will make audiences think and ponder and hopefully inspire them to find sympathy in situations that may, at first glance, beg none.

Jane (Hasmine Kilip) and Aries (Ronwaldo Martin) are homeless teenage parents to a one month old baby boy named Arjan. They make a living by being pickpockets on the streets. One day, Jane meets a transsexual named Ertha who convinces her to take a loan so she can buy diapers for her baby. While at the supermarket, Ertha disappears with Arjan in tow. Being young and resource deprived, the two struggle to find a way to find their son as they seek the help of people around them.

It is always hard to find empathy with characters that they themselves have dark backgrounds. This is the case that "Pamilya Ordinaryo" had to go contend with as its two main characters, Jane and Aries, have deep-seeded issues themselves. The two are pickpockets with unclear morality and it's never laid out if they are stealing out of necessity or not especially in the first act of the film. Aside from that, they show little or no affection towards each other which was really hard to see. A major part why this was so convincing were the powerful and authentic performances from Hasmine Kilip and Ronwaldo Martin. Unfortunately, the film's narrative devolves into a series of unfortunate events for Aries and Jane. From their baby being stolen, each person or group that the parents seek help from do so out of gain or out of chance but never from genuine care. While we can see what the film was gunning for, it was honestly a very depressing take on the ills of our society and one that was too much for one sitting. But we must admit that the extremes that the characters went through helped show that regardless of circumstance, a person should get equal attention and care and we should never judge someone on face value alone. Overall, "Pamilya Ordinaryo" is a moving film because it was an endless barrage of what's definitely wrong with Philippine society today and powerful acting from its young actors.

Rating: 3 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- powerful acting from its two leads
- it is a moving film regardless of its mistakes

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- a really dark and depressing film