Pinoy Sunday (Taipei Sunday): Movie Review

It comes off a huge surprise to find out that "Pinoy Sunday", aside from its actors, didn't have any Filipino hands in its making. The film came off as authentic and relatable as a Filipino myself. It was a down-to-earth, funny, but a realistic look into the lives of its protagonists. Unfortunately, the film is as simple as its premise of taking a sofa across town and doesn't really expound and develop on the inner conflicts it presents within its very short running time.

Two Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), Manuel (Epy Quizon) and Dado (Bayani Agbayani), have been working in a bicycle factory in Taiwan. Dado just found out that his wife got into an accident and wants to go back to the Philippines. Manuel on the other hand is in love with Celia (Alessandra de Rossi) and dreams of having a couch at his dorm. During their day off on a Sunday, the two chances upon a discarded red couch. Manuel forces Dado to bring the huge couch across Taipei back to their dorm leading to an unforgettable adventure on its own.

If we could describe "Pinoy Sunday", it was a very quick and fun film. It has enough moments to tease audiences with the personal and intimate lives of the Filipino domestic workers in Taiwan. It was a quirky adventure that was absurd as it was down-to-earth. But unfortunately, the keyword here is tease. The film never really delves deeper into the lives and issues of its characters. We are presented with potentially deep seeded issues like imperfect bosses, being away from family, a loved one getting into an accident, having an affair abroad, being a runaway - but aside from a brief scene to introduce these, most were completely forgotten or set aside. It's like we are given snapshots but nothing about the issues themselves. It makes you think what's the purpose of the film overall. Aside from frustrating loose threads abound (and some rough cuts in editing), the film came out as authentic. This felt like it was made by Filipinos especially with its script but it wasn't at all. You have to commend that fact especially that it doesn't devolve into a racially-profiled film. Another great point were the performances from Bayani Agbayani and Epy Quizon. Both comedians, each one had different styles to be funny but were able to jive their varying personalities. Overall, "Pinoy Sunday" has a short running time to make it enjoyable but if you're looking for a serious film into the lives of OFWs in Taiwan then this film might not work for you.

Rating: 3 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- it's simple, quick, quirky and funny

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- doesn't delve too much on its characters