What makes a good film? One that dazzles with visuals? One that moves with sharp acting and smart dialogue? Or one that simply makes you feel something? TBA Studios’ “Quezon” is all that and then some.
Directed by Jerrold Tarog, “Quezon,” opening in cinemas on October 15, serves as the final chapter in his so-called Bayaniverse trilogy that began with “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.”
Unlike those war-filled predecessors, this one trades gunfire for words: Long, winding, and often fiery. Yet it never bores. In fact, it keeps you watching, curious about what happens next, which says a lot for a film that’s essentially a chess match of ideals.
Jericho Rosales’s Quezon is not the one your history teacher told you about. This Quezon smokes like a chimney, drinks like a gentleman, and flirts like he’s got all the time (and charm) in the world. He dresses like a playboy and negotiates like a shark — a man who knows his power and enjoys every second of it. Rosales doesn’t mimic; he inhabits. There’s gravitas, humor, and a dash of swagger — easily his career-defining turn.
He’s backed by a fine ensemble: Romnick Sarmenta gives one of his most quietly compelling performances as Sergio Osmeña, Mon Confiado lends weight as a subdued yet cutting Emilio Aguinaldo, and “Game of Thrones” Iain Glen as Leonard Wood — surprisingly perfect in his scenes.
The script by Tarog and Rody Vera is crisp, often verbose but never empty — packed with quotable lines that could live both in history books and your Twitter feed.
Pong Ignacio’s cinematography bathes the 1930s in cigarette haze and sunlight — elegant but never sterile, evoking the feel of memory more than mere history.
A cheeky disclaimer admits liberties were taken, and that’s part of the fun. “Quezon” doesn’t lecture, it seduces. It makes you want to learn more, to question, maybe even to argue. It’s witty, textured, and unabashedly human — a fitting and intoxicating finale to Tarog’s Bayaniverse.
It will also screen in Australia and New Zealand (Oct. 30), North America and Canada (Oct. 31), and the Middle East (Nov. 20).
