What I'm Watching #280

"Sagwan" is a Filipino movie, probably the 5th or 6th one I've seen. They all have a flaming gay character in them--which makes me wonder just what an iconic role flamboyant gay men play in Filipino culture in general. Or perhaps, why I only seem interested in movies from the Philippines that have this stock character as part of the cast!

The larger story is that of 18 year old Alfred who is a virgin and confused and haunted by a dream/memory that centers, like all things in this little village do, around the beautiful Tatalon River. It is simply written, melodramatic and mostly a vehicle for a final scene that is an extended ménage à trois in which Alfred tastes both the love of his long suffering mute girlfriend, Cecilia, and his boyhood best friend, Eman. The latter having only just that same day introduced him to the village's main economic activity, male prostitution.

Plenty of eye candy, but not much else.