Sisterakas (Wenn V. Deramas)

Sisterakas: Sounds like 'carcass' to me.

Perhaps the last MMFF film that I will be able to watch in theaters, "Sisterakas", expectedly, is an extremely formulaic comedy film that seems uninspired even for director Wenn Deramas' standards. Instead of inspiring hilarity by way of the story or the script, the film instead relies on the sheer comic presence of stand-up comedian turned movie star of sorts Vice Ganda and Kris Aquino's painfully funny awkwardness. Surprisingly, Ai-Ai de las Alas, technically the most experienced cinematic comedienne among the three, is the least funny in the movie. Perhaps her mother roles are slowly becoming stale.   

     

Like Deramas' previous, relatively funnier film "Moron 5 and the Crying Lady", "Sisterakas" narrative core focuses on revenge, a theme which almost always results in solid comedy gold. But instead, because of the film's lazy execution, not to mention some obviously borrowed elements (Vice Ganda's evil boss is too "Kimmy Dora"; Ai-Ai's role is too Ina Montesillo yet again) from other comedy movies and an irritating abundance of self-referential jokes (the big offender here is the scene when the three exchange one-liners about their multi-million peso commercial endorsements), "Sisterakas" never quite makes it as a good comedy film. And do we really need a "James Yap" joke, like, every 2 minutes. As if Kris Aquino's love life isn't already a parody on its own. 

    

The film's plot, about a fashion designer (Vice Ganda) who has made it big and whose focus now is to exact revenge on the family that has wronged his own, isn't anything new or a valid enough reason to excitedly anticipate every bits of narrative progression. What "Sisterakas" is mainly all about, fitting for its three larger-than-life lead stars, are the random in-between jokes that either poke fun on their real-life showbiz personas or just make bland scenes look livelier than they actually are. 

     

The real strongman here, surprisingly, is Vice Ganda. By letting him take over all of his scenes with his patented fast-mouthed mockery of other people, the film was slightly saved from its irrevocably fast descent into the waste bin. Even Joey Paras, most known for his masterful performance in the indie film "Last Supper No. 3", had his nice moments. 

     

But what was real funny yet sad at the same time in the film was Kris Aquino; funny because she was effortlessly so in every instance that she attempts to act or emote and whatnot, and sad because she was highly exploited in every scene she was in. 

     

Deramas, after all, seems to be more interested in making a laughing stock out of Kris rather than creating an adequately comedic character for her. This, in the context of proper screenwriting, is almost offensive. Those who think that Kris Aquino playing Kris Aquino is the funniest thing there is should watch "So Happy Together". In that particular film, Kris was at least tolerable in the acting department yet was still able to be quite funny, thanks to a much better director in the form of Joel Lamangan. Kris proudly convincing PNoy to watch "Sisterakas" will always be a big mystery to me. The film should have been entitled "Gawin nating Mukhang Tanga si Kris: The Movie". I doubt that the film, or her performance in it, will do Noynoy (or even Bimby for that matter) proud.

FINAL RATING