A kid had to face the world in his own animated version and conquer life's biggest monster. ANI (The Harvest) It's as if a child's imagination is a safe haven, a place where the world is a playground for all the possibilities the mind could think of. And even the tight and humble space called home, situated on a busy Metro could not hinder the inquisitive headspace of a young Mithi (played by Zyren Dela Cruz), a boy who accomplishes the day by playing with his colorful toy robots that perform a vital role in his imaginary narrative. With a loving father and a mother that sings him a self-assuring lullaby, Mithi is blissfully unaware of the harsh reality. But life decided to toy with his fate, and Mithi's perfect little world is now showing its cracks, putting his vulnerability to the test and slowly depriving him of his happiness he thought would last forever. And through his eyes, the world suddenly transforms itself into a menacing monster. Set in a lush
‘TOL follows a trio of goofballs, Arthur (Ketchup Eusebio), Dimitri (Joross Gamboa) and Lando (Arjo Atayde), who all fell in love to their childhood friend Elena (Jesse Mendiola). Eversince Elena and her family transferred to US, the three decided to stay at their hometown and even worked as toll booth officers, putting their childhood dreams on hold, hoping for Elena's comeback.
However, their bond was put to a test when Elena came back for a vacation and they became competitors of one another as they try to win her heart.
Director Miko Livelo, who also penned the screenplay, said in an interview that making the film was quite a challenge, with its almost 2 years of preparation, trying to blend his story with a cast who boasts natural chemistry.
Looking back at Livelo's filmography, it was evident that his stories operate on a more grounded interpersonal relationships, reflected through his characters' nuances, while mixing it with a silly and sarcastic retorts of his actors. True enough, real-life friends Ketchup, Joross and Arjo were a perfect match, embodying a natural chemistry, giving justice to their colorful characters.
The film itself, while not the most innovative out there, was oozing with charm and vapid comedic hooks, which doesn't lull thanks to its actors' effective deliveries. I also liked that the film was self-aware of its flaws, as seen through Joross' inconsistent facial hair, which reminds the audience to not focus on the nitty-gritty of it all but rather on what the movie was trying to achieve.
Also worth noting is Jimmy Santos' special participation, whose unique comedic brand complements the silliness of the story and shows that with a right script, he could still pull a laugh or two.
However, this film also proves that Livelo cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. His strong suit was stark comedy and so when he tried to inject an emotional gravitas to it or to any of his films, it doesn't work. Regardless, he is still a promising director and we are excited to see more from him.
Let's Be Reel
Overall, the film was not a hard pill to swallow. It was flawed through and through but it was executed well enough that whatever shortcomings it had was completely negligible.
For whatever reason, ‘TOL's self-contained idiosyncrasy works for itself and I enjoyed it so much.
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