Siftings
Soap Watch Review: Kahit Isang Saglit
"Kahit Isang Saglit" aired its final episode last Friday, December 12. This is not to say that we heaved a sigh of relief because it was not all that bad. It does not have the clear-cut corn-mush of the ending of "Iisa Pa Lamang'' which left a bad taste in my mouth. But neither does it have the romantic sentimentalism cum realism of my still favorite "Maging Sino Ka Man", the only intelligent soap I have followed which not only left few conflicting and disturbing questions and issues unanswered and unresolved, but also spotlighted the talents of Anne Curtis, Sam Milby and Toni Gonzaga, who have all shown their capacity to carry out full-length cinematic assignments with satisfaction.
"Kahit" ended without answering the big question: What happens to the Amor Seco Drug Syndicate? And why was it left 'unbusted?' Is it going to just go on and on doing harm? Hasn't its evil been so pernicious, causing the tragic chain of events in the lives of these intertwined characters whose encounters caused so much pain, death and sorrow? Isn't the destruction of the Amor Seco Gang or at least some of its leaders, supposed to be the moral around which the whole soap should have revolved? Pilar Pilapil's character just faded away into obscurity without a by-your-leave! And that, I believe, is a grave ethical deficiency or lack of socio-moral responsibility on the part of the scriptwriters, the producers, the director! Please naman, kayong mga may K dito, wake up to our realities and help in the moral and social upliftment of our poor, undereducated masa!
Like a coward or lazybone, this teleserye just turned its back on this moral question and concentrated on the two love-triangles and the confusing family connections that time out of hand have been the wornout staples of soap operas in this country. Once again, like other shows before it, the intelligent and educational possibilities of the show were dropped; its moral responsibility and opportunity to educate its most faithful followers, the masa, and lift its ethical and artistic sensibilities to a level which it should have reached by now in this era of information technology, utterly thrown to the winds. There goes the proverbial stone without killing its two birds, let alone one!
Another moral question: why does it have to be Garie the Malaysian girl (Carmen Soo), who gets the hero Rocky (Jericho Rosales) in the end? After sharing a love nest with Alona (Cristine Reyes), his erstwhile 'adopted' sister (shades of incest here, too), Rocky seems just content with being selfish and go on to a happy ending with his preferred foreign girlfriend and even resigns his job to go to Malaysia and live there. Big deal. Not my idea of a responsibly moral decision. Just plain selfishness.
Or a clear indication that the production will give rise to more ventures with the Malaysian outfit that co-produced this soap, and hopefully with other Asian TV or movie outfits. To expand the market for local soaps? So okay. But why can't our soaps get out of the pre-ordained happy ending na napaka-corny, where the title of the soap has to be enunciated and made audible for all the masa audience to hear? This soap just couldn't pass it up, it has to be Jericho Rosales' character to be the one to say it. Good thing Echo is such a credible actor, otherwise, all the hogwash would really stink!
But the best thing in this soap is – yes, Cristine Reyes. Look where it got her. The lead role in "Eva Fonda", which is now airing. In "Kahit", Cristine lights up the screen not only with her sensitive face with her a la Japanese beauty, her flawless skin and lissome figure; but more importantly, with her deeply felt performance of unrequited love. Her early scenes of pain are so true and touching that tears started in my eyes unbidden. She was consistent too: in her very last moments onscreen, her pain brought on by her own decision to give up the man who loves her only as a sister or as a second choice, is so dignified that it made me cry again. She gets my vote as new best actress in a TV series.
As for Carmen Soo, she is no match for Cristine or for any of the leading actresses of both the Kapamilya and Kapuso Networks. Simple lang siya. She does not have the beauty and sex appeal of the leading stars of local soaps and movies. What is worse, her acting style runs the gamut from Always Happy and Grinning to Always Sad With Knit Brows and Crying, Without Tears at that! Very disappointing not only for my expectations, but also for those many who watched the show. I can't understand why Jerry Sineneng allowed Carmen's big scene to go without tears streaming down her face; sana artificial tears na lang if needed. It was so unnerving watching Carmen's tearless face trying to evince sorrow and looking like she's grimacing! Cristine evoked pain just by looking at Jericho with a teardrop quietly falling down her face. See what I mean?
Next time our producers go on a co-venture, they should opt for the best talents, because our actors/actresses are the best. Those other Asian stars should undergo workshops by Gina Alajar, Malou de Guzman and/or the graduates of the UP Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts in order to hone their acting skills and give depth to their portrayals. No kidding.
And maybe, just maybe, our producers, scriptwriters and directors should not forego moral and ethical responsibility just to please the masa and exempt them from thought-provoking issues of the human heart and mind. It's more than high time for the masa to grow up.