Mylene Dizon Archives – CULTURE MIX

Review: ‘Untold’ (2025), starring Jodi Sta. Maria, Juan Karlos Labajo, Kaori Oinuma, Mylene Dizon, Joem Bascon, Lianne Valentin, Sarah Edwards and Gloria Diaz

May 2, 2025

by Carla Hay

Jodi Sta. Maria in “Untold” (Photo courtesy of Regal Entertainment)

“Untold” (2025)

Directed by Sailesh Kolanu

Tagalog with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in the Manila area in the Philippines, the horror film “Untold” features an all-Asian cast of characters representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: An ambitious TV reporter has nightmarish visions where she sees ghosts and other supernatural beings connected to notorious massacre that changed the course of her career.

Culture Audience: “Untold” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and don’t mind watching horror movies that have more style than substance.

Ge Villamil in “Untold” (Photo courtesy of Regal Entertainment)

“Untold” could’ve been a worthwhile horror film that draws parallels between an ambitious TV reporter haunted by ghosts and haunted by her past unethical media exploitation. This muddled, poorly written movie over-relies on jump scares that go nowhere. Most of the movie is just a compilation of jump scares, with the sloppily constructed plot thrown in somewhere in this tangled mess.

Directed by Derick Cabrido and written by Enrico C. Santos, “Untold” takes place in the Manila metropolitan area in the Philippines. The movie begins with a harrowing scene of TV reporter Vivian Vera (played by Jodi Sta. Maria) on the scene of a girl being taken hostage by a woman at night in front of a house in the city of Caloocan. Vivian and her camera operator Jasper Torres (played by Juan Karlos Labajo) are stationed outside for a live report.

Vivian tells Jasper she’s going inside the house, even though that would be trespassing. Jasper tells her, “This isn’t right anymore.” Vivian sneaks inside the house anyway. Inside, she sees a woman slapping a girl named Nenuca (played by Samara Keira H. Dela Cruz), when Vivian sees herself turning into a demonic-looking ghost, who shoots the abusing woman. But surprise! This is just a nightmare that Vivian is having.

Get used to seeing a lot of hallucinatory scenes in “Untold,” because the movie is overstuffed with them. It’s established fairly early in the story that Vivian can see ghosts or unexplained spirits. She often goes into a trance during these hallucinations, which are starting to affect her job.

Vivian is close to her widowed mother Monica Vera (played by Gloria Diaz), who works as a waitress at a local cantina. Vivian’s father, who died 13 years earlier, was a well-known TV reporter. Vivian had a lot of love and respect for her father. She feels haunted by his death and wants to do well to honor his legacy in TV journalism.

Vivian works as a host/reporter for a tabloid-styled show called “Untold” at Mon News Network. She is an experienced professional, but Vivian is not known for being a warm and welcoming person. She is somewhat dismissive of a new and younger co-worker named Louise Amador (played by Kaori Oinuma), who is part of Vivian’s team of producers. Louise is eager to learn and seems to be friendly.

A few years ago, Vivian became a star reporter because of exclusive video that she got of a notorious mass murder that happened on under-development property owned by a major corporation called Cateland Development. Some of the local villager residents protested Cateland’s plans to build in this area. When some of these protestors (about 10 people) went to the property at night, they were thrown in a pit by security guards, who poured cement in the pit to kill the protestors, who were half-buried in the pit.

A man named Ernesto Malugag (played by Francis Mata) was the leader of these security guards. He was sent to prison for this mass murder. The big news of the moment Ernesto ha been released from prison. His conviction was overturned because of lack of evidence. Vivian had also been investigating Cateland Development for corruption.

Vivian’s callous and manipulative boss Sylvia (played by Mylene Dizon) tells Vivian that she needs to get the first exclusive interview with Ernesto after he gets out of prison. Sylvia says that Vivian’s recent new stories have been “dull and overrated.” Sylvia says that if Vivian gets this interview with Ernesto, “it will resonate with the board of directors” at the network.

One day, Vivian is outside when a mysterious woman named Diana (played by Angel Raymundo) approaches her and hands her a bracelet made of rope with some random small trinkets attached. “Share my blessing,” says Diana. Vivian tries to ignore this stranger, who insists that Vivian take the bracelet. Diana’s voice then turns menacing as she tells Vivian: “You buried the truth. It wants to come out.”

Vivian continues to see hallucinations. She visits a former co-worker named Benjie (played by Joem Bascon), who used to be her camera operator, at his apartment building. But when he opens the door, he doesn’t want to let her in or talk to her. As soon as he shuts the door, Vivian sees Benjie in the hallway walking to the door.

In various places, Vivian goes into trances where she imagines ghouls, demons or zombies are chasing after her. Sometimes she “freaks out” during these trances. Although the visual effects and makeup for these hallucinations are passable for this low-budget film, after a while, these visions become too repetitive because they don’t show or tell anything new that furthers the story.

Later in the movie, Vivian is required to see a network-appointed psychiatrist (played by Lotlot Bustamante), who thinks Vivian probably has post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s another subplot that reaches a dead end because Vivian’s PTSD diagnosis is never mentioned again, and she’s never seen in therapy again. This scene could have been cut out of the movie and it would’ve made no difference to the story.

“Untold” also goes into a bizarre tangent of showing flashbacks of what Vivian was like before the Cateland massacre. In order to get ahead in her job, Vivian faked a news story about an unnamed restaurant serving cat meat to their customers. In fabricating this story, Vivian hacked up a black cat she owned named Kitty Marie and filmed herself (without showing her face) preparing the cat’s remains as mincemeat.

Vivian then used this disgusting recording as “evidence” that a restaurant was serving cat meat. This movie is so stupid, it shows Sylvia accepting this video for a news story, without requiring Vivian to name the restaurant where this “cat meat” was being served. Vivian fabricated this news story because she was competing for a promotion with a co-worker named Elaine Arnaiz (played by Sarah Edwards), whom Sylvia deliberately pitted against Vivian. The hoax worked because Vivian got the promotion.

During the course of this jumbled story, Vivian meets Amanda Teotico (played by Lianne Valentin), the young adult daughter of Teresa Teotico (played by Ge Villamil), one of the massacre victims. Vivian has hallucinations that the massacre victims are haunting her too. It’s eventually revealed why she’s being haunted by the massacre victims. This reveal is not surprising, considering after the cat meat hoax, it’s very obvious that Vivian will do whatever it takes to do a news story that she thinks will boost her career.

“Untold” brings Benjie into the story because Vivian misses working with him and because Benjie knows a big secret about Vivian. The excessively and increasingly meaningless jump scares lead up to a nonsensical chase scene and an underwhelming ending. The cast members’ performances aren’t very good and cannot overcome the substandard screenplay and messy direction. “Untold” started with a potentially interesting concept, but the movie failed to develop the concept into a good story and uses too many jump scares as lazy fillers for plot deficiencies.

Regal Entertainment released “Untold” in select U.S. cinemas on May 2, 2025. The movie was released in the Philippines on April 30, 2025.

Review: ‘Ex Ex Lovers,’ starring Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin

March 1, 2025

by Carla Hay

“Ex Ex Lovers”

Directed by JP Habac

Tagalog and English with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in Malta and in the Philippines, the comedy film “Ex Ex Lovers” features a predominantly Filipino cast of characters (with a few white people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: Two ex-spouses try to figure out what type of relationship they want to have after they are invited to their daughter’s upcoming wedding.

Culture Audience: “Ex Ex Lovers” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and pleasantly lightweight romantic comedies.

Pictured clockwise, from left: Loisa Andalio, Marvin Agustin, Jolina Magdangal and Juan Karlos in “Ex Ex Lovers” (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. International)

Cute and predictable, “Ex Ex Lovers” can be an entertaining romantic comedy about how two ex-spouses handle their unresolved feelings toward each other and their daughter’s upcoming wedding. Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin continue their co-star magic. This is by no means their best project together, but it’s good enough for people who want to see a romantic comedy with cast members who have believable chemistry with each other.

Directed by JP Habac, “Ex Ex Lovers” was written by Antoinette Jadaone and Kristine Gabriel. The movie reunites longtime co-stars Magdangal and Agustin, who have been appearing in TV shows and moves together since the 1990s, beginning with ABS-CBN’s 1996 to 1999 teen drama series “Gimik.” Some of their other co-starring projects are the ABS-CBN’s soap opera “Labs Ko Si Babem”; GMA Network’s drama series “I Luv NY”(2006) and “Adik Sa’Yo” (2009); and the movies “Adarna: The Mythical Bird” (1997), “Kung Ayaw Mo, Huwag Mo!” (1998) and “Labs Kita… Okey Ka Lang?” (1998), and “Hey Babe!” (1999).

In “Ex Ex Lovers,” Magdangal portrays Joy Hermoso, a divorcée who lives in the Philippines capital of Manila. Joy is very close to her 23-year-old daughter SC (played by Loisa Andalio), who was raised primarily by Joy. SC is nice but a little spoiled. The father of SC is Cedric “Ced” Hermoso (played by Agustin), who became a deadbeat dad when he abandoned the family about 10 years ago. Joy is still bitter about the abandonment because Ced used to be her best friend, and he was her first love.

Joy and Ced haven’t seen or spoken to each other in years. There’s one major reason why Joy and Ced’s relationship hasn’t officially reached closure. Ced and Joy haven’t legally ended their marriage. (Because divorce is not legal for most residents of the the Philippines, Joy and Ced will have to get an annulment.) Joy complains that Ced has a frustrating habit of running away from responsibilities. And making their annulment final has been one of those responsibilities that he’s been avoiding.

In the movie’s first scene, Joy is meeting SC for lunch at a restaurant. SC is accompanied by her boyfriend of two years: Joey (played by Juan Karlos Labajo, also known as Juan Karlos), who is easygoing, friendly and comes from a rich family. Joey has a surprise during the lunch: He asks SC to marry him. A delighted SC immediately says yes, while a dismayed Joy immediately says no at the same time.

Joy is miffed and insulted that Joey did not ask Joy for her blessing for this marriage proposal. She doesn’t really approve of SC and Joey getting married because she thinks they’re too young for marriage. SC tries to smooth things over by saying Joey would have asked for Joy’s blessing, but Joy has been too busy at Joy’s bank job.

Viewers will get the impression that Joy is the type of divorcée who hasn’t dated much since her marriage fell apart. Joy doesn’t seem to have a large circle of friends. Her best friend is a woman named Mimi (played by Mylene Dizon), who is about the same age as Joy and who listens sympathetically when Joy has gets emotionally wound up over something. (And expect to see Joy wound up a lot because most of the movie’s comedy comes from her reactions to whatever happens.)

Ced has been living in Valletta, Malta. For the wedding, SC wants Ced to have the traditional role of the bride’s father walking the bride down the aisle. Joy knows Ced better than SC knows him, so SC asks Joy to be the one to ask Ced to have this role in the wedding. And because this is a romantic comedy, Joy has to make this request in person. SC and Joey offer to go to Malta with her because they SC wants Ced to meet Joey. It’s all just an excuse for the movie to have gorgeous-looking scenery in Malta.

Not surprisingly, this family reunion has a lot of tension and plenty of ups and downs. Ced immediately tells SC that he’s sorry for abandoning her and that he’ll never stop asking for her forgiveness. SC is more willing to forgive Ced than Joy is willing to forgive, but does Joy still have romantic feelings for Ced? And has he really changed his irresponsible ways?

Most of “Ex Ex Lovers” is about Joy and Ced bickering, flirting, and deciding whether or not they want to rekindle their relationship. SC is a romantic and wants her parents to get back together. Joy is the most skeptical that getting back together with Ced would be a good idea. Ced (who has a very charming side) is open to the idea, but he has a long way to go before Joy can consider him to be trustworthy.

The movie begins in a very over-the-top manner, with a lot emoting from the cast members. Some of the dialogue and mannerisms are exaggerated in “Ex Ex Lovers,” particularly with the characters of Joey’s parents Andres (played by Dominic Ochoa) and Sophia (played by G Tongi), who are negative stereotypes of wealthy, entitled people. It would be easy to assume that there will be a certain outcome to the love dilemma between Joy and Ced. However, “Ex Ex Lovers” ends up being more realistic than a lot of romantic comedies would be with a similar concept.

Despite some flaws in the movie’s tone and performances, the “Ex Ex Lovers” plot does not go off track into ridiculous fantasy-level wish-fulfillment, which is usually the biggest flaw of romantic comedies. “Ex Ex Lovers” has capable supporting performances from Andalio and Labajo as engaged couple SC and Joey. However, Magdangal and Agustin are the main attractions in “Ex Ex Lovers” and do not disappoint in giving winning performances that have authenticity in showing how relationships can evolve over time.

Warner Bros. International released “Ex Ex Lovers” in select U.S. cinemas on February 21, 2025. The movie was released in the Philippines on February 12, 2025.

Review: ‘Uninvited’ (2024), starring Vilma Santos, Aga Muhlach and Nadine Lustre

January 19, 2025

by Carla Hay

Vilma Santos in “Uninvited” (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. International)

“Uninvited” (2024)

Directed by Dan Villegas

Tagalog and English with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed city in the Philippines, the dramatic film “Uninvited” features an all-Asian cast of characters representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A woman seeks murderous revenge on a corrupt billionaire and some of his cronies for the death of her daughter.

Culture Audience: “Uninvited” will appeal mainly to people who don’t mind watching tacky melodramas.

Ron Angeles, Nadine Lustre and Aga Muhlach in “Uninvited” (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. International)

“Uninvited” is exactly the tawdry melodrama it appears to be. It’s a predictable story about a vigilante mother on a murderous vendetta. The terrible acting performances drag the movie down to cringeworthy levels.

Directed by Dan Villegas and written by Dodo Dayao, “Uninvited” takes place in an unnamed city in the Philippines. It begins by showing a woman named Lilia Capistrano (played by Vilma Santos) looking frantically for her teenage daughter Lily in their house, but Lilia can’t find Lily. It’s later revealed in flashbacks that Lily (played by Gabby Padilla) and her boyfriend Christopher Norman “Tofy” Almario (played by Elijah Canlas) are both dead.

The next scene takes place 10 years after Lily’s death. Lilia is at a lavish party at the mansion owned by billionaire criminal Guilly Vega (played by Aga Muhlach), who is celebrating his 55th birthday at this party. Lilia has arrived at this party uninvited and is pretending to be a socialite/philanthropist named Eva Candelaria. Guilly is secretly involved with drug smuggling, sex trafficking and many other crimes.

Also at the party are Guilly’s materialistic and shallow wife Katrina Vega (played by Mylene Dizon) and their “wild child” daughter Nicolette Chantal “Nicole” Remegio Vega (played by Nadine Lustre), who’s in her 20s. Nicole, also known as Nicky, is addicted to cocaine that is supplied to her by her enabling boyfriend Mark (played by Ron Angeles), who is also at the party. Nicole repeatedly talks about how much she hates her father Guilly.

Other party attendees are Jigger Zulueta (played by RK Bagatsing), who is Guilly’s right-hand man; Celso Batac (played by Cholo Barretto), who is Guilly’s bodyguard; Jomar Maitim (played by Ketchup Eusebio), who is Guilly’s pimp; Randall Ballesteros (played by Gio Alvarez), who is Guilly’s corporate “fixer”; and Colonel Red Zaldarriaga (played by Tirso Cruz III), Guilly’s friend who is now his enemy. One can assume that Red was invited to the party so that Guilly could flaunt his wealth to make Red jealous.

“Uninvited” alternates between scenes at the party and flashback scenes to show why Lilia has gone to this party under a false identity. You can easily figure out within the first 15 minutes of the movie that Lilia’s motive has something to do with Lily’s death. In case it isn’t made clear that Guilly is a complete scumbag, he acts like an incestuous father to Nicole. It should also come as no surprise when the family’s dirty secret is eventually revealed.

Lilia’s close friend Norma Almario (played by Lotlot de Leon) is Tofy’s grieving mother. Norma is briefly in the movie and doesn’t have much bearing on the plot. It’s pretty clear that Lilia is acting out her revenge plan completely on her own. Her plan (killing more than one person at this crowded party) is actually very foolish because there could be many witnesses and so many things could go wrong.

Santos brings some believable humanity to her role as Lilia. Her performance is the main reason why “Uninvited” isn’t a complete waste of time if you want to watch a formulaic vigilante movie. Unfortunately, all of the other “Uninvited” cast members are either too stiff or over-act in their performances.

“Uninvited” slowly lurches along to the inevitable reveal of who are Lilia’s targets besides Guilly and how she plans to get revenge. A mid-credits scene is underwhelming and adds nothing interesting to the movie, which ends very abruptly. It all adds up to a sordid soap opera that has no surprises and is actually quite boring in how everything plays out to the very unimaginative end.

Warner Bros. International released “Uninvited” in select U.S. cinemas on January 10, 2025. The movie was released in the Philippines on December 25, 2024.

Review: ‘Family Matters’ (2022), starring Noel Trinidad, Liza Lorena, Nonie Buencamino, Mylene Dizon, Nikki Valdez and JC Santos

February 9, 2023

by Carla Hay

JC Santos, Agot Isidro, Nonie Buencamino, Noel Trinidad, Liza Lorena, Mylene Dizon, James Blanco and Ian Pangilinan in “Family Matters” (Photo courtesy of Cineko Productions)

“Family Matters” (2022)

Directed by Nuel Naval

Tagalog with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in the Philippines and briefly in the United States, the dramatic film “Family Matters” features a predominantly Filipino cast of characters (with a few white people) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: Members of a large Filipino family have various squabbles with each other and other people, while the family patriarch is coping with health issues.

Culture Audience: “Family Matters” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in watching appealing dramas that show the ups and downs of family relationships and how relatives deal with aging family members.

Nikki Valdez, JC Santos, Nonie Buencamino, Mylene Dizon, Liza Lorena and Noel Trinidad in “Family Matters” (Photo courtesy of Cineko Productions)

Despite some flaws, “Family Matters” is a drama with its heart in the right place, featuring good performances from the cast members. The movie drags on a little longer than it should, and some plot developments look forced, but the movie remains watchable. It’s a story that transcends nations and cultures, because there’s probably something relatable to most viewers about the family at the center of this story.

Directed by Nuel Naval and written by Mel Mendoza-del Rosario, “Family Matters” has a sprawling total running time of 134 minutes. Some of the movie tends to ramble and become unfocused, while other aspects of the movie seem too rushed without adequate explanation. It’s the type of movie that has some scenes that look like they’re going to end, but then the scenes keep going with needless repetition.

However, one of the biggest strengths of “Family Matters” (which is about a large family in an unnamed city in the Philippines) is that the adult characters have personalities that make these characters very unique and memorable. One of the biggest pitfalls of movies about large families is when the movie makes it hard to tell the family members apart from each other. “Family Matters” manages to mostly avoid this pitfall, because the family’s adult characters are written and portrayed as fully formed people, not stereotypes. However, the underage children in the family have the most underdeveloped storylines because the movie is really more about how the adults in the family interact with each other.

Here are the members of this large clan:

Francisco Florencio (played by Noel Trinidad), the family strong-willed patriarch, is having some health issues that land him in a hospital and affect him throughout the entire story.
Eleonor Florencio (played by Liza Lorena), the family matriarch, is the kind and loving wife of Francisco. They have four adult children, ranging in ages from mid-50s to mid-30s: son Francisco Jr. (nicknamed Kiko), daughter Fortune, daughter Ellen and son Enrico.
Francisco “Kiko” Jr. (played by Nonie Buencamino), Francisco and Eleonor’s eldest child, works as a building construction engineer. Kiko tends to be bossy and arrogant with his three younger siblings and with his work subordinates.
Odette (played by Agot Isidro), Kiko’s homemaker wife, patiently puts up with Kiko when he loses his temper and becomes difficult. She usually stays out of the family arguments.
Kiko and Odette have three children, ranging in ages from about 13 to about 17. The eldest child is son Francis (played by Ian Pangilinan), followed by daughter Frances (played by Beatriz Teves) and daughter Florence (played by Alessandra Romero).
Fortune (played by Mylene Dizon), Francisco and Eleonor’s second eldest child, is outspoken with her opinions. She gets involved in family arguments, but she is also sometimes a peacemaker. Fortune owns and operates a pet store with her loyal husband Nelson. Fortune and Nelson have three daughters, ranging in ages from about 8 to about 14: Nikki (played by Alexa Macanan), Nina (played by Krystal Mejes) and Nadia (played by Allyana Nicole Goyenechea).
Nelson (played by James Blanco) is a mild-mannered spouse who gets annoyed whenever Kiko acts superior because Kiko has the highest income of the four siblings. Nelson and Fortune, who love taking care of animals, are proud of their pet store business, even though Kiko looks down on this type of work because it doesn’t require a college education.
Ellen (played by Nikki Valdez), the third eldest child of Francisco and Eleonor, helps take care of her aging parents. She’s a never-married bachelorette who is insecure about being the only one of her siblings who hasn’t gotten married and who doesn’t have children. Now in her early 40s, Ellen feels she doesn’t have much time left if she wants to find a life partner and start her own family.
Enrico (played by JC Santos), the youngest child of Francisco and Eleonor, is an entrepreneur who has recently opened his own gym. Enrico grew up being called a “menopause baby” because Eleonor unexpectedly got pregnant and gave birth to Enrico when she was middle-aged. Enrico is a divorced father of a daughter named Ginny (played by Allyson McBride), who’s about 13 or 14 years old. He shares custody of Ginny with his ex-wife Glenda (played by Ina Feleo), who has a tense relationship with Enrico. Enrico also has a daughter named Ivy (played by Kzhoebe Nicole Baker), who is about 6 or 7 years old, with his live-in girlfriend Irene (played by Anna Luna).

“Family Matters” begins with a family emergency: Francisco wakes up in bed with severe chest pains and is unable to breathe. He is rushed to a hospital, while Ellen makes calls to her siblings to tell them about this medical crisis. After all of the siblings and Eleonor have gathered in the hospital and are worried that Francisco might die, the hospital’s Dr. Salvador (played by Gerry O’Hara) tells them that Francisco will be okay. Francisco did not have a heart attack or a stroke, says the doctor. Instead, Francisco has been diagnosed with early onset asthma, so he is prescribed medication and a nebulizer.

Francisco’s health scare motivates the siblings to rethink their lives and start paying more attention to their elderly parents. There is some debate over whether or not Francisco and Eleonor should move to an assisted living retirement home. Francisco and Eleonor adamantly do not want to take that option. Francisco is somewhat in denial about how his medical diagnosis will change his lifestyle, because he would like to think that he will still have the physical strength that he had before the diagnosis.

Meanwhile, Ellen starts to feel more pressure to find her soul mate, because she wants her parents to still be alive if she ever gets married. For the past eight months, Ellen has been talking to a Filipino American named Chris (played by Eren Kereci), who lives in the U.S. and is about the same age as Ellen. Chris is a divorced father who has his own business. Ellen tells her family that Chris is her “boyfriend,” even though she and Chris haven’t met in person yet. Ellen decides to take the plunge and go to the U.S. to visit Chris and see if their relationship will progress.

Ellen’s visit to the U.S. leaves Francisco and Eleonor temporarily without a caretaker, and the siblings don’t want their elderly parents to spend a lot of time alone. And so, the siblings come up with a plan to have Kiko, Fortune and Enrico take turns having Francisco and Eleonor temporarily stay at each of the sibling’s respective homes. The movie shows what happens when this plan is put in motion.

During the course of the movie, the children of Francisco and Eleonor have to come to terms with their insecurities about themselves. Kiko begins to feel guilty because he has let his workaholic ways prevent him from spending better quality time with his family. Fortune also has to re-evaluate how she has been balancing her work life with her personal life. Ellen puts more pressure on herself to find a soul mate. Enrico (who has jumped around from job to job) wants to stop having a reputation for being flaky and change into being a more responsible person.

Meanwhile, Francisco and Eleonor have to face the realities of their own mortality and what type of legacy they want to leave for their family. “Family Matters” shows several occasions where the family members gather for meals. And the inevitable bickering among family members happen, but there is also a lot of love and camaraderie. Enrico has the most turbulence in his personal life, because his ex-wife Glenda doesn’t really trust him and might fight for full custody of Ginny.

Ginny adores her father, but her parents broke up before she was old enough to know what happened. The divorce is something that the family doesn’t really like to talk about. During a family gathering, Ginny asks Irene why Enrico and Glenda split up, and Irene awkwardly says that she’s not the best person to answer that question. Francisco and Eleonor are sitting at the same table. Francisco tactfully says that when Enrico and Glenda were married, Enrico used to be immature. Francisco adds that Enrico and Glenda wanted different things out of life.

“Family Matters” has a lot of “slice of life” scenes that show conversations between the family members. But there are also some scenes that pack in the melodrama. Let’s put it this way: Francisco’s trip to the hospital in the beginning of the movie won’t be the last time that someone in the family ends up in a hospital. The melodrama in the movie looks overly contrived and awkwardly placed. It doesn’t look as convincing and natural as other scenes in “Family Matters.”

With such a large ensemble cast, it’s truly an asset that all of the cast members are very believable as family members. There isn’t any bad acting, which helps make “Family Matters” more enjoyable. Trinidad as Francisco and Lorena and Eleonor have some wonderful moments showing a longtime married couple who are reflecting on their lives and coming to grips with the inevitability of death. Santos as Enrico also stands out for his portrayal of Enrico’s evolution as a parent and as a partner.

“Family Matters” is at its best when it shows the realistic family dynamics within this tight-knit clan. Loyalties and rivalries can stay the same or change over time. A family member’s self-perception can also be very different from what other family members actually think of that person.

For example, in an emotionally moving scene, Ellen (who feels ashamed for being her parents’ only child who hasn’t gotten married or had children) tearfully tells her mother Eleonor that she’s sorry she turned out to be a disappointment. Eleonor lovingly responds that Ellen has always been a blessing. It’s a turning point for Ellen and her self-esteem issues. In another example, Kiko likes to think of himself as a respected alpha male of the family, but certain things happen that make him understand that other family members perceive Kiko to be overbearing and overly judgmental.

The last 30 minutes of “Family Matters” really going into overdrive with sentimentality—but in a way that is endearing, not annoying. The message of the movie is loud and clear: Whatever problems or differences that family members might experience, it’s always best to try to resolve them honestly, and to appreciate loved ones while they are still alive. It’s not an original theme for a family movie, but it’s a timeless and classic theme that “Family Matters” handles in a mostly entertaining way.

Cineko Productions released “Family Matters” in select U.S. cinemas on February 3, 2023. The movie was released in the Philippines on December 25, 2022.