A little note, before The Boy Foretold by the Stars (2020) they played a short film called Sina Alexa, Xander at ang Universe (Alexa, Xander and the Universe). If you want to read that review first, you may do so here.
Now let's get to the first MMFF entry that caught my eye.
The Boy Foretold by the Stars (2020)
Written & Directed by Dolly Dulu | Romance
The Boy Foretold By The Stars is a romantic comedy movie about two senior high school boys, who thru the help of a fortune-teller, find each other at an optional school retreat called Journey with the Lord.
There are only a few films in the MMFF that captured my interest, one of which is Dolly Dulu's The Boy Foretold by the Stars (2020). You might think it is because of the Thai BL series. I admit that I did watch a few of them. Yes, a few because not all stories pierced my heart.
The reason this film is on my list is because of the trailer. I saw beauty the moment I clicked play. Moreover, it is the first Boy's Love (BL) film in the Philippines. I was also intrigued by how they will present it since the setting is in a Catholic school.
THE REVIEW
I will get straight to the point. I adore The Boy Foretold by the Stars because the film knows what it wants to convey. It is well-written and directed by Dolly Dulu.
Which reminds me, I did a little research. The film is base on a play, Ang Hangal, which director Dolly wrote in college.
"The story is based on my personal experience back in high school. It's a very personal story that I wanted to share with the audience. It's not just a passion project, it's a material that carries a very important message specifically for the members of the LGBTQ+ community," the director told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual interview.No wonder you can feel a sense of genuineness (Is this a word?). There was no hint of pretentiousness. I guess we also need to thank the wonderful actors, especially Adrian Lindayag, the actor who portrayed Dominic.
Every time he appears on the screen, my heart and mind would say, I hear you, I feel you, and I understand you. He surely identifies well with Dominic, so he was able to convey what the character wanted.
Also, I love how the young priest explains the bible context and homosexuality.
"According to Catholic teachings, being a homosexual is not actually a sin. God created us in his own image and likeness and that includes everyone. We have to learn to respect our brothers and sisters who consider themselves homosexuals.""We have to be critical when we read biblical context. We can't just take it for what it is. You have to consider what it takes to be labeled as such. We have to be open in understanding that maybe they don't have a choice in the matter."
This is beautiful and I hope people understand and accept it.
If you get a chance to catch this, please hit play. The Boy Foretold by the Stars (2020) is a beautiful film through and through.
