This is the third part of our write-up on the best scenes of local cinema in 2024. If you haven’t read the first two parts, click Part 1 and Part 2.
Final round, A Lab Story
Fred Hawson, SFFR: “Adviser Ma’am Kristine (Donna Cariaga) chose class topnotcher Genesis (Potchi Angeles) and happy-go-lucky Aeta girl Pinky (Uzziel Delarmine) as the representatives of Josephine Cojuangco Tech Voc for the Agri Quiz bee. Defying dire expectations, the odd pair actually make it all the way to the Regional Finals. They squeak through the difficult 100-item Elimination Round, however barely, and make it to the Final Round. There, rules say that the contestants participate as individuals, not as a team.
Their opponent St. Gallen gets an early, seemingly insurmountable, lead. To add to the suspense, there are frustrating allegations of cheating and irregularities. Coming in two points behind, the ‘weaker partner’ Pinky comes on strong right off the bat with two correct answers — Caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito) and Ulasimang bato (Pepperomia pellucida) — to tie the match. The final specimen is a grass-like herb with flat narrow leaves, which Pinky recognizes instantly as Kutsay.
Compared to most other Best Scenes cited by Pinoy Rebyu, this scene is a relatively simple, straightforward one. However, the winsome manner by which director Carlo Obispo executed it made it exciting and delightful to watch. This whole film is an underdog film – one where an unlikely team joins a contest and goes against all odds. This 10-minute final round scene is the climax Obispo had been building up to for the past hour and 15 minutes, the part where our misfit heroes achieve their destiny.
Genesis is a competitive young man who has big dreams of being a doctor. Joining and winning this contest is important because it will improve his chances for getting a scholarship. Pinky is content with living her simple lifestyle in her mountain home. Joining and winning this contest made her know herself better, opening her eyes to how much more she has to offer her underserved Aeta tribemates. This is the essence of an underdog film – inspiring us to go beyond our comfort zone in order to win more in life.
A Lab Story was one of the six feature films included in the newly-launched Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival April last year. With a festival theme of ‘Mga Kuwentong Panalo ng Buhay,’ the participating films all had positive messages, setting it apart from most other indie film festivals. Festival director Chris Cahilig issued a statement that ‘CinePanalo aims to leave audiences with a warm fuzzy feeling,’ and, true to his word, A Lab Story did exactly that. This Final Round scene is the epitome of that rousing spirit of inspirational positivity.”
Carlo Obispo, writer-director: “As a student in a public school, I used to join academic competitions—one of them was an agri-quiz, where we had to identify real-life plant specimens. Nothing humbles you more than confidently answering kamote when it’s actually gabi. These contests were always nerve-wracking, but translating that experience into film was an entirely different kind of challenge.
For the finals round scene, I drew inspiration from intense, high-stakes films like Bad Genius and the Japanese movie Chihayafuru. The goal was to capture that same adrenaline rush—but with science.
The real challenge, though, was pulling it off with a big scene and very limited time. Every shot, every sequence had to be meticulously planned. But despite all the careful prep, we still found ourselves racing against time—kind of like cramming for an exam you swore you had more time to study for. At one point, I remember thinking, if filmmaking were a contest, we’d be in the lightning round right now.
In the end, the chaos was worth it. Seeing the scene come to life, with all its tension and energy, reminded me why I love storytelling—because just like in those old competitions, the thrill isn’t just in winning, but in the challenge itself.”
Final showdown, Uninvited
Nicol Latayan, SFFR: “When word got around about the stellar casting of the new Dan Villegas film Uninvited, social media was ablaze, to say the least. After all, this is Vilma Santos’s most demanding role since Ekstra, and it reunites her with Aga Muhlach, whom she last worked with three decades ago. Add Nadine Lustre in the mix, and you’d have one of the most anticipated cast reveals of 2024.
Suffice it to say, all the hype was worth the wait. The film’s climax, named as one of the best scenes in Philippine cinema for 2024, showed the triumvirate of Vilma, Aga, and Nadine in a long highlight scene that was being teased all throughout the movie. Eva Candelaria/Lilia Capistrano (Vilma Santos) finally got hold of Nicole Vega (Nadine Lustre) and aims to shoot her. Nicole, lying on the floor, urges Eva to shoot her, claiming ‘Anak sa anak,’ leaving the bereaved mother further confused and destroyed at the same time. Lilia promised her daughter she would take revenge for her, but is she going to do the same thing that she’s crying justice for?
Then comes Guilly Vega, Eva’s arch enemy. He is the main person responsible for all of Eva’s grievances. And this is her closest shot to execute her planned revenge on him. Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman indeed.
What elevated the whole scene and made it more impactful and memorable was seeing these three actors from different generations go at it against each other. Everyone was required to bring their A-game, and they all had it in spades. No one was upstaging anybody, and everyone’s intensity was on the same level. Basically, the three of them were matching each other’s freak. And every moment was deliciously bloody.”
Dodo Dayao, writer: “It was an exciting but tricky thing to write because it opened itself up to a lot of different permutations tonally and dramatically and I finished up trying them all. But what made it come together were the three actors weighing in, picking at it, pushing at it. This went beyond being on the same page creatively. Para silang banda during that sequence. Mad riffing and mad playing.”
Dan Villegas, director: “The confrontation between these three characters was the hardest scene to shoot. This scene was also revised the most, with Dodo, Irene, and I providing feedback on what should be included and what shouldn’t.
What I liked about shooting the scene was that the actors were very invested, suggesting lines and nuances. My direction for Kuya Aga, for example, was that I wanted to see him as a spoiled child throwing tantrums because his parents didn’t buy him what he wanted. I wanted to see evil in his eyes, but I also wanted to feel that he thought he was the one being offended in the scene. He played it perfectly.
As for Nadine, she not only came in prepared but was also very open to direction. She matured from being an actor to an artist, even suggesting changes to how the character speaks in order to maintain the image of the character as a young woman who gets everything, but hides a deeper issue that damaged her as a child.
And for VSR, I can only wish that every filmmaker gets to work with someone as professional and dedicated as she is. Being a great actor was already a given, but her empathy for the entire team, from cast to crew, was a revelation. It was not only emotionally draining for the actors but physically demanding as well. We had to pack up once because Ms. Vilma’s blood pressure went up, and I didn’t want to continue shooting, even though she didn’t want to stop. She’s a true trooper, and she accepted notes and direction as if she weren’t already the amazing actor she is. I count myself lucky to have had the chance to direct her.”
Fruit cocktail, Pushcart Tales
James Espinoza, SFFR: “Grocery trips are filled with brief encounters. We might nod at a passing customer, maneuver our cart to make way, or, as is the case most of the time, completely ignore them. We also interact with the store employees: the overly enthusiastic merchandiser or the snooty cashier. Absent-mindedly, we may also make fleeting judgments about their appearance or state of mind. Writer and director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo utilizes this setting to illustrate a central theme in Pushcart Tales — that reality often differs from perception.
In an earlier scene, a disoriented Benjamin (Carlos Siguion-Reyna) recounts that he buys fruit cocktail every Sunday because it is his wife’s favorite, and they eat it after every meal. However, in this flashback scene, Natty (after a scathing monologue by an indomitable Shamaine Buencamino which I will not reveal the contents as it deserves to be watched with full emotion) admits knowing that Benjamin is a serial cheater and that she intends to leave him now that she less than a year to live. She also reveals that fruit cocktail was never her favorite dessert. It was what she thought of him: because his ‘cock’ is always dipped in different ‘fruits’ (i.e. other women).
The audience now understands the weight of present-time Benjamin’s continued weekly fruit cocktail ritual despite Natty’s death. But is he doing it out of grief or guilt for his betrayal? Perhaps a form of self-penance? This scene, and Pushcart Tales as a whole, asks us to consider empathy even when it is most difficult: to exercise empathy not just for the martyr but for the sinner as well. It urges us to empathize with Benjamin despite his flaws and to grapple with his conflicting actions.”
Shamaine Centenera Buencamino, actor: “That scene was mounted as one long take. There were two cameras to cover a full shot and a closer coverage of one actor. Kabado kami ni Carlitos but we really leaned on each other to get through. We rehearsed maybe 3-4 times. Daming kailangan tandaan sa movements and we knew that we couldn’t afford to keep repeating the scene. Mauubusan kami.
It was already past 2 am of a very long day. Mainit na dahil wala nang aircon sa buong grocery. I remember being almost overcome with emotion that I had difficulty speaking.
When the cameras moved to cover another angle, I told director Sigrid that I couldn’t repeat what I just did. She assured me that I didn’t have to match it and in fact, it was too much. Hahaha Sobra pala! The magic of editing saved the scene!”
Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, writer-director: “In the heart of my film, the fruit cocktail scene beautifully reveals the complexities of relationships. The setting not only reflects the characters’ past but also their emotional struggles.
Benjamin, now in his later years and dealing with early-onset dementia, often visits his favorite grocery store. He searches for fruit cocktail, believing it to be his late wife Natty’s favorite dessert. This gesture makes him seem like a devoted husband who cherishes her memory. However, the truth behind this seemingly sweet act is much more complicated.
In a flashback, we see that Benjamin was not the loving husband he appeared to be. He neglected Natty and was unfaithful, failing to understand her true feelings. Natty didn’t genuinely love fruit cocktail; she cleverly used the term as a play on words to describe Benjamin. She called him ‘Fruit COCKtail’ because his desires were scattered among many ‘fruits,’ symbolizing his wandering heart and unfaithfulness. This wordplay reveals the sad irony of their relationship—while Benjamin thought he was honoring Natty, he was blind to her pain and what she truly needed.
Natty’s wish to ‘live freely’ in her final days reveals her desire to escape the feelings of being trapped in a relationship that suffocated her. In a sad but true way, Natty describes Benjamin as the ‘cancer’ in her life, a representation of her emotional pain. Natty’s desire to ‘fuck everyone’ as she faces her own mortality highlights a yearning for freedom, to live fully despite feeling trapped for so long.
During our rehearsal sessions, I worked closely with Shamaine, who played Natty, and Direk Carlitos, who portrayed Benjamin. I shared my vision for the scene and encouraged them to express their own interpretations. This collaboration was vital, allowing us to explore the deep emotions of our characters together.
One memorable moment was the choking scene. In the first take, it appeared that Carlitos was hugging Shamaine (this is when Benjamin asks for forgiveness) but due to his larger size, it looked like he was choking her. For the second take, I suggested they amplify the moment, making it seem as if Benjamin was almost choking Natty, even if it wasn’t intentional. This added a powerful layer of symbolism, showing how manipulative Benjamin could be without realizing it. When Natty exclaims, ‘Nasasakal ako, Benjamin!’ (‘Benjamin, I’m suffocating!’), it perfectly captures her feeling of being trapped in a relationship that didn’t meet her needs.
As the scene comes to a close, Natty’s last line, ‘Let’s go to the meat section, my fruit COCKtail,’ captures a bittersweet moment. It reflects her love for Benjamin, despite how he treated her. She stood by him, hoping he would truly see and appreciate her. Sadly, by the time he begins to understand, it is already too late.
The fruit cocktail scene offers a touching yet painful look at love and regret. It serves as a reminder that relationships can be complicated, filled with difficult truths and deep emotions.”