No! The name on the title does not play tricks on you. This is not about the once cosmopolitan and glorious street that was in downtown Manila, Avenida. The madness and mayhem are courtesy of Abe and Nida, the protagonists given life by Allen Dizon and Katrina Halili, respectively, in the film with Ralston Jover as the screenplay writer. Louie Ignacio directs while BG Productions International bankrolls this motion picture.
The major reasons why everyone must embrace and watch AbeNida when it drops in cinemas are: it is a visual feast, a narrative that is simple yet compelling, and a master class in acting.
What makes it a visual feast is the cinematography by its director of photography, T.M. Malones. The play of light and dark reminds you of the movies from Reyna Films, created by the legendary cinematographer Rony Vitug, and the hues, shadows, and illumination that are evident in a Fernando Amorsolo oil painting. The dark shots heighten the scenes and present the emotions of the characters at their most frightening and maddening. The shots that show the bucolic charms and wonders of the location are breathtaking and give a light and loving feel to what happens on screen.
Kudos to screenplay writer Ralston Jover for a straightforward yet compelling narrative. Creating the character of Abe, who happens to be an admired and respected local sculptor, and his experiences with various degrees of confusion and pain, brought about by Nida, his wife who left him. All of these we witness, along with the crumbling of Abe’s sanity and how it consumes his being. Devoid of storytelling excesses, its simplicity provides the cadence and rhythm, push and pull, and distance and togetherness of the main protagonists.
Thanks to the astute and sensitive direction of Louie Ignacio, there is a master class in acting, specifically Allen Dizon who delivers his most superb performance to date. His cinematic orbs speak volumes, his madness is subtle yet felt, stirring the emotions. He is the main reason why AbeNida becomes an unforgettable cinematic experience. He is that good!
Adding more nuance and texture to the film is the impressive performance of Leandro Baldemor, who plays the role of Abe’s good friend/bad friend. He comes off as loud most of the time because he is not just a bully to Abe, but a buffoon who is even crazier and dangerous.
Katrina Halili shines like a diamond, portraying two polar opposite characters. She totally wows as Cecille, the flirtatious masseuse with a heart of gold, and as Nida, the wife who scorched Abe’s heart and destroyed his sanity.
AbeNida is Louie Ignacio’s love letter to the artist and the passion that consumes them, the whys of their artistic expression, and the muses that break or make them present on the silver screen with subtlety, grace, and restraint, No wonder it hits the viewers heart. And yes, this is his true cinematic obra maestra.