Cinemalaya 2019: 'Edward' is Thop Nazareno's Heartwarming Hospital Dramedy

Photo Credit: Cinemalaya

Director: Thop Nazareno
Starring: Louise Abuel, Dido dela Paz, Ella Cruz

My friends and I were seated right behind Thop Nazareno’s dad during Edward’s Gala screening, which also happened to be his birthday. Thop greeted him on stage and we greeted him as well. He smiled at us and said thank you.

During the course of the film, I kept on looking at him every time there's a daddy issue line. Quite intriguing because this is Nazareno's second feature where the lead character deals with his former absent father.

But Mr. Nazareno didn’t seem bothered. Then again, I could only see the back of his head. The only time I got a reaction from him was when he shushed a noisy audience.

Anyway, I love Edward--a fun and modern Huckleberry Finn-vibed story about a teenager named Edward (Louise Abuel), who is stuck inside a crowded, public hospital where he's forced by his stepbrother to take care of his ailing father (Dido dela Paz). The longer he stays in it, the more it becomes his playground. With his sidekick Renz, they roam around the hospital racing with wheelchairs, betting on the lives of the patients, doing nurses' errands and drinking beer in the hospital's open hallways. There he also finds love and distraction in a spunky patient named Agnes (Ella Cruz).

It's Edward's world that Thop Nazareno confidently established. From frame one of a single-shot long-take of a typical hectic scenario in an emergency room to the final harrowing shot of Edward, Nazareno paints his film with such clear vision from start to finish without any excess--a quality I also observed from his first feature Kiko Boksingero.

Also very apparent is his edgier and more playful approach with this film. In Edward, he carefully balanced a fun coming-of-age story with a heartwarming family drama while exposing the tragic realities of life inside a public hospital. He's still not devoid of elegance and subtlety. The way he juggles humor and tragic images delicately is impressive.

He also brings out the best in his impressive ensemble. Louise Abuel for one is perfectly cast as the boyish Edward who has mastered the look of a carefree kid with an innocent demeanor. His chemistry with Ella Cruz could melt anyone's heart. Cruz, on the other hand, also portrayed her frank and feisty character to a tee, and Dido dela Paz as usual is reliably believable.

Overall, I love Edward most when it’s lighthearted and fun, and less depressing. Edward's funny adventures bring light to a rather grim and dirty public hospital. The shift in tone in the third act, while earned, almost ruined it. But it ended in a touching moment that brought back the heart of the film.

This is my favorite Cinemalaya entry this year.