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| Ai-Ai delas Alas as Rita in School Service; Cinemalaya |
Cast: Ai-Ai delas Alas, Joel Lamangan, Celine Juan, Therese Malvar, Felixia Dizon, Joe Gruta, Kenken Nuyad, Kevin Sagra, Santino Oquendo & Ace Café
A young girl named Maya (Celine Juan) is taken captive by a small-time syndicate in a stolen school service. Led by Rita (Ai-Ai delas Alas) and along with other juveniles, they beg, steal, and hustle for money in the streets of Manila.
Much like EJK, Martial Law era, corruption, and any current issue in our country, poverty is one thing that needs to be told again and again. And Louie Ignacio's School Service exploits its darkness, focusing on the hopelessness of his characters' situation. It can be heavily compared to Eduardo Roy Jr's Pamilya Ordinaryo except this doesn't have something new to tell.
On one hand, it is actually effective because it repeatedly highlights the characters' unconscious misery. But on the other, it's something that we've seen before that it needs a whole new direction for it to be fresh. It's the opposite of films like BuyBust or ML where the message overshadows its narrative.
Ai-Ai delas Alas leads the pack as the group's brutal but caring mother hen. Her superb performance here is no surprise. She's always been a good actress may it be comedy or drama. The rest is brave to portray the hopeless children, and kudos to whoever briefed them that they had to be slapped, cursed, and abused to get their message across.
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