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Edna (2015) Review

Cinematography by Larry Manda & Arvin Viola

Edna a first film from a first time director Ronnie Lazaro, a great actor who have worked in many great Filipino local films from Independent to Mainstream Cinema. When i said great actor i mean it, even if he was often typecast as a "Taong Grasa (Vagrant)" he can still manage to be a flexible and gives a One Type character with many different takes, he also bold and brave one who can take any role that will give to him. Although he is a multi-awarded actor it seems to be that he is locked down lying on his job, but the question is What if he is the one who will direct his own film ? Edna is the answer.

Ronnie Lazaro's directorial debut seemingly reminds me of Ryan Gosling take on Lost River. Edna is a twisted movie, staged in 3-parts, even if it was divided in such style the film just totally felt Broken and Washed up. The writing was very scruffy at many ways. Yes the film is a Unique take than usual Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) based film the problem is the movie knows its Unique. Uniqueness doesn't always mean beauty, it was often Confusing if it wasn't used right and that exactly what Edna becomes. I'm no sure if the movie is Confused by its own or it was intended to be like that.

Edna follows Edna (Irma Adlawan) a mother who just came back from other country where she worked as a domestic helper for (what the movie mentioned) 10 years. Through those year Edna dedicates all of her work to her family so they can achieve the dream she wanted to them. During the time of her home coming Edna decides not to comeback to abroad, but she later discovers dark secrets from her family while she also trying to find a way to stop the infesting Rat that roams around their house. Edna is story a about a hard working mother who was Emotionally tortured by her own Family.

Perhaps the strongest asset if Edna was the Acting Powers of the cast members, specially Irma Adlawin's Take on her role as the main character. Edna is not just a Drama flick but it mixes up a bunch of unrelated idea to the genre, it doesn't take itself in a realistic approach rather the movie exaggerates it, almost making a symbolism for a current state of the Filipino Families who have one of their love ones working in other country. Despite of exaggeration, its amazing how the performances are steady to realism. In other words Bad things about the movie are well Balance to the good stuffs of it.

While the Acting and the way the film was written are on balance it doesn't really make the film so enthusiastic. Other might say its an Art House movie and yes i do agree, but its a broken Art Piece. I felt that One of the major problem about Edna is that through that balance it really doesn't know where to put itself on, it doesn't know if its going to be bold or intense, or violent or emotional. It also suffers a bad pacing, i always thought that the film a bad pacing never really ended up to be a good film, the movie divided into three stages but it was barely noticeable at all.

The problem goes through everything, to transitions, to sound design and camera angles though i adore the focus of camera's into character body movements whenever it want to tells some emotions it never really helps to brought up the narrative. There's a clear message behind Edna that Ronnie wants to show us, but the way it was showed is pretty poor and inconsistent, the movie often use some Symbolism to make metaphor but it doesn't feel to be necessary at all because it happens that you want to show this symbol but later on you're going to show it literal not in the way that you're trying explain it but the symbol just become a left over. That exactly happen to this movie, most scenes becomes left over.

Overall i thought Edna had Strong message but it wasn't told very well. I have nothing to expect about Ronnie Lazaro's Directorial Debut, i don't expected to be good or to be bad, but well i think Edna's quality cannot be determined by the majority but I'm sure most will agree it is a bad film. Perhaps Ronnie Lazaro needs more focus in directing if he really want to be a filmmaker, because Edna shows what kind of director Ronnie could be.

I Give Edna a solid 6.5/10

Can't deny i wasn't enthralled by it it wasn't boring movie it was poorly told. I'ts not really a film to be recommended but i wasn't unworthy to appreciate.

Edna is now showing in selected Cinemas nationwide.(SM Megamall. SM Sta.Mesa, SM North, SM Bacoor,  Sta. Lucia East) Directed by Ronnie Lazaro Starring Irma Adliwan and Ronnie Lazaro.
For more info visit: Edna Facebook Page