REVIEW: Dyagwar: Waley o Havey?

Title: Dyagwar: Waley o Havey?

Director: Sid Pascua

Producer: OgieD Productions

Distribution: Viva Films

Date of premiere: October 3, 2012

The best thing about Dyagwar is that it does not get on your nerves. When other comedies try their hardest to get their audiences laughing, this factor should be appreciated.

What's not remarkable, however, is how it seems to not have any ambition. It's mostly just there. It's just like eating the bubbles on top of a fizzy drink--it's fun to eat, but you don't get full.

The story is a bit hundrum: two security guards (played by Eric Fructuoso and a magnetic Boom Labrusca) witness several characters' hijinks while working for an apartment compound.

These events are what you expect when you think about it in three seconds: a kept woman, a philandering husband, a sexy young woman who has an abusive suitor, several loud gay tenants, a prostitute, et cetera et cetera.

The events are also as common as possible: kept woman gets caught having an other man, philandering husband gets caught by his wife, sexy woman gets pushed too hard, gay tenants express and fulfill their desire (at least one did) to get it on with a hot guy, and prostitute gets redemption somewhat.

It was a little disappointing. With this set-up, the producers and directors could have pushed a little harder and got more unique stories. 

But then again, the treatment of the above stories are as straightforward as possible, so they feel familiar, and in turn avoiding going overboard. You've seen it before, so you can relate to it.

The shining moments in the film though came from lead stars Eric Fructuoso and Boom Labrusca. Eric is still formidable looks-wise years after laying low in showbiz, and Boom is an eye-candy. Both know how to act, but sometimes they overact. Not their fault, probably, but the director's.

There's a scene here where one of the security guards gets raped by a gay character. It's rape, and it's admirable how the movie never flinches to make it clear that it is, in fact, an abuse of power and that the guy is a victim. That's a brave thing to do in an industry where most of the players deny that this kind of abusive relationship (gay manager to hunk wards, apparel owner to his male models) exists.

RATING: 3 stars out of 5

SUMMARY: It's a bit funny, and not annoying. It's just the right kind.