2004 ‧ Drama/Mystery ‧ 2 hours
Release date: 1 December 2004 (Manila)
Director: Erik Matti
Producer: Ronald Stephen Monteverde
Screenplay: Dwight Gaston
Story by: Erik Matti, Richard Somes, Ronald Stephen Monteverde, Dwight Gaston,
{PASIYAM}
Funerals are a fixture of Filipino movies: there is a death scene, usually drawn-out, followed by a highly-charged scene at the wake, where family members dredge up unresolved issues and trade recriminations. Each character gets a chance to express his or her innermost feelings; there are monologues galore. The funeral, then, is an occasion for melodrama and "larger than life" acting. Pa-Siyam is an anomaly because while the funeral is the center from which the story radiates, it proceeds quietly, uneventfully, almost casually. When the movie begins, the dead woman’s children have returned to their ancestral home in the provinces to bury their mother. The head of this family is Nilo (Roderick Paulate), who like millions of Filipinos works overseas, in this case in Saudi Arabia. We learn that the mother had been left in the care of family retainers - also unusual, as traditional values dictate that one of the children look after her. According to the caretakers, the mother had died alone, in her room. No one questions their version of events. The funeral takes place with only the family present - another anomaly - and the family members prepare to return to their lives in Manila. Then Nilo announces that he intends to remain in the house for the traditional pa-siyam - the nine-day novena for the dead. His brother and sisters agree to stay, though none seems particularly eager.
The pa-siyam commences, weird things happen, and the movie reveals itself to be a murder mystery. What really happened to the mother? Was she murdered, and by whom? Given the bizarre goings-on in the house, it may seem strange that the characters do not immediately pack up and flee, but as events unfold and revelations are made, we realize that the family is bound not by grief, but by old hatreds, misery, and guilt.
In his first horror movie, Erik Matti creates a genuinely creepy atmosphere while avoiding the more obvious clichés of the genre. He is aided by a strong cast, notably Paulate, who is best known for his comic roles on television sitcoms, Cherrie Pie Picache (Bridal Shower), Yul Servo (Batang West Side), Ana Capri (Pila Balde/Fetch a Pail of Water), and Aubrey Miles (Prosti, Gagamboy).
#Pasiyam #ErikMatti #RegalFilmshttps://youtu.be/_HIwuCptzj8
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