Poetry of innocence
Review of Jason Paul Laxamana's "100 Tula para kay Stella"
Above all, Jason Paul Laxamana's "100 Tula para kay Stella" is an ode to innocence, and the loss of it. There's something so pure in the character of Fidel (JC Santos), a shy, awkward teenager with a speech difficulty that you'd want him to succeed in his endeavors, especially his bittersweet journey to express his feelings for Stella (Bela Padilla), a live-in-the-moment girl who exudes confidence and ambition. However, the film is more concerned with painting a larger picture of what it means to chase after your dream. In short, it's about the journey, not the destination.
"Stella" has lots of elements that elevate it slightly from the common romcom fare: the nostalgic milieu of the academe, a protagonist worth rooting for, and character consistency. Until the very end, Fidel is this humble, good-natured but naive dreamer, while Stella leaps from one bad choice to another. This does not mean that Stella is a villain, because she and Fidel have crossed paths to define each other's existence.
I admire the movie's honest intentions, that love blossoms in the unlikeliest of places, among other things. Sure, this concept is fodder for mainstream romcoms, but Laxamana uses the strength of his milieu to transport us to an earlier time, before relationships were made and broken on social media. Taking place in the mid-2000s, when cassette tapes still existed, the film harps from one soundtrack to another, or in the case of Fidel, one poem at a time.
As Fidel and Stella, Santos and Padilla work wonders. Though his stutter can sometimes be inconsistent, Santos is believable as the good guy, the victim of cruel realities. Even when confronting Stella about her misdeeds, or in the film's climactic revelation, Santos maintains his character's humility. Padilla, on the other hand is strong and forceful, never deviating from her angst as a hungry teenager. It is important to note that Bela Padilla constantly improves as an actress, and her turn as Stella is praiseworthy.
Some strong supporting cast, including Dennis Padilla who plays Fidel's dad and Ana Abad Santos, who plays a school teacher add color to the story. It helped that the father character ceased from the usual parenting advice present in almost all romcoms.
On the side, "Stella" suffers from several mishaps, particularly the lopsided second half, when Fidel migrates to Manila: several scenes involving the performing arts guild where Fidel later becomes a part of, feels out of place; the truth or dare scene could have been better; a big reveal involving a minor character beckons introspection as to how the plot got there, which is not entirely implausible, but still; a drug abuse subtext seems forced, and; the timeline can be often confusing.
I also noticed the "500 Days of Summer" references scattered throughout the film, and while it may be unfair to compare "Stella" to that movie, the fact that the similarities exist will fuel some discussion.
"Stella" survives its imperfections by the hugeness of its heart, and the masterful direction of key scenes, particularly Fidel and Stella's confrontation in the end. The film emphasizes the importance of overcoming one's fears, of taking action before it's too late, and how roads not taken echo in eternity.
