Burlesk King

A movie in which both the boy and his girlfriend sell their bodies for money? Then we find out his mother does too? Wow! I'd love to see Americans try to fit these characters in a movie this side of the ocean. Truth be told, they couldn't, but Filipino director Mel Chionglo finds a lot of heart at the centre of this seemingly lurid story, his follow-up to the last "Macho dancer" film Midnight Dancer (it's funny, when I saw this film at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, the speakers kept referring to "Macho Dancer Film" as if it was an established genre). While this, the third installment in the series probes deeper depths of characters and the effects that dancing for money has on its main character, Midnight Dancer had a much better storyline and invigorating pace. The story follows teenager Harry who comes to Manila from Olongapo to find his American father who he'd escaped as a child when he was beating Harry and his mother senseless and pimping them off to friends for money. To survive in the big city, Harry dances at a gay club, temporarily losing sight of his goal in his devotion to his work, but accomplishing it nonetheless. It drags on a bit, but it's not a bad film at all.