Bagets

The movie 'Bagets' (from the word 'bagito' which meant clueless youth) was seen as one of the worst made films in the Philippines in terms of production value. There were quite a number of inconsistencies and continuity problems with regards to place setting. Nonetheless, the movie still made good in the box office and is still hailed today as a landmark teen flick in a nation that looks up to moviestars too much.

The movie is about the adventures of five teenagers coping with ordinary (and extraordinary) teenage problems. 'Bagets' had made instant superstars of young actors Herbert Bautista and Aga Mulach.

The premise of 'Bagets' is mediocre. However, the movie is considered an 80's classic and it provided a plot and storyline to be imitated and copied by scriptwriters and directors for years to come.

This movie is sheer genius. It's hilarious. Especially if you take it in the present context. Costumes pa lang matatawa ka na. The script is good. Hilarious. But the part I like least was William Martinez's lecture towards the end. I like his story the least. Script and story is much better than today's Filipino movies' script and story. Aga Muhlach trying to dance like Michael Jackson. I especially like Herbert Bautista's character. Skinny, clumsy, awkward, fellow. Cute. I especially like the scene where he bikes in circles in front of his crush's house. Typical torpe kid. I wish I could go back in time and just live during those moments.

Bagets is pretty much a slice-of-life film about upper to upper middle classmen of the turbulent 80s. They party, want to have "it" and just have fun. All within a very rich tapestry of personal conflict concerned mostly with class, parenthood and girl stuff.

I get why this is lauded. This was the poppy in terms of aesthetics (and becoming a hit) but also because the story (albeit a very clear unaddressed male gaze) was wildly developed. Its giving Altman in terms of every one and anyone getting their own subplot. The closest and probably the hugest inspiration of this though is American Graffiti about how this is a figment of every little thing youth culture.

AND I am not even gonna lie. I enjoyed it as a pop relic. Its one of those films that knows it will be something different and cool and really relies on it AND disengage into something serious before it becomes a stylish mess. These group will be huge stars (maybe except for Bonnin, who had a shorter career than the others and Lauchengco, who focused much more in music which he is a star) AND De Los Reyes really pushes them as idols in this.

The biggest minus about this AND probably why it was a huge hit anyways is that it was not concerned with anything political at the time. Compared to more important directors, Delos Reyes is more known for his dramatic/comedic efforts that exist almost on their own world. This was pure escapism AND it one of his better films.

Another negative, while grounded the stories can be widely inappropriate at times BUT Unlike how I felt with "Salwahan" (a good-enough script with bad direction) , this is just gifted with better direction AND a wonderful exuberance THAT you can gloss over the misgivings.

Missed Opportunism: the toxic boys would be boys aspect the film could have really pushed this into masterpiece level tbh.

Recommended.

Finally I've watched this film after avoiding it since it came out (I was 11 years old then). I shunned it thinking it to be corny. Instead, I found it quite entertaining. The comedic script is classic. There's not much plot in it. The adult subjects and conflicts are dealt with subtlety. The actors where impressive in the sense that there were all a natural, unlike the Pinoy movie stars of today who always seem to overdo their acting. I noticed too that the actors speak very good English. They don't sound trying hard (again like in movies of today). And I was delighted to see a whole slew of now-famous prominent comedians (Zorayda, Beverly, Dexter Doria, and many more that were not listed in the cast). I found the DVD at netflix, it was not the best transfer but I still enjoyed it.

I remember the day Bagets opened in 1984, students lined up at the box office and the first showing was jam-packed with screaming teeners. After all, the movie stars 5 of the hottest stars of the time. William Martinez crossed the backyard from Regal to star in his first Viva movie; JC Bonnin and Aga Muhlach were marketed as young handsome newcomers while Herbert Bautista and Raymond Lauchengco were making names for comedy and singing, respectively. The movie follows the lives of the young teeners and depending on who you were rooting for, the audience would shriek each time their idol came out on screen. Up to now, almost 30 years later, Bagets is still witty and funny. The movie tackled young love & crushes but not issues like drugs, premarital sex & teenage pregnancy. So it's a light approach to teenage issues and doesn't take itself too seriously, except for William's story, where his girlfriend died. Watching Bagets make you want to go back in time and experience your youthful, carefree days once again. All the succeeding teenage movies pale in comparison to this Maryo J. Delos Reyes classic.