Casa de muñecas

Found this film out thru a paid ad promotion that I came across online, which I'm glad I did. It is nothing too special but was still quite lovely.

Starting off with the premise and the trailer, I think both are sufficient, except for one scene which I think should've been left for the viewers to find out in the film itself. The plot was pretty simple, and it would've done itself a favor if they kept just that one thing within the film. Doll House is a standard tearjerker Filipino drama film (if not somewhat cliched at times) revolving around broken families and deeply troubled individuals. It isn't unique, but I think some people might have missed the point. It was well received by the audience that it was meant to touch and that's what mostly matters. Besides, it isn't even bad in the landscape of Filipino dramaseryes and films filled with cliches and tropes that have been overused time and time again. The biggest thing that I think ruins the viewing experience is the abruptness of a couple of scenes which may make it predictable or be perceived as lazy (with the writing) at times. There are some other minor flaws that could have been improved upon to make it more realistic in its own setting, but it can be pretty much overlooked.

The best thing that Doll House has going for it is the characters upon which the story is centered, Yumi (Althea Ruedas) and Rustin (Baron Geisler). More specifically, their performances really brought their characters to life and created a cute, fun, and lovable chemistry on screen. Anyone who knows Baron Geisler knows that he was made for this role. His personal life and prior struggles mirrors that of Rustin's. As an actor, he is very well known as a kontrabida (villain) and is darn good at it, likely one of the best ever in the Philippines. These sorts of more sensitive roles are much more seldom, but he has played them as well. I am glad that this was given to him due to his undeniable talents as an actor despite his troubled past (he's made a turnaround in more recent years) and unsurprisingly kills it. Althea on the other hand (who plays as Yumi) I was not too familiar with, but nevertheless was also amazing in her own right. She was very convincing with the personality and character she was meant to portray, which again just might be a reflection of her true self as well.

Groundbreaking? No. But that's not what it set out to achieve in the first place. They did what they set out to achieve and succeeded at it. It's difficult to set an expectation because it's not trying to achieve or to do something that's "out there". It uses a formula that works for people who let their feelings dictate how they feel about the movie more rather than break it down and analyze the elements that make it enjoyable or not. The casting crew did a very good job of filling in the characters with fitting actors and actresses, more so with its lead roles. The value of this movie is not lost in the score I or anyone gave to the audience it was meant to touch. You're not really missing anything by skipping this one, but if you love straightforward tearjerkers, I think Doll House is worth checking out.

When I sat down to watch the 2022 Filipino drama "Doll House" from director Marla Ancheta, then I have to admit that I wasn't really expecting much. Why? Well, because the track history of Filipino movies haven't exactly been lined up with fantastic movies for me.

But I opted to give "Doll House" a fair chance, as I hadn't already seen it, though I was told that it was just a so-so movie.

I have to say that director Marla Ancheta delivered more than just a so-so movie here. "Doll House" is without a doubt one of the most sincere and heartfelt movies in the Filipino cinema that I have seen. The storyline in "Doll House", as written by Rona Lean Sales and Erwin Blanco, really was spot on and hit home. The writers really knew how to construct a good, genuine and wonderful storyline, and knew exactly what buttons to push in order for it to be all the more impactful.

While the storyline certainly was great, then the movie would have been nothing without some great performances. I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, but lead actor Baron Geisler was nothing short of spectacular in his performance here. He really carried the movie phenomenally with a very convincing and realistic performance. And I was also impressed with the talent of Althea Ruedas, playing young Yumi. And the chemistry between these two performers was just genuine and convincing. The movie also had a great performance by Phi Palmos, just a shame that he didn't have a larger role to play.

Take heed, you might want to bring a tissue or two within hands reach when you sit down to watch "Doll House", because it is a narrative that really is emotional and beautiful.

I was more than genuinely entertained by "Doll House", and I am very happy that I took the time to sit down and watch it, because this movie is nothing short of beautiful. If you enjoy Asian cinema, then "Doll House" is definitely a movie that I can and will recommend you to take the time to sit down and watch.

My rating of "Doll House" lands on an eight out of ten stars.

Wow! I didn't expect Doll House would be that good!

I know Baron Geisler as a good child actor so I didn't hesitate to watch this film as soon as I saw the trailer, I got so interested!

I wasn't wrong. This is a good film with a good story and the acting of both Baron Geisler (Rustin/Clyde) and Althea Ruedas (Yumi) were really good! Even Phi Palmos (Bok/Ganda) did a good job! They all suit the roles!

The story was so emotional. A bit of comedy. Very entertaining but the good thing is, there's a good lesson which will make the people cry. So, the acting and story made the film really good even if the music isn't! They should' ve used the version of the real song bird's song! Duh!!

Anyway, yeah, this film is good!

I was skeptical in the beginning cos the story was very slow, Some antics were abit off, some scenes were not necessary but added. But i do like the film, specially in showing the world class talent of filipinos to international audience. The story was predictable, but what I like about the movie was the cinematography too. I love how it shows the beauty of Philippines and Rotterdam. It was a heart warming movie and brilliant acting from Baron and the young and old Yumi. Nearing to the end the essence of the film shine through burst with emotions. . The last scene was perfect to end, i cried truly..

The story mirrors the life of the lead actor Baron Geisler, who suffered from addiction in real life.

The core of the story is on redemption, the father and son daughter actors had near perfect connection and you can feel the love. 4-6 actors only carry the movie but the drama based on real life story tugs the heart. The music score relied on the Pilipino song "Pangako" written by Ogie Alcasid.

Cinematography made use of modern technologies like drone shots, and bokeh effect in some scenes. Flashback scenes are not tone restricted but still understood. Dialogue flows naturally and does not feel scripted.

GET SOME TISSUES READY.