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.
