And the Breadwinner Is...

I am fond of good and heartwarming stories about family: 'Four Sisters And A Wedding', 'Seven Sundays' and 'Tanging Yaman'. 'And the Breadwinner Is' is certainly one of them for it delves deeper connections that are opulently gratifying and fulfilling especially the story is very special to my heart-about breadwinners.

A family story based on reality. The story is filled with characters that embodies typical Filipino practices, sensibilities, family issues, and beliefs such as love of one's family. Everywhere the story goes seems to show how representative the movie is of the Filipinos and the Philippine culture. Because the goal of the movie is to have a connection to its audience, and I was able to relate.

I was amazed with Vice Ganda's impeccable performance. This is the first time Vice steps out of her comedic comfort zone to showcase her dramatic chops. The Unkabogable Star's perfect balance of comedy and drama will leave viewers a lasting impression.

The exchange of dialogue in the intense confrontational scenes was filled with true to life emotionally charged statements and sentiments interwoven of the film's lead protagonist as a Breadwinner.

These heartfelt lines by Bambi in one heavy scene literally hit me hard:

"Hindi ka pwedeng magpahinga. Hindi ka pwedeng huminto para huminga..."

"Sabi nila breadwinner ako, pero bakit talunan ako ngayon?"

"Pu**ng ina! Sino ba'ng nagsabi 'pag breadwinner ka, dapat isa lang?"

Overall, 'And the Breadwinner Is' captures the complexness of family life and the struggles of breadwinners. Indeed, the best movie of Vice Ganda so far!

It's hard to explain how I felt while watching the movie, though, kudos to the movie casts and crews, and I want to thank those who wrote this masterpiece. For me, it's an eye opener for filipinos, that working abroad, away from your family is not an easy thing to do, especially if your whole family depends on you. As an OFW myself, I could say that some of the scenes where Vice is in Taiwan, is true. Even though I don't experience it myself, some of my co-workers would work day and night just to provide for their family, and it breaks my heart every time. I hope filipinos would realize someday that OFWs are not your ATM machines. Their money is not unlimited, their future is not promised too. Visas could expire and end anytime, and if that happens, who would be their for them?

When I saw the news about it people are going crazy in the cinemas to watch it, I thought it's probably really good. So I watched it with my whole family, it was an okay movie. We got bored and lost interest in the middle of the movie when the actor was making jokes. We were expecting more drama and more delivery of the message that they wanted to show.

I've watched this movie in Netflix randomly and it was such a heartfelt movie. The story is a typical Filipino family reality experience as I felt every scene at the middle part of the movie when the characters unraveled all their struggles individually that affected the outcome for their family's being. Vice Ganda managed to fulfill a moving and interesting character, how everything aligned to how the movie ended was really a chef's kiss. Kudos also on how this movie made me realized that it is really not wrong to help and love your family truly, especially in providing everyone's need and your unconditional love to them. But also, to not forget yourself in the process, to also focus on making sure that you are healing your inner child for your own peace and mental being. It is not wrong to choose yourself when it comes to forgiveness and being grateful in life. This movie provided an impact on how you can build your own life and career while you are also helping other people around you, by choosing yourself and happiness before anyone else.

"And the Breadwinner Is...": A Recipe for Disaster, Not Deliciousness Let's be brutally honest: "And the Breadwinner Is..." is exactly what you expect from a Vice Ganda movie, and unfortunately, that's not a compliment. If you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all, and this latest offering does absolutely nothing to break the tired mold.

From the very first scene, it's a cacophony of screeching, over-the-top antics, and jokes that land flatter than a pancake left out overnight. Vice Ganda's trademark humor, once mildly amusing, has now curdled into a relentless assault of uninspired slapstick and tired one-liners. It's like watching a stand-up comedian on a bad night, but stretched out to two agonizing hours.

The plot, if you can even call it that, is a flimsy excuse to string together a series of chaotic scenes. The emotional beats feel forced and utterly unearned, attempting to tug at heartstrings that have long since gone numb from the sheer predictability. Any semblance of character development is sacrificed at the altar of more yelling and outlandish costumes.

Visually, it's a bright, garish mess. The production design looks like a discount party store exploded, and the cinematography is as bland as unseasoned rice. It's clear that polish and subtlety were concepts entirely foreign to the filmmakers.

In short, "And the Breadwinner Is..." is less a cinematic experience and more a test of endurance. It's loud, it's obnoxious, and it offers absolutely nothing new or refreshing. Save your money and your ears; there are far more deserving films out there. This one is best left to stale in the box office, just like the bread it ironically references.