Aga Muhlach and Alice Dixson may have taken two decades to reunite on the big screen since co-starring in the 1992 melodrama Sinungaling Mong Puso, but they nonetheless prove their chemistry is still there in their current project, Nuuk.
Nuuk, a psychodrama set in the capital city of Greenland of the same name, was the opening film of the 5th Danish Film Festival held last October 9, 2019, at Shangri-La Plaza mall in Mandaluyong City.
Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and known as the world’s largest island. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.
Nuuk, which is directed by Veronica Velasco and jointly produced by Mavx Productions, Viva Films, and Octoarts Films, opens in cinemas on Wednesday, November 6, 2019.
THE GOOD
Unlike many Filipino productions shot abroad that present Pinoys either as tourists or migrant workers, Nuuk tells the story of two immigrants who came to the Arctic land for different reasons but cross paths for a singular reason.
Elaisa Svendsen (Alice) is recently widowed from her second husband while Mark Alvarez (Aga) is a former seaman running his own business.
Elaisa and Mark first meet at the local pharmacy, where she begs him for a few pieces of the anti-depressant drug Prozac, as her prescription has already lapsed.
They soon develop a friendship that, at some point, leans towards romance (thus the movie’s hashtag, #subzerolovestory).
Mark helps Elaisa deal with her depression and her strained relations with her grown-up son Karl (Ujarneq Fleischer, a known actor and filmmaker in Greenland).
Then Mark suddenly disappears, causing Elaisa to be more distressed and depressed until she faces a fatal blow that tests her sanity.
In the end, a heartbreaking secret is revealed that may or may not have justified the perpetrator’s means.
All three main lead actors delineate their characters with clarity and conviction.
Alice elicits sympathy for Elaisa’s loss of her husband and disconnect from her son, as well as being alone and lonely in a foreign and frozen country.
She’s able to show her character’s tenacity, especially towards the end of the story, when she has to fight for dear life.
Aga is so likeable as Mark that makes it easy for Elaisa to trust him and maybe even fall for him.
At the same time, he succeeds in giving only snippets of the mystery that shrouds his character until it’s time to bring it out in the open.
Ujardeq has his work cut out for him as a young adult trying to come in terms with his personal demons, including being bi-racial and having a difficult mother, and he achieves satisfactory success.
He’s especially effective and affecting in scenes where he speaks in his native Greenlandic language, which also gives a local flavor to the movie.
THE BAD
According to director Veronica “Roni” Velasco in her interview with PEP.ph, the slow pace at the film’s start is intentional as it encapsulates the unhurried and isolated state of life in Nuuk.
However, it may not sit well with some viewers who expect more action and suspense from a thriller flick.
For sure, there’s action and there’s suspense, but more clues could’ve been planted along the narrative, so that the film could have achieved a more explosive ending.
THE WORTHY
Direk Roni also said in our interview that the inspiration behind the movie is the report that Greenland holds the highest suicide rate in the world.
In this regard, the production is lauded for tackling a sensitive theme that’s situated halfway across our tropical setting.
Nuuk offers beautiful cinematography while taking viewers on a thought-provoking ride about dealing with mental illness.
Ed's Note: The "PEP Review" section carries the views of individual reviewers, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the PEP editorial team.