The LGBT film Rookie, directed by Samantha Lee, is one of the highly anticipated entries of the 2023 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Written by Lee and Natts Jadaone, this coming-of-age film depicts the queer romance between volleyball stars Aya Fernandez as Jana and newcomer Pat Tingjuy as Ace.
Agot Isidro serves as their volleyball coach while Che Ramos is cast as the mother of Ace.
Rookie revolves around a young girl named Ace, who has a deep passion for basketball. However, Ace is forced to switch schools and enroll at San Lorenzo, an all-girls Catholic educational institution.
To her dismay, Ace discovers that San Lorenzo lacks a basketball team, leaving her athletic talents unrecognized.
Her height and athleticism catch the attention of Coach Jules, the volleyball coach at San Lorenzo. Coach Jules scouts Ace and decides to groom her for the school's varsity volleyball team, known as the Angels.
And so, the story follows Ace's journey as a rookie in the world of volleyball, as she navigates a new school, forms new relationships, and faces challenges along the way.
The star volleyball player, Jana, becomes frustrated when Ace, despite lacking fundamental volleyball skills, unexpectedly joins the varsity team. Jana becomes increasingly tense as her father places immense pressure on her to secure a spot in a top university volleyball team.
Jana and Ace end up spending time together in a volleyball camp where they get to know each other and develop feelings for each other.
Read: Cinemalaya 2023: 'Marupok AF' is opening film, 'Third World Romance' is closing film
THE CAST AND WHERE YOU HAVE SEEN THEM
Aya Fernandez as Jana
Current TV show: Nag-aapoy Na Damdamin
Previous projects: A Family Affair (2022), Viral Scandal (2021-2022), Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin (2020-2021)
Pat Tingjuy
Previous projects: Sleep With Me (2022), Emma (2018), Baka Bukas (2017)
AGOT ISIDRO AS CHE
Other Cinemalaya entry: Ang Duyan Ng Magiting
Previous projects: Ten Little Mistresses (2023), La Vida Lena (2020-2022), Family Matters (2022)
Read: Complete guide to Cinemalaya 2023 full-length entries
THE VERDICT
Rookie is a lighthearted romance that normalizes same-sex relationships and treats it with as much kilig as most mainstream movies.
It even comes complete with cheesy lines that are in line with sports lingo such as “Mine mo na, baka ma-mine ng iba" and "Mine. All mine."
The film should also be commended for the authenticity of locker room talk of girls as they candidly discuss embarassing topics such as unshaved arm pits and the length of one's basketball shorts.
This Cinemalaya 2023 entry had the potential to make a deeper impact on serious issues such as sexual harassment and the close-mindedness of traditional institutions.
However, its lighthearted take on these topics was depicted as "fun-fun lang" (as Ace mentions in the film) since the conflicts just simply resolved on their own.
The way physical therapist Coach Kel (Mikoy Morales) was handled by the school is a stark reminder that society often fails to adequately punish sexual offenders all in the name of protecting a school's image.
The script can be somewhat questionable at times especially when there are abrupt and sudden changes of heart done by some characters. Without any catalyst, Jana's father suddenly shifts from being too demanding to being supportive of his daughter.
Even the way Ace and Jana fell in love seems too abrupt since they their relationship seemingly evolves at lightning speed. Initially at odds with each other, their animosity quickly transforms into affectionate glances.
Another wasted opportunity was the chance to leverage the acting skills of Agot Isidro, but she was underutilized because of the poor development of her character. Her coaching skills get questioned when she lets Ace be part of the starting lineup even though she barely knows anything about volleyball.
It seems like Agot's character didn't even think of teaching the basics of volleyball to the newbie before including her in the roster.
Read: Cinemalaya 2023 opening night, box-office success!
lgbt theme
Based on the cheers it received during its screenings at the Philippine International Convention Center, it is evident that Rookie gets high marks for its audience impact.
Unlike most lesbian movies released in the past, Rookie sets the characters in an ideal world where two girls can freely love each other without experiencing any objections from friends or family members.
The film touched on the rejection faced by lesbians, particularly within religious institutions such as the Catholic Church.
In the movie, the nuns specifically objected to the masculine clothes worn by the lead character, but not the actual same-sex relationship.
Rookie is one of the full-length film entries competing at Cinemalaya XIX: IlumiNasyon.
It will run until August 13, 2023 at the Philippine International Convention Center and select cinemas of Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Glorietta, UP Town Center and Trinoma.
The other full-length feature film entries are: Ang Duyan ng Magiting by Dustin Celestino; As If It’s True by John Rogers; Gitling by Jopy Arnaldo; and Huling Palabas by Ryan Espinosa.
Also part of the competing films are: Bulawan Bulawan Nga Usa (Golden Deer) by Kenneth dela Cruz; Iti Mapupukaw (The Missing) by Carlo Joseph Papa; Maria by Sheryl Rose Andes; and Tether by Gian Arre; and When This is All Over by Kevin Mikhail Mayuga.
The PEP REVIEW section carries the views of individual reviewers, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the PEP editorial team.