I’mPerfect is perhaps the bravest movie in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival line-up.
It's about people with Down Syndrome.
And it’s a bold declaration that minorities can tell their own stories, and excel at doing so.
We follow Jiro (Earl Amaba), a guy with Down Syndrome who is nearly 30.
His mom Lizel (Lorna Tolentino) still treats him like a toddler and watches his every move.
Everything changes when he meets Jessica (Krystel Go) at school.
She has the same condition, but her mom (Sylvia Sanchez) actually lets her be independent.
Jessica has inspired Jiro to dream of freedom.
It has made him consider the possibility that he could become a real adult, with a job capable of supporting his own family.
As he falls deeper in love, he decides to elope with Jessica to the provinces, where they can live as a married couple and test whether their love can survive in the real world.
TRUST FOR I'MPERFECT CAST
What’s remarkable about I’mPerfect is how much it respected its cast.
You can tell that director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo put a lot of care and sensitivity to her actors.
Bernardo trusted them to deliver, and that allowed them to be outstanding.
Earl and Krystel are wonderful, and their acting brings so much heart to the screen.
Credit must also be given to the screenplay, for fearlessly depicting the adult realities of having Down Syndrome, even when it might make audiences uncomfortable.
At the screening we attended, an intimate scene between the two leads made the audience visibly uncomfortable.
That discomfort, however, is necessary.
It forces the viewers to start considering the characters as regular people, and to acknowledge that they do have adult needs, just like anyone else.
I'MPERFECT: STORYTELLING
Sadly, the movie’s screenwriting and direction is imperfect.
Some moments felt unnatural, as the characters seemed to be delivering lectures rather than speaking like real people.
One restaurant scene, in particular, felt heavy-handed—almost like a public service announcement about Down Syndrome instead of an organic part of the story.
The movie also felt dragged out, especially toward the end.
There was a point that seemed like a natural, satisfying conclusion, but the film kept going.
The actual finale felt forced and stretched the runtime longer than necessary..
THE VERDICT
Even with a few rough edges, I'mPerfect is a triumph because it is a brave, necessary step forward for representation.
It’s a movie with a massive heart that treats its leads with the dignity that they deserve.
Read:
REVIEW: Call Me Mother is Vice Ganda at his best
REVIEW: Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins crackles with life and scares
REVIEW: Unmarry is mature, sensitive look at the end of love
REVIEW: Love You So Bad, a solid rom-com and not just fan service
REVIEW: Bar Boys: After School is a reunion worth attending
REVIEW: Rekonek is a pretty fun ride
REVIEW: Manila's Finest is visceral and deeply affecting