In And The Breadwinner Is…, director Jun Lana sets up the perfect material not just to showcase Vice Ganda’s strength as a comedian but also to bring out the drama actor in him.
The story begins with Vice Ganda as Bambi, a gay OFW in Taiwan whose sole purpose in life is to give a better life for his family in the Philippines.
He is the quintessential breadwinner who is willing to sacrifice even his personal needs just to see his family happy.
He even works multiple odd jobs just to be able to finish his dream house back home.
But Bambi’s world comes crashing down when he decides to return home for good only to find out that his siblings are worse off than when he first left the country.
Where has all his hard work gone? What happened to his family who loves him as a generous provider? Will they still love him now that he is jobless?
This sets off a series of events where Bambi’s relationship with his siblings Biboy (Jhong Hilario), Boy (Kokoy De Santos), and Buneng (Maris Racal) is put to the test.
Then the arrival of their long-lost eldest sibling Baby (Eugene Domingo) prompts an escalating friction between her and Bambi, who resents Baby for abandong their family.
VICE GANDA AND EUGENE DOMINGO ACTING HIGHLIGHTS
Vice Ganda’s acting showdown with Eugene is definitely one of the highlights of the film.
The scene where Bambi asks Baby to strike a pose for their bakeshop’s promo shoot showcases Eugene’s comic side as she makes funny faces while Vice takes photos.
Then Vice throws a sarcastic punchline: “Patingin, Baby, yung nakatakas sa responsibilidad sa pamilya?”
To which Eugene responds, “Teka sandali, Bambi, nag-pictorial ba tayo o open forum?”
Vice candidly retorts, “Totoo naman! Tumakas ka sa obligasyon mo! Gusto mo relax lang na buhay!”
Turning emotional, Eugene reveals, “Namatay asawa ko… Wala akong mukhang maiharap… Kulang na lang mamalimos ako dun, ah!”
Eugene, Maris, Kokoy, Vice Ganda, Gladys, and Jhong
Vice and Eugene, both known as brilliant comedians, give justice to the screenplay that Jun co-wrote with Daisy Cayanan and Jonathan Albano.
The tension between Vice and Eugene’s characters reach its climax at the lengthy drama sequence where Vice finally bursts out all his pent-up emotions and frustrations at his siblings.
With Eugene’s extensive experience in portraying dramatic roles, she effortlessly delivers her anger at Jhong and Kokoy, who she claims are good for nothing and yet have the audacity to be disrespectful.
Vice, for his part, shines the most with his long dramatic monologue.
It appears to be a long-take sequence where Vice delivers his character’s heartbreaking struggles as a sole breadwinner.
An excerpt from Vice’s dialogue: “Di puwedeng magpahinga… Kung hindi, sino gagawa? Wala naman akong back-up. Wala akong back-up kasi ako ang back-up mo, Baby! Ginawa mo akong back-up! Ta’s ang masakit iniwan mo ako mag-isa! P********! Sino ba nagsabi na pag breadwinner dapat isa lang?! Bakit di pwede tulong-tulong?! Bakit ako lang mag-isa?”
Again, the lines are so relatable to every OFW or every breadwinner who experienced sacrificing everything for the sake of family.
Vice, who is no stranger to hardships in real life, delivers his lines with such realness that he becomes his character Bambi.
The dramatic twist to the film further highlights how Vice made the right choice to go out of his comfort zone and give the moviegoers a new facet to his acting know-how in this year’s MMFF.
Fans of SB19 should also watch for how the P-pop group’s song “MAPA” is used as a touching musical score in the film.
GOOD CASTING
Aside from Vice and Eugene, And The Breadwinner Is… is filled with cast members who are all able to add fun and flavor to the film.
The kilig teamup of Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings is also evident whenever the movie turns the spotlight on them.
There is instant attraction between their characters, and Maris would often throw flirty pick-up lines just to get Anthony’s attention.
Their scenes are short, but the way they hold each other’s gazes is enough to make the audience feel their onscreen chemistry.
Vice’s scenes with comedians Lassy Marquez and MC Muah are few and far between, but they never fail to deliver hilarious antics.
Gladys, Jhong, Malou de Guzman, and Joel Torre have also added depth and entertainment to the movie with their reliability as actors.
Even child stars Argus Aspiras and Kulot Capunpon are able to deliver heartwarming scenes in the movie.
Among the 10 MMFF 2024 entries, And The Breadwinner Is… is the only family comedy-drama that can be enjoyed by moviegoers of all ages.
No wonder theaters are still filled with moviegoers getting their dose of fun and tear-jerking moments even on the eighth day of the filmfest.
VICE GANDA’S ADVOCACY
The film has also interspersed Vice’s position as a strong advocate of LGBTQIA community.
There are notable scenes where his character emphasizes that being gay is not something to be ashamed of.
In a separate scene, he also underlines that speaking up and making a stand is something he will always encourage in a person.
Somehow, it is his character’s way of paying it forward given the support and love that he received from his own parents.
And The Breadwinner Is… is co-produced by Star Cinema, ABS-CBN Studios, and IdeaFirst Company.
All entries of MMFF 2024 are still showing until the end of the festival on January 7, 2025.
