AL and ER: Boys in Love (2020)

EYE OPENING.

This short film was an eye-opening experience. Due to the description not giving much, I'll do it for you:

"A couple finds themselves struggling to make ends meet during the Global Pandemic of COVID-19. Finding a way to put food on their table, the two are faced with a challenge to help them survive, but at what cost?"

The story behind this was phenomenal, which is why I gave it a 10. It's REALISTIC. Finding out what two people will do when faced with scrapping the bottom of the barrel. It's also haunting to know, this must be someone's reality out there in the world. The acting is VERY believable, hat's off to the actors for that. And kudos to the director! The fact this is all ONE CONTINUOUS SHOT with no cuts, chef's kiss.

Overall, amazing.

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The first in what will hopefully be a number of other Filipino produced short stories out of this production company. This story is about Al and Er, a couple challenged to put food on the table and buy necessities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It tells about the struggle with choices that they have to make in order to survive.

The story itself isn’t groundbreaking, arguably just a discussion/argument a couple could have If put into that situation. The choices that they were presented with is thought provoking. The film was shot in one take. This production/directing choice is a bold and huge task for the actors (as they would have to treat it like a live play - no mistakes) and the cinematographer as camera placement and the scene would need to be planned and timed well . One of the best examples of a one shot scene was done by Martin Scorsese in “Goodfellas” during Henry and Karen’s first date scene. Goodfellas had little dialog between actors which makes this scene in Al and Er more challenging. Because of the one shot format and a less sophisticated camera rig some of the angles that they move the camera to are a bit off and when they move the camera had challenges focusing fast enough to the movement. Still, big props to the format especially considering their most likely limited budget and the fact that they shot this during the middle of the pandemic.

Acting was very good! Both Jerom Canlas and Jomari Angeles did a great job making you feel the characters dilemma and stepped up to the challenge of a one take scene. Their quality acting would have been good regardless of the format. I look forward to seeing more from the two.

A good first effort from this production house. Well worth the time to watch.

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