Review of Amigo (2011) by Richard F — 19 Aug 2011

This film is mostly interesting, and the characters are likable - even the ones we should hate have their likable qualities, however the shifts in tone are very uneven thus creating a film that doesn't seem entirely clear on whether it wants to be a comedy, drama, or tragedy. Its attempt to blend these genres unfortunately fails. It's a very conventional film that doesn't introduce much and at times it feels like its simply a film to 'show it as it is.' The only thing that is really lacking in this film is grit. It loves its characters so much that I never was really impacted when one of them died because even their deaths, which realistically would be brutal and are even portrayed as such, feel restrained. It felt like the director wasn't sure if he wanted a PG-13 film or an R rated film. Though this was a very intense time of war where, as even stated in the film, there was fighting everyday, we simply see the peaceful area (which of course is the setting) but when fighting does occur it just happens. The shots are cut well, but in such scenes the intensity isn't really felt.

Despite the cliche American interpretation, which I didn't mind, the acting was really good. That's probably the thing that kept me interested all the way through. From a third person perspective it was really interesting because I was never really sure who to root for. Sure history is set in stone and we know the Americans won, but everyone felt equally innocent in their portrayal. Sure the Americans killed the livestock and burned the crops, but the rest of the film made it really difficult to dislike them entirely because we got the sort of backstory needed to understand their circumstances. The same applies for the rebels, and the villagers (the most innocent of them all). John Torres, who plays Rafael (or 'Amigo' - as the Americans call him) does a particularly outstanding job and his morals seem to make the most sense. He's simply trying to live by what's fair and what will keep him and his village alive. Padre Hildalgo (Yul Vazquez) is the only character in the whole film that I despised, mainly because he played a manipulative religious figure who meant well, but ultimately makes things worse for others through following his beliefs extremely. Though the American Colonel (Chris Cooper) is a dark presence who doesn't give a damn about any of the Filipinos, Hildalgo does things that ultimately are worse.

Visually this film was very plain. There wasn't anything wrong with the camerawork or how it was shot, but it was very conventionally and somewhat uninteresting.

This film is maybe worth a sit through, but I wouldn't run to the theater to go and see it, and it certainly won't be getting any Oscar nominations.