Review of The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2005) by Akash S — 24 Sep 2014

'The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros' is such a beautiful take on Manila street life. The themes of poverty and homosexuality are out there in the movie, but the movie doesn't try to sensationalize them; they just act as a backdrop, and add flavour to the story. Both the themes are explored with refreshing honesty, and shown as a reality to be accepted and lived. The movie is essentially about family, love, and crime. Despite the themes, the content in the movie is quite PG; therefore it can be enjoyed by a person of any age.

The lead character, 12-year old Maximo (Maxi, as he's affectionately called), is a flamboyant young guy who spends his days watching movies with friends and collecting bets for his brothers. After his mother's death, he has taken over the household duties of cooking, cleaning, etc. Being an openly effeminate lad living in a slum, you would expect him to be an object of chide and ridicule, but it's not the case. Instead, we see him being accepted and loved quite lavishly by everyone around, with no questions asked. The story mainly shows how Maxi is torn between his love for a young police officer and his loyalty towards his family, comprising of his dad and hoodlum brothers.

All the characters in the movie and intriguing, well-developed, and quite lovable; no matter what they do or end up doing, you can actually sympathize and see where they come from. The movie has a very sweet and unique charm to it, right from the very beginning scene, where you see Maxi walk home in his usual flamboyant way, and his eldest brother (standing among friends) pulls his leg by asking, 'Who have you been flirting with?', and Maxi mocks their laughter.

Despite the Christian influence in the town, you can see (ironically) how the people are much more acceptant and tolerant than their urban counterparts.

The camera-work has quite an indie feel to it, but it doesn't come off as trying too hard. You get lost in these characters' day-to-day lives. The acting by everyone involved is quite brilliant; it almost seems like a documentary.

The film has so many moments which melt your heart completely - when Maxi tries to be on his elder brother's side when their dad is abusing and hitting him for something seriously bad he did, when Maxi takes care of the police officer after his brothers beat him up, When Maxi's second brother consoles him after hi love has been rejected, when Maxi is trying to convince his brothers not to set out for revenge. Besides these scenes, the movie is filled with quite a few unique and memorable scenes. Do yourself a favour - if the movie strikes some deep emotional chord with you, please let yourself cry. Many things happen towards the end, and you can see young Maximo blossoming out of his naivete and innocence. The ending is quite emotionally satisfying.

It's a delightful and heartwarming film; with proper exposure, it could very well become a modern-day classic.