DEDMA WALKING is an MMFF entry that is hard to ignore (or “dedmahin”). It’s witty, out, loud but heartwarming.

It’s not just an ordinary gay-thematic film. It depicts the value of sincere friendship and death of a loved one.  

Dedma Walking is a Palanca award-winning opus by Eric Cabahug.  Directed by Julius Alfonso, the movie revolves around the story of two gay men John (played by Joross Gamboa) and Mark (played by Edgar Allan Guzman). John recently learned that he has stage four cancer and convinced his best friend Mark to stage his fake death and wake for him to witness the eulogies.

Strengths:

ACTORS: Anybody who has seen the film will agree that the biggest asset of the film is its actors. EDGAR ALLAN GUZMAN was consistently brilliant in portraying a gay character. His nuances were impeccably acted out. One would really believe that EA is gay in real life.  JOROSS GAMBOA for his part has maintained his characterization as a more finesse and subtle-acting gay man. There’s never a dull moment in the film’s entirety with JOHN and MARK in the scenes.  You can feel the sincerity of their portrayal. You will laugh with them whenever they are outrageous. You will cry with them whenever they’re in grief or sorrow. There were three scenes that stood out and showed the acting caliber of EA and Joross- 1) Spa scene where John revealed to Mark that he has cancer 2) The stairway scene where Mark found out the connection of John and an ex-beau 3) The death of a major character on the film’s  third act.  Edgar Allan Guzman recent accolade as Best Supporting Actor in MMFF was expected! 

PRODUCTION DESIGN - Each scene perfectly matched the theme of the movie. Pastel colors were evident. The whites and blacks were seen also to show the element of contrast.

MUSIC/MUSICAL SCORE – I love the music and the songs sung by the Crying Divas on stage! Kudos to Von De Guzman for coming up with catchy lyrics and choreography.

SCREENPLAY- The dialogues/lines were witty, funny and realistic. There’s no pretense or masking.  It’s very relatable and if you have gay friends or family members, one can easily relate to several scenes and share the same experience at a very least.   I also like how the real-life scenarios of John and Mark were intertwined with French Art Film and Musical stage play. The screenwriter offered variations within the movie and worked to its advantage by increasing the fun and humor of Dedma Walking.

Opportunities:

CINEMATOGRAPHY- Not consistent enough in several scenes. Some scenes had poor lighting and appeared a bit dark and unpolished.

JOHN as YOLLY – This part is a bit cinematic. John came out as YOLLY so as not to be known as JOHN but he still looked like JOHN and his family members did not really notice it.

If last year’s MMFF, moviegoers fell in love with the tandem or TRISHA and BARBS, this year you will definitely enjoy the tandem of “migs” JOHN and MARK. 

DEADMA WALKING is not just an ordinary gay film. It shows the value of sincere friendship. As Mark said in his eulogy, it's possible to find a soulmate in a friend. After watching the film, I definitely agree with him.

My rating: 9/10 

(photo credit to TREX Entertainment and OctoArts Films)