The characters that stand out in the story are Jess who is the main character and Mr.Sancho who is the main character’s father. The other characters in the story are Mara who is the ex-girlfriend but became Jess’s wife at the end of the story, Jason, the son of Mara and Jess, and an American man who look for the cristos and take videos of them.
The traits that were given to the characters are different from each other. The main character, Jess, his job was a driver for the tourists or he drives for the people who want to relax or sleep or whatever they want and he earns money from them. He helps his father as in almost everything because his father needs help from him. Also, he tried to make visa to go to America to meet his girlfriend and to earn money. However, it always denied and delayed but he never gave up. When he found that it’s hard to go to America, he met Mara who is his ex-girlfriend and he almost liked her again. It made me think that ‘Out of sight, out of mind’. Also, I remembered that he rubbed his nose. When I was watching the movie, I notice that Jess’s father, Mr.Sancho was a bit childish. I can’t say he’s really childish but he acts as a child because Jess had to help him with his eyes, ears, and heart. Also, if Jess isn’t around, he can’t do anything. He had to wait for him or call him to do something. It was a bit sad when Jess told to his father that he’s going to America to earn money and his father was sent to somewhere that looked like a sanatorium and the father looked like a child. But then when I watched the scene that Jess was telling to his father to do this and do this, etc. I was thinking that Mr.Sancho was listening to him but he pretended like he wasn’t because he felt sad and he didn’t want to let Jess to leave. Mr.Sancho also rubbed his nose. Mara, she was a mermaid. It was funny to watch that she pretended like she’s a mermaid but the Japanese thought that the mermaid and the tour guide are making fool of them. She’s a working mom and I think she tried to live with Jason with her money and not to borrow from others because of her pride. I understood Jason, the son of Jess and Mara when he had a class that he drew his mother and couldn’t say anything because his mother works as a mermaid unlike others’ parents. Rubbing his nose, it is the same as Jess and Mr.Sancho. it was fun to watch the three of them doing the same thing.
Symbolic and cultural references that were used in the story were critos, Filipino massage, places, language, and a maid. These cultural references are consistent. However, I’m not sure about the cristo because I don’t know if they still do it and I don’t know why they do it. Filipino massage, it’s consistent because I still can see people who have massage especially in the beach. The places in the movie are still in the Philippines, of course and language, they still use it; it’s the Filipino language for them. Lastly, the maid, the “helper” still exists. (? :P) There are many helpers who help in the other people’s house. People want to hire them because they need them to clean, cook, and see the kids when they’re not around.
The social issues or problems that were dealt with in the story were poverty, visa, and marriage. I can’t say that it’s really poverty but they’re lack of money. Jess’s family needed money for Mr.Sancho, Mara needed money for Jason because he was sick and to live with him, she needed more money. The visa, Jess couldn’t go easily to America because he’s a Filipino who doesn’t have any important purpose to go there. American asked so many questions and Jess couldn’t give the right or satisfactory answers to him and it was always denied and delayed. It was good thing that the American man who takes video of the Philippines helped him go to America but if he didn’t help Jess, I think it was hard to go there by himself. I could see the problem that was a marriage. I’m not sure if this can be a problem or social issues but Jess couldn’t get married with Annette because she was in America and Jess couldn’t follow her. However, Annette didn’t understand Jess that it is hard to make a visa and they broke up. Then he met Mara again and they loved each other again and get married at the end. So, it’s like, it is hard to get married if the couple is apart from each other because they need a lot of money and some more problems between them but it is easy when they’re near and together. It was clear to stand on in the movie but except for the marriage. It is because it might not a social issues but just a personal problem. Suggestions to these problems? I’m not sure about it. There are no solutions for poverty. It’s hard to solve the problem with the visa because people are going to other country and it’s not just place to place but country to country. Marriage, maybe they can solve it because they can find another lover or try to live near together.
The theme or central idea of the story is the main character’s effort on everything and be happy with your life whatever it is because it is the best life you have and don't change it. He doesn’t give up easily and he tried to figure the problems out. He tried to make a visa and go to America to see his girlfriend, he tried to help his father, he tried to earn money as being a driver, and the worse thing, he tried to be a cristo because the real cristo escaped. So for me, the central idea of the story is the main character’s effort on everything. He also worries about his work in the Philippines and US and his father but he decided to stay in the Philippines and with his father because I think he noticed that that is the best way to live in his life. (Also for the love life XD)
I liked the story or movie although it was Filipino movie and I had to read the subtitle and couldn’t focus on the scenes. It was funny and I like happy ending so I liked it. I also liked the story and the main charater, Jess and Jess’s father, Mr.Sancho. I also liked the American who takes video of the Philippines because he was the actor from the play what I watched with my classmates. I took picture with him. (XD) Anyway, it was executed by the actors, places, and the story of the movie. It was good to watch it.
