TV & Film

Tagpuan is no meeting place for expectations

Tagpuan would have been the answer to an existential film fix, but an ill-fitting casting and poorly-written characters ruin the chance for introspection.

Mac Alejandre’s 1 hour and 47-minute viscous exploration into transatlantic relationships opens with Alfred Vargas’ unconvincing monologue. In an attempt at self-reflection, Allan professes that he is a businessman who finds interest in only numbers and facts. During his stint at Hong Kong, he meets larger-than-life Chinese-Filipino Tanya (Shaina Magdayao) who challenges his philosophy when she approaches him on a ferry and blurts out he’s her type. 

The two briefly debate about fate and destiny; Allan believes that there is a reason for everything and Tanya argues otherwise. . They meet again later on when Tanya spots Allan reminiscing memories with his son while standing in front of a toy store. Soon, the two embark on a nightlong affair in Hong Kong that catalyzes something in the unmovable Allan.

The film doesn’t follow a chronological structure and instead pulls off a back and forth sequence of memories blurring the lines between past, present, and future. For this interesting structure and the poetic juxtaposition of characters in particular scenes, the film deserves credit. However, the storyline can only do so little when the actor at the center of the film makes it obvious that it’s all just acting.

Vargas couldn’t bring out the gawky but complex and cold Allan, and instead presented an Allan who looked like he could use the bathroom at any minute. For the duration of the film, it was painful watching Vargas clumsily fit into the stoic and business-minded Allan’s awkwardness around relationships and intimacy. For better or for worse, his co-stars Iza Calzado (as his wife Agnes) and Magdayao outshine him in every scene they have. Even the film’s silver lining, if not saving grace—the I-have-to-screen-grab-this-beautiful cinematography—can do so little to make up for the awkwardness that is Vargas as Allan.

The burden is not for Vargas to bear alone, though. Ricky Lee’s script did fall short a couple of times, especially with how badly the women were written. Magdayao’s Tanya is the Filipina version of the manic pixie dream girl, betraying media’s goal to stop portraying women as catalysts for male protagonists’ character development. Moreover, it’s hard to make sense of Agnes’ actions because it feels inauthentic; she remains a slave to the intended ending, undermining her character as a whole.Tagpuan’s premise is sure to lure those looking for a local treatment of Lost in Translation (2003) or is a sucker for sobering dramas on life and relationships. However, Vargas’ acting and the ensemble of stereotypical characters make it hard to purely appreciate the adventurous but down-to-earth cinematography, as well as Magdayao’s Best Supporting Actress-worthy performance. The hour of faux-existential narrative just isn’t worth it.

You might like these!
TV & Film

Vantage Magazine’s 2024 Oscars Picks and Predictions

Best Animated Feature Nominees:  The Boy and the Heron Elemental Nimona Robot Dreams Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Vant Fave: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse The second installment in the Spider-Verse franchise definitely lived up to our expectations. It highlighted a more expansive world of spider-people and their spider-ventures, along with a captivating array of animation styles […]

By Alyssa Adul, Chanel Ang, Rozz Lapitan and Tan Dela Cruz

March 10, 2024

By Alyssa Adul, Chanel Ang, Rozz Lapitan and Tan Dela Cruz • March 10, 2024

TV & Film

Body horror: Redefining girlhood and growing pains

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual harassment, rape, and violence. GORY AND grotesque in nature, the horror genre could easily be perceived as an unwelcoming territory for women-centric stories. Slasher films in particular have a historically problematic relationship with sex and violence. “Final girls” in horror films are often women who tend to […]

By Mika Layda and Bella Yara

December 2, 2023

By Mika Layda and Bella Yara • December 2, 2023

TV & Film

Modern macabre for a modern audience: The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

BEING AN avid fan of the horror genre, I was no stranger to Mike Flanagan’s reputation, considering his highly acclaimed work with Netflix that cemented him as one of the go-to guys for modern horror. However, the reason why I enjoy his work lies in his ability to depict humans that feel as real as […]

By Tan Dela Cruz

November 15, 2023

By Tan Dela Cruz • November 15, 2023

Exposé

Queering the horror scene: How the community transformed its shadowy spaces

HORROR HAS always been queer. Since the genre’s conception, horror characters have long hidden their repressed selves behind the campy make-up of the supernatural. If the idea behind horror is about wanting to look at what you should not see, no one can relate more to the suppression of natural desires than the LGBTQIA+ community. […]

By Alyssa Adul and Rozz Lapitan

December 4, 2023

By Alyssa Adul and Rozz Lapitan • December 4, 2023