‘Eva Green gives an affecting performance as the stressed heroine, but sorry to say that our very own Chai Fonacier easily overshadows her.’
TWO Filipino actresses are given big roles in two European productions: Chai Fonacier and Dolly de Leon. Chai is a Cebuana actress who gained fame for the indie comedy, “Patay na si Hesus.” She now shares topbilling with former James Bond girl Eva Green in “Nocebo,” a horror-thriller that is a co-production between Ireland and the Filipino Development Council and was screened in the QCinema. There are many important scenes shot on location in our country.
Nocebo is the opposite of placebo and is a condition where the treatment given to a patient seems to do more harm than good. Chai plays Diana, an Asian who suddenly appears to Christine saying she was hired to help around the house. Christine does not recall hiring her, but welcomes Diana to her home. Her husband, Felix (Mark Strong) and their daughter, Bobs (Billie Gadsdon), are both hostile to Diana, but she cooks well and when Christine suddenly feels pain, she is able heal her in an instant. Diana is more like a quack doctor and her real dark motives will be revealed later.
As a horror-thriller, “Nocebo” is neither scary nor thrilling. It is actually a story of guilt and revenge. Eva Green gives an affecting performance as the stressed heroine, but sorry to say that our very own Chai Fonacier easily overshadows her. Chai gives a very measured performance, even in delivering her lines in English with a very pronounced Pinoy accent. Her exotic looks also certainly suits the part of the ethnic nanny. Even when she is just mumbling some words incomprehensively, Chai conveys something dark and sinister, showing that hell hath no fury like a Pinay mother scorned.
***
Dolly de Leon is a theater actress who does supporting roles in local films. In “Triangle of Sadness,” she plays Abigail, a Pinay toilet cleaner in a luxury cruise yacht who gets to dominate all the rich Caucasian passengers when their ship is wrecked by a storm and terrorists. They are marooned in a deserted island and she’s the only one who knows how to make a fire and find food for everyone.
The rich people here portray various stereotypes stripped of their class privileges. Dolly de Leon is easily the scene-stealer as she ruthlessly transforms Abigail into a fiercely feministic, no nonsense leader. She takes command and demands to be called the captain.
She gains more power and proves to be a cougar who wants to taste hunky Caucasian meat, so she makes Carl, a male model, her toy boy, giving him food and making his model girlfriend so jealous.
“Triangle of Sadness” is the first English language film of Swedish writer-director Ruben Ostlund and won the Palme D’Or or the best film prize at the last Cannes Filmfest. It’s now being shown in local theaters but we think it will cater to a limited market. Only film enthusiasts will be interested so that they can see for themselves Dolly de Leon’s acclaimed portrayal of Abigail. There’s talk she might get an Oscar nomination so let’s pray for her. But we doubt if this feel-bad movie showing the unsavory aspects of the human race will sit well with local audiences who prefer escapist entertainment.
