Okay so I've shared the series introduction and told you about the characters and story in the last 2 posts. Now we go on to the last part of my review. Hehe. Are you ready?
But before we start, to understand the details below, you must read the first two parts of my review. This is so you will not ask who and what I am talking about in this post. Hehe. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here.
By the way here's a short video introduction of characters for you, no English sub for now though. Posting it here because we the fans can't get enough of Maria Clara at Ibarra! Haha.
If you already read both of my posts linked above the video then let's start! Oh and again, SPOILERS AHEAD!
◙ Acting
Now we come to one of the best parts of the series. The casting in this series is really commendable! They chose all the right actors to bring justice to the roles.
The acting is really on point for most of the cast! The actors/actresses have already received several awards during its run. Maybe they will receive more once it's done, who knows?
source
The cast members have been praised online because of their performance. For me the most notable dramatic scenes are:
- The descent to madness of Sisa
- (The adult) Basilio and Padre Salvi's confrontation
- Before and after the death of Maria Clara
You know, when I was in high school, Noli Me Tangere (Noli) and El Filibusterismo (El Fili) are some of the required books to read. Of course in our young minds, reading something doesn't always make us relate to what the characters are going through. This time, while watching it as a series, I was moved by the characters' stories.
Sisa, Basilio and Crispin's mother. sourceFinally Sisa's misfortunes and experiences have truly been felt by everyone. Huhu. I never cried for her in the books but I felt the pain when I watched as she slowly lost her mind.
As mentioned, Sisa became the resident crazy lady of San Diego (Noli's location/setting). The events leading up to that and the way Andrea Torres interpreted the character is really praise-worthy. Of course that high caliber performance is not always consistent in the entire series but still she is commendable.
It is not easy to act and show real emotions you know. One who has never taken acting lessons will never be able to know how hard it can be for certain people.
I have been in some acting workshops so I know it really takes a lot to be able to act naturally. So believe me when I say, the acting is top notch in this series. Yes there are lapses and so-so acting sometimes but it is minimal if you look at it as a whole.
Next thing worth mentioning is Padre Salvi (Father Salvi). Ah truly he has become the late 19th century priest we all love to hate. I don't even remember much of him as a book character. Padre Damaso has always been more iconic than him and yet in this series he became the "star" of the show! Why? Well Juancho is so good at being hateful!
source
Did you know, because I have not been watching any local shows, I am only familiar with a few of the really famous current celebrities. Now after watching Maria Clara at Ibarra (MCI) I can say I am now partly up to date! 😂
Which brings me to another guy who apparently is an amazing actor. Awww. Like most of the cast members, I've never even seen him in other shows or movies but he shines in MCI.
Makes me wanna hug Basilio because this man truly embodies the tortured kid. Yes the kid actor also did a good job as Basilio but not all the time, as expected. As an adult though, Khalil Ramos was able to do justice to him.
Basilio in a scene during his confrontation with Padre Salvi in the El Fili part of the story. source
Literally, Basilio was regularly beaten and treated badly by Padre Salvi. Imagine his PTSD coming to the surface when he again comes face to face with the evil priest as an adult. Omg. 😱😭 Their confrontation is really something!
Lastly, of course we can already consider Dennis Trillo as one of our veteran actors. He did not disappoint as Crisostomo and also as Simoun. He always does a great job at projecting the book's lead character. It's like he and the character are one. 👏 Wow!
Same with Julie Anne San Jose, she is the perfect embodiment of Maria Clara. Apparently she still auditioned for the role. Wow, here I thought she was handpicked like what usually happens in local shows. Good to know that she was able to impress the writers in her audition.
Not only is this person a good singer, she can also act! It's no surprise then when it comes to Maria Clara, the actress truly embodied the epitome of grace and kindness. A true lady of that era. 👍
My only complaint is the character cries a lot. Haha. I never thought of her as a crybaby but she really cried so much in MCI. 😂
Of course what can we expect from their time when women don't have much rights. Ah well... Kudos to Julie Anne for being such a talented actress! Imagine enduring all those crying bouts in so many scenes? Omg haha.
Watching the show, you can really see everyone's dedication to their characters. Even the way some really sounded fluent in Spanish, oh wow. There are those who couldn't, nobody is perfect, but overall the acting quality in this series is really high.
Unlike other local or foreign shows where the story is great but the rest suffers or vice versa, MCI is the complete package! Only a few TV series and movies are like this so I commend the producers and everyone involved. It is such a beautiful thing to watch!
A scene at the house of Maria Clara. source
◙ Cinematography, Production Design, CGI & Music
Speaking of the rest of the series, as mentioned you will also not be disappointed. Why? It has all these and more!
- Authentic late 19th Century Philippine Costumes? ☑️
- 1880s & 1890s setting, props and locations? ☑️
- Unobtrusive Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)? ☑️
- Iconic theme songs? ☑️
Yes folks, MCI has it all. This is what more than enough budget can really do. Just like Hollywood productions, it is definitely a cut above the rest of our local shows from the past to the present.
I have seen the feature videos of this series where they show how authentic the costumes are. They really sourced the fabrics and other materials used in that time period.
The national costumes Baro't Saya and Barong Tagalog (Filipinana) all look regal and authentic. One would even envy their clothes! Ah to even have one of those in the closet to wear to cosplays and costume parties... 😍
Did you know, the production designers even had a hard time finding some of the fashion items of the time because some are almost extinct! Huhu. Like the upo or tabungaw (gourd) hat Elias wears, it is believed Mr. Teofilo Garcia * is probably the last person making such things! 😢
* The man is one of those privileged to be given the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasures Award (in 2012) for what he does.
Elias in Noli wearing the kattukong hat. source
I say, GMA Network should really make a documentary on the people who produced the costumes so such an industry will grow and flourish again. Even just the gourd hat production alone needs to be further supported by the government and private corporations!
Moving on, with regards to the creative direction of the show it really is impressive. Everything was consulted with historians and expert consultants down to the last detail. Because of this you can really imagine and feel like they are all living in the 19th century.
Of course the site locations are important. The cinematography of each indoor and outdoor setting is really something! Some of the scenes are just breathtaking! Seeing them can make you wish you could visit all the places they are in.
Maria Clara and Crisostomo sharing a tender moment by the lake. source
At first I thought they would only be shooting in Vigan City, a well known place where Spanish houses and streets have been preserved. I didn't realize they would also show us a "new" historical place!
I learned that Lumang Gapan, a.k.a. Little Vigan in Gapan, Nueva Ecija is one of the places they shot at! Oh I don't think I have ever seen it on period TV shows or movies before so that makes MCI refreshing!
Of course all the greeneries and sprawling forest we see were shot in various locations. We have a lot of those in our country. Hahaha. Ah our natural resources are really something to appreciate when you see it in this TV show.
In terms of CGI, well it is minimal and yet has a big impact. It improves the overall look of each scene. Check this out!
As for the music... I have shown one of the theme songs in the second part of this review. Let me show you another one, here's Fidel's song for Klay. 😍
We the FiLay fans really appreciate this. Fidel and Klay deserves each other to the point that people don't even notice Jose Rizal's story anymore. 😂 (What's his story? It's all in the 2nd part of this review. 😉)
🔸 Rating 🔸
In terms of eliciting patriotic feelings, I would say MCI won't rate that high for me. If I would compare MCI to a foreign historical series from South Korea, I would not give it as high a rating as Mr. Sunshine.
The latter is one of the best period series I've ever seen. I cannot bring myself to even write a review of it because it is so good it hurts. Huhu. The ending is really hard to get over so I don't want to write about it. 😅
That show gets 100% in promoting patriotism while MCI will only get maybe 50 to 70%, depending on the viewer. As mentioned in the second part of this review, the epic movie Heneral Luna would be the one to have a perfect score in patriotism. Haha.
In comparison to another Filipino historical series, Bisperas ng Kasaysayan would also get a higher rating imho. (At least based on my memories of it back in the 90s. I don't remember the show that much anymore. 😅)
But OVERALL I would still give Maria Clara at Ibarra a perfect score of 10 over 10 stars! Why? Because it's excellent the way it is. The show managed to make two tragic period stories fun to watch, relatable and true to life! All the effort they did has not gone to waste at all!
Everything is just superb. It made interest in our history truly come alive again! People are even doing prenuptial shoots with the same theme as this series! 😆
MCI is not perfect but it's one of the best Philippine period series ever made! It's so popular that even other subpar shows are being equated to it as an equal. 😂 Whatever the case, I can say it is definitely world-class and something every Filipino can be proud of.
How about you, what can you say about it? 😁
XOXO,
@artgirl
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