The Masseur

aka: Masahista

2005 – 80 minutes

Director: Brillante Mendoza

Cast: Coco Martin, Jacklyn Jose, Allan Paule, and Paolo Rivero,

Studio: Picture This! Entertainment (2007) (USA) (all media)

Country: Philippines

Language: Tagalog & Pampango with English subtitles

Synopsis:  An entertaining and erotic feature which examines the conflicts a hot young Philippine masseur faces in his professional and personal life. “The Masseur” succeeds as an atmospheric and psychological drama presented in a realistic manner. There is plenty of male nudity, but only a flash of frontal.

Review:
Asian films about the gay male massage business are not new. In 1986, Lino Roco released the gay film festival hit “Macho Dancer”. The film was criticized for having too much gratuitous sex. (obviously, a straight reviewer) “The Masseur” directed by Brillante Mendoza is a very low budget film which does explicitly portray male nudity and gay sex but there is significant social commentary contained between the title and closing credits. There is nothing slick about the film. The level of reality in “The Masseur” is intense and felt readily. The main character Illiac (Coco Martin in his first film) is faced with the reality of death, love, life and survival. It is a simple story of poverty like many art films, or features from Asia.

 Illiac experiences many conflicts and disappointments, particularly in his expectation of self. He provides massages but this is a two-step process. After the massage is complete, Illiac has to ask what “special services” would the customer like. This can shift into gay for pay prostitution. The massage parlor is actually a cattle call industry where men, more like boys, sell their bodies to support themselves. These are different expectations from the training he received from his grandfather. He had been a successful chiropractor.

There are those with some money trying to get as much erotic contact for as little money as possible. Then there are those without money trying to do as little (sexually) for as much money as possible. We’re led to believe that Illiac is heterosexual. If he is just gay for pay, the direction and script are weak. There is one scene where his girlfriend shows up cursing outside the massage parlor. She looks far more like a prostitute than he does. She is such a shrew it makes gay life seem appealing to the straightest of men. No chemistry is seen - which leaves the viewer questioning the seriousness of their relationship.

 Illiac prostitutes himself in Manila to escape the limitations of life in a small village. Unfortunately, as he is gaining some financial security, he receives a message urgently seeking his return home. He complies. This is the first of many times Illiac reacts in a subservient manner. His deadbeat dad has died. Illiac is expected to observe the embalming. There may be some justification for such a funeral practice but I was unprepared. As he is doing his duty, we see his father on a slab clad only in tighty whities. The embalmer then barks at Illiac to help. Once again, he acquiesces. When Illiac asks his mother why she is footing the bill for the burial, she makes it out to be socially expected (in spite of their dismal financial situation and the father’s absolute neglect).

The film has already addressed poverty, the class system, and Illiac’s personal subservience, but perhaps the worse situation portrayed is mourning for a relationship with a father that never got started, much less succeeded. Iliac performs the burial rites of his father respectfully with the exception of one provocative image of him cutting the cross from his father's rosary. The film does have a positive ending while managing to stimulate serious thought about the sex trade in the Philippines. Director Mendoza, in his debut film, provides a balance between sensual imagery and social comment which makes “The Masseur” work very well. Gay sexuality is handled seriously but quite artfully. You aren’t preached at and it’s likely you will be turned on by Illiac’s performance. He is quite an attractive young man.

The cinematography of the massage parlor’s structure is masterful for invoking feelings of claustrophobia as we get roofless, aerial views of all the hot action. The massage parlor is filmed as a labyrinth of rooms, small as closets with paper-thin walls. Mendoza dramatically juxtaposes filmsettings between the actions in the massage parlor with the actions in the funeral parlor. He successfully makes the analogy of what Illiac performs on the massage table with the actions the embalmer takes with the corpse. This is illustrated through conversations and physical involvements between Illiac and his clients with those in the funeral parlor. This is accomplished in a powerful and deeply moving series of shots. Mendoza further contrasts scenes of Illiac's home and the province of Pampanga, with his workplace and the large city of Manila.

There are some technical weaknesses. Interior scenes are generally poorly lit and underexposed; exterior ones seem overexposed. The dialog is weak and the video quality is mixed. There are occasional sound problems. However, these weaknesses cannot compare to the attractiveness of the frequently naked masseurs. The actors have very good chemistry as an ensemble. Mendoza is able to achieve a true feeling of honesty. “The Masseur” merits your viewership.

For all of Pres. Bush's shouts on town squares how Jesus governs his life, I'm here to tell you, Bush is delusional.  He is a "corporate" Christian - the reincarnation of Calvin Coolidge who said, "The business of government IS Business."  I guess in their myopia they don't even see the "sin" in Business!  Perhaps it is time for a revolution against the corporate thieves and bandits.  Those who have golden parachutes while the very people who made the stockholders wealthy are 'let go.'  Their entire retirement plan stolen while the government once again provides direct subsidies to Exxon, Wal-Mart, and the Cayman Islands.  George Bush deserves prison time.  

Greetings and Salutations -

If I seem a bit formal, I hope you will pardon.  I'm a rebel against acronyms.  Do they really promote clarity or do they reduce thoughts and emotions to 3 symbols?

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