The past few years saw a significant number of local movies about drugs and what the government had done from its end to curb this societal problem. Most of these films were directed by some of the best in the field. There’s Kinatay and Ma’ Rosa by Brillante Mendoza, Buy-Bust by Erik Matti and even the award-winning documentary Aswang by Alyx Ayn Arumpac.
In 2020, even American director Ben Rekhi was encouraged to make a movie about the drug problem in the Philippines. The film’s title is Watch List and it is a biting social commentary on Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Since the drug issue is a serious problem, these films are done with utmost seriousness. There seemed to have been no other way to mount these movies – until Jun Lana came up with the comedy film, Big Night, which also criticizes Duterte’s way of eliminating the drug problem in the country.
Big Night won big-time in last year’s Gawad Urian. This only shows that there are other creative ways to tackle the issue of drugs on the big screen.
In the currently showing Adik Sa 'Yo, director Nuel Crisostomo Naval proves that the drug problem may also be presented as a light romantic comedy/drama. And to be fair to the film, Adik Sa 'Yo doesn’t necessarily trivialize this social issue just because it capitalizes on humor and romance.
The story traces the volatile relationship between JM de Guzman and Cindy Miranda. JM is a drug addict, while Cindy is addicted to him.
The two had been friends since their school days and reside within close proximity of each other. Cindy is obsessed with JM, who only considers her as a friend. But she isn’t about to give up that easily her quest for his love and attention. That is Cindy’s main problem because there is nothing else she wants in this world other than to be with JM.
JM, meanwhile, is a music artist who is constantly surrounded by temptations to experiment with drugs. He succumbs to it and gets hooked in time. Although he undergoes rehab, there is no guarantee that he won’t go back to his old ways.
So, who has the bigger problem? Is it Cindy who is addicted to JM and loses her head in the process? Or is it JM who is addicted to illegal substance?
Adik Sa 'Yo is one of the more engaging films in the past few months. Of course, it helps that the Rivermaya song with same title is constantly heard in the background. It is a very popular tune that livens up the spirit whenever or wherever it is played.
The film’s musical director, Francis Concio, should be given credit for having the discipline to use the song sparingly. While it is heard often enough in crucial moments, the tune doesn’t necessarily come out of the ears of the viewers.
There’s no denying though that the song helps lift up the mood of the film. It is one crucial ingredient that makes Adik Sa 'Yo very absorbing and easy to watch.
Another factor that makes Adik Sa 'Yo a good film is its well-written screenplay. Its script is by Mel Mendoza del Rosario, who has been in the business of film in the last two decades or so.
This time around, Del Rosario’s work doesn’t look like it was passed on from executive to executive in some creative department. From what close showbiz observers know, that is what was usually done with her material in Star Cinema.
While two heads are better than one, there were instances in the past when Del Rosario’s works suffered because of the so many creative people breathing down her neck while churning out a screenplay for the film arm of ABS-CBN. As a result, her screenplays often looked formulaic.
In Adik Sa 'Yo, it would seem like Mel Mendoza-del Rosario is finally able to work on her own – without an entire department throwing in their suggestions on how to make the film more commercially viable. And so, the viewer gets to enjoy a Mel Mendoza-del Rosario material without the accompanying predictability. The ending alone is a brave and daring move.
The cast is also uniformly good. JM de Guzman, as to be expected, delivers an effortless performance. A self-confessed drug dependent, he could sleepwalk through the part. Of course, he throws his own angst to the character.
On Cindy Miranda’s end, the former beauty queen couldn’t be faulted for not giving her all to the character she plays in the film. She has so much energy and that helps liven the film even more. Cindy’s acting skills have also improved through the years and that is evident in Adik Sa 'Yo where she makes herself believable as a woman yearning for some drug addict’s affection.
Candy Pangilinan, as JM de Guzman’s mother, also gives the best performance of her career here in Adik Sa 'Yo. Her timing is always perfect, particularly in the comedic moments. She is, however, just as impressive in parts that are serious, especially those involving JM.
Adik Sa 'Yo is also another one of Nuel Naval’s fine works. The plot of the movie is actually quite simple. But Naval dresses it up and throws in some poignant moments here and there.
The comedic parts work and that makes Adik Sa 'Yo a joy to watch. The film also makes sure that there are no cardboard characters in the story. Cindy’s mother in the movie, Minnie Aguilar, sure looks murderous in great parts of the film. But doesn’t she have reason to be hopping mad when her daughter loses her self-worth while trying to woo a drug addict who isn’t even in love with her? She softens up though and lets her maternal concern kick in when her daughter Cindy hits rock-bottom.
Adik Sa ‘'Yo depicts human frailties in the most realistic fashion. One may question Cindy’s obsession with JM, especially since she’s young, beautiful, educated and is even several inches taller than the man who constantly rejects her. But doesn’t that situation happen in real life? Cliché as this may sound, but isn’t love more often than not blind?
Or one may argue and question why JM can’t reciprocate Cindy’s love. How can any man reject a woman as gorgeous as Cindy? But then, isn’t a woman who throws herself at a man often a huge turn-off? In the act of offering herself body and soul, the art of conquest is lost.
Adik Sa 'Yo also delves into other forms of human behavior, which is the reason why it is interesting as a film. More importantly, without the high drama that are often associated with movies about drug addiction, Adik Sa 'Yo is able to send a clear message to the audience. It shows how an entire family unit is pulled down the gutter with just one drug dependent child.
Adik Sa 'Yo may be a lightweight comedy/drama, but the gravity of the issue of drugs is always taken seriously. Even through humor, there are still a lot of lessons that may be learned by watching this movie.
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