‘Her Locket’ REVIEW: Family above all
‘Her Locket’ REVIEW: Family above all
Rebecca Chuaunsu won the Best Actress award at the 2024 Wu Wei Taipei International Film Festival and the 2023 Festival International du Film Transsaharien de Zagora in Morocco / Courtesy of Mell Navarro
Study hard, get a well-paying job, and have a picture-perfect family. Those are just some expectations from a common Filipino household. And from what I hear from my Chinese friends, they have it harder. You don’t only study hard, you need to get high marks in everything. What’s a nice career if it’s not business-oriented? And who cares if you love your partner? If they’re not Chinese, they’re off the table.
Enter Jewel Ouyang, the gem of the film. Fighting against all odds, that is to say, fighting against her family’s wishes, she transfers schools, shifts to theater, and marries an average Filipino, which causes a rift between her and her family. In these times when familial issues are the talk of the town, Her Locket makes a stand.
Full screening schedule of Her Locket / Courtesy of Mell Navarro
J.E. Tiglao’s follow-up to Metamorphosis is nothing short of an effective family drama. Its message is universal, reminding us that despite bickerings and misunderstandings, our loved ones are all we have at the end of the day. Although it gives emphasis on the Chinese point of view, it brims with Filipino values such as humility and utang na loob (debt of gratitude).
Aside from family issues, it also prides itself on being a feminist movie. Elora Españo isunsurprisingly good as Teresa, the caregiver of Jewel. Her character is supposed to be a juxtaposition of Rebecca Chuaunsu’s, wherein she wants to forget while Jewel wants to remember. Tiglao said that his intention was to “portray an empowering tale of feminism in front of a backdrop of conservative milieu.”
This, for me, is the movie’s flaw. The actions of the two women in the present (not young Jewel) do not translate as feminist. In the end, Jewel is still her brother’s sister, and Teresa’s struggles meet shallow waters, succumbing to the patriarchy and the demands of conservative society. This is because it’s hard to satisfy our traditional values while trying to elevate the film to a modern, women’s empowerment tale of victory.
However, I do like how progressive the film is in bringing up the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community. It offers a new perspective since there are more pressures that come with being the only son in a Chinese family. Benedict Cua does an amazing job in portraying Magnus. When I was watching the film, I wanted to hug and curse at him at the same time.
I only wish that the film focused more on young Jewel and her love affair. Since Jewel had dementia, she could only recount her good old days in bits and pieces, making the flashbacks more personal. I had fun watching Sophie Ng and Tommy Alejandrino flirt onscreen and embody young love, and I honestly wanted to see them again together in another project because their chemistry was that good.
Chuaunsu said it herself that Her Locket is a tapestry that weaves together different stories. Stories about families, women’s hardships, sexuality, and young love. It can feel like there’s a lot happening in the film (because there is), but it’s a rollercoaster ride that I’d recommend.
‘Her Locket’ premiered last September 4, 2024, at the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival as part of the Full Length Features category.
