‘Lolo and the Kid’ REVIEW: A love letter to parents and grandparents who just want the best for us
‘Lolo and the Kid’ REVIEW: A love letter to parents and grandparents who just want the best for us
Lolo and Kid in Lolo and the Kid | Taken from the official trailer
Benedict Mique’s Lolo and the Kid repeatedly hooks the audience using a mix of deception and heartbreak. It centers on Lolo (Joel Torre) and Kid (Euwenn Mikaell), the boy he took in as an abandoned infant on the street, as they deceive the rich who are looking to adopt a child. Ten minutes into the film, the premise is revealed so concisely, giving us the very first hook of the story.
As the plot unfolds by showing how more rich people fall victim to their crimes in the exact same manner, it gets a bit dragging for a while — until it throws more hooks at the audience that reveal more information about how their relationship started and the depressing tragedies that followed. The story literally gives more and more reasons to continue watching until the end.
What’s interesting about this is the portrayal of all the rich characters as good people. It honestly seems quite convenient for the plot because it becomes too predictable that Lolo would let the guilt from his actions eat him up eventually, but in the same breath, it allows the film to contrast from most dramas that would’ve used more evil depictions to drive the plot.
Instead, the story focuses more on how there are people out there who can give the boy a more comfortable life but with no assurance that it would create a happier life. This becomes Lolo’s ultimate conflict in his character arc, but unfortunately, the weakest point of the story is probably when he overcomes this conflict.
It’s unclear what convinces him to change his mind, realize that the kid deserves better, stop deceiving innocent people, and give up his custody of Kid — since all the characters that “adopt” him lack distinguishable traits from each other. They all seem like down to earth people who either can’t birth a child or just want to give this child a good life. So, when Lolo does overcome this challenge, it’s unclear what it is about the specific household that led him to make this decision.
The story could definitely be more concrete especially considering its discussion on social class, but the overall film is still wrapped together with emotional beats that will almost surely bring tears to the audience. With Lolo and Kid’s playful relationship along the streets and inside karaoke rooms, their relationship just feels so real — making it difficult to imagine what their lives would be like if this were to ever change, with this mystery being the concluding hook of the film.
It’s seen from the trailers alone, but the film also follows through when it uses such a beautiful tone that makes the audience feel how unbreakable their bond is and sympathize with Lolo and Kid, which is more difficult than it sounds because partners in crime aren’t usually subjects of sympathy.
Mique executed this with such masterful direction, narrating a story with such depressing tragedies from the perspective of extremely optimistic characters. This entire film resonates with the audience as a love letter to the parents and grandparents who just want to give their children what’s best for them, while recognizing that figuring out what is truly best is an entirely separate journey for them to discover on their own.
Lolo and the Kid is now streaming on Netflix.
