For an entrepreneur like Virgilio "Brix" Romero (Jelson Bay), everything is all about profit. A lot of money means he can live life without worry. And who could blame him? He learned to live on his own. His mother, Agnes (Sandy Andolong), abandoned him at such an early age with no explanation, no letters. She just disappeared.
But after twenty-five years, she returned to explain her decision. Brix was surprised, of course, yet unsentimental. He has a lot of questions running in his mind, but he's in the middle of a business meeting. And business comes first. Agnes would suddenly pass away the next day due to a stroke, robbing Brix of the chance to reconnect to his mother.
In her last will, Agnes only wished for a few things. One, she wants to be cremated and buried in her beloved bed and breakfast café in Marrakesh, Morocco. Two, Brix will have and run the business. Three, her adoptive daughter, Cathy Duvera (Sue Ramirez), will have all of her personal belongings. And lastly, she wants Brix and Cathy to return a mother and child figurine to Regina Castor (Dexter Doria).
Brix immediately traveled to the estranged land to fulfill his mother's requests. He got acquainted with Cathy, and together they they bicker and share stories of Agnes. In the end, they still went on a journey to know their mother more.
Marla Ancheta's debut film "Finding Agnes" is quite simple. It follows two lost people looking to move on but minus the melodrama. Expect no heavy scenes and tear-jerking confrontations. It just lets the viewers enjoy the emotional journey of Brix and his realizations about humility and respect towards the people that surround him. It's a sublime story of reform guided by a mother's everlasting love.
Despite it's heartwarming premise, "Finding Agnes" is not a perfect film. Jelson Bay looks awkward as a dramatic actor, and there is also a disconnection between the film's story and the way of telling that story. The film wants to explore the relationship between Brix and Agnes but, Ancheta settles on lengthy conversations between Brix and Cathy that most of the time ends in a laughable and shallow clashing of thoughts.
There is a lot of quiet and awkward moments in "Finding Agnes". Whether that is intentional or not, it ruined the overall mood of the film. Nevertheless, Ancheta's film has a certain charm in it that makes it work, and it's all thanks to Sue Ramirez, who proves to be quite a star. Unfortunately, that is not enough to make the film at least memorable.
1.5/5
