Filipiñana

Films that seek to scathingly satirize such sacred cow institutions as unchecked capitalism and unabashed patriarchy generally work best when carried out at a breezy or even breakneck pace. It’s as if this approach steps on the gas and never lets up in relentlessly making its opinions known. So, when a picture attempts to achieve the same end with a slow and steady tempo, the effect is frequently watered down, if not lost entirely. And that, unfortunately, is what nearly derails this debut feature from writer-director Rafael Manuel. This wannabe satire tells the story of 17-year-old Isabel (...