The Wheel and Axle

Judging based on its hilarious trailer, I went into The Third Party expecting a funny but predictable film. This was produced by Star Cinema, after all – the master of formula films in the Philippines.

And while I expected good quality acting (particularly from its leading lady) and good quality production values, I have learned to lower my expectations when it comes to generic, rehashed storytelling from this film outfit. Unlike its competitor GMA, ABS-CBN is not known to think outside the box and rarely takes risks, especially when it comes to anything LGBT-themed – where their best efforts seem to be redoing the same old tired Vice Ganda thing.

To be fair, they did have In My Life, which was atypical of Star Cinema in theme, but if you strip away the gay angle, you will see that it still followed formulaic drama.

So it was a pleasant surprise that The Third Party turned out to be not just funny but also not as predictable as I would have thought. Now, it’s still definitely nowhere near as groundbreaking or thought-provoking as GMA TV hits My Husband’s Lover and Destiny Rose, and in many ways it still seems to have that fear of offending mainstream audiences that results in a bit of holding back, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. (continue reading…)