I HAVE not watched the movie “Just A Stranger”, however, I got curious about Jason Paul C. Laxamana’s works which are now put in the limelight because of his said top-grossing film he directed.
On the internet, we can watch his past movies which were highly acclaimed because of their “timely plots” and characters who are mostly of the generation “millennials”.
Nonetheless, non-millennials like me still enjoyed Laxamana-directed films which are made up of simple stories but with deeper meanings.
Seemingly, they are not that high-budgeted films like those in the Hollywood but they can catch the attention to viewers due to their unique scenes in their modest locations.
The actors and actresses are the finest in terms of their acting skills. It is quite apparent that they have been properly trained and coached and are armed with great acting talents orchestrated by Laxamana’s prowess as a young writer and film director.
Laxamana is a film maker, scriptwriter, an author, a Filipino culture geek who is learning the world and himself through stories. Most importantly, he is a kapampangan. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City and pursued various writing stories and even comic books.
As a kapampangan, I surmise that he loves being a kapampangan with many of his locations for the movies he directed were shot in different areas in Pampanga such as in Arayat, Magalang, Angeles City and in the City of San Fernando. These are locations I saw as far as the movies I have already watched are concerned.
I am not actually a movie fanatic but watching films Laxamana has written or directed kept my eyes glued on the television, in my computer and in my smart phone. Aside from watching movies which were shot in the province, I am happy to listen to some dialogues said in the kapampangan dialect. The script are well-written and are embedded with wisdom and lessons which are valuable in life, if only viewers are attentively listening.
Some of the dialogues meanwhile are said in a very Filipino style. The script are written plainly with some are “kanto” words but decently said, making them more comprehensible by the “masa”.
The plots of Laxamana’s films have their twists, making them unpredictable and the viewers clueless but excited to watch what will happen next, unlike in some Filipino movies. In some, we already know the ending as early as the start of the movie. Laxamana-directed films are different.
I am not that personally familiar with Jason Paul but I am quite sure that he will go a long, long way in the film-making industry. Patiently, he is carving his name alongside with prolific writers and proficient film directors in the country. By the way I see him, he remains flat-footed and humble despite the evident success of his latest project which is currently raking-in profits, good ratings and accolades.
I hope I can meet him in person someday so I can give him a pat on the back while saying congratulations good luck. May he continue writing and doing films.
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