Bambi Salvador is a breadwinner working as an OFW based in Taiwan for her family back home. She then returns to her hometown expecting her dream house to be finished on her birthday. Instead, she returns to see their dilapidated house.
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| And The Breadwinner Is... (C) Inquirer |
Vice Ganda has been carrying the Metro Manila Film Festival on her back for years. It's almost guaranteed to top the box office whenever she's attached to a project. However, criticism has mounted about her films being unremarkable, aside from being funny.
Enter And The Breadwinner Is..... Jun Lana teams up with the phenomenal box office star, based on a story by Daisy G. Cayanan and Jumbo A. Albano. What has emerged is a genuine dramedy that confirms what some already knew: Vice Ganda is a damn good actor.
This newfound partnership has worked. At its best, Vice Ganda gets to showcase her acting chops with solid direction from Lana. We see it in her eyes—a tired breadwinner. She's also able to address what's concerning about a familiar family dynamic in our culture. It's a scene that will be replayed and discussed for years. While not every scene fully works, Lana and Vice are laser-focused on what they want to convey to the viewers.
The film, however, struggles to juggle everything together. Make no mistake, it feels real in a big family like this, where issues suddenly arise—particularly when everyone reunites. As a film, it can get pretty confusing if the script doesn't find the right balance.
Fortunately, And The Breadwinner Is... definitely works as a whole. It also trusts its audience to absorb the message. This is Vice Ganda at her best—someone who now not only brings joy but also delivers lessons and necessary melancholy. Excited to see where she goes next. 3/5 ⭐
And The Breadwinner Is is now playing in cinemas.
