Movies and music go hand-in-hand, like sinangag and tuyo, or even your favorite fastfood staple, chicken and spaghetti. Well, you get the drift. Both complements each other – making one more delectable by the other. Imagine how edible it can get, and satisifying, when a movie is all abot nothing but music.
Now, there has been a lot, we mean gazilions of movies about music. But Rakenrol, Quark Henares’ masterpiece is such a powerful example to the sinangag and tuyo analogy. Rakenrol is a coming-of-age tale of Odie and Irene, who bonded through their common love of music that brought them to form their own band. Together with their Barista friend, Mo, who used to be a band member himself, and and resident rage-boy but all-around awesome drummer (Junefour). Delving into their own misadventures and challenges in pursuit of making a mark in the local music scene, they called their band Hapipaks.
The movie came out half a decade ago and to celebrate the occasion, a movie screening cum gig was held last September 8 at Route 196 attended by the film’s stars Glaiza de Castro (Irene), Jayson Abalos (Odie), Alwyn Uytingco (Junefour) and Ketchup Eusebio (Mo) as well as its director Quark Henares.
Bands Us-2 Evil-0, Ciudad, Sandwich, Gab x John (Urbandub) and Kagawan, the former band of Glaiza and Alwyn round up the event with performances that made the movie screening felt like a tribute.
What makes Rakenrol relevant after five years? It might not be on your list of sobfest films for sure. Though the story may trigger a tear or two. The movie banks on the nostalgia brought by anyone’s experience and how music evolves the same way people change through time. Like how your fave emo band is no longer what they used to (ehem, My Chemical Romance). Or some of your friends are already married and you are still on the look out. Some might have left the country, and you, just like Rock & Roll may still be in a stupor called life.
While all things may be altered, know one thing for certain: Rock & Roll lives on like how you move on. Rakenrol itself is a poignant tribute to this struggle.
