"Paint Your White Shoes Red" (A Review)

A Pace-ful Life:

A hundred steps from point A to point B. Two steps forward, you could have stepped a dog shit behind you. You hopped a good twenty inches, you could've met an accident along the way. A toddler instinctively learns how to walk so that he could embrace his mom's legs. Two steps backward for the hurt you've endured for a long time. Side step a bit and now you're resting your head to your partner. Life seems to be easier when we appreciate these steps. Like how a boy appreciated the red shoes he had stolen from The First Lady. His feet had led him to the 3000 pairs of shoes in the Palace. Perhaps it's easier said to back away and let his feet led him again to another room. But that was not the case.


A Shoe is the Way, the Truth and the Life:

The Red Shoes is a kind of love story that penetrates the universality of love. Particularly in this film, it involves three. First, love for country. It depicted Philippines as being thirsty for love by the people that greatly sacrifices a lot just to grab freedom from dictatorship and on how that kind of love transcends after liberty. As shown were people power mislead most that love for country was synonymous to put justice in the hands of the oppressed. Secondly, love for family. The film greatly implied the significance of family, of belongingness and on how family's loss, tragedy and status quo greatly connects to each of us in spite not being blood related to one another. Lastly, a love for someone. As a Filipino, we mostly inherited the famous excerpt from a poetry by Francisco Balagtas "Hahamakin ang lahat masunod ka lamang.". Well, the protagonist, Lucas, underrated the First Lady by stealing a pair of shoes for love.


You could never go wrong when Unitel produces an indie film. They were also the men and women behind the remarkable films like Crying Ladies and Santasantita. A simple yet moving film that could break and mend your heart at the same time. It never loses to touch the consciousness of a struggling Juan Dela Cruz after the People Power Revolution in 1986; on how we easily forgive and just forget the crucial points in life. A lovely and honest to goodness-feel-good movie that's worth your hundred and so steps you've sacrificed from work to earn that struggling peso. A movie that satisfyingly ponders and delivers the art of letting go and moving on.

Needs Shoe Polishing:

Sound wise, it's a bit unclear when some parts were toned down and some parts were a bit loud. Some editing cuts were unsatisfactory as well. Nevertheless, these minor mishaps can easily be forgiven and forgotten due to the beautiful cinematography, originality of the plot, relate-able dialogues, cheesy love proposals and brilliant acting.


A Film That Beautifully Redefines Happy Endings:

As for what I have understood, in spite of most would say that it was not a happily ever after movie, I would like to state the otherwise. Because not all happy endings ends in marriages or a long and wet kissing scene under the rain. I think and I believe that this film's magnificent approach towards the end greatly lifts the part were moving on and letting go, no matter how hard to do, no matter how excruciating to pursue, can be a happy ending.


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For More Info go to: www.theredshoes.com.ph

SHOWING ON MARCH 10, 2010!