Metro Manila

Very bleak yet harshly true, this movie will give you a glimpse of what a family stricken with poverty would do for the sake of having a chance of surviving in one of the most dangerous slums in the Philippines. Being Filipino American myself, I never watched a drama based in the country that my parents left for the sake of building a better life for the family. I always knew that Manila was not a place for the faint of heart but seeing it in film gave me a good idea of what could've happened but, thankfully, never did. The plot of the film is something that one would typically hear through anecdotes and read as a story. The difference is that through those methods, the story misses certain components that create a consequential disconnect with the listener/reader. This film, however, fills those holes in and shows the gritty details. However, a story like this doesn't become an everyday one if there is a light at the end of the tunnel

A gripping movie into the hunt for a better life as experienced by an unlucky provincial Filipino who hoped to improve life for his family in the Metropole. Eye opener also for Manilenos who from behind the safe comfort of their newly acquired condo might have forgotten about the harsh reality big cities bring upon many.