At the heart of Lolo and The Kid is a lolo and his grandson trying to survive, and the painful decisions that need to be made.
Slight spoilers for Lolo and The Kid ahead
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Forget superhero crossovers and animated emotions, if there is a big trend in movies this year, it is movies about grandparents and their grandchildren. And tbh, it’s not that surprising. Families have always been a universal theme in films. It hits even harder for Filipinos where family serves as a core part of our culture.
Back in June, a certain movie about a grandmother and her spoiled grandson wanting to get her inheritance took netizens by storm as people filled cinemas to watch the tearjerker. Now, Netflix enters the fray with their latest Filipino movie, Lolo and The Kid. As the name suggests, it’s a movie about a lolo and a kid. Still, it hits home with effective acting and a simple yet moving story of the sacrifices we make for the ones we love.
LOLO AND KID VS THE WORLD
Directed and written by Benedict Mique, Lolo and The Kid centers on a grandfather named Lolo (Joel Torre), and his grandson, Kid (Euwenn Mikaell Aleta). Technically living on the streets, the two hustle to make ends meet, which usually means convincing families to adopt Kid only to leave their homes in the middle of the night with what gadgets and other valuables they can sell to make money. For a time, this routine of conning the wealthy works and they enjoy the spoils of their scams. But when a life-changing opportunity comes Kid’s way, Lolo must decide on a choice that leaves no easy outcome.
On the outside looking in, Lolo and The Kid might look like a simple family story, but it punches above its weight to deliver the emotions. And that’s mainly thanks to the stellar acting of Joel Torre and Euween Aleta. Their chemistry is dynamic with the way they radiate grandfather and grandson energy.
They’re partners in crime who you can feel the love from. There’s something deep to their relationship, an aspect these two actors bring out. They can share a tender moment in one scene, then have fun and do karaoke without a care in the world next. As expected, Joel Torre gives another great performance as Lolo, but it’s Euween’s Aleta who steals the show as Kid with his multifaceted and confident portrayal. He ate as Kid and further proved that he’s a star to watch out for.
Aiding the movie’s strengths is its collection of hard-hitting and gag-worthy moments, such as the poignant scene of Lolo taking Kid to the beach and that pivotal gate scene. The latter, in fact, is what both actors are excited for viewers to see. “If you love somebody, you have to set them free,” says Joel Torre about the moment to NYLON Manila. “Ang pinaka-ultimate sacrifice for the both of us, yun ang pinaka-heartwrenching na eksena.” The veteran actor admits that it was a hard scene to film given the emotional baggage it carried, but the final result showed that whatever challenges they dealt with, it was worth it.
FOR THE PEOPLE WE LOVE
Even if you aren’t the crying type, feelings will be felt here. It’s an engaging and entertaining story that has a brisk pace from start to finish. More importantly, Lolo and The Kid knows what kind of story it wants to tell. Lolo and Kid’s relationship stays at the center as we see them go from hustlers on the city streets to Lolo having to make tough choices for Kid’s future. What it lacks in bombast, it makes up for it with its slice-of-life story many can learn a lesson or two.
It’s this universal theme of family that Joel Torre feels is why the genre of grandparents and their grandchildren has remained strong over the years. “That’s the universal theme for a very successful movie kasi lahat tayo ay may pamilya, may relationship,” points out the seasoned actor. “We’re dealing with the love of each other.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX
At the end of the day, Lolo and The Kid is a family story and the hard decisions adults have to make for their kids. Bonus points also for how the movie has a diverse idea of what a family looks like. In the film, we meet different couples, from a widow wanting to have kids, a straight couple who lost their child, and a same-sex couple hoping to start a family. Going beyond the typical nuclear family, Lolo and The Kid shows us that today’s families aren’t limited to stereotypical standards.
With the narrative twists and turns Lolo and The Kid has up its sleeve, the movie is going there, and you may want tissues on the side. Equal parts fun and tender, the movie puts the spotlight on what people are willing to do for the people they love, a relatable scenario many find themselves in. As they say, when it connects, it connects.
Lolo and The Kid is streaming on Netflix
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