Moving On from the Setbacks of Gay Indie Filmmaking in 'Laruang Lalake' (Boytoy aka Censored Dreams')

I could very well distinguish from my movie theatre seat that 'Laruang Lalake (or roughly translated to 'Boytoy' and also known as 'Censored Dreams,' which probably refers to the movie-inside-the-very-movie-itself) is a subversive filmic statement against the travails filmmakers would have to face if they really want to produce films that they really want to be doing and if they let all their cares be-gone to the wind despite the histrionic, panicky reactions from others who think of themselves as stakeholders, too, of the filmmaking process along the way. These stakeholders, both breathing and non-breathing entities, could very well be the censors, the bystanders, the technical people, the technology, the logistics, the general public who just like to be entertained and not be bothered by very real social issues that are being shoved into their consciousness all day long in a fast emerging highly industrialized country like the Philippines. Whew! That's certainly a long list of perceived-to-be-enemies to face and confront along the way of filmmaking, i.e., doing Filipino gay indie films.

And for those stylistically-done metaphors shown on this film mainly through the use of farcical techniques, 'Laruang Lalake' is considered definitely a must-see movie, too.

I see it really as a personal statement by the filmmakers who collaborated to MOVE ON from their perceived external and internal limitations. The film's humorous (with lots of really outrageous scenes that would remind you of scenes you'd probably see in gay bars or even straight bars). Even the characters are by themselves working to move on from the recognition of their current state in life into a better state as they pin their hopes in filmmaking, i.e., acting, baring skin (including genitals at times), enjoying, living their lives to the hilt, being abusive or getting abused before the intrusive, this peeping-tom, voyeur presence of the camera (this time, the digital camera that accounts for its neat, clean onscreen presence). The film's another well-crafted project by the filmmaker Lex Bonife, and meant to highlight what's very frustrating with the process of filmmmaking, i.e. indie filmmaking that have given predicaments being faced all the time. Can the situation become better in time? Perhaps, and one has to keep cool, remain nonchalant on the surface, be disciplined, and be more focused despite all the given external distractions.

I can see that the main enemy of the film artist is himself / herself. Unless, the artist takes rein of his / her own destructive behaviors, disappointments will continue to affect his / her work. But then again, [s]he can always choose to move on, which in this film was shown when the filmmaker decides just to thrash copies of his film for now. We're hoping something better happens, next time.