VICE GANDA and the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) have been analogous for years. 

The comedian has top-billed a string of slapstick, formulaic comedies that have become holiday staples in Philippine cinemas. But after taking a step back in last year’s edition, Vice returns this year with a promise of something fresh — something beyond mere gags. 

“And the Breadwinner Is…” marks a significant shift for Vice under the direction of UST communication arts alumnus Jun Lana. While the drama-comedy keeps Vice within his comfort zone, it attempts to veer from the clichés of earlier flicks like “Praybeyt Benjamin” (2011, followed by a sequel in 2014) and “Beauty and the Bestie” (2015). 

In this 123-minute feature, Vice takes on the role of Bambi Salvador, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Taiwan and the sole breadwinner of a dysfunctional family. The film delves into Bambi’s relentless hustle abroad and his eventual return to his hometown in Pampanga, where he is met with a tumbledown family home. 

Soon, he realizes that his household’s troubles run deeper than a crumbling house. 

Because they have been accustomed to running to Bambi for support, the family continues to turn to the breadwinner to bail them out of their personal struggles. The situation reaches the point when Bambi resorts to faking his death to get a P10-million insurance claim, as shown in the trailer. 

“And the Breadwinner Is…” offers a sobering depiction of the realities faced by breadwinners. It addresses their desire for understanding from the very people they would go to great lengths to support. It sheds light on the many facets of being a family provider, whose financial obligations often interfere with their personal lives. 

As expected of Lana, who has directed films of similar approach such as the 2016 MMFF entry “Die Beautiful,” his latest film was able to forego the initial hints of comedy when the emotions begin to set in and the classic Filipino drama takes over. 

Though “And the Breadwinner Is…” is something fresh from Vice, it isn’t a complete departure from the cinematic formula that made his previous MMFF entries box-office hits. It heavily relies on slapstick, with exaggerated delivery taking precedence over ingenious scriptwriting. 

Nonetheless, Vice’s performance in the film is commendable. His dramatic portrayal of Bambi is a remarkably human representation of OFW breadwinners. He shows how one can embody both resilience and vulnerability and become a hardworking provider, caring sibling, dutiful child, and occasional jokester all at once. 

With its premiere coinciding with the holidays when many OFWs return home to celebrate Christmas with their families, “And the Breadwinners Is…” can serve as a conversation starter and a heartfelt tribute to solo providers. It lands close to home with its realistic depiction of Filipino family dynamics, whose lives are often impacted by diaspora. 

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