By ATRIA PACAÑA
This is a spoiler-free review.
Director Samantha Lee says that she uses romantic comedies as the Trojan horse of sapphic stories to audiences, and one can clearly see that in Cinemalaya 2023’s breakout film “Rookie.”
Telling the story of a junior transferee joining a volleyball team with nothing but basketball experience along the way falling for the senior team captain, Lee balances the Filipino rom com formula and the grounded weight of real issues girls in Catholic schools face, by knowing when to amp up the kilig factor and when to withdraw from it.
The titular main character Ace is also played by a rookie to acting, Pat Tingjuy, who stuns with her performance, showcasing a range of emotions on screen from discomfort, to exhilaration, to wet anger, to bashfulness.
No wonder she won Best Actress in Cinemalaya 2023’s awarding ceremony last Aug. 13, but playing opposite her is another brilliant actress, Aya Fernandez, who helps elevate the scene as the fiery and driven Jana — amounting to the leads’ chemistry that makes watchers giddy for more.
Audiences often see young love, but rarely do they see young queer love in the sports field that’s explored in a utopian sense. For once, the characters’ conflict and struggle weren’t their queer identities, because Ace and Jana’s family were accepting and their teammates were even rooting for them to end up together.
The San Lorenzo Angels volleyball team supporting each other in and out of the court was a nice addition to the main romance, as their love and sportsmanship reflect what girlhood should be like.
Score: 4 yellow and blue flowers out of 5.
“Rookie” is now streaming on Prime Video Philippines.
