Ang pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005)

Director:

Auraeus Solito

Writer:

Michiko Yamamoto (story)

Release Date:

4 April 2007 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A 12-year-old gay who comes from a criminal family falls in love with a handsome policeman.

Plot Keywords:

Gay | Criminal | Friend | Petty Criminal | Policeman

Awards:

19 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Nathan Lopez	...	Maxi
Soliman Cruz	...	Paco
J.R. Valentin	...	Victor
Neil Ryan Sese	...	Boy
Ping Medina	...	Bogs
Bodjie Pascua	...	New Sergeant
Elmo Redrico	...	Sarge
Ivan Camacho	...	Art
Lucito Lopez	...	Pulis
Sir Jett Desalesa	...	Leslie - Maxi's friend
Anastacio Cruz	...	Nar - Maxi's friend
Raychell Torre	...	Monique - Maxi's friend
Peter Anthony Tombasa	...	Peter - Maxi's friend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudine Najera	...	Janet
Pepe Smith	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Auraeus Solito

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michiko Yamamoto		story and screenplay

Produced by
Raymond Lee	....	line producer
Michiko Yamamoto	....	line producer

Original Music by
Pepe Smith
Mike Villegas

Cinematography by
Nap Jamir

Film Editing by
Clarence Sison
Auraeus Solito		(as Kanakan Balintagos)

Production Design by
Clint Catalan
Christina Dy
Lily Esquillon

Camera and Electrical Department
Armin Collado	....	gaffer
Nor Domingo	....	gaffer
Pao Orendain	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jhek Cogama	....	stylist

Other crew
Winston Emano	....	publicist
David Magdael	....	publicist
Paul Alexander Morales	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Cinemalaya Foundation
• UFO Pictures

Distributors

• CMV Laservision (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Peccadillo Pictures (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Star Cinema Productions (2005) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• UFO Pictures (2005) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Unico Entertainment (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Unitel Pictures (2006) (Philippines) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Optimale (2007) (France) (DVD)
• Peccadillo Pictures (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• TLA Releasing (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (International: English title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Philippines

Language:

English | Filipino | Tagalog

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Philippines:PG-13 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Manila, Metro Manila, Luzon, Philippines

Company:

Cinemalaya Foundation

Trivia:

Besides the main actors, the other people we see in the movie are the director's real neighbors.

Movie Connections:

References Anak (2000)

Charming, mesmerizing story of a young transsexual boy and his devoted gangster family

Absolutely delightful film, its story centering around Maxi (Nathan Lopez), a beguiling 12 year old boy who wants to be a girl, and his various flirtations, including an unlikely one with a rookie cop on the neighborhood beat. Maxi's Dad and two older brothers are criminal lowlifes capable of very bad deeds, including murder, but they are entirely devoted to Maxi, who cooks and keeps house for them (Mom died a few years before). The feeling is mutual: as Maxi says, there may be a lot of crooked people around, but he's only got one Dad.

The film is chock full of arresting street scenes in metropolitan Manila, and intriguing tensions among the principals. It is most refreshing to see loving, tender feelings binding a marginal family together, rather than the usual melodramatic dysphoria that infects, but does not inform, many movies about the underclass. (This year's "Quinceañera" is another film that plays up the positive aspects of family life in L.A.'s Echo Park Mexican-American barrio.) An exotic, spellbinding, bounteous bouquet of a film. Won several awards at the Berlin and Cinemalaya Film Festivals, among others, and was nominated for the Grand Jury Award this year at Sundance. (In Filipino, Tagalog & English) My grades: 8.5/10, A- (Seen on 11/21/06)