When I sat down to watch the 2022 Filipino drama "Doll House" from director Marla Ancheta, then I have to admit that I wasn't really expecting much. Why? Well, because the track history of Filipino movies haven't exactly been lined up with fantastic movies for me.
But I opted to give "Doll House" a fair chance, as I hadn't already seen it, though I was told that it was just a so-so movie.
I have to say that director Marla Ancheta delivered more than just a so-so movie here. "Doll House" is without a doubt one of the most sincere and heartfelt movies in the Filipino cinema that I have seen. The storyline in "Doll House", as written by Rona Lean Sales and Erwin Blanco, really was spot on and hit home. The writers really knew how to construct a good, genuine and wonderful storyline, and knew exactly what buttons to push in order for it to be all the more impactful.
While the storyline certainly was great, then the movie would have been nothing without some great performances. I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, but lead actor Baron Geisler was nothing short of spectacular in his performance here. He really carried the movie phenomenally with a very convincing and realistic performance. And I was also impressed with the talent of Althea Ruedas, playing young Yumi. And the chemistry between these two performers was just genuine and convincing. The movie also had a great performance by Phi Palmos, just a shame that he didn't have a larger role to play.
Take heed, you might want to bring a tissue or two within hands reach when you sit down to watch "Doll House", because it is a narrative that really is emotional and beautiful.
I was more than genuinely entertained by "Doll House", and I am very happy that I took the time to sit down and watch it, because this movie is nothing short of beautiful. If you enjoy Asian cinema, then "Doll House" is definitely a movie that I can and will recommend you to take the time to sit down and watch.
My rating of "Doll House" lands on an eight out of ten stars.
