A review: What you can find in ‘Ang Nawawala’

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A scene from "Ang Nawawala" (Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya)Gibson Bonifacio (Dominic Roco) is 20 and had just gotten back to his home in Manila after three years of studying abroad, but just for the holidays. The thing with Gibson is he doesn't speak. He hasn't, since witnessing a tragic event in his childhood.

He immediately notices that his family is falling apart. You notice too, that there is something more to Gibson than his selective mutism and the camera he always carries around.
The thing with "Ang Nawawala" is the restraint writer-director Marie Jamora applied in telling the story. She knew her characters' stories and back stories, all the details, but she and co-writer Ramon de Veyra revealed just the right amount of information to keep you interested.
Nothing forced
Nothing felt forced, nor too drawn out. Except perhaps for Mark Abaya's wig.
And because Marie's a well-loved music video director, you're almost worried her first feature film would look and feel like one. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just that you