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The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros

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The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
Official poster
Directed byAuraeus Solito
Written byMichiko Yamamoto
StarringNathan Lopez
JR Valentin
Soliman Cruz
Neil Ryan Sese
Ping Medina
Production
companies
UFO Pictures
Cinemalaya
Distributed byUnitel Pictures (Philippines)
GMA Films (Philippines)
Peccadillo Pictures (UK)
Unico Entertainment (US)
Cathay-Keris Films (Singapore)
MNC Media (Indonesia)
Release dates
Running time
100 minutes
CountryPhilippines
LanguageFilipino
Box office$38,691 (worldwide)

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (Filipino: Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros) is a 2005 Filipino coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Aureaus Solito in his directorial debut, based on a screenplay by Michiko Yamamoto. Set in the slums of Manila, the film is about a gay teen who is torn between his love for a young cop and his loyalty to his family. The film stars Nathan Lopez in the title role, with JR Valentin, Soliman Cruz, Neil Ryan Sese, and Ping Medina in supporting roles.

The film premiered at the 1st Cinemalaya Film Festival in 2005 and was the official entry of the Philippines to the 79th Academy Awards.[1][2] It has been included in various lists of best LGBTQ films.[3][4]

Plot

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Maxi (Nathan Lopez) is a 12-year-old effeminate gay boy who lives in the slums with his father and brothers who are petty thieves. The story primarily revolves around the conflict between his love for handsome young police officer Victor (JR Valentin), and his family's illegal livelihood. Neo-realist in orientation, the film is a tale of lost innocence and redemption amidst the poverty of Manila's slums.

Maxi behaves like a girl, wearing clips or hairband in his hair and bangles on his wrists and even wearing lipstick. He is teased by neighbors and former school friends. His sexuality is, however, fully accepted by his two brothers and by his father. One night, he is accosted by two men who attempt to molest him, but is saved by the appearance of Victor. Victor does not have a girlfriend and his sexuality is kept ambiguous. However, he does rebuff Maxi's advances. In a key event, Maxi's father, his brother Bogs, and Bogs' friends hatch a plan to teach Victor a lesson for snooping into their business. They leave him bloodied and beat up. Just as Victor saved him, it was Maxi who arrived to clean Victor's wounds and cook breakfast for him. Maxi felt sorry and felt somehow responsible for his injuries. Victor then affectionately stroked Maxi's hair and Maxi gives him a kiss on the cheek.

After Maxi's father is killed by Victor's boss which Maxi witnesses, Maxi resists Victor's attempts to renew their friendship. The closing scene shows Maxi walking past Victor who has parked by the roadside on Maxi's way to school. He ignores Victor as he passes him, hesitates momentarily as he crosses the road, then goes on his way. This last scene is a homage to the final scene of "The Third Man".

Cast

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  • Nathan Lopez as Maximo Oliveros
  • Soliman Cruz as Paco Oliveros
  • JR Valentin as Victor Perez
  • Neil Ryan Sese as Boy Oliveros
  • Ping Medina as Bogs Oliveros
  • Bodjie Pascua as New Sergeant
  • Elmo Redrico as Sarge
  • Ivan Camacho as Art
  • Lucito Lopez as Police
  • Jett Desalesa as Leslie
  • Anastacio Cruz as Nar
  • Roychell Torre as Monique
  • Peter Antony Tumbaga as Peter
  • Edwin Pamanian as Isko
  • Rodney Luengu as Mang Axel
  • Claudine Najera as Janet
  • Rebecca Padilla as Lolet
  • Arnold Cruz as Onnie

Release

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The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros premiered at the 1st Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival on July 13, 2005, and was released theatrically in the Philippines on November 30, 2005. The film was screened at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival in Germany on February 11, 2006, and the 2006 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival in Spain on March 28, 2006. It was also screened in film festivals in Canada, Singapore, United States, Spain, Hong Kong, Italy, Greece, India, France, United Kingdom, Japan, Estonia, Thailand, Hungary, Switzerland, and South Korea.[5]

Box office

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The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros grossed $28,041 in United States and Canada, and $10,650 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $38,691.[6]

Critical reception

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The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros received mostly positive reviews. V.A. Musetto of New York Post praised Solito's direction, noting that, "Preteen sexuality is a sensitive subject, but director Auraeus Solito handles it with dignity, never becoming exploitative."[7] Critics also praised Lopez' performance. Nathan Lee of The New York Times wrote, "The newcomer Nathan Lopez delights as the flamboyantly gay Maxi."[8] Tom Dawson of BBC wrote, "Newcomer Lopez is wholly convincing in the lead role."[9]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 89% based on 19 reviews.[10] On Metacritic the film has a score of 70% based on reviews from 7 critics.[11] Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times described the film as "one of the finest Filipino film, shimmering with folkloric charm without softening its view of the harshness and injustice of a life of poverty."[12] Ernest Hardy of LA Weekly wrote "One of those all-too-rare films that handle preadolescent queerness with intelligence and unflinching honesty."[13]

Many critics categorized The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros as a neo-realist film. Keith Uhlich of Slant Magazine described the film as "a neorealist homo noir."[14] Dennis Harvey of Variety wrote, "an unusually low-key Filipino drama whose neo-realist air generally triumphs over the script's violent, fearful contrivances."[15]

In June 2021, Slant Magazine included the film in its list of 100 Best LGBTQ Films of All Time.[3] It was also included in British Film Institute's 10 Great Gay Films from East and Southeast Asia.[4]

Accolades

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The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros received several awards and nominations. In the Philippines, the film was named Best Picture during the 2006 Gawad Urian Awards and was also named Best Filipino Film of the Decade at the 2010 Gawad Urian Awards. During the 2005 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, the film received the Balanghai Trophy for Best Production Design for Clint Catalan. It also received a Special Jury Prize for Solito and Special Citation for Lopez.

The film also made the rounds of international film festivals.[8] It received the Teddy Award (Feature Film) and Glass Bear-Special Mention (Feature Film) at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival. During the 2006 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival, the film received the Golden Lady Harimaguada and Lopez was named as Best Actor. The film was recipient of the Golden Zenith Award for Best Picture at the 2005 Montreal World Film Festival in Canada. The film was also given the NETPAC Award at the 2006 International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands "for the human portrayal of life on the margin and the touching performance of Nathan Lopez who plays 'Maxi.'[16]

The film was awarded Best Picture during the 2005 imagineNative Film+Media Arts Festival in Canada and Best Film at 2005 Asian Festival of First Films in Singapore.

Adaptations

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In November 2013, eight years after its initial release, The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros was adapted into a musical entitled Maxie the Musicale: Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros by Bit by Bit Productions, in association with Philippine Educational Theater Association.[17]

Awards

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
Asian Festival of First Films (Singapore) November 30, 2005 Best Film The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won [18]
Berlin International Film Festival (Germany) February 19, 2006 Best Feature Film (Teddy) The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won [1]
Best Feature Film (Crystal Bear-Special Mention) The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won
Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won
Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival (Philippines) July 17, 2005 Best Film (Special Jury Prize) The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won [19]
Best Performance of an Actor (Special Citation) Nathan Lopez Won
Best Production Design Lily Esquillon Won
Gawad Urian Award (Philippines) 2005 Best Picture The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won [20]
Best Direction Aureaus Solito Nominated
Best Actor Nathan Lopez Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Soliman Cruz Nominated
Best Cinematography Nap Jamir Won
Best Editing Clarence Sison, Aureaus Solito Won
Best Music Pepe Smith Nominated
Best Production Design Clint Catalan, Christina Dy, Lily Esquillon Nominated
Best Screenplay Michiko Yamamoto Won
imagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival (Canada) October 23, 2005 Best Dramatic Feature The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won
Independent Spirit Awards (United States) February 4, 2007 Best International Film The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Nominated [21]
International Film Festival Rotterdam (Netherlands) February 5, 2006 NETPAC Award (Ex Aequo) The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won [16]
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival (Spain) 2006 Golden Lady Harimaguada Auraeus Solito Won
Best Actor Nathan Lopez Won
Montreal World Film Festival (Canada) September 5, 2005 Golden Zenith Award for Best Picture The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Won [22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Klemm, Michael D. (March 2009). "Secret Worlds". Cinema Queer. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  2. ^ "Philippines pic 'Blossoming'". Variety. September 10, 2006. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "The 100 Best LGBTQ Films of All Time". Slant Magazine. June 10, 2021. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "'Maximo' in BFI top gay films list". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 1, 2014. Archived from the original on October 14, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  5. ^ "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros Release Info". IMDb. 2005. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  6. ^ "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros". Box Office Mojo. 2005. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Musetto, V.A. (September 22, 2006). "Filipino Flower". New York Post. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Lee, Nathan (September 22, 2006). "Floating Above the Slums of Manila on a Current of Love". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  9. ^ Dawson, Tom (May 28, 2007). "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2007)". BBC. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  10. ^ "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros". Rotten Tomatoes. 2005. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  11. ^ "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros". Metacritic.
  12. ^ "Puppy love with a Manila twist". Los Angeles Times. September 29, 2006.
  13. ^ "LA Weekly - Film Reviews". www.laweekly.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2006. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  14. ^ Uhlich, Keith (March 8, 2006). "Review: The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  15. ^ Harvey, Dennis (January 27, 2006). "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros". Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema. 2005. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  17. ^ "'Maxie The Musicale' set to open on November 9". Outrage Magazine. October 20, 2013. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  18. ^ Kolesnikov-Jessop, Sonia (December 1, 2005). "Wanted: Market for Lauded Films". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  19. ^ "Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival Philippines 2005 Awards". IMDb. 2005. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  20. ^ "Gawad Urian Awards Philippines 2006 Awards". IMDb. 2006. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  21. ^ Santiago, Erwin (December 6, 2006). "'Maximo Oliveros' nominated in the Independent Spirit Awards". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  22. ^ "Montréal World Film Festival Montréal, Québec, Canada 2005 Awards". IMDb. 2005. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
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