High School Life: A review of Jerrold Tarog’s ‘Senior Year’

Here’s my experience with Philippine cinema: I either had to wade through a lot of crap, or have to hack through the sociopolitical films to find something to enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the reminder that we have so much more to go as a country, but that can’t be the only thing I can watch. I’ve been CRAVING a “coming of age” story that isn’t glorifying a studio love team or talent. I want MY coming of age story told: high school cramming, tsimisan, kabarkadahan, awkward panliligaw, college entrance examinations, and intrams; with the brilliant wit and worldplay that is quintessentially Filipino. The generation before me had Bagets, the closest I got was America’s Clueless. I even caught Indonesia’s Ada apa dengan Cinta (translated: What’s up with Love? Cinta is the word ‘Love’ and is also the lead character’s name), which was overall corny, but I appreciated the peek at the day in the life of the average Indonesian teenager and how they dealt with their insecurities.

So that’s the novelty and brilliance of ‘Senior Year’. Philippine high school life it is: intrams, extended tutorial sessions with your batch crush, dealing with the joys and consequences of blossoming with age, while confused with what the world expects from you.

There are a few details I wonder, considering that it is set in present day Manila; As someone who has a young cousin in high school, modes of communication are via text, social media, and Sun’s unlimited calls offer. In this film, the students are still using the landline to call each other up. Direk, your nineties are showing! Between that and a timeline that darts between high school and the batch’s reunion ten years later, it’s quite jarring. I also object to a lot of the post-production after effects, it didn’t do anything for the story and we could have done without it after the opening credits.

But mucho kudos for getting our story out. It can be argued that a lot remains unfulfilled by batch 2010 of the fictionalized St. Frederick’s School in Muntinlupa as the credits scroll up, but I don’t think that’s the point of the film. The film is about the nostalgia for how a grade, a friend, a heartbreak meant the world in that era. I also deeply appreciate that it manages to brush on mature themes such as homosexuality and spousal abuse without falling into the preachiness trap.

So please, do this film justice by catching it at the cinemas. It’s already on its last few days at Ayala Cinemas, the limited run ends on April 19 at Glorietta 4 cinemas; but I’ve seen and heard that seats have barely filled up. Round up your friends, make an outing out of it. Hope you all enjoy!