When someone presents a raunchy comedy that revolves around a well-endowed porn star who disappeared into the sun unannounced, you’d expect nothing more than relentless laughs inside the cinema. Following an intriguing premise I Am Not Big Bird tells the story of Luis Carpio, ridiculously showcasing a hilarious adventure of a heartbroken young man finding his footing in love and friendship, infusing the themes of insecurity and societal ideals while underscoring the magnitude of self-love, sex and body positivity.
After the five-year hiatus of one of the most beloved actors in the country, Enrique Gil returns to the big screen as the film’s main protagonist, going for the jugular with his undeniable charm and more than adequate comedic timing. The comedic romp is directed by Victor Villanueva, famously recognized for his previous work, Patay Na Si Hesus which has been a huge hit in the indie film and festival circuit in 2016.
Luis Carpio’s hysterical journey started when he planned to propose to his girlfriend after being together for five years, only to be rejected because of the lack of romantic action between the two. Having nothing else but pain and misery, Luis initiated the idea of going to Thailand along with his two friends, who seemed to be unprogressive in life in each of their own ways.
The three impulsively went on a trip, led by Luis, where a series of unfortunate events started to happen throughout their stay. Consequently, finding out that a famous nineties porn star named Big Bird, who bears an uncanny resemblance of Luis, has been missing for a long time, leading them to be caught in the middle of shady affairs.
What makes I Am Not Big Bird
A sex-positive film in a mainstream cinema with jokes that are not bound by a generation of cancel culture isn’t something you’d expect in a country full of religious people. The movie courageously delves into the common masculine ideals in our society, to be defined by the size of one’s manhood and unrealistic expectations of other people on one’s sexual performance. It highlighted the importance of knowing one’s value outside the typical ideology being implied, insinuating the idea that we are more than what’s between our legs; our self-value is not dependent on our body type. After all the countless attribution to Big Bird’, and consequently Luis’ phallus, the film, in its very core is all about the self, more than anything else.
Having millions of blatant sexual innuendos intertwined with lines full of humor, the successful portrayal of the cast made everything hilariously better. Gil impeccably brought Luis’ character to life, proving to everyone that there’s more to him than meets the eye, as he showed his talent for comedy. Red Ollero’s delivery of his unhinged character added another layer of humor to the movie. Nikko Natividad, the scene stealer he is, furnished a promising performance, making people ask for more. Pepe Herera’s comedic timing remains unmatched, throwing everyone off their seats.
In contrast, a movie that offers an interesting plot and a wealth of talented lead actors, such as I Am Not Big Bird, also has its moments where it feels lacking. Although the intention of the movie to be on a roll cannot be overstated, a few of the jokes aren’t landing as they’re supposed to. Watching the first few minutes of the film’s slow phasing tilted attention, and some of the character’s backstories, such as Herera’s, were not fleshed out well or almost unnecessary to move the narrative forward. In some parts of the film, the cuts and transition between Thailand’s landscape and the latter scenes tend to be confusing, making it seem less refined and drab.
The film may have focused more on being “bold” and “over-the-top” in diving deep into a subversive depiction of an otherwise overwrought storyline, but in its hits, the film missed a great promise of good storytelling. Forgivingly, what I Am Not A Big Bird may lack in some aspects made up for the undeniable chemistry of the actors, the overall visual elements of the film, and what its story represents.
The dynamics between the characters played out surprisingly well, creating magic on the big screen as they delivered their stomach-hurting one-liners. The production design is more than enough for the eyes to feast and the unobvious message it holds behind unserious dialogues was left for the viewers to divulge.
The misadventure was full of delightful surprises, leaving the audiences engaged and curious. From the silliest things, such as having an approximately ten-inch-long penis, down to the machine gun-like vagina throwing bananas, it’s as funny and raunchy as it can get. It is a step forward in local cinema with a very ballsy concept, humorously narrating the story of a man overcoming his little insecurity and finding immense happiness in life, especially backed by a big production outfit which gives us hope for more off-center storytelling to veer away from formula.
Additional text and insight: Leo Balante