Anak (2000) User Reviews

Good film

[peter07 · 7/10 · 24 August 2010]

I picked up a copy of this on DVD while visiting Cebu, and it's a film that has stayed with me after just one viewing.

I live in Korea and there are plenty of Filipinos and Filipinas working here for little money to support their families back home. This movie was a good primer on the plight of overseas Filipino workers, though I'm sure many Filipinos have endured worse while working overseas.

I'd seen just one Philippine movie before "Anak," and I told the saleslady at the video store I got this film from to select a good movie for me instead of formulaic love stories and such. I'm glad she selected the DVD she did as I highly recommend this film.

It's sad so many Filipinos (10% of the population) have to go abroad to earn a living. The real villains are the corrupt government and social system in the Philippines as well as a runaway birth rate that dooms the people to poverty. I love the Phils and am a frequent visitor but I do see the causes of the country being a Third World country.

Vilma is Vilma and shes a Domestic Helper

[dilbertaragones-51573 · 8/10 · 18 November 2018]

Some people saying that this film is just juicing your emotions to be a sucker just to be hooked by this movie, If a movie got you emotional or even cry that means it was very good execution, its not easy to make people cry by just watching a Film, yes, They use motherhood and OFW just to hit you, I remember I watch this on Cinema and a lot of people shead a tear, And to do that you need a Character deveplment to relate and to care about, when vilma santos is on the scene she is not Vilma Santos you fell that shes a OFW DH and a mother, that powerfull acting is extraordenary, The Final act or the comfrontation betweet mother and Daughter was the climax and it even got me,

This film tells the tale of a Filipino family struggling with a very real situation of having a family member working overseas

[sgali-51589 · 8/10 · 13 July 2016]

This film tells the tale of a Filipino family struggling with a very real situation of having a family member working overseas in order to make ends meet. This issue hits close to home for me, as I have a few relatives that are in this same situation, working in the U.S. and elsewhere to send money to family back in the Philippines. In this movie, the problem of having an alienated family member is exacerbated by the death of the main character's husband. Josie (the mom) returns to the Philippines to find that her older children have grown up without her and that their relationships may have been irreparably harmed by her years spent abroad working to provide for them. The acting and some of the scenes were very strong and emotional and I felt really bad for what the characters were going through.

I would like to discuss the main character Josie, and her decision to work overseas. In one scene, she refers to herself and her OFW (overseas Filipino worker) friends as the heroes of their time. She is indeed a hero in my book, as she has suffered greatly for the benefit of her family. She also does a great job in exposing the unfair characterization of her and other female OFW's from people that stand in judgment of their decision to work abroad. In one scene, she questions why a man is revered for working to provide for his family, yet a woman is scorned for doing the same and she is admonished for abandoning her children and other family duties (more or stronger traditional gender roles in the Philippines probably).

The film is a great example of the hardships that families must face when a family member (especially a parent) has to work overseas in order to send money home to support them. This is a big issue in the Philippines as over 2 million people work overseas in order to do just that (Caguio and Lomboy, 2014). The movie illustrates the suffering of the laborers having to work for people in almost slave like conditions, where the employer has all of the power, even controlling the passport of the worker and locking her in the house, so she can't leave without their say so. This is more than exploitation, this is illegal servitude. The movie also brings to light the possible outcomes of the children left behind when a parent leaves to work overseas. Feelings of abandonment, and loss, can lead the children to seek out other options to fill the void of emptiness left behind when a parent leaves. The character of Carla (daughter) has her vices (alcohol, sex, and drugs) to fill her time and numb her pain. She does not wait around to be abandoned anymore; in fact she is empowered by leaving her boyfriends at a moment's notice, stating that she would rather be the one leaving than be the one being left behind. Of course, the main issue is the economy that necessitates the leaving of the OFW's. Pervasive poverty and the poor economic situation in the Philippines cause many to leave their homeland. If not for the hard conditions and lack of employment at home, the OFW's would not have to leave in the first place.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie and have learned a lot about the plight of OFW's and the families they leave behind.

Caguio, R., & Lomboy, O. (2014). Understanding How Overseas Filipino Workers Engage on National Issues in Pinoy OFW Facebook Page. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 155, 417-421. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.315 Santos-Concio, C.; DeGuzman, M.; Lasaten, J. (Producers), Quintos, R. (Director). (2000) Anak Motion Picture. Philippines: Star Cinema Films

Breathtaking....; Amazing

[astridf-1 · 10/10 · 28 November 2004]

Where to begin ? Anak (or 'The Child' as it is known in the West) is an absolutely amazing movie, a movie so powerful that it deserves to be watched by everyone. The Story is set around Josie and her family, Many years ago - Josie had to leave her family and become a domestic over-seas so she that she could provide money to support her family, when Josies husband dies, Josie returns to her family to take over her job as mother, but when she returns, her family is anything but loving and welcoming.

The acting in this movie is magnificent, I had never heard of Vilma Santos until I watched Anak, however after seeing it I had to rent out some of her other movies, the emotion shown by Vilma, and the other actors is amazing and at times you really can find yourself believing that this family is real. There were times in the movie I laughed, times I cried, but I loved every second of it, and it blows almost every Hollywood movie out of the water.

Anak just goes to show that a movie dosn't need to have sex, drugs & violence, and also not be a Children's movie to be excellent and a must-see for the entire family

10/10

Why movies must be made!

[pai71 · 6 July 2004]

There are drawbacks in Anak, small aspects that could be left out or be more emphasized; but forget that petty cash because…

Just as I had forgotten the reason for making movies, that not all movies are justified merely as a moneymaking device where profit, spin off products and the inclusion of at least one major Hollywood movie star are dominant ingredients in the narrative formula; just as I had misplaced the argument for film production itself, Anak puts it all right again.

Quintos peels away every superfluous non-significant element and leaves us with a nucleus so pure, so strong and so universally true that it touches all of us. Separation from loved ones, sacrifices and the complexity of family relations are key components of the narrative that, propelled by brilliant acting, drives this highly realistic and touching story forward.

And realism and emotions are clues to what makes Anak such a gripping tale. In other, more conventional, 'touching' films I often feel left off with an awkward, almost embarrassed, feeling of having been tricked to tears by elementary storytelling mechanisms. But the feeling of a natural, almost improvised acting in Anak, conveys everyday life as well as the intense moments with an exceptional credibility which makes the overall narrative so strong it should leave its audience feeling that this is one of the primary reasons for storytelling.

Summary

[sangcapneslierose-94152 · 10/10 · 23 October 2019]

The story Anak is all about Josie (Vilma Santos) a mother who is working in Hongkong as a Domestic Helper. She do this work to sustain the needs of her children. Josie said that she is doing that for the sake and for the better life of her children. Even if Josie is too far to her family , she did not think of what her boss doing to her. Their family begins or started in a happy family, but the life of the children of Josie ruined when their father or the husband of Josie was died who is the one that taking care of the children. When their father died, the daughter of Josie which is Carla (Claudine Baretto) hated Josie as her mother. The children of Josie sent a letter in Hongkong to update Josie on what happened to her husband and to go back to the Philippines to take care of her children. But Josie did not read the letter because her boss begone her inside the house while her boss are not around because they have their vacation and they will coming back next month. Josie just read the letter after a month, but her boss did not approved to go home even she is begging for their approval. The years goes by, then Josie finally came back in the Philippines. Then she see her children in the airport ,her youngest daughter which is Daday. Daday do not know her mother because she is just 1 year old when she left her and go to other country, her son Michael ( Baron Geisler) is shy and not talking and her elder daughter Carla who is not happy when she saw her mother. Josie tried her best convince her children through the pasalubong that she bring, but Carla did not accept it she just ignore her mother. When the day pass Josie saw the bad habit of Carla, and she notice also the failing grades of her son which is the reason why he lost his scholar. Josie continued to suffer and she is losing her money which she save for her children. Because of this, she decided to go again in Hongkong. A night before she comeback in Hongkong, she is so fulled on how she treat of her daughter, the war between them became big that is why Josie show all of her hardwork in Hongkong she show all of her feelings to her daughter. On that time, Carla knows all of her sins to her mother and she know noe that she is the one who ruined herself, and because of that war they understand each other and Carla noticed how they are so loved with their mother even Josie is too far to them.

The social content of this story , it shows the life of a family in one community on how they survive the hardship of life even if they are far to each other.

The story is all bout to the mother which is a Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who choose to leave and left her children to give them a better life.

I really love this movie because it shows the importance of a family, even if you can not see them everyday, because they are far from us they are the one who gives us the better life. Also I wanted the actresses in the movie, they give their role a good or a perfect acting, they bring their characterization so nice. It is Vilma and Claudine who gives their best to showcase their talent in acting, in all of the movies that I've watched, this movie was the only one who steady in my mind and heart. In our society that is always one of the problem the poverty that is why other Filipinos need to go to the other countries just to sustain the needs of their family. That's all thank you.

You can relate on it.

[plateroaubrey · 10/10 · 24 October 2019]

The main character is a Filipina Overseas Contract Worker who is Josie[Vilma Santos. She worked as a Domestic helper in Hongkong for her family, one of the many residents of the archipelago who is forced to leave her family and take a higher paying job in a more prosperous Asian country as the movie narrates. She experienced abused while she is working her employer refuses to let her take a vacation, nor does he deliver her mail to her from her family . She is unaware, therefore, that her husband has died without being in the Philippines. When she finally returns to the Philippines she is met with resentment and hatred by her children. The movie also studies how she overcomes these feelings and rebuilds the relationship with her family especially her daughter. A heavy drama film that will surely gives you a roller coaster emotions.

Serious issue

[shi612 · 8/10 · 17 April 2006]

The Philippine president praises the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) as hero. This is nothing more than delusive. The reality of OFWs is almost slavery exporting. In this film, Josie, the mother, was locked in the house while her master and his family were on long vacation. That was why she could not attend her husband's funeral! Total remittance from the OFWs, who send most of their earnings from such humiliating work, amounts nearly US$ 10B annually. This film raises a serious issue in Philippine society, however, I think most of Philippine politicians may not even recognize how desperate a country which relies on exporting their people for such slavery jobs.

They leave their family because they love family. Mother leaves her children whom she wants to embrace always, and works for them sacrificing everything. Children feel they are abandoned by their mother even they know their daily life is supported by her remittance. Mother's love ends up with broken relationship. What a tragedy! The life of the family looks not bad in Philippine standard. In fact their house is large enough even in Japanese standard. However, their father, who looks a good man, do not have stable job, if not minimal income which is hard to afford their life. In fact, even working abroad as a maid is a kind of status.

I don't understand why the mother does not cancel going to Hong Kong and choose yet another life, to live with her family with less income, after reconciliation with her daughter. Unless Filipinos decide to quit working overseas for little money, I think this country would not become better.

By the way, this is the first film I saw Vilma Santos. Her performance is superb. Few actresses can act both comical and serious sides of the same character.

Man, what a movie!!

[flip_donna · 10/10 · 29 May 2002]

I absolutely loved this film! At first I was a bit skeptic, but man....what great acting!! It seemed so real...not far from reality. Claudine did a great job as the snot nose brat of a daughter and Vilma was awesome as the loving, but misunderstood mother. It's a great movie...go rent it!!

just meant to prey on the emotions of ofws..forgetting the essential elements in movie making

[Layput · 1/10 · 3 August 2008]

i have watched this film several years back and when i finally landed in a place where there are millions of ofws, i felt compelled to write a review of it even though i believe no one would even bother reading it.

i have to be frank to say that the producers of this movie tried to beat the emotional punch of ofws, some 7 million of them in 2000, to make sure that they had a fan base that would solidly usher this movie to box office revenues and critical acclaims. but one could clearly see right through the motives of the producers that they intend on getting money even if it meant preying on the emotional vulnerability of ofws.

they have stuck on such an idea that they have discarded the essential points in movie making.

first, the dialogs and conversation flows were downright ridiculous.they were talking so fast as if they were in a hurry.

even if the movie casted very good actors, vilma santos, cherry pie picache, to mention a few, it just really cannot make up for a bad set of dialogs; it even made them appear laughable. just bad, shallow and unlife-like dialogs. the untalented writers even attempted to make the movie appear intense by drenching the dialogs with offensive and obscene expletives even in scenes that did not really need them. this shallow style of scriptwriting made this movie a lot more unbearable as there were unnecessary remarks in a lot of wrong places.

the character of the protagonist was poorly conceived, clichéd, just plain and vividly shallow. why would you despise your mother, who, from previous countless accounts of domestic helpers, had been enduring unimaginable working conditions in other country, just because she missed or unintentionally failed to reply to your letters. how shallow does that plot goes? if this description needed a metaphorical comparison, it should be that this story must have been written by a 4th grader for his short story requirement. i don't understand why such shallow (pardon the over-usage) concoctions pass out as a plot for a movie. maybe the producers also think of the audience as shallow and there was no need to go deeper. honestly in my opinion, they may be quite right. but it was not right to follow the audience's lead. the movie makers should always be the one raising the bar.

second, some angles were terrible. some perspectives were so focused on capturing the intense emotional portrayals of the actors that the important elements in the background were obliterated. again, bad directing. the director just doesn't know what he or she was doing or is it even correct to call her/him a director.

third, many scenes were superfluous and unrealistic. in a certain scene, the mother was grabbing the daughter and wouldn't let go of her for no reason even if the daughter had no plans of going anywhere. this bad situation was so forcefully implemented so that it would appear that they were wrestling. on top of it, the people cheered as if they were watching a wrestling derby. how shallow and mindless of a plot is that that it just made me cringe. we know that when people argue, especially if it involves someone who is a senior, spectators would tend to keep their mouth shut and retreat to the sides. the people involved in the writing of this script obviously do not know what the realities of human psychology and sociology are. they just wrote it so that they had something to write. truly, they obviously lacked the necessary education and talent. they did not even bother to do a little research. they just had the stupid idea in order to have something to call a story.

i still have yet to see a movie that doesn't capitalize so much on the manipulation of emotions for the purpose of amassing revenues. while it is true that movie making is also dictated by economic tides, it is also important not to leave out the essential and artistic aspects of making it. the Philippine cinema is not actually young but it seems to be doting and becoming more and more immature while many watchers have become more and more intelligent.

A summary

[sangcapneslierose-94152 · 10/10 · 23 October 2019]

ANAK -Rory Quintos The story Anak is all about Josie (Vilma Santos) a mother who is working in Hongkong as a Domestic Helper. She do this work to sustain the needs of her children. Josie said that she is doing that for the sake and for the better life of her children. Even if Josie is too far to her family , she did not think of what her boss doing to her. Their family begins or started in a happy family, but the life of the children of Josie ruined when their father or the husband of Josie was died who is the one that taking care of the children. When their father died, the daughter of Josie which is Carla (Claudine Baretto) hated Josie as her mother. The children of Josie sent a letter in Hongkong to update Josie on what happened to her husband and to go back to the Philippines to take care of her children. But Josie did not read the letter because her boss begone her inside the house while her boss are not around because they have their vacation and they will coming back next month. Josie just read the letter after a month, but her boss did not approved to go home even she is begging for their approval. The years goes by, then Josie finally came back in the Philippines. Then she see her children in the airport ,her youngest daughter which is Daday. Daday do not know her mother because she is just 1 year old when she left her and go to other country, her son Michael ( Baron Geisler) is shy and not talking and her elder daughter Carla who is not happy when she saw her mother. Josie tried her best convince her children through the pasalubong that she bring, but Carla did not accept it she just ignore her mother. When the day pass Josie saw the bad habit of Carla, and she notice also the failing grades of her son which is the reason why he lost his scholar. Josie continued to suffer and she is losing her money which she save for her children. Because of this, she decided to go again in Hongkong. A night before she comeback in Hongkong, she is so fulled on how she treat of her daughter, the war between them became big that is why Josie show all of her hardwork in Hongkong she show all of her feelings to her daughter. On that time, Carla knows all of her sins to her mother and she know noe that she is the one who ruined herself, and because of that war they understand each other and Carla noticed how they are so loved with their mother even Josie is too far to them.

The social content of this story , it shows the life of a family in one community on how they survive the hardship of life even if they are far to each other.

The story is all bout to the mother which is a Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who choose to leave and left her children to give them a better life.

I really love this movie because it shows the importance of a family, even if you can not see them everyday, because they are far from us they are the one who gives us the better life. Also I wanted the actresses in the movie, they give their role a good or a perfect acting, they bring their characterization so nice. It is Vilma and Claudine who gives their best to showcase their talent in acting, in all of the movies that I've watched, this movie was the only one who steady in my mind and heart. In our society that is always one of the problem the poverty that is why other Filipinos need to go to the other countries just to sustain the needs of their family. That's all thank you.

You can relate here!

[plateroaubrey · 10/10 · 24 October 2019]

I was really looking for a great movie to watch last night and I decided to watch a Filipino film for a change. It is something I am honestly not used to since most of the time i often watch Hollywood films and series.

So I decided to watch "Anak" or "My Child" since I got really curious about the great hype of the movie although it was released in the early 2000's and considered by many to be one of the best Filipino Film of all time. The Movie Poster Source That is the movie poster that was released on the year 2000. The movie casts were the star for all Season and veteran actress Vilma Santos and the young actress Ms. Claudine Barretto . The film was produced by Star Cinema and was directed by Rory Quintos as well.

Movie Summary

The main character is a Filipina Overseas Contract Worker who is Josie[Vilma Santos. She worked as a Domestic helper in Hongkong for her family, one of the many residents of the archipelago who is forced to leave her family and take a higher paying job in a more prosperous Asian country as the movie narrates. She experienced abused while she is working her employer refuses to let her take a vacation, nor does he deliver her mail to her from her family . She is unaware, therefore, that her husband has died without being in the Philippines. When she finally returns to the Philippines she is met with resentment and hatred by her children. The movie also studies how she overcomes these feelings and rebuilds the relationship with her family especially her daughter. A heavy drama film that will surely gives you a roller coaster emotions. I was really looking for a great movie to watch last night and I decided to watch a Filipino film for a change. It is something I am honestly not used to since most of the time i often watch Hollywood films and series.

So I decided to watch "Anak" or "My Child" since I got really curious about the great hype of the movie although it was released in the early 2000's and considered by many to be one of the best Filipino Film of all time.