100: a Film Analysis

“Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.” ― Isaac Asimov

100 is a film written and directed by Chris Martinez, most notable for Here Comes the

Bride (2010) which he directed and Caregiver (2008) which he wrote the script for. It was

produced by the director himself along Marlon Rivera and Madonna Tarayo. 100 was one

of the entries for the 2008 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. It bagged a total of 7

awards― Audience Award, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting

Actress Award for Eugene Domingo (Cinemalaya Film Festival), Korea New Network (KNN)

Movie Award (13th Pusan International Film Festival) and Special Award (15th Vesoul

International Festival of Asian Films). I granted the movie a 3 out 4 stars rating.

The movie centers on Joyce―portrayed by the stunning Mylene Dizon―a woman who

discovered she has cancer and in the verge of dying. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Joyce

listed the things that she would like to achieve, from paying credit card bills to kissing a stranger

on the street to travelling abroad, before eventually kicking the bucket. Included on her list are:

fix things with former and current flames, give her clothes to the homeless, choose her own

coffin, clean her apartment, engage in an overseas getaway with her best friend, etc., The thing

is, Joyce doesn’t want to be a dead weight to her best friend, Ruby (Eugene Domingo), her

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brother, Gilbert (Simon Ibarra) and her mother, Eloisa (Tessie Tomas).

The movie showed the audience the lighter side of dealing with death. Chris Martinez

weaved the appropriate humor for such tender subject. I think the movie just wanted to tell

people that if you found out you’re already at death’s door, live your life to fullest, fix whatever

it is that needs fixing.

The most memorable line from the film for me is this one from Eugene Domingo after

her character discovered a man’s underwear on...