Review by Mr. Will Wong
Though EASTER SUNDAY takes elements we’ve seen before in Dysfunctional Family Comedies, it still does it in an impactful way speaking in a voice that is long overdue to be seen and heard.
Comedian Jo Koy is featured front and center here in this latest effort from fellow Funnyman/Director Jay Chandrasekhar. Koy places a fictionalized version of himself, Joe Valencia, who is struggling to get that next big gig, auditioning for an upcoming TV Series. He must balance his artistic integrity and opportunity, being asked to read in a Filipino accent. Which is fine if he had one, but he doesn’t and he isn’t about to be typecast. At once, his mother (Lydia Gaston) is hounding him to come home for Easter Sunday, and at once he’s trying to spend some quality time with his son Junior (Brandon Wardell). He fronts his cousin Eugene (Eugene Cordero) a large sum of money, thinking he’s about to start a Taco Food Truck with it – which he doesn’t – and soon they find themselves on-the-run from gangster Dev Deluxe (Asif Ali) who’s out to collect from them.
There’s a lot going on in EASTER SUNDAY. On one level, it’s a Family Comedy that explores Filipino culture in America and its nuances, like petty family feuds, and also meeting parental expectations of us. It’s also about a father reconnecting with his son, who he rarely gets to see as he’s out hustling. Then it’s a love story between son and a girl from the neighbourhood, Ruth (Eva Noblezada). Then it’s also a bit of an Action-Comedy as Dev Deluxe is in hot pursuit of Eugene and Joe. But then also, Joe is really trying to make it still and wonders if he ever will lang that gig that makes him a star. It’s as though they’ve tossed all the Pancit on the wall and were trying to see which noodles would stick, when reining-in some of the focus back to Joe and him finding himself in this journey, would’ve tightened this up as with all the concurring storylines all running at once, the tonal shifts reduce the Film’s cohesion.
This is not to say the Film isn’t lots of fun, because it is! When it comes time for this family to confront their pain points, the Film says what it really wants to say. Koy is a charismatic and engaging presence on-screen and really gives it his all here and we can’t believe Tita Theresa was Tia Carrere! And who knew Lou Diamond Phillips was part-Filipino? That cameo in itself is worth the price of admission. Comedy Queen Tiffany Haddish steals the show as an old flame of Joe‘s, Vanessa, reuniting in the most unlikely and comical circumstances.
We expect the Filipino community to show-up in a big way for this one and this is a proud moment for them. But make no mistake, this is as much a Filipino story as it is an American story.
Universal Pictures Canada release EASTER SUNDAY August 5, 2022.
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