UNA SHORT FILM - REVIEW AND THEORY

"An imperfectly perfect short film"

disclaimer: this review is of the author's opinion and no one else's.

Once again, Pablo proved to us that he is more than just a PPOP artist. His ability and talent go beyond the expectations of people, yet it feels like we haven't even scratched the surface.  In addition to his many titles, he gave us the actor PABLO. We all know how brilliant his mind works, but watching this film gave us another side of him that we've only seen once, a few years ago. Before we begin to dive into the story of the film, let us first analyze the cinematography and production of PABLO'S UNA FILM.

After watching the short film at ROBINSONS GALLERIA with its high quality screen, the first thing I noticed was the color grading. It fits with the background sounds and instrumentals of the entire film, which gives a somehow dramatic ambiance to the movie. The camera motion and angles, though not perfect were just right to showcase the intended feelings and visuals to help narrate the story. There was no grand effects or settings for the scenes, but the places they used were effective to bring the film's story to life. Lastly, the background sounds allowed the emotion of every scene to radiate, helping the viewers connect to the film better.

PABLO is not a professional actor, yet throughout this short film, he showcased his hidden ability. A few more acting gigs, some proper training, and he will be able to turn himself into a full-pledge actor. He never once spoke in the entire film, but his eyes did the talking for him. He was effective in showing the emotions required from him. In fact, in my opinion, not giving him lines in this movie was the right move. It added to the mystery of his character and encouraged the viewers to use their imagination.

As a complete feedback about our PINUNO'S UNA FILM, here is what I have to say.

The film is imperfect. there are rooms for improvement, of course, but for a debut film of both PABLO and 1Z ENTERTAINMENT, it did not disappoint me. The movie has the perfect amount of vagueness that tickled my imagination. It encouraged me to understand the scenes better and do my own interpretation. It invited me to put myself into the main character's place and see the things he might have seen, feel what he might have felt, and fill in the blanks left for me. This is why I enjoy supporting him and his brothers so much. I am not spoon fed. They allow me to use my mind and understand the clues they left for their consumers. They trust that we are intelligent enough to see through the smoke and understand the message they want to deliver.

As a rookie in the entertainment industry, 1z entertainment has already proven itself a force to be reckoned with. Every music video they released since the company was established were top tier. Their decision to be self-managed was indeed the right call. They now have the freedom to pursue any project they want and decide in every aspect of it. Seeing these three names on the big screen is truly a special moment for A'TIN. They still have a long way to go, but they've already come so far. This short film made me excited for 1Z Entertainment's future projects.

Now, let's dive into the story of the movie itself.

PABLO released LA LUNA in 2022. A song that showcased both his rapping and composing skills. It was the introduction of the ALPHA to the world. In its music video, the character was caged and shackled, debating against himself if he should be out in the world. He recognized that he's dangerous, yet the world is dangerous, too. He is angry and terrified at the same time. As the music video progressed, his werewolf side won and freed him from imprisonment. 

This year, PABLO released a twin album, ALON and LAON. It was interesting that all the songs in the ALON album were about life struggles, while the LAON album was all about positivity, self-love, courage, and perseverance, and standing one's ground. He showed both sides of a human psyche, the good and the bad, but what if there's so much more to it?

During the film's premiere night, PABLO revealed that the move is the prequel of LA LUNA and the two albums. Apparently, the character's anger in LA LUNA will be explained by the film, and for me, it definitely did. I finally understood the anger and fear of the music video's character. If Pablo's artistry is a full-length movie, I can say that LA Luna was the inside thoughts of UNA film's character. It was about how he was judged by everyone who saw him because of how he looked.

In my perspective, when PABLO woke up in the shore, covered in bruises after the town's people said something happened in the neighboring town, it was about his family or pack. They may have been attacked and wiped out leaving him as the sole survivor. His family would have saved him before they were slaughtered, which is why he was swept away by the sea. I also think that his head piece was his protection from the cruelty of the world. He would have been a playful child who experienced so much trauma that stopped him from talking altogether.

When he woke up and realized that he wasn't in his home anymore, I could imagine the fear he must have felt. Nothing around him was familiar and he must have remembered what happened to his family. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I somehow understood. When he reached the town and the people judged him, he might have remembered everything he went through, so he ran back into the forest where he can feel safe and in control.

Meeting a child in the forest who has the same affliction as him was fate. What exactly? I wasn't sure at first, but when the grandma said the kid used to be so isolated and sad before the film's main character arrived, it gave a hint of what might have happened to the kid. The way the kid became so attached to him was a give away, and the comfort he showed was a beautiful touch. Then the grandma died and the townspeople blamed the character for it. He ran for his life, silently blamed himself, and felt anger like never before, then it was revealed.

The kid and the main character were the same. They were like the two ends of the story, the beginning and the end, which was SB19's next ep. Gino, the kid's name, might have been found by the old couple as well. He might have been left somewhere to keep him safe. The main character watched the people hunt him angrily with the intent to end him to protect themselves. They were ready to commit a horrendous act without even giving him a chance. They blamed him for something he didn't do just because he was different.

In life, everybody experience the same thing. We get blamed for something we didn't do or judged because people don't know us. They see us differently and that instantly makes us the bad one. No one ever gave the character a chance except for the old lady who cared for him despite his looks, and that is all it would take. We only need one person to believe in us, to care for us, somebody to give us a chance, and it would be enough.

In the end, the man talking to a kid outside a private property was the kid, Gino. He was all grown up, and it looked like he was talking to his grandson. This part could mean one of three things, 1. the main character and the kid stayed together until the end, and they helped each other heal, which was how he managed to talk again. 2. The main character was caught and killed by the townspeople, but before that, the two managed to bond, and the main character helped the kid find his courage. Or it could be 3. The main character took care of the kid for a while and helped him prepare, then once he was old enough, the main character then let him get out to the world to live a normal life.

This is where the two albums come in. ALON is the film's main character's story. The songs in the album were his struggles, his pain and heartaches, his fears and his anger. LAON on the other hand was the kid's story. It was all about his hopes and the positive outlook in life he acquired. He finally found peace and learned to accept and love himself.  For me, this is why the LAON album was the brighter side despite it having the darker promotional cover.

The two important characters in the movie were represented by the two albums, and they both represent the good and bad in all of us. They were the light and darkness within us, the YIN and YANG. If we will follow PABLO's lore and personality, as well as the way he carries himself, you would understand that he's always been an advocate of self acceptance. He never hid the truth about his strict and sassy attitude. In fact, he had always been comfortable showing it. The way he always say choose to be kind, not always be kind, is a reminder that everything is a choice.

We all have the capacity to do evil, but we can choose not to. It is all up to us. If we will translate PABLO's lore, we will understand that he has always been promoting self-awareness and our capacity to make choices. He has always been honest about his imperfections, which makes him even more relatable. He is each one of us. Terrified, insecure, hurting, but despite all that, still fighting to be better. Truthfully? That is all we can do. We can never be perfect. We will do or say the wrong things, hurt people one way or another, but as long as we are trying, then we still have hope.

HOPE

It is all that matters . the hope for a better future, not perfect, but better. You can get the same message if you listen to all the songs from the ALON and LAON album. Each of them tells us that our imperfections, our pain, and everything we fear about don't have to destroy us. They can be our fuel to be a stronger, better version of ourselves. I truly hope we can all learn from our PINUNO's wisdom.