Balota (Ballot)

Balota: A teacher pays an increasingly steep price for defending the democratic process of the election.

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Introduction

This was very well timed by Netflix to put it up during the upcoming elections here in the Philippines. The portrayal of a corrupt local government, how they manipulate the people to gain their trust and votes, the way they use local police force for their benefit, all of which are shown here and unfortunately, all are possible scenarios. Can also be applied in other countries, but specially here in the Philippines. Directed by Kip Oebanda known for Liway (2018) and Bar Boys (2017).

Balota is a 2024 Philippine political thriller drama film. The story revolves around a small village outside the city, with a local teacher, Emmy (played by Marian Rivera) having the job of being a poll watcher during votation period. The accomplished ballot boxes never made it back to the governor’s office, the drivers and other poll watchers were either bribed or killed by a gang led by Migs. Emmy now puts her life on the line to protect her ballot box full of crucial votes as corrupt parties tries to overturn a key local election.

Characters

Marian Rivera (Teacher Emmy) carried this film, just as she carried the Balota in the film. Her flawless acting performance delivered raw emotion, authentic conversations with her co-stars, coupled with some comedic moments.

Marian Rivera won Best Actress during the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and was awarded the Balanghai Trophy. This is her first Indie film.

Key supporting casts were:

• Enzo (Will Ashley) and Jimbo (Raheel Bhyria) was able to portray minors that are colateral damage to these heinous acts by corrupt officials.
• Anita (Donna Cariaga) was able to deliver a powerful monologue during the first half of the film.
• Balota also paid tribute to the LGBTQ+ community, featuring Ehrmengard (Esnyr Ranollo) and Babe (Sassa Gurl).
• The two corrupted characters running for mayor Edralin (played by Gardo Versoza) and Hidalgo (Mae Paner) was laughable. Throughout the story, they were veered as powerful and threatening figures but when they appeared, nothing about their character felt as that.

Dialogue

Writer-director Kip Oebanda definitely had a lot to say with his script. It tackled the deep-rooted corruption in Philippine politics pretty boldly. But honestly, the story kind of had trouble holding it all together. The pacing was off, and a lot of scenes felt like they were just there to fill time rather than push the plot forward.

What I didn’t like

Towards the end of the film, the two main antagonists running for Mayor, Edralin and Hidalgo, instantly became powerless. Both of them had tons of men with guns, but at the end they became a joke. I mean I get that there were many witnesses and everything, but knowing what these people are truly capable of, it didn’t seem realistic. More like rushed in my opinion.

It started great to be honest, but like I said, it ended a bit rushed.

Conclusion

The message of Balota was clear, offering an informed look on how election scheming are made, and most likely are still being done today. The tension was there, but the more it got near the end, the less tension there was. I hope they could’ve just held on to a darker, more grittier tone all throughout. The end scene was great, it shows how all of their efforts during the previous election made so little as a dent to the ever growing corruption in Philippine politics. Balota is worth a watch from an informative standpoint.

A different genre but I recommend watching Outside (2024), a psychological horror film with also Philippine-made.