my rough review of Imelda

(i'll edit it and improve on it later)

IMELDA

I say, watch Imelda, I say.

If you want to see how close we came to establishing a monarchy in the Philippines, watch Imelda.  Imelda is a documentary about one woman’s quest to become glam.  To grace the pages of Vanity Fair.  If she didn’t become Marcos’ wife she would’ve become a superstar, perhaps even greater than Sharon Cuneta (assuming they were the same generation)

But before we go to the movie, we must tackle the “controversy” behind the movie.  Did Imelda prevent the screening of this movie to make it more spectacular?  I don’t think so.  I think she was genuinely afraid of the repercussions of the movie.  She never thought it would be shown here.  But now that it has, it doesn’t put her in an anymore negative light than she already is in.  In some ways, it even makes her more affable, because you get to see how human she is.  But all in all, I’m sure Imelda doesn’t mind being in the limelight again.  Because if there is one thing Imelda loves, it’s being fabulous.

Anyway, back to the story, who is Imelda.

Imelda was the poor relation of a gloriously rich and powerful family, the Romualdez’s.  And it’s quite clear, in my opinion that this weighed heavily on her psyche.  Dressed in parachute rags and canvass as a child, I’m sure doesn’t do wonders for one’s confidence.  Imelda struggled immensely to become famous.  Competing in every beauty pageant she could get into, if she didn’t get first place, she just wouldn’t be satisfied.  Her tenacity and ambition were clear in the whole movie.

Is she crazy?  Probably a little.  Spending a little too much time alone with her thoughts with everybody simply saying yes around you, can make one think pretty much she is a god.  The scene where she outlines her “philosophy” is overwhelmingly scary.  And as many a person attests she has preached her philosophy many a time.  She even wrote a book, that this writer, would love to get his hands on, as a sample of noveau riche kitsch.

But in the end, Imelda is lovable.  Yes, she stole a lot of money, yes, she dressed up a lot that was put on the back of the poor.  But in the end, who was the most guilty.  The woman who spent it, or the man who stole it in the first place.  It would be interesting if Ramona Diaz follows up this documentary, with the person who most influenced this country in the first place, Marcos, himself.

So this movie is worth watching.  If you want to see the culture of noveau riche that has been foisted on this country, in our society columns, magazines, etc.  People who are photographed nicely but haven’t really done a damn thing.  Imelda is iconic of this whole crass culture, that continues to proliferate if not even expand.

But as Imelda (or her pillow) itself proudly proclaims.  It’s better to be noveau riche, than not riche at all.  Haha.  The jokes on us.  Imelda wins.