‘Kimmy Dora’ deserves respect

I’m jumping into the fray and saying that Eugene Domingo as twin sisters Kimmy and Dora in “Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel” (I really don’t know how to translate kiyeme, sorry) “wuz robbed,” in show-biz parlance.

Since many reviewers had previously panned both the movie and Ms Domingo’s performance, I hadn’t held out much hope when I stepped into the movie house for my regular “Kimmy Dora” fix. But since the filmmakers said this would be the last film in the comic franchise, I couldn’t very well abandon the twins and their antics without knowing how Kimmy and Dora ended up running Go Dong Hae Enterprises, could I?

And I’m glad I ignored the naysayers. I left the theater with my daughter-in-law (with whom I share a Kimmy Dora fixation as well as a fan’s devotion to Domingo) high and giddy from the laughs and inventiveness, especially after watching the postscript, a satirical “coverage” of the MMFF awards night. Talk about chutzpah!

But talk about prescience, too. Both Kimmy and Dora are nominated for best actress, but only Dora—the childish, intellectually challenged sister—wins the award. At this, Kimmy erupts into a rage, denounces the film fest organizers, and walks out on the proceedings. It was all played for laughs. But look what’s happened in real life.

The producers issued a public statement in the wake of the “snub” of the movie by the real-life MMFF jurors, saying “it was very unfortunate that ‘Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel’ and its lead actress, Eugene Domingo, did not get the right recognition due them. Its director, Chris Martinez (also the screenwriter of all three Kimmy Dora movies) was not even nominated based on the merits of the film.”

But perhaps as a consolation, Domingo won as “Star of the Night,” to recognize the “best dressed” female star in the awards rites, a twist that would have been right at home in the franchise.

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Let’s set aside the controversies for now.

What matters most, at least for this follower of the hilarious trilogy, is that, while the “Kiyemeng Prequel” proved much too predictable, it brought back the comic spirit and derring-do that characterized the other two movies. Most of all, it brought back Eugene Domingo in all her quirks and wackiness.

Could someone please create an award for best comic actress—or best actress, period—for Domingo for her body of work that defies the limits of commercial filmmaking? Or could an awards body at least recognize Domingo and her cohorts for breaking the walls of formula films and daring to create movies and characters of such originality and cleverness?

The world, or at least the world of international film festivals, has long recognized Domingo’s talent and has repeatedly honored the movies she’s appeared in. And while she is a recognized name and presence in the local film industry, Domingo has yet to achieve the status of superstar or drama queen or icon, although I suspect that she would be the first to raise an eyebrow should someone bestow such a title on her.

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“Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel” opens with pseudo-news coverage of Kimmy’s graduation from Cambridge University as a summa cum laude. So imagine her resentment when she comes home, expecting to be escorted into the executive suite of her father’s ginormous conglomerate, only to be told that she would have to start, literally from the basement, as a trainee together with her sister Dora.

The ignominy is eased somewhat by the presence of Rodin Bartoletti (Sam Milby) who monitors the twins’ performance as they rise through the ranks, another opportunity to showcase the mad contrast and unspoken conflict between the sisters, who both, in different ways, prove amazingly incompetent and unfit for their line of work.

Kimmy must rein in her arrogance and impatience with coworkers, customers and Dora; Dora must keep her naivete in check, and stand up to her sister. Then a masked corporate terrorist shows up, and the sisters are forced to work together to rescue their father and the company.

This being a comedy, all’s well that ends well. It is madcap and maddening, combining elements of satire and cynicism. But it is also escapist and absurd. But moviegoers are laughing their way throughout.

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Being the star, Domingo is entitled to her conceits. She’s told interviewers about her feat of dropping the necessary pounds for a shapelier body. And throughout the movie, that new va-voom body is put on display—especially in a beach scene with Milby and her “twin.” Amazingly, though, it is Dora who steals the scene, and enjoys a kiss with Milby. Talk about the rewards of the innocent!

As the final segment in a franchise, the “Kiyemeng Prequel” pays homage to the other movies, bringing back familiar characters and “introducing” others we know from the previous films.

True, much of the freshness has been lost by now, and the element of surprise, especially the unusual dynamics between the twin sisters, is gone. But there is still much to recommend “Kimmy Dora,” not the least of which is the sheer pleasure of watching Domingo in front of the camera, confident and self-assured, not afraid of indulging in a bit of self-mockery.

If only for such self-assuredness, Domingo deserved the jurors’ nod, and “Kimmy Dora” a little more respect or recognition than it got. We’ll miss the franchise, and the twins, and hope that the people behind the movie will get over their umbrage and begin work at once on a new, fresh and delightful production—starring Eugene Domingo, of course!