OPINION: Scent of a Woman

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

That award-winning 1992 film Scent of Woman strikes a nostalgia in me. I ask Davao del Norte Vice Governor “Baby” Suaybaguio to watch the blockbuster film again- at home.

The film is starred by actor Al Pacino (a retired irascible, blind, medically retired U.S. Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in the film) and Chris O’Donnell (tukayo Charlie Simms, a preparatory school student who takes a job as an assistant to Al Pacino or Frank Slade).It won for Al Pacino the Academy Award for Best Actor and more cinema laurels for director Martin Bres.

I think last year or early this year the HBO and Cinemax played it again- and again (in the outfits’ shenanigans to playing with our culture of easily forgetting things, err like Ninoy’s heroism or Kris loves with Phillip Salvador and Joey Marquez- no pun intended).

There’s a lot of walking CD vendors now and pirates are coming up with well-CD recorded films in glossy and sleek covers. Ask for it, and the latest Pacquaio’s fight, and voila- they have it.

Anyway, film-watching at home is good for the coming weekend holiday as warm-up starter before going to the cemetery to meet a riotous exploding living population paying homage to our millions of beloved dead, the global warming notwithstanding.

To set our mood for the All Saints Day (Nov 1, Saturday) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2, Sunday), choose the film genres that are good for the soul- the classic, romantic, that which dramatically slow-moving but emotion-captivating with surprise denouement. Not the comedy, action, Jacky Chan, brutal, horror films please.

I mean the Scents of the Woman is primarily classic but comic. It intrigues the heart in seeing a cantankerous middle-aged man who is now blind, alcoholic and impossible to get along with (Al Pacino) having a time in New York with the aid of youthful assistant Charlie Simms, just to take a room at the posh hotel, eat at an expensive restaurant, to wish to sleep with a beautiful woman, and then commit suicide. Later, the blind Colonel tangoes with a girl whose perfume captivates him (hence the title of the movie).

To cut the movie short, Slade’s suicide does not materialize as he is prevailed upon by Simms.The rest is history.- they become close friends and shortly Slade cause for the exoneration of Simms from the allegation that he plays the prank on school headmaster. End for now.

Flashback: I saw the vice governor two decades ago so smart in jeans when he was still the city mayor. That time his nephew Konsehal Nickel must have been still in shorts. I saw in the latter a déjà vu on VG Baby. But being older but still smarter, VG Baby could take the Al Pacino’s role, while being young and neophyte, Kons. Nickel could take Chris O’Donnell’s.

Not that the VG portrays in real life Slade’s film character. He’s already south in age now after serving the city and province in length, with interregnums after electoral defeats.And huwah! (Slade’s stereotyped shout in the movie which I like to hear), the VG has returned fragrantly ensconced in his current public seat- for that scent of a kingmaker.

Forget that blink when he was reminded by movant BM Larry Caminero there was still that third and final reading to finally junk the Purok Ordinance two weeks ago. VG Baby might have just an afterthought what’s in store for the Urban Poor Ordinance of his young nephew Nickel that was yet forthcoming to land in his august hall.

As to Kons. Nickel, he may play a prank of his Urban Poor Ordinance, knowing that as his uncle’s earlier plan of running for the Congress was political suicide, hence the VG’s silence now, the new measure that has recently reached at the Davnor SP seems to be also one that would have him kissed his young political career goodbye. Or this scent of 2010 is just subject for a director’s cut? Oh baby, for that Scent of a Woman. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments, reactions, e-mail: ruralurbanews@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

Filed under: davao del norte vice gov. baby suaybaguio, my music, vice governo baby suaybaguio, davao del norte vice gov. baby suaybaguio, tagum councilor nicandro suaybaguio, um tagum sex scandal

NEWS: Olano says he doesn’t want to break the Lakas unity in Davnor

He wants fair weather with local media

oct 17

Davao del Norte District 1 Congressman Arrel Olano appears to be wanting to talk with the local media in fair weather.

He said that he did not want intriguing questions posed to him by the local media that would lead him to say words that would threaten to break the Lakas unity in the province.

Asked yesterday on whether he would make true his earlier statement of running for city mayor or for governor as among his options, he appeared evasive saying that he should not be intrigued with questions that would break the Lakas party in the province since City Mayor Rey Uy and Governor Rodolfo del Rosario as well as him belong to the same party.

He did not also give comment on the Purok Ordinance that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. junked last Monday.

But asked in an ambush interview about his congressional bill about puroks pending at the Congress, he said that it is still a pending measure.
Asked further on what it is all about, he cut short, saying: “it is not comfortable for us to talk about it here” in obvious irritation to the posed question as a streak of sunlight hit the place of interview. After snapping that, he then immediately sped away riding on his government issued car with plate no. 8. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: davao del norte tagum officials, davao del norte vice gov. baby suaybaguio, congressman arrel olano, davaod el norte officials davao del norte news, governor dolfo del rosario, mayor rye uy, senator chiz escudero, vice gov baby suaybaguio