‘Pee Mak’ gets a dose of Pinoy mischief
The Philippine adaptation of the hit Thai movie “Pee Mak,” being, well, an adaptation, can only go so far in localizing the material. But while the story is pretty much fixed and faithful to the original, there’s still room to add color—one just has to be clever about it, director Victor Villanueva points out.
“You’re expected to follow the structure, so you can’t just do revisions. But there are elements that are very Filipino, like the language, nuances, folklore, old customs and traditions,” he says.
Arguably, though, it’s in the humor that the Filipino flavor shows up best. For instance, in one iconic scene, Ter—his face swollen from bee stings and unable to speak—resorts to charades to warn his friends that Nak is now a ghost. This time, it gets the Pinoy Henyo treatment, with his friends firing off guesses: “Hayop?” “Tao?” “Parte ng katawan?” “Sounds like?”
Cracking banter
The style of comedy can’t be pinned to a single era. There’s 1990s slapstick, boomer and millennial pop culture references, and Villanueva’s signature irreverence and cracking banter. “Marami siya, combined, which makes things unexpected. Pinaglaruan talaga,” says the filmmaker, who also directed the acclaimed dark comedy “Patay na si Hesus.”
Of course, no matter how riotous the mix of styles is, much of the comedy depends on the people delivering the jokes. Fittingly, the cast is just as varied.
The love team of Wilbert Ross and Bea Binene leads the cast as Mak and Pee-Nang. Mak’s four goofy soldier buddies, meanwhile, are played by comedy veteran Vandolph as Teryo; stand-up comic TJ Valderrama as Poknat; versatile actor Jairus Aquino as Ayong; and Cup of Joe’s Gian Bernardino—in his first feature film—as Bunak.
But despite their different levels of experience, they instantly hit it off. Vandolph says comedy is all about chemistry and timing—there has to be a “feeder and a receiver.” And from their very first meeting, everyone just kind of filled those roles naturally.
“Kahit nagkakape at kumakain lang, nagiging kulitan na,” he says. “Tinginan lang, alam niyo na agad. You don’t have to talk, pero lalabas na lang na nakakatawa.”
Can’t keep a straight face
As the group’s veteran, Vandolph was initially an intimidating presence to his younger coactors, especially Ross, who was well aware of the comedian’s pedigree. “Natatakot akong mag-joke or magkamali, but sobrang cool niya. Sumasabay lang siya sa trip namin. Kumportable na kami agad,” Ross says.
So comfortable, in fact, that the biggest hurdle for Binene wasn’t her lines or portrayal but stifling her laughter. Villanueva also gave them leeway to improvise and, at some point, the script would just be off to the side. “Sabi ko baka mas maraming comedy. But of course, the horror elements are still there,” Villanueva says.
These Filipino touches also appear in little details. Pee-Nang isn’t just a ghost but a “multo-aswang” hybrid. Courtship scenes feature harana. In the original, the characters blackened their teeth, as was customary in 19th-century Thailand. But in this version, their teeth are stained red with nganga.
The actors took it upon themselves to make little changes to personalize their roles. As an anxiety-ridden young man with a third eye, Bernardino thought of specific mannerisms and reactions to scares. It was also his idea to have curly hair. “I wanted to make sure people don’t see the Gian they know onstage,” he says.
Cinematic flair
Released in 2013, Banjong Pisanthanakun’s “Pee Mak” reimagines the Thai folk legend of Mae Nak as a horror-comedy. The film follows Mak (Mario Maurer), a soldier returning home with four friends to reunite with his wife, Nak (Davika Hoorne), who, unbeknown to him, had died in childbirth.
Equal parts slapstick, jump scares, and romance, the film became Thailand’s highest-grossing local movie of all time.
While the story’s appeal lies in its ensemble’s energy and dynamics, this version can’t not bank on the growing popularity of Ross and Binene’s love team. Villanueva, who also directed the pair’s hit series “Golden Scenery of Tomorrow,” says he’s always conscious of bringing out something new in the actors.
If their television collaboration leans toward rom-com, “Pee Mak” gives the two a more cinematic flair. “Since it’s for the big screen, small movements are magnified,” Villanueva says. “It’s more larger than life.”
And, oh, they’re married here—and they have a baby—so that’s something new. “I had to practice holding a baby,” Ross says, adding that he “amplified the love, hurt, and yearning” his character has, especially in heavy dramatic scenes. “Lalabas at lalabas ‘yong WilBea chemistry.”
