2006 NEWFEST-Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros, The

          Fillipino cinema is filled with stories of first loves, told either as
  tragic tearjerkers or as light comedies. Rarely, though, does such a film
  center on a gay character, but The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
  is that exception. While there are some intrepid American movie makers
  who dare to deal with the sexual awakening of pre-teens (for example,
  Twelve and Holding), the topic remains mostly on the fringes.

          Screenwriter Michiko Yamamoto and director Auraues Solito
  have crafted an intriguing and interesting tale built around a 12-year-old
  gay boy who is well-adjusted and reasonably happy. Maximo or "Maxi"
  (Nathan Lopez giving a strong performance) spends most of his days
  cooking and cleaning for his father and two older brothers, all of whom
  clearly love and support the boy despite his "differences." That the elder
  Oliveros men make a living as petty thieves, mostly stealing cell phones,
  doesn't phase young Maxi. When not keeping house, Maxi is off with
  like-minded youths staging mock beauty pageants or watching bootleg
  DVDs at a local establishment.

          Maxi's world gets turned upside down, though, when he's attacked
  by some ruffians and rescued by Victor (JR Valentin), a new policeman
  with strong morals and a chiseled physique. The boy develops a crush
  on the policeman who doesn't exactly discourage the attention -- at least
  at first. After a young man is killed while being robbed of his cell phone,
  attention shifts to Maxi's older brother and Victor tries to pry information
  from the youngster. Maxi is then torn between his growing affection for
  Victor and hi loyalties to his family.

          In some ways the film breaks new ground, while in other ways it
  reinforces some of the clichés of the genre.

                                 Rating:                B -

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros