‘Lolo and the Kid’ Netflix Movie Review - Let the Sobbing Game Begin

A wealthy couple, Gemma (Meryll Soriano) and Allan (Joem Bascon) notice two impoverished individuals, Lolo (Joel Torre) and his grandson Kid (Euwenn Mikaell), sitting outside their house and feeling compassion for them. They invite Lolo and Kid into their spacious home, provide them with food, and strike a deal with Lolo. The couple decides to adopt Kid, and in exchange, they give Lolo an envelope containing money. Despite feeling very sad, the elderly man agrees to the arrangement, hoping for a better future for his grandson. The little boy begins to cry, accompanied by emotional music, which I found to be quite manipulative. I couldn't help but think, "Why not also keep Lolo with you in your big house?" At least this would spare us from hearing the child's cries. I braced myself for a cheap, emotionally manipulative film, but writer-director Benedict Mique pulled the rug from beneath my feet. Lolo and Kid's whole routine turns out to be a deceptive trick. They rob people who don't have children but possess a lot of money by gaining their sympathy. The couples always choose to adopt the child while they give Lolo cash and say goodbye. When everyone falls asleep at night, Kid sneaks out of the house with valuables, and Lolo sells them to a shady shopkeeper.

There is some pleasure in watching the titular characters turning the gears of this film near the beginning, changing it from a weepy melodrama to a light comedy. However, once the dust of amusement settles, you spot the uncomfortable message the twist brings with it. The wealthy characters who get duped by Lolo and Kid are not snobbish. They make themselves vulnerable, reveal intimate details about them, and show genuine affection towards Lolo and Kid. Yet, they suffer terribly. One can only imagine the pain they must have experienced after realizing they have been conned just because they were kind to somebody. The movie, as a result, comes across as a warning. It tells us not to be sympathetic towards the poor people who live on the streets because they can turn out to be thieves. This is the kind of nasty paranoia and backward thinking that is exhibited by individuals belonging to fortunate families. They keep their distance from destitute beings solely out of fear of getting scammed, robbed, or tricked. Mique plays it all as a comedy without realizing that he is feeding unpleasant notions through his story.

Lolo and the Kid's sole strength lies in the acting. Torre's Lolo acts nervously in front of the "donors," making his good guy shtick very convincing. Mikaell is fine, and so is Juan Karlos, who plays the older version of Kid. Nevertheless, it slowly becomes evident that Mique's material is thin. He uses loud melodrama as a shortcut to appeal to the hearts of the audience. Mique hides his unoriginality through his vulgar attempts to leave us teary. The overly weepy sentiments try to cover the creative bankruptcy. The kid hands a book to Lolo and asks him to read from it. Lolo, though, narrates his own story. He tells us how, once upon a time, there was a lonely king who found purpose in his life after the arrival of a prince. The "king" and "prince" in this story are Lolo and Kid, respectively. Immediately after this bullet point-like description, we get a flashback that merely tells us what Lolo had just told Kid about that "king." The only extra detail we get seems inconsequential, almost unnecessary (it has something to do with the two characters' names). Mique's imaginative powers remain limited to the opening twist. After we learn about the scam, the movie becomes repetitious, and the way Lolo discovers "donors" is simply ridiculous. But Mique doesn't care. He simply wants you to grab your handkerchief. Let the sobbing game begin.

Final Score – [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times