''Soltero'' is a 1984 drama film written by Bienvenido Noriega Jr. and directed by Pio de Castro III for the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. The film stars

Jay Ilagan Julius Abad Ilagan (January 20, 1955 – February 4, 1992) was a Filipino actor. He hosted ''Stop, Look and Listen'' and starred in ''My Son, My Son'' and '' Goin' Bananas'', and starred and participated in a number of movies. Born Julius Abad ...

Rio Locsin Maria Theresa Rosario Garcia Nayve, known by her screen name Rio Locsin (born October 3, 1961), is a Filipina actress and model. Regarded as the "Queen of Adult Drama", Locsin has starred in nearly 60 films including '' Bira! Darna! Bira!'' (197 ...

, and

Chanda Romero Chanda V. Romero (born February 26, 1954) is a Filipina actress. She is mostly seen on GMA Network. She played supporting roles and leading roles in many films during the early and late 1970s. Her prolific work in sexy comedies and dramas caug ...

and it tells the life of a ''soltero'' (young bachelor) living alone in his condominium apartment, working as an assistant manager at a bank, and how he manages his life with his family he loved and the past romances he had.

Summary

Crispin Rodriguez is the ''soltero'' (bachelor) of the story, he is a 29-year old young man who lives in a condominium apartment all by himself and works as an assistant manager of the Traders Royal Bank in Manila. Most of the time, he spends his time hanging out with his office friends like going to parties at bars, eating at a restaurant, or watching movies at the Manila Film Center. However, since his age is nearing 30 and still lonely, the one thing he needed to complete his life is no other than a woman to love and become together.

Cast

as Crispin Rodriguez *

as Christina *

as RJ Juan *Baby Delgado as Nene *

Dick Israel Ricardo Vizcarra Michaca (10 December 1947 – 11 October 2016), known by his stage name Dick Israel, was a Filipino character actor who played mostly villain and sidekick roles in many Filipino movies. He later branched out in television playi ...

as Teddy *Bing Davao as Edwin *Cris Vertido as Joey *Alvin Enriquez as Bimbo *Irma Potenciano as Crispin's mother *Terrie Legarda as Bong *Luigi Sison *

Manuel Conde Manuel Conde (born Manuel Pabustan Urbano; October 9, 1915 – August 11, 1985) was a Filipino actor, director and producer. As an actor, he also used the screen name Juan Urbano during the 1930s aside from his more popular screen name. Early ca ...

as Crispin's grandfather *Robert Campos *Carmen Enriquez *Mona Lisa as the old lady at the condominium *Chito Ponce Enrile *

Menggie Cobarrubias Domingo "Menggie" Cobarrubias (August 10, 1951 – March 26, 2020) was a Filipino actor who appeared in approximately 200 television shows and films. Cobarrubias received a Gawad Urian Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1979 film ...

*Connie Angeles *Khryss Adalia *Nanding Josef *Jack Azarcon *Naty Santiago *Pong Pong *

Bodjie Pascua Luisito "Bodjie" Pascua (born March 2, 1955) is a Filipino stage and film & TV actor and former children's television host. He is best known as "Kuya Bodjie" ("Big Brother Bodjie"), the iconic character he portrayed on the children's educational ...

as Theater Actor *Louie Pascasio as Theater Actor

Production

Throughout the whole life of Pio de Castro III as an actor, writer, and film critic, ''Soltero'' is the first of two films that he directed — the other film is ''Ina, Kasusuklaman Ba Kita?'', which was released in 1985 and produced and distributed by Seiko Films. In an interview from TV Times, the film was shot within three months.

Digital restoration

The film was restored by the

ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project or also known as Sagip Pelikula, was a digital film restoration project of ABS-CBN Corporation in partnership with Central Digital Lab. The project is headed by Leo Katigbak of ABS-CBN Film Archives and Manet Day ...

, with the help of L’Immagine Ritrovata in Italy, Kantana Post-Production in Thailand, and Wildsound Studios in Quezon City. The restoration process of ''Soltero'' started in 2016 with a 4K digital scan at Ritrovata's main laboratory in Bologna, Italy and the film prints used in the scanning were in bad condition, which was caused by many obstacles including color decay, missing frames, and vinegar syndrome that affected the whole print. Just like the other films from the ECP, the film negatives were lost or destroyed and the restoration team decided to restore the films of the said company through positive prints. All of the existing prints of the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines library are stored and archived at the vaults of ABS-CBN Film Archives, located within the

ELJ Communications Center The Eugenio Lopez Junior Communications Center (also called 9501, ELJ Communications Center, or simply ELJ Center) is the headquarters of the media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiaries, and the television network of the same n ...

in Quezon City. However, the film's restoration process began to be rushed as the Serpent 70 denied ABS-CBN's hopes of giving a 25-year broadcast franchise and the team needed to complete it before its deadline on August 31. On January 28, 2021, the restored version of the film was premiered digitally through KTX.ph, added with a pre-show hosted by ABS-CBN Film Archives head, Leo P. Katigbak, and the leading actresses Rio Locsin and Chanda Romero were present at the said pre-show.

Reception

Critical reception

Jim Paranal of Film Police Reviews described ''Soltero'' as a "quiet movie" and despite its colorful depictions of the 1980s, the melancholy of the lead character Crispin can be felt by everyone and his traits cannot be drifted further from the generation of millennials and Gen Z. He praised the film's direction under Pio de Castro III, the written screenplay by Bienvenido Noriega Jr., and the performances of the cast, particularly the lead actor Jay Ilagan. The film also discusses the issues of depression, attempted suicide among males, and representation of lesbian women where Chanda Romero's character RJ accurately portrays the role. Noel Vera, writing under his column ''Critic After Dark'' for BusinessWorld, praised the acting performance of Jay Ilagan and describes the film ''Soltero'' as an "unlikely but ultimately necessary treatment on loneliness in Philippine society".

Accolades

Notes

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0468121, title=Soltero (The Bachelor) 1984 films Philippine drama films 1980s Tagalog-language films