Much Adobo About Nothing
comedy, 35mm, 80 minutes
Directed by Dom Magwili and Stann Nakazono
Produced by Stann Nakazono

REVIEWS

Los Angeles Times, February 3, 2000
by Kevin Thomas
 
Stann Nakazono and Dom Magwili's MUCH ADOBO ABOUT NOTHING which screens Fridays and Saturdays for an open run at midnight at the Sunset 5, is minimalist filmmaking at its most delightful. Shot mainly in an old L.A. apartment house in four days, its makers call it "the first Filipino American farce." It can also be described as a contemporary romantic screwball comedy with a talented, multiracial cast.

Its central figure is a likable young man, Gabe (Kennedy Kabasares), whose relationship with his live-in actress girlfriend, Myra (Myra Cris Ocenar), disintegrates in a spat. Needing a roommate to help out with the rent he is already way behind paying, Gabe proves vulnerable to the handsome, ceaselessly glib Mike (Mike Palma), who has "slick operator" and "freeloader" written all over him. Mike is lazy but always on the make with women. He would seem the least suitable roommate for Gabe under the circumstances, but Mike's decision, made quite independently of Gabe, to throw a big house party that neither can afford yields unexpected results.

Largely improvised from a short story written by Magwili, MUCH ADOBO features a roster of ingratiating actors from his acting class. The key characters frequently address the camera directly, yet the filmmakers never let this device slow down an admirably rhythmic pace. The result is a film that is good-humored, insightful and always engaging. It's surely as tasty as adobo, a Filipino sweet-and-sour chicken delicacy.

L.A. Weekly, Feb. 3 - 9, 2000
Nicole Campos
Recommended Pick

"Gabe (Kennedy Kabasares) and Myra (Myra Cris Ocenar) are former lovers whose relationship bloomed, withered, and has suddenly been given a second chance. Filmmakers Dom Magwili and Stann Nakazono deliver a rough-on-the-edges but witty feature that combines a uniquely Filipino perspective with the structure of a traditional romantic comedy… the script is truthful and intelligent, and the cast is up to task, with standouts including Ocenar and a terrific Mike Palma as Gabe's self-absorbed leech of a roommate."
 
New Times L.A.., Feb. 3 - 9, 2000
Luke Y. Thompson

"The cast are all game, likable… an enjoyable home movie that's accidentally been interspliced with a cultural documentary. "

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VanDance ‘99

In 1999 the producers went to Park City during Sundance with VanDance99!, driving up and down Park City showing the trailer of his newest film, Much Adobo About Nothing out of a rented van.

Footage courtesy of the Sundance Channel