The Masseur

Film Title: The Masseur (Phillipino title: Masahista)
Directed by Brillante Mendoza
Language: Tagalog, Country: Phillipines

Following the death of his father and a chance meeting with an abusive romance novelist, a masseur working in a gay massage parlor struggles to make sense of his unfulfilling relationships while simultaneously assisting his mother in preparing his father for burial. Twenty-year-old Iliac (Coco Martin) may not be the best masseur in the parlor, but when he catches the eye of a cold and calculated romance novelist looking for a cheap thrill, the icy indifference displayed by his paying lover does little more to warm the spirits than his sexually charged but emotionally distant girlfriend. Despite the resentment Iliac feels towards his late father for abandoning the family and embarking on a suicidal alcohol binge, the lovelorn youth nevertheless makes the journey home to be there for his grieving mother in her time of need. As he prepares his father for burial and his mind wanders back to the previous night's encounter at the massage parlor, Iliac's increasingly complex love life disturbingly begins to mirror his troubled family life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide