Bar Boys is a 2017 Philippine comedy-drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Kip Oebanda. The film stars Rocco Nacino, Carlo Aquino, Enzo Pineda and Kean Cipriano, and revolves around a group of friends who will try their best to become aspiring lawyers in a law school.
Produced by TropicFrills Film Productions, in cooperation with Wildsound Studios, and distributed by Quantum Films, it was released on August 16, 2017, as one of the official entries for the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.
Plot
A quartet of friends consisting of legal management graduates Christian (Enzo Pineda), Erik Visencio (Carlo Aquino), Joshua (Kean Cipriano) and Toran Garcia (Rocco Nacino), play League of Legends in an internet café and later check the results of their law school entrance examination. Of the four, only Erik, Christian, and Toran manage to pass. Joshua, on the other hand, does not appear on the list due to his focus on making a career as an actor and model.
The families of three law school passers celebrate their children's success. Toran comes from a middle-class family of seven, with parents who invite neighbors to celebrate and support his education to make a name for the family. Erik is from a working-class family, with his father, an aging retired cop now working as a security guard, hoping the law degree will lift them out of poverty. Christian comes from a wealthy family and could attend an Ivy League university in the U.S., but he chooses to study law in the Philippines to be closer to his girlfriend (Ana Luna), a decision his father (Pontri Bernardo), a Filipino-American lawyer and businessman, is unaware of.
The trio starts their law school journey and faces various challenges. In their first class, they meet Victor Cruz, a gay lawyer who takes an interest in his students. Toran begins a relationship with a popular, intelligent girl in his class and is invited to join an elite law school fraternity after an altercation with a rival member. However, he faces a moral dilemma when he witnesses fraternity abuse and struggles with whether to report it or protect his status. Meanwhile, Erik's father suffers a stroke, forcing Erik to juggle his studies, work, and caregiving responsibilities.
After years of overcoming challenges, the trio reaches their senior year, where they tackle the most difficult cases and subjects. One of their most challenging classes is taught by the strict Deputy Dean, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Hernandez, who demands precise answers. In one class, she teaches the students about the seriousness of studying law and shares a pro bono case she handled involving land titles and the oppression of farmers.
Months before graduation, Hernandez reveals the list of students who will graduate, including those allowed to graduate despite grade cutting. Facing the risk of losing respect in his fraternity, Toran gathers the courage to report the hazing to Hernandez, who takes immediate action. He later reunites with his friends and reveals that he managed to cut part of his grades, allowing all three friends to graduate.
During the bar exams, Erik drops out after his father passes away and is cremated, while Toran and Christian continue. Months later, Toran returns home and pranks his family into thinking he failed the bar exams, only to reveal he passed, bringing them joy. Meanwhile, Christian becomes a topnotcher in the exams.
Joshua reunites with the trio when they find Toran arguing with Erik, who is keeping his father's ashes. Christian offers a portion of Josh's income as an actor to Erik, but Josh insists he keep the money for his needs. Later, Erik meets with Justice Hernandez, who offers her condolences for his father's death. As Erik shares his plan to start a business, Hernandez supports him but encourages him to retake the bar exams, warning him about fraternity influences.
Years later, Joshua becomes a successful celebrity, while Erik ranks ninth in the bar exam topnotchers. Christian meets with Joshua, who is preparing for a TV series, before heading to the courthouse library, where he reunites with Toran and Erik. Toran and Christian reveal that they coached Erik for his bar exam retake. The trio then heads to the courtroom, ready for their session.
Odette Khan as Justice Hernandez, a retired court Justice known for her strict demeanor who would not accept anything other than a specific and precise answer. The role was originally offered to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, which she initially accepted only to drop out due to her 2016 presidential campaign conflicting with the production schedule.[citation needed]
Rener Concepcion as Renato Vicencio, the father of Erik.
Vance Larena as Lord Master
Irene Celebre as Linda Vicencio, mother of Torran.
Pontri Bernardo as Atty. Maurice Carlson, the father of Christian
Hazel Faith Dela Cruz as Alice
Production
Bar Boys was produced under TropicFrills Film Productions in cooperation with Wildsound Studios. It was directed and written by Kip Oebanda.[1] The concept for the film was created when Oebanda was watching a local horror film with a lawyer friend who described to him that law school is the "ultimate horror film". Oebanda presented the idea for the film at the 2014 Film Financing Forum.[2] This led to Oebanda researching on law schools and its culture, law students and instructors and even the concept of friendship.[1]
He describes the film as a "love story" saying that friendship is a "form of love". He says that the characters in the film went through conflicts that made them make tough decisions and was asked to pick between friendship or personal success.[1] The film was produced by Vanessa Ulgado.[3]
The film received support from the SM Foundation. Principal photography for Bar Boys was made in 2015 and additional shots were made the following year.[1] Most of the school scenes, including the library and classrooms, were filmed in San Beda College (now San Beda University), while scenes depicting the bar operations of different law schools were actual footage of the 2015 bar examinations at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). However, as filming inside UST, the venue for the bar examinations, was prohibited for security reasons, scenes of law graduates taking the bar examinations were instead filmed in another portion of San Beda College.[citation needed]
Release
The film, distributed by Quantum Films, made its theatrical debut on August 16, 2017, as one of the twelve official entries at the 2017 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.[1]
Reception
Critical response
The Cinema Evaluation Board gave Bar Boys an "A" rating. Writer-director Erik Matti described the film as "nostalgic and sentimental", saying that Bar Boys reminded him of Maryo J. de los Reyes's Bagets and Jake Tordesillas's High School Circa '65. He also praised the performance of the lead actors as well as the "nuanced detail on the inner workings of making it to law school" as depicted in the film.[3]
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