Bwakaw

Rene didn’t come out of the closet until he was 60, and he is bountifully cranky about life and somewhat obsessed with death (including sleeping in his own coffin). He shows his tender side only to his dog, Bwakaw, and to a senile friend whom he visits and peels fruit for. SIFF describes this as a “life-affirming comic drama,” but aside from some hysterics surrounding a coworker’s death, there’s little comedy and not much affirmation here, and it is all decidedly slow-paced. Still, the characters hold interest, and the cinematography showcases the Philippines setting. BETHANY JEAN CLEMENT