PINOY SUNDAY is not a typical Taiwanese film. Firstly, it plays out primarily in Tagalog, with only occasional snippets of dialogue spoken in Taiwanese, Mandarin or English. Secondly, it maintains a fairly light-hearted tone, telling a simple story of Filipino migrant workers without feeling compelled to get bogged down in social commentary or berate the injustices of an unfair society. Instead, Malaysian-born writer-director Ho Wi Ding lets his film ride for the most part on the shoulders of his two lead actors - Jeffrey "Epy" Quizon and Bayani Agbayani - a task they effortlessly accomplish through their natural charisma and frequently hilarious onscreen chemistry.
Dado (Agbayani) is living a lifestyle endured by migrant workers the world over. He has left his wife and young daughter back in The Philippines to come to Taipei and work on an assembly line. He sends as much money home as he can to provide his loved ones the best life possible, even if he's not there to share it with them. And that's the problem. Dado's been away for so long that he has, despite himself, begun a relationship with Anna (Meryll Soriano), who works as a domestic helper.
Manuel, on the other hand, is a carefree romantic with no such family ties or financial responsibilities. He's a good-looking guy and applies his energy to chasing girls, although his latest target - club singer Celia (Alessandra de Rossi) - is proving frustratingly nonplussed by his advances. Dado and Manuel both live in a dormitory provided by their employer, but it upholds a strict curfew, keeping them indoors for most of their free time. Manuel dreams of furnishing their rooftop hangout with a sofa, where they can drink beers under the stars and shoot the breeze - but neither of them can afford such a luxury.
On their day off, however, the pair happens upon a recently discarded sofa sitting outside an apartment building and, although many miles from home with no means of transportation, they commit themselves to hiking it back to the dorm. And so begins a hilarious journey, brimming with incidents and pitfalls that over the course of the day will push Dado and Manuel's friendship to its breaking point.
source: twitchfilm.com
