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I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Wow! Such a good movie.

People are voting emotionally.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

'The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros' is such a beautiful take on Manila street life. The themes of poverty and homosexuality are out there in the movie, but the movie doesn't try to sensationalize them; they just act as a backdrop, and add flavour to the story. Both the themes are explored with refreshing honesty, and shown as a reality to be accepted and lived. The movie is essentially about family, love, and crime. Despite the themes, the content in the movie is quite PG; therefore it can be enjoyed by a person of any age.The lead character, 12-year old Maximo (Maxi, as he's affectionately called), is a flamboyant young guy who spends his days watching movies with friends and collecting bets for his brothers. After his mother's death, he has taken over the household duties of cooking, cleaning, etc. Being an openly effeminate lad living in a slum, you would expect him to be an object of chide and ridicule, but it's not the case. Instead, we see him being accepted and loved quite lavishly by everyone around, with no questions asked. The story mainly shows how Maxi is torn between his love for a young police officer and his loyalty towards his family, comprising of his dad and hoodlum brothers.All the characters in the movie and intriguing, well-developed, and quite lovable; no matter what they do or end up doing, you can actually sympathize and see where they come from. The movie has a very sweet and unique charm to it, right from the very beginning scene, where you see Maxi walk home in his usual flamboyant way, and his eldest brother (standing among friends) pulls his leg by asking, 'Who have you been flirting with?', and Maxi mocks their laughter. Despite the Christian influence in the town, you can see (ironically) how the people are much more acceptant and tolerant than their urban counterparts.The camera-work has quite an indie feel to it, but it doesn't come off as trying too hard. You get lost in these characters' day-to-day lives. The acting by everyone involved is quite brilliant; it almost seems like a documentary. The film has so many moments which melt your heart completely - when Maxi tries to be on his elder brother's side when their dad is abusing and hitting him for something seriously bad he did, when Maxi takes care of the police officer after his brothers beat him up, When Maxi's second brother consoles him after hi love has been rejected, when Maxi is trying to convince his brothers not to set out for revenge. Besides these scenes, the movie is filled with quite a few unique and memorable scenes. Do yourself a favour - if the movie strikes some deep emotional chord with you, please let yourself cry. Many things happen towards the end, and you can see young Maximo blossoming out of his naivete and innocence. The ending is quite emotionally satisfying.It's a delightful and heartwarming film; with proper exposure, it could very well become a modern-day classic.

As others have said, this is an interesting peek into another culture - albeit I would think a peculiar exception! 12 year old Maximo Oliveros is playing the role of mother, since his/theirs is deceased, to the other children in his crime ridden barrio family. I saw this a while ago; I distinctly remember other boys wearing lipstick and skirts also or maybe it confused me because it was completely acceptable in the entire community Maximo lived in for him to dress and act swishy with no explanation whatsoever. It was also odd that this child formed a romantic entanglement/friendship with a 25 or 30 year old policeman and his family wasn't concerned about the age difference; only that they might get busted for their criminal activities. I wrote a review for the big red envelope and 3/4 found it not helpful which confused me until I realized this is an art film for people who like such things. I thought it was a story with some broader Gay interest but it isn't and it is unclear Maximo is even Gay nor does it ultimately seem to matter except: As another reviewer wrote - how tolerant is this film since at the end he has shed his feminine clothes, hairstyle and mannerisms and is going to school, which he wasn't before, in ordinary uniform? E.G.: has he discovered it is better to be straight? Straight acting? I give this some points because it was cleverly done and the makers did a good enough job with the characters that you want to find out what happens to them. But it is not something I want to see again. It is just too peculiar.

Though its a thoroughly Catholic-dominated country, the Philippines is said to have a more lax attitude towards "the gay" than other more liberal, democratic countries, like the one I live in. Many point to its cinema as evidence of this. Of course, this is from the outside looking in. LGBT folks, particularly the effeminate "bakla" male, might be commonplace in Philippine film, but the ones we don't see on screen face a particular type of oppression. They are often an object of ridicule, stereotyped as shallow, loud-talking and outrageously "mayabang," and usually sex-crazed. And a lot of folks, gay or straight, eat it up.Despite its deceptive marketing (from the DVD cover/promo poster to the trailer), Auraeus Solito's Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros/The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2006) isn't at all about a flamboyantly gay boy's crush on the hunky neighborhood police officer that happens to be set in a third world barrio. The story is the barrio, and all its contradictions, initially dressed up as a neorealist comedy evoking both Lino Brocka and Bagets at once before taking a darker turn halfway through.Like all good (worthwhile) Philippine stories, its aware of acute third world contradictions without overtly speaking on it. If Brillante Mendoza's work emphasizes people's idealism despite wretched conditions, Solito's flips the formula. His Philippines is one where the people are wretched but the settings, still unmistakably impoverished, can also be a magical, wonderfully pastel-colored place. Maxi (Nathan Lopez) is 12-years old, gay, and plays surrogate mother to his family of petty thieves: tatay Paco (Soliman Cruz) and his older brothers Boy and Bog. The barrio is his playground, until one night he's assaulted by some knuckleheads. Policeman Victor (JR Valentin) comes to his rescue, and they become friends much to his family's objection. Matters complicate when Boy ends up killing somebody in a botched robbery attempt. Lopez brings remarkable ease to the title character, embodying urban poor Philippines with simplicity and struggle. His selfless need/want to care for others is carried by a fragile balance between a naive confidence of who he is and a growing insecurity of where he is (and where he's heading). He dreams in a bubble in the process of bursting, asking his father "Wala na bang ibang paraan itay?" (Is there no other way, dad?)On the surface, he's nothing like his macho, gun-toting father. However, beneath the princess demeanor, he is his father's son, perhaps more so than his brothers. Conditions have forced Paco to consider what is more dignified: starving with a factory job, or getting by as a petty thief. Maxi has inherited his father's most lasting trait: a commitment to keep the family together. Or at least fed, clothed and sheltered, even if it means doing the "wrong" thing. Thus, Maxi's "blossoming" has less to do with dealing with his rejected affections for Victor and more with facing down the reality of his family's livelihood. Restrained by necessity rather than stylistic choice, Solito shows us what could be done with a digital camera, $10,000US and 13 days of shooting. It's a style of film that can never be overdone in the Philippines, where lack of support from the media industry and government and resources forces an organic creativity.Solito's execution is matched by writer Michiko Yamamoto's (Magnifico, 2003) gift for compact, delightful drama/comedy without teetering to far in either direction. Thanks to this collaboration, Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros is a leap forward from the gay caricatures we've gotten too used to, and yet another piece of a compelling argument that Philippine cinema isn't all cornball and melodrama. Or, that a movie can still have those elements and not be shitty.

One can seldom discuss gay Filipino films without mentioning the Lino Brocka classic, "Macho Dancer". For a long time the film lorded over all the others in gay filmdom (or is it 'film gaydom'?). Sure there were competent ones like "Aishite Masu" and "Markova: Comfort Gay" but they were never thisclose to "Macho". Could "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros" finally be the one true contender for the throne?Director Aureus Solito and writer Michiko Yamamoto have crafted a very likable coming of age story. The treatment of Maximo Oliveros' (Nathan Lopez) homosexuality is unique and refreshing for it is never questioned nor made an issue, just a fact as true as the sky is blue. It's a huge credit to the filmmakers for not resorting to easy laughs at the expense of gay characters. Camp is absolutely present but it's never overdone. In fact, I think one of the main reasons why the film works so well is because the whole film isn't overdone. The filmmakers know when to pull back just before a scene turns mushy or heavyhanded. Even something as elaborate as the mini-pageant scene is cut long enough to avoid unnecessary melodrama.One of the film's most interesting aspects for a lot of viewers is the seemingly astonishing possibility that an effeminate homosexual can exist relatively peacefully in the slums, aka Hoodlum Central. Although I haven't seen this myself, I am convinced that cultural mores make this scenario very possible. Despite the influence of homophobic Roman Catholicism, the general mood in the country is situated somewhere between amusement, acceptance, and tolerance (though not immune to occasional spurts of homophobia). Let us not forget that pre-Spanish Philippine culture respected the 'babaylan', a gay priest(ess) of sorts.The homoerotic love angle is beautifully handled, in my opinion. To start with, the leads are perfect. Lopez carries the film as Maximo while JR Valentin as the cop is hunky yet brotherly, respectable as necessary but not too antiseptic. You get a sense of hero worship, excessive caring, and strong attraction from the side of Maximo while from the other side you see a fraternal sense of caring, naivete, and a culturally-imbibed politeness that supersedes any possible homophobia. There's also a delicious hint of ambiguity in his sexuality. There are a number of memorable scenes between the two, but a brief, well-handled, but highly erotic one (which, under a weaker filmmaker, could've easily bordered on pedophilia considering Maximo's age) and the emotionally satisfying ending stand out the most.Despite the fact that Maximo Oliveros is unapologetically gay the film isn't strictly gay-themed unless you consider puppy love, unrequited love, familial obligations, and economic struggles as such.It was a proud moment to watch a Filipino film in the prestigious Lincoln Center New Films/New Directors series in New York City. It was icing on the cake to see someone from the Univ. of the Philippines do good, in the gay arena, no less. "As good as Hollywood films"? I say better. When did Hollywood ever show us a coming of age story with a gay lead character?