Ataul for Rent

“Ataul for Rent”

The story revolves around the lives of a live-in couple who owns a small-time funeral parlor renting out coffins of four different sizes, small, medium, large and extra small. Guido, the owner, doubles as the embalmer, while his partner, Pining, does the make-up and uses the same equipments for both the dead and the living and is the jueteng kubrador of the neighborhood.
There were a lot of kinds of people living in that area, snatchers, rapists, gamblers, drug addicts, drunkards, prostitutes, gossipers and other disreputable characters. It seems that the people who lives there are not afraid of the laws of the government and to our creator, God. And it appears that they lack goodness of the heart and good morals.
Tragedies consecutively happened. First, Tale, the shabu-user mother of a drunkard son, Second, Moises, a professional thief who was killed/salvaged by the police and was a husband to a nagging wife with three kids; and lastly, Andoy, an addict whose brother Danny is a call boy con snatcher and whose gambling laundry woman mother Aling Carmen became insane after Andoy was killed by a drug lord and gang leader.
Almost same scenes happened every day. People were gambling, gossiping and drinking alcohol while hanging out in the funeral wakes along the alley. Because the alleys are becoming dens of evil scourge of society the government was forced to demolish the people’s houses and on the same site a new church will be constructed and a new hope.
Although, I’m aware that the number 1 problem of the Philippines right now is poverty, I still can’t believe such situations are happening here and is prevalent in our country. For poverty is not the reason to commit crimes. Isn’t it bad to exchange morality principles from a growling stomach?
This is a movie worth watching for it is an eye-opener to everyone, economically, socially and politically. This movie will help different people, rich or poor, to realize that despite of the hardships that we encounter we must not give up. For there will always be second chances in life. We must always remember the teachings of God plus the things that we learned since we were a child. If peace, justice, honesty and a lot more are prevalent in our country, no wonder that the Philippines will be successful. People won’t steal things from others, do horrific things and commit crimes.
The movie’s message and warning to the people who uses poverty as a reason to do crimes is really clear. Poverty is a way to strengthen a person’s personality, strengthen a person’s faith and opportunity to show that people are creations of God.
I enjoyed watching the movie primarily because the actors and actresses were good. As well as, it’s really exciting to watch and to know the ending of the story. I would want to recommend this movie to other people. I want them to know how this movie has moved me and has made me a better person. This movie will help a lot of people despite of their economic status in life for it portrays different life lessons.
There are a lot of Filipinos who are really irresponsible and don’t even care with what’s happening around them. While the rich, famous and powerful people sit at their comfy chairs, eating the world’s most delicious food, some die from hunger. Half of our poor population wakes up without food on their table. How can we listen to our ipods and eat on fancy restaurants when there are a lot of us are dying? Who are we to blame?
We are our own enemy. And we must have the courage, the will, to change ourselves.” This phrase that I got from the article had opened up my eyes from the reality. I must first start with myself, we must start with ourselves. As a student, I’m given the opportunity to have good future. Therefore, I must study hard and be responsible enough. I also need to be aware of everything that is happening around me. I shouldn’t be numb.
Why don’t we just stop on depending on our government and start to make a change? We always wanted to do easy things and we don’t even want to experience suffering that’s why our country shows no development. I even remember what Bayani Fernando said to the people living in the squatter’s area, that they must not be contented with what they have instead try to make their lives easier. He’s definitely right. We must now start to make a move and be agents of change in the society and in the world. Poverty makes people life miserable. It makes people doubt God’s existence.
Poverty kills a lot of people. Move people, before it’s too late. We don’t know when time will come that all we can do is to feel disappointed.