MANILA, Philippines?Judy Ann Santos plays the beautifully enigmatic protagonist in Dante Nico Garcia?s refreshing directorial debut, ?Ploning,? a well-intentioned, exquisitely photographed but structurally flawed feature about a 30-year-old barrio lass who pines for the love of her life, Tomas?who?s been ?working? in Manila since she was 16?as she patiently waits for his return to the idyllic Cuyo islands in northeastern Palawan.

To tell Ploning?s story, Garcia uses the recollections of Rodrigo, a 30-year-old Palaweño who, with an old photograph in hand, ?visits? Cuyo 25 years after he was rescued from drowning by Taiwanese fishermen, led by Tsuy (Spanky Manikan), who raised the Cuyonon native thereafter.

Mysterious woman

Taking advantage of the island?s fiesta (when the National Coastguard supposedly ?relaxes? its watch against illegal trespassers), Tsuy?s fishing crew stops over at Palawan and gives Rodrigo until dawn to look for the mysterious woman in the picture. Digo then remembers his simple but happy life as a 6-year-old boy before he was whisked off to Taiwan, and how it was inextricably linked to Ploning?s:

The year is 1982. While Manila?s elite basks in the glow of Imelda Marcos? Manila International Film Festival, the countryside suffers from abject poverty and a long, dry spell.

As the Cuyonons eagerly anticipate the coming fiesta, their personal issues and shocking secrets threaten to break the festive air. These simmering dynamics doesn?t escape the attention of the new nurse in town, Manila-bred Celeste (played by the wonderful Mylene Dizon and, later, Tessie Tomas), who claims to have had a relationship with Tomas in Manila!

In the midst of these relationships is the well-loved Ploning, who hardly speaks?even to Tomas? garrulous mother, Intang (Gina Pareño), and her father, Susing (the sympathetic Tony Mabesa). And, constantly keeping her company is Digo, the youngest son of her crippled friend, Juaning (Eugene Domingo, in a memorable performance). Ploning waits and waits?but until when? And, for what?

Impressive cast

The movie?s impressive cast brings their characters? disparate stories to pulsating life: With unflinching conviction and focus, Santos turns in an insightful and nuanced performance?with able support from Dizon, Mabesa and Domingo.

Unfortunately, the feisty Pareño doesn?t do so well. To be fair, we loved the veteran actress? portrayal in ?Kubrador,? as well as her kookie, crowd-pleasing characterizations in ?Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo? and its derivative sequel, ?Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo.?

In this movie, however, Pareño?s showy, over-the-top theatricality is irritating and unnecessarily livid. Case in point: The actress? revelatory ?Tulungan ninyo ako?paano na ang asin ko?? scene. Sure, an actor can shine even in the smallest of roles, but he/she also has to be cognizant of his/her function in the bigger scheme of things.

Our quibbles: Is Digo really Ploning?s son? The opening scene that hints at two people sharing an intimate moment together and the birth certificate that Celeste sees by accident certainly suggest so. If so, how did Ploning keep her pregnancy from her inquisitive friends?

Also, if Intang wanted to keep Tomas? degenerative illness a secret, she certainly did a splendid job by shouting about her son?s condition for all the townsfolk of Cuyo, Magsaysay and Agutaya to hear!

Moreover, if the grownup Digo was in a rush to find Ploning, why did he have to go around Cuyo to search for answers he could have gotten easily from his brother, Veling?

Yes, the movie deserves kudos for its refreshing concept, thematic ambition, exploratory spirit and solid production values?most notably, Charlie Peralta?s photography and the use of authentic Cuyonon music and dialect.

However, it is compromised by a confusing, nonlinear narrative that, ironically, is made even more confounding by the very scenes that are meant to explain and clarify its story.

The exposition ?suggests? a lot of innuendoes that don?t add up. And, watching the film twice makes those lapses even more obvious! ?Ploning? has powerful dramatic moments, and its intentions are admirably noble. Unfortunately, noble intentions don?t a great movie make.