MANILA, Philippines?What does it take to be a hero? In director Gil Portes and writer Eric Ramos? independent outing, ?Pitik Bulag,? it is entirely plausible for a stroke of good luck and some morally-gray choices to make a hero-fractured, yes, but a hero nonetheless.

?Pitik Bulag? (connoting blind luck) revolves around Angelo (Marco Alcaraz), a stuntman who thinks he can still make it as an action star even if the genre ? and it?s main driver and his idol Fernando Poe Jr. ? are already long dead.

Barely skimming the fringes of show biz?s seedier side and unable to give his pretty wife (Paloma) and their daughter (shipped off to the province as they can no longer support her) the good life he had promised, he holds out for the hope that one day his fortune will change.

His luck turns when one day bank robbers accidentally drop P10 million at his feet.

Solid writing

Believing this to be his much-deserved turn at redemption, he takes the cash and disregards the moral and practical implications of his actions.

Thus he and his wife find themselves on the run, robbers and crooked cops hot on their trail, even as they try to escape guilt ? by tracking down some of the victims of the heist and giving them a portion of the loot.

For all intents and purposes, ?Pitik Bulag? is a quality film that benefits from solid writing. While trying to sell it as a sexually-charged movie with a blunt, opening love scene on top of a building as well as some girl-on-girl action, the movie can survive sans the hanky-panky. Thanks to a well-written screenplay ably translated onscreen.

The characterizations are also well-developed. Angelo is not your average screen leading man. He is simple, but not a simpleton. His reaction to the situations he finds himself in are natural. So much so that some may find him a dry, if not predictable protagonist.

This goes to show that the movie is more about the moral dilemmas people face, and not so much about the people on the screen. Especially when presented with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to break away from the patterns that limit their lives.

This is why you will find yourself rooting, if not moved, by his tragic hero.

The wife, in turn provides a good compliment to the husband. She is written as someone who suffers but still stands by her man. And despite newcomer Paloma?s kind visage, she is no killjoy.
Upon learning that their millions came from a heist and resulted in two deaths, she carefully considers the dilemma and settles for a more practical, realistic solution ? one that also lightens the load on their conscience.

Unfortunately, the characters fall a little short of reaching their full potential onscreen as both leads ? Alcaraz and Paloma? are obviously neophyte actors. Yes, they eventually grow on you as the movie progresses, but their acting is a tad amateurish: voices a notch higher in decibel (like stage acting); under-reactions and stiff expressions.

Still, they deserve an A for effort. More popular actors have done worse.

Another performance worthy of note is that of Victor Neri, as the cold, cynical killer/robber who chases down the protagonists. His is no mere token crazy villain. He is crazy all right-killing people at random ? but it?s conceivable that behind his stoic gaze there?s a lot going on inside. This makes him the acting heavyweight in this film.

No loopholes

Portes? direction sews it all together ? the good, the bad ? melding it into a cohesive narrative that leaves no loopholes, with everything nailed firmly to reality.

A slight drawback, for some, may be the film?s inability to build up on the suspenseful, fast-paced nature of the great chase. Sure, Neri is a compelling villain (ably supported by a gay henchwoman with perfect timing) who is always just a step behind Alcaraz and Paloma.

But nowhere in the film will you feel a sense of danger or panic.

Then again, this is perhaps because the movie is not an out-and-out suspense thriller. The gritty shots of Metro Manila?s underbelly may have a greater purpose than mood-setting. Coupled with the paring down of cinematic values, it shows that this story can happen to people in places you may know.