OUR RECENT review of ?Emir? has apparently stirred up a little sandstorm of opposing reactions: Some readers and film buffs have cited it for its relative objectivity and attempt to place the major production within a number of relevant contexts, both artistic and societalc ? but, others think that it damns with faint praise ? or, on the other hand, is too sanguine in its positive notes about what they choose to describe as an ambitious flop. ? What is a perplexed reviewer to do?

Other reactions strum a symphony, if not a discordant cacophony, of subjective strings: The film doesn?t work as a musical, because it has too many stylistically divergent production numbers, due to the fact that its songs were composed by multiple songsmiths.

Significant part

Even the production?s choice of the movie musical mode itself is rapped, because (in one reactor?s view) Filipino moviegoers generally don?t cotton up to the musical style of presentation. On the other hand, music is a significant part of the Filipino psyche and mode of emotional expression ? so, ano ba talaga, kuya?

Perhaps viewers? reactions have been so divergent and even contentious, partly due to the production?s ?official? nature, the film having been financed by a generous government grant to extol our hardworking overseas contract workers, who have sacrificed so much to give their loved ones a better life and have consequently propped up the nation?s economy in a major way?

Citing this generous subsidy, a reactor says he ?expected more? from the film, whose failure to ?deliver,? in his view, reneged on its ?obligation? to mitigate all those millions spent, which required the ?return on investment? of reaching many more viewers than it has.

Perhaps, all is not lost, however: Even if the film hasn?t been enthusiastically patronized by the members of the OFWs? families here, ?Emir? can still be taken on a roadshow of countries abroad where hundreds of thousands and even millions of Filipinos live and work. They should respond to the production in greater and more enthusiastic numbers, since it is about them.

Other reactions focus on bits and pieces: Newcomer Frencheska Farr?s lead portrayal generally gets good marks, as does Dulce?s. In fact, our review is rapped by a fan who think it was ?too severe? in criticizing the second-lead players for performing so frenetically and thus knocking the movie?s proper focus out of whack. ? Sorry, folks, we love Dulce perhaps even more than you do, but filmic focus is filmic focus.

Fewer crime stories

On readers? reactions to other column items. ? Calvin P. Pedroso of Cebu City adds his own observations to our TV notes: ?On TV newscasts, there should be more international news and less local crime stories. What good does it do for us to get more reports about petty crimes? They are shown more for melodrama than anything else, like little dramatic scenes where both criminals and victims break down or get angry at each other.

?As for news from around the world, we need more of it, because relationships between nations have become so complicated that we have to analyze them better to be able to see how they affect us in the Philippines, in terms of economics or security...?

And a caller raps ?reality? shows like ?PBB? for subjecting young contestants to too much emotional stress. It?s designed to separate the losers from the winners, but reality shows should ?realize that they are young teenagers who shouldn?t be made to deal with too much tension and conflict.?