I didn’t realize it was payday yesterday, and coupled with the fact that today is a holiday, traffic was a real bitch in Ortigas. Plus, it’s Ironman’s opening night, so a lot of people flocked out to catch that.

But Ironman, Schmironman. I went out and caught Ploning instead.

I’ve been meaning to catch this Judy Ann Santos starrer since way back, but 15 minutes into the picture, I thought I made the proverbial mistake of inviting friends over to watch some totally hard-to-digest movie. I felt it was trying hard to be Gondry-esque, with intersecting plots and non-linear story telling. I also thought I would be in for a hard time when Tagalog subtitles were shown on screen, a language which I’m ashamed to admit, feel less comfortable in reading.

But I felt more welcome as the film slowly progressed, and the intertwinings that worked its way were slowly revealed. During the first half, I had hoped that the ending will tie it all beautifully, and by the film’s conclusion, I am glad that it did.

I’ve been hearing things about the slow decline of the local film industry; about how filmmakers are afraid to make un-masa films, fearful of the fact that the people wouldn’t be able to comprehend them. To some extent, I still agree. I think Ploning will be eaten alive by When Love Begins, the Aga Mulach - Anne Curtis starrer. But while I believe that releasing a film of this caliber is a huge risk, it is still a risk worth taking.

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After the movie, we hung out at a nearby Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I felt in the mood for something different, and wanted to try something new apart from the usual Genmaicha that I usually have.

I glanced over their counter and thought the ensaymada seemed mightily appealing. And the guy in front of me had hot chocolate, so I thought that I might as well have that too.

So, is it me, or am I the only person who doesn’t know about the ensaymada and hot chocolate combo? Damn that was real good nightcap, even bordering on perfection.