SUMMARY:

Cramp and dark, the kitchen cabinet has become Onyoks (Julian Duque) only solace from his menacing and
abusive father (Ricky Davao as Marcelo). This is where concerned neighbors find him with a fresh cigarette
burn on the palm of his hand. Onyok can neither speak nor cry out the injustice done to him by his own father.
He has not spoken a single word in many years. They take him to a shelter for abused children where he meets
Amanda (Cherry Pie Picache), the charitable and kind-hearted administrator of the shelter; Shirley (Tala
Santiago), a plucky young girl who, like Onyok, is also a victim of parental abuse; and Ariel (Coke Bolipata), a
reclusive concert violinist guilt-ridden over the death of his girlfriend.
When Onyok hears Ariel playing the violin, he is immediately drawn to the music. Before long, Ariel discovers
that Onyok is a natural at the violin. Ariel, though reluctant at first, decides to give the child lessons. Little by
little and quiet unexpectedly, the music they make forms a unique bond between teacher and student. Ariel
learns to open his heart again and begins to care not just for Onyok but for all the children in the shelter. And it
turns out that Onyok is a prodigy.
All this is happening while the shelter prepares for the reconciliation between Onyok and his rehabilitated
father. Ariel realizes that he does not own the child. And their friendship will have to encompass both their
individual issues -- hardly similar and yet, resonant to both of them. Nobody knows whether Onyok's
reconciliation with an abusive parent will succeed. But one thing remains inevitably clear: he has regained his
voice.

Reaction:
BOSES was very touching and most people who watched it were crying after the show. I appreciated the world
of violin music by Maestro Coke Bolipata and how cool it is to be able to play it. The acting was just OK, and
there was an old-school treatment feel to it. But the message it aims to communicate was loud and clear, and
deeply felt in our hearts. It gives voice to abused children. The film makes a lot out of musics ability to express
emotion. It immerses itself in the music, letting the notes say what the characters cant. And its all wonderfully
done. The secret here is that the film allows the music to be imperfect, to have those human touches that reveal
the character of the musician. But what is most interesting about the movie is its treatment of its advocacy. What
makes it so remarkable is its acknowledgement of how imperfect these shelters can be. They can turn out to be
hostile environments as well, and some of these kids have lost all hope of ever reconciling with their parents. It
shows that its possible to recover. It doesnt matter how much or how little education you have, and how much
or how little family support you have. Thats why its a wonderful for me. Boses may be a simple independent
movie to some, but when you watch it, not just with your eyes and your ears but with your heart you will be
able to get its message. It is not just about child abuse, rather, it is about what music can do to a person and how
time heals wounds and how our actions could determine our relationship among family members.