Released: September 2, 1982
The Plot: Lesbian lawyer Nora, tried to assist the dancer, Vilma with her legal battles and unexpectedly, falls in love with her in ”T-bird at Ako.” The poorly written plot compensate with crisped dialogues and fast paced editing from one of the most finest commercial director of the 80s, Danny Zialcita. - RV (READ MORE)
An interesting and witty play of events and characters directed by avant garde filmmaker Danny Zialcita. The story of a woman confused of her sexuality (played by Nora Aunor) who worked in a man's world as a lawyer. A chance meeting with a bar girl (played by Vilma Santos) who would change the course of her life. The film portrays a woman who runs and holds her life, but when matters of the heart are concerned, she just lets fate takes it toll. She believes to be in love with the bar girl, or she thinks she is! At the end, a sudden twists explodes making her more vulnerable that she has ever imagined. A parody on the comic love and life of people caught up in a the middle of strange questions of gender issues. A seriously funny picture of the drama of life! - Kabayan Central (READ MORE)
The Reviews: "...Danny Zialcita’s T-Bird at Ako is entertaining cannot be doubted. The plot situations are funny. The lines are witty. The pacing is fast. The lesbian love of Nora Aunor for Vilma Santos, moreover, is extremely clever, since the two superstars in real life would not be caught dead in such a relationship. Zialcita has made a career of doing impossible things. He made he-man Dindo Fernando a homosexual in the Mahinhin series. He now makes Aunor a lesbian. When he tries to make Santos a low-class beerhouse dancer, however, he fails. That makes his record two out of three impossible things, not bad for normally sedate local cinema. This film shows Zialcita at his best – irreverent, tongue-in-cheek, unconcerned with larger themes, focused on obsessive sexual relationships. Let’s take the dialogue first, which cleverly juxtaposes the fiction of the film with the reality of the careers of the two superstars. Thus references are made to Santos’ being a “burlesque queen.” One character is even named “Rubia,” after Rubia Servios (1978), Santos’ competition film against Aunor’s Atsay (1978). More than these allusions, however, the film features sparkling exchanges between Santos and Aunor. Most impressive of all the lines perhaps are those in the court room sequence, since the opposing arguments are easy to follow, yet logical in structure. The direction is tight and masterful. Although one always gets reminded in a Zialcita film of sequences from foreign films, there is a minimum of unmotivated blocking in this film. Each sequence contributes to the whole film (if there is copying, in other words, and I do think there is in this film, the copying is not done simply to be cute or clever, but in accordance with the logical requirements of the plot). The performances, as expected of a Zialcita film, are excellent. Aunor is more effective as the confused lesbian, primarily because Santos is not able to get the rough and ready quality of low-class hospitality girls. Tommy Abuel is terrific in his role as the patient suitor. Fernando is given too little space to develop his character, but what he has, he makes good use of. Captivating is Suzanne Gonzales, though she has to learn to use her face a bit more to express varying emotions. In their brief roles, Anita Linda and Odette Khan are delightful." - Isagani Cruz, September 22, 1982, Movie Parade Magazine (READ MORE)
"...Humahantong ang resolusyon ng pelikula sa antas nang mapilitang magkasundo ang mga magkakatunggali. Sa pagtatapos nito ay bumalik si Aunor sa tunay na esensya ng kanyang pagkababae. Nagmula ito sa matagumpay na babaeng nagpasimula sa pagtagumpay ng mga tradisyonal na pagpapahalagang pang-kababaihan. Tulad ng inaasahan, napapalooban ang T-Bird At Ako ng mga kapani-paniwalang pagganap at pagtatapat. Higit na epektibo si Nora Aunor bilang isang lesbiyana sa pagpapahayag ng komplikasyon sa tauhang kanyang ginagampanan. Lubha namang nakakapagod ang pagganap ni Vilma Santos sa pelikula. Hindi makaramdam ng simpatiya ang manonood dito dahilan sa karton ang kanyang karakter. Samantala magiting ang suportang ipinamalas ni Tommy Abuel bilang matiyagang manliligaw ni Aunor, gayundin sina Dindo Fernando at Suzanne Gonzales. Sa maikling paggnap ay lubhang katangi-tangi sina Anita Linda at Odette Khan. Masasabing masinop ang mga elemento ng pelikula sa T-Bird At Ako, maliksi ang galaw ng mga biswal at masigla ang paggamit ng tunog upang mabisang mailarawan ang mundong ginagalawan ng mga tauhan nito..." - Jojo Devera, Sari-saring Sineng Pinoy (READ MORE)
"Sinong mas magaling ang arte sa "T-Bird at Ako" - si Nora o si Vilma? Sagot : lumalabas na mas magaling si Vilma-dahil mas madali at bagay sa kanya ang role niya. Kung ikukumpara ang acting ni Nora bilang abugada sa akting ni Tommy bilang abugado, kapos ang projection ni Nora lalung-lalo na dun sa nag-iisang court scene nila ni Tommy. Hindi nga namin maintindihan kung bakit nagi-ingles sa korte si Tommy at nagta-tagalog naman si Nora samantalang sa isa pang court scene na ang kalaban niyang abugado ay si Johnny Wilson, pa ingles-ingles pa si Nora. Hindi naman ipinakita sa anumang bahagi ng pelikula na sa husay nga ni Nora sa pagdidebate sa Tagalog nakapundar ang reputasyon nya bilang magaling na abugada. Maraming eksena sina Nora at Tommy rito. Hindi naman masasabing inilampaso ni Tommy si Nora, pero mahirap sabihing napantayan nya ang porma, kilos, at pananalita ni Tommy sa papel na abugado. Of course, sa tunay na buhay ay isang abugado si Tommy. Pero, sapat ba ang hindi pagiging abugada ni Nora sa tunay na buhay para gawing excuse kung bakit mas magaling sa kanya si Tommy at maging si Vilma? " - Rico E. Alegre (READ MORE)
