GERARD Butler could be cancelled in the Philippines amid claims his latest movie damages the reputation of ‘the motherland’.The Paisley-born star’s latest flick, Plane, tells the story of a pilot forced to land on the country’s Jolo Island where he save passengers from local militia.Authorities are portrayed as unwilling to send military aid to the downed craft, leading to a desperate fight for survival.
It left critics in South East Asia fuming as they hit out claiming the 53-year-old’s latest release paints the army as ineffective and blundering.And Filipino politician Robin Padilla has proposed a BAN on screenings for its critical portrayal.He told the country’s Senate: “We shouldn’t just ban it, we should also condemn it.Our motherland’s reputation is at stake.“If we Filipinos talk about the problems of our country that is ok because it is our job but if other countries paint a bad picture of our country, we should not agree to it.The country’s Movie and Television Review and Classification Board has said it will reevaluate the film.
Chairwoman Diorella Maria Lala Sotto-Antonio said: “Although the film is fictional, we still would not want our country to be portrayed in a negative and inaccurate light.The MIRCB will re-evaluate the film in view of their concerns and will take all necessary measures if found to be in any way injurious to the prestige of the Philippines or its people.But the Directors Guild of the Philippines has opposed a ban, citing freedom of expression.It said: “We believe agency and free choice must remain with the public, rather than with politicians.
To outrightly ban the film... is a cure much worse than the illness itself, injurious to self-expression and sets a precedent for films to be held hostage by imagined slights to our country’s reputation.It's not the first issue Gerard's faced in relation to the new movie.He recently revealed he badly burned his face with acid during filming.The actor accidentally rubbed phosphoric acid into his eyes from his hands on set.Speaking on US chat show Late Night with Seth Meyers, he said: "No matter what I'm doing, I manage to hurt myself."
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