No less than the "Hollywood Reporter" gave Kapamilya actor Jericho Rosales a rave review for his performance in the indie film "Alagwa," which is currently participating in the Busan Film Festival (Window on Asian Cinema).

The Hollywood Reporter described the Filipino movie a “powerful” film about human trafficking and a “small gem portraying a father-son relationship with nothing fake or sentimental about it.”

In the film, Rosales plays a single father whose 9-year-old son, played by child actor Bugoy Carino, becomes a victim of human trafficking. It’s only the 2nd movie of up and coming director Ian Lorenos.

Here’s what the Hollywood Reporter said about Jericho Rosales and his movie “Alagwa” (international title “Breakaway”):

“Nagging, brusque and hyper-critical, Rosales expertly conveys the over-compensation of the single parent in the tough love Robert shows his son”

“The film owes a great deal to the natural chemistry between singer-actor Rosales and Carino, the child star of the TV series ‘E-Boy,’ whose playful, mischievous nature contrasts with Rosales’s nervous hen approach to child-rearing. Their spontaneity is a welcome change from the usual parent-child sentimentality on screen.”

“Lorenos keeps his script firmly in hand throughout, reigning in the emotions until it’s time to let them explode. Whereas at first the handheld camerawork and overexposed outdoor shots cry indie too loudly, they become quite expressive as the film goes on through simple but effective changes in focus, pace, and editing rhythm.”

Also starring in “Alagwa” are Leo Martinez, Smokey Manaloto and Carmen Soo.