So real, surreal.

I never thought I'd say it: life is like a movie, a soap. Take this:

When you're retired, you experience bouts of boredom. This after you've gone on a trip, or finished a project, and done with your daily routine. You want new things all the time - you want to see more places, try other stuff. The usual becomes tiring.

So, I was bored one time and was flipping through channels when I saw this local show titled "Face to Face," over at TV5. I almost puked at the similarities it had with the U.S. TV show Jerry Springer; the guests or enemies have issues they want to settle or broadcast in public, and almost always end up hitting or screaming at each other.

I'd never watched a Jerry Springer episode in completion; I'd seen bits and pieces via flipping channels, which I do a lot. But I'd read and heard plenty about it.

In both shows, the issues that the guests present are of "cinematic" proportions - complex personal relationships. With "Face to Face," the plots even become airborne into another TV5 show, a drama.

But think about it: every one's life can be a plot in a movie. It can be a meaningless movie, it can be a box office hit. The locally-produced films are flimsier and unrealistic. Don't we oftentimes hear people say , "para namang pelikula," referring to a situation's unrealism.

ABOVE, RIGHT, Screen shot of one of episodes of Tv 5 - Face to Face

The hostage drama that took place at the Quirino Grandstand last August 2010 was cinematic - the story of a disgruntled, dismissed Manila cop who later killed several Hongkong tourists, after the media, the cops and government bureaus all bungled up their jobs.

Other movie hopefuls are the Hubert Webb life story, the Heidi Mendoza's, Jason Ivler's and his Mom's, Mrs. Ligot's, Angie Reyes', Jan Jan Suan's.

But your life and my life could be subjects of a love story, or of a thriller, too.

Do these sound familiar in your life: Ingrate or undisciplined children, gossipy neighbours, pain-in-the-ass household help, toxic relatives, abusive bosses, nosy office co-workers, wacky day schedules, angry or stoic partners, humongous traffic, incompetent cops and government, worthless TV and radio shows, ever-increasing costs at the pump, top-of-the-head utility bills, thieves at all levels of public and private services - from taxi and pedicab drivers, street vendors, traffic aides, licensing agencies, store clerks to top government and corporate honchos, and community issues of drugs, crimes, and sex.

Or livid existence, no kids to drive you crazy, unresponsive partner, over bearing in-laws, perfect spouse, perfect kids, sermonizing kins, too much money-you-don't-know-where-to-invest-it, no money to spend, sex-driven or no-sex-drive relationships, social networking addiction, computer games addiction, sexual harassment, on-line romances, imagined relationships.

The plot could go on and on. But if you leave it to a good scriptwriter and a director, every one's life can be cinema material.

And then, there are some films about nothing. Which are some people's lives.

ABOVE RIGHT, Jason Ivler, accused of murdering young Ebarle, seen with mom, Carlene Aguilar, sister of singer Freddie Aguilar.