C1 ORIGINALS 2017: Review of SI CHEDENG AT SI APPLE: Flighty Friends in Flight

November 14, 2017

Last year, Fatrick Tabada wrote "Patay Na Si Jesus" (MY REVIEW), a hilarious road trip movie about a woman who went on a road trip with her children to visit the wake of her long-estranged husband. This year, Tabada wrote and co-directed (with Rae Red of "Birdshot") yet another road-trip movie about a woman who went on a road trip with her best friend to find an old love she left behind many years ago to get married to someone else. 

Mercedes "Chedeng" Suarez was a 66-year old retired school principal and mother of three adult boys. She now spent her days taking care of her invalid husband, Francisco. When her husband passed away one morning, she surprised her whole family during his cremation by announcing that she was a lesbian.

Chedeng's best friend was Apolinaria "Apple" Macaraeg. She was a 63-year old woman who had been living in with a violently abusive man named Doriteo Gomez. One day, after being severely beaten up and burned, Apple killed him. Chedeng went to help Apple clean up the mess and dispose of the body (except for two vital parts). 

The two women then boarded on a ship bound to Cebu, each for their own reasons. Apple needed to get away from the major crime she just committed. Chedeng needed to go search for and reconnect with fa certain Lydia Cantilla, an old girlfriend who had "talented fingers." Neither was going to be an easy task for the two old ladies.

Comparisons of "Chedeng at Apple" with "Patay Na Si Hesus" are inevitable because its publicity would reminded us that both were written by the same writer. Despite the dark comedy approach employed in both films, the farce of "Patay" felt more carefree and relaxed, more good-natured. In "Chedeng," the comedy involved getting away with murder. Hence, there are deeper shades of dark here, for which humor may come across as forced or contrived. But thanks to the earnest performances of the lead cast, the whole project still comes across as generally perky and delightful.

Chedeng and Apple are both such offbeat roles for the two veteran leads actresses Ms. Gloria Diaz and Elizabeth Oropesa, respectively. I don't think I remember the always refined and elegant Ms. Diaz tackle such a role that would make her say such outrageous crass lines, such as that one about a certain type of hair on her body. La Oropesa got to do a lot of  wacky and disgusting physical comedy scenes. The comic timing of these two ladies were as on point as their undoubted dramatic prowess was in their serous scenes. 

Venerable stage actors Dido de la Paz (as Francisco) and Teroy Guzman (as Dori) were on screen for a very short time as the soon-dead husbands. Chedeng's three sons were played Ian Lomongo (as the lawyer Rannie), Mike Liwag (as the problematic Romy) and Anthony Falcon (as the gay Rico), but we knew little about their relationship with their mother. Playing a more prominent featured role was Jay Gonzaga, as Adam, a journalist the two ladies met in Cebu. The funny purpose of Tabada for calling this character Adam will be quite evident before he exits the scene. 

Sheenly Gener also only had a few scenes as Monique, the inhaler-sniffing, Louis Vuitton-loving daughter of Dori, but these were just so hilariously memorable because of her jaded line delivery and that bored deadpan expression she had on her face. That scene when she disgustedly pushed the plastic bag with a severed body appendage the policeman was holding near her face was so funny. Mae Paner also had a marked episode as a butch lesbian who called on our two ladies after Chedeng went on a public service radio show to announce that she was looking for Lydia.

There are certain story elements which were explained unsatisfactorily (like why Apple had to bring the head along, why the maid was not interrogated) or too conveniently easy (like how the head in the bag got through port security, how Chedeng hatched the plan to spring Apple out of captivity). The ending seemed rushed and uncertain in execution as well. But anyhow, the winning goodwill of Diaz and Oropesa as the senior-citizen Filipino version of "Thelma and Louise" carried the film through in a most entertaining fashion. 7/10. 

C1 ORIGINALS 2017: Review of PAKI: A Family in Flux

November 15, 2017

In 2014, Giancarlo Abrahan wrote and directed "Dagitab'"(MY REVIEW), a film about a middle-age couple and how their love had evolved over the years. This year, Abrahan continued on the same theme and took it a step further to tackle the relationship of a senior citizen couple whose marriage of 50 years teetered on the edge of ending. The simple Filipino one-word title "Paki" is translated in two ways, as "Please" and as "Care", that point alone already captured my attention. 

After 50 years of living together as a married couple, 69-year old Mrs. Alejandra Molina Sanchez suddenly decided that she had had enough of her husband Uro's incurable womanizing ways. She sought refuge with her daughters but everyone had their own issues about her. Eldest daughter Mercedes (Des) constantly hounded her about her health. Second daughter Marcella (Ella) followed her mother's footsteps in local politics, but could not stand her interference. Youngest daughter Miranda (Randy) broke her mother's heart when she revealed she was a lesbian. 

After all these years as a character actress in supporting roles, Dexter Doria finally steps up to the plate in a lead role as the disgruntled wife and mother, Alejandra. Doria played her role in an understated and quiet manner. The battles and demons Alejandra fought were internal, and Doria successfully expressed them eloquently with her face and body language only, no hysterics nor caterwauling. 

Even if he was supposed to be bad husband, Noel Trinidad played Uro so likably it was not too easy to side against him. It was actually his scenes singing karaoke during their beach reunion which got me misty-eyed. His scene with his great-grandchild Chester at the seashore where he left something behind in the sea after snorkling was the hands-down funniest one in the whole film.

Shamaine Buencamino played eldest sister Des as the typical busybody fussbudget. Separated from her husband, she had a gay son Raymond (Miguel Valdes), who is living with a celebrity health nut Gab (Paolo Paraiso). Eula Valdez played Ella as a hard and unforgiving woman as only she can. It was good to see Ricky Davao play it subdued for a change as Ella's docile husband Delfin. They had a daughter Lara (Sari Estrada) who was an unwed mother to cute little boy Chester (Dravin Angeles). The attractive lesbian couple Randy and Leni were stylish beauties as played by Cielo Aquino and Ina Feleo. 

Overall though, this family drama is well-written and engaging, occasionally cluttered with extra detail. I wonder what point director Abrahan wished to push when he made Doria wear over-the-top ensemble with chunky jewelry and a feathered fascinator on her head on the day she left her house, because it did not ring true at all. The final scene with the flat tire was rather awkward in execution, and did not come across too naturally.  It was nevertheless very interesting to see Abrahan's portrait of an all-inclusive modern Filipino family in flux. 7/10. 

Review of MAYHEM: Impunity of the Id

November 9, 2017

Being in the medical field, movies about viral infections really freak me out. There have been films about bugs which hew close to real-life viruses, like the Matoba virus in "Outbreak" (1995) inspired by Ebola Virus or the MEV-1 virus in "Contagion" (2011) inspired by the bird flu. But there had also been highly fictional viruses (we hope) like that in "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) that brings dead people back to life (giving birth to zombie films), or "28 Days Later" (2002) that turns infected people to become murderous creatures. Add "Mayhem" to the second kind.

This new virus is called ID-7, also called the Red Eye Virus. When a person gets infected, his id totally takes over his person, and he loses all moral control, causing him to do absolutely anything he wants to do -- however depraved or violent. The virus itself is not deadly, but the person infected is. A court had already decided to acquit a person of murder because he was under the influence of the virus, setting a dangerous legal precedent. 

An outbreak of ID-7 has taken over the building of Towne and Smythe Consulting turning everyone inside into lunatics indulging in unbridled sex and violence. CDC placed it under an 8-hour lockdown until an airborne disinfectant can take effect. Fired lawyer Derek Cho whipped up a plan, together with another disgruntled lawyer Melanie Cross, to take advantage of the killing wave in the building to fight their way up and barge into the penthouse board room in order to assert their rights to the unscrupulous big bosses John Towne and Irene Smythe, by fair means or foul.

I am not fond of gory films. I purposely missed watching "Jigsaw" (or any of the "Saw" films before it), but I end up watching this instead. When this movie eventually turned out to be a relentlessly gore-fest, I admit was not looking directly at the screen anymore whenever that hammer, or rotatory saw blade, or sharp scissors was about to graphically ram into and maim someone's body. As the film goes on, we will be treated to all sorts of gruesome fight scenes and death scenes. It was sickening for me, but I'm sure some people would find this sick in a cool sort of way.

By the over-the-top way all the actors were portraying their roles, you know the intention of director Joe Lynch for the film was comedy. Admittedly, some of the scenes and lines were pretty amusing (well, until the next bloody death came along). I never watched "Walking Dead," so it was my first time to see lead actor Steve Yeun,who played Derek Cho. Samara Weaving (yes, she is Hugo's niece) played Derek's pretty partner in crime Melanie. Steven Brand and Kerry Fox played the despicable bosses Townes and Smythe with a perpetual evil smirk. 

As Freud described it, the id has no morals. It only wants instant gratification. An integral part of the id is the aggressive instinct of destruction which only sought to destroy things that get in our way of getting what we want. This film's showcase for the human id could be fun in a dark morbid sort of way, but the insanely excessive gore in its murder and mutilation scenes were too much for me. Nevertheless, I did like the attempt at redemption at the end, leaving the audience with a positive message after all the mayhem. 4/10. 

My Review of 12: Submission for Security

November 8, 2017

Alessandra de Rossi's career is on a roll this year. Last July, she starred in the huge box-office indie smash hit "Kita Kita" (MY REVIEW), which earned a whopping P320M. As a follow-up, she stars in another project this month. But this time, she is working with a script she wrote herself. She also wrote and sang its theme song. With so much invested in this project, it is obviously going to be a labor of love for this 20-year film veteran, I thought it should be worth the watch.

Commercial director Anton Romualdez III and band musician Erika Valero had been best of friends for five years before they became live-in partners for the next seven years.  One night, Anton finally proposes marriage to Erika. Unexpectedly, it was then that their 12-year relationship began to unravel, threatening to pull them apart.

Alessandra de Rossi is such a natural in these quirky roles like Erika. She could do no wrong with her on-point portrayal of a broken woman who had sacrificed her own person to make her man happy. You can really feel her seething hurt and pain. You can feel her heart being torn between freedom and forgiveness. Her scene at the dinner table, when Anton was talking to his aunt on the phone, was wordless for de Rossi, but that did not stop that dramatic scene to be a truly heart-wrenching one. 

Newcomer Ivan Padilla played Anton as such a selfish cad. As Erika said, Anton is easily forgiven for his faults because he would effortlessly play the "guwapo" (good-looking) card. Same is true with the actor. Padilla can be awkward with his American-twanged Tagalog in those cringy happy flashback scenes. But those key dramatic scenes, he nailed. This guy can convincingly throw the wildest tantrums, saliva sputtering and all. This guy can also cry unabashedly as well, letting us in to feel his pain. I guess Anton was cast this way to sort of reassure us regular guys that these mestizo guys also do not have it all. 

This was basically an hour and a half movie with just two characters throughout the film -- practically a full-length two-hander film. (There was a surprise cameo guest which was more distracting than welcome.) Unlike most of the love story films that flood the local movie scene in recent years, this is not a romantic comedy at all. This whole film by director Dondon Santos is about an impending breakup of a long-term relationship so we will be listening to argumentative bickering and angry outbursts almost throughout its running time. 

For me, it was an impressive achievement of Alessandra de Rossi's script to keep us listening to these painful conversations to the very end. I actually felt like a marriage counselor with the troubled couple in front of me, both divulging their most private thoughts to each other and to me. These are highly sensitive matters couples usually keep between themselves, not easily shared with even their close family or friends. 

This is not exactly an easy film to watch because everything felt so intimately real, like Anton and Erika could be anyone we know, or even (gasp!) us. Every person watching who is in a relationship would recognize their own gripes and sentiments being expressed their by either character. Some may even wish they had the eloquence or boldness to say these lines to the ones they love for which they have some unspoken disappointment.

Perhaps because it was written in the woman's point of view, the man was shown to be immature, insecure, an alcoholic, wildly bipolar and given to fits of violence. Men brought by their wives or girlfriends to go watch this movie will learn a thing or two about the women they are with. Core values can clash. Best friends still need to adjust. Those petty faults do add up. Complacency can creep up when the mystery and challenge fade. 

If they have not done anything wrong yet, then they would know what to NOT to do so that they won't cause any heartaches at all. If they realize they maybe already doing something wrong, they should man up, apologize and make amends before anything worse happens. 8/10. 

Review of LOVING VINCENT: Poetic Paintings

November 7, 2017

Every frame of this animated film about the great artist Vincent van Gogh was an oil painting in his distinctive style that comes to vivid life. Seeing the beautiful trailer of this film alone gives enough reason to go watch this film on the big screen. This man, touted as the "Father of Modern Art" died violently at the young age of 37. This film will deal with that mentally-disturbed, turbulent part of his life. It was at his death that his artistic genius was launched into legendary status.

It has been one year after the death of the painter Vincent van Gogh. The Postmaster Roulin (Chris O'Dowd) requested his son Armand (Douglas Booth) to personally hand carry a letter sent by Van Gogh before his death to his brother Theo because the mail system could not deliver it. During this trip, Armand interacted with the people whom Vincent (Robert Gulaczyk) himself interacted with in his last six months before his death. 

In Auvers-sur-Oise, he got to interview the paint supplier Pere Tanguy (John Sessions), the friendly innkeeper's daughter Adeline Ravoux (Eleanor Tomlinson), the Boatman (Aidan Turner) along the river, and his kindred spirit Dr. Paul Gachet (Jerome Flynn), his lovely daughter Marguerite (Saoirse Ronan) and their spiteful housekeeper Louise Chevalier. From their stories told from divergent perspectives, Armand put the pieces of the puzzle together when he finally reported back to his father.

Outdoor Cafe scene with Postmaster Roulin and son Armand

(Photo credit: Solar Entertainment publicity)

Even if this film was largely all talk (which may turn off some viewers), the story never became boring for me. I had always thought that his suicide was an uncontested fact, so I am not really sure how much of this tale was fact and fiction. I doubt if the characters in the film (real people who became subjects of various van Gogh paintings) really encountered each other in real life that way. But for me, the tale of mystery of van Gogh's fatal wound, along with significant details of his tormented life, were masterfully woven by co-writers- directors Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman into a cohesive and engaging tapestry.

From the hand-lettered opening credits to the creatively informative closing credits, I sat mesmerized for an hour and a half by this beautifully and delicately crafted film whose painstakingly-detailed oil-paintings in van Gogh style is unprecedented. The images we see on the screen (people, rainfall, fire, smoke, depth, etc) were never static, the brushstrokes in each frame were constantly moving, giving a unique dynamism I've never seen before. This sense of shimmering motion may cause some difficulty for some people to watch, but for me it was absolutely magical -- a true wonder of cinematic art.  

Portrait of Marguerite Gachet at her piano

(Photo credit: Solar Entertainment publicity)

As you recognize each familiar painting come to life, you will feel a thrill. You may not know the names of these paintings but you definitely have seen them or part of them before. AThe film ends with the camera panning upwards to show his most famous painting "The Starry Night," which in itself was enough for me to burst into applause. Then as an additional final bonus, it sends us off with a sense of aching nostalgia by giving us an exquisite version of Don McLean's "Vincent" by Lianne La Havas over the closing credits. Beauty truly permeated this visually (and musically) poetic film from beginning to end. 9/10. 

Review of SPIRIT OF THE GLASS 2: THE HAUNTED: Vengeance for Victims

November 3, 2017

The Ouija Board has a subgenre of its own under the category of horror films. So many films had used a ouija board to summon spirits of the dead, eventually causing horrific consequences for the people playing it. I am not sure why people do not tire of whipping up films about another group of reckless youths playing yet another cursed ouija board, and audiences do not seem to tire of watching them. 

The first "Spirit of the Glass" film was written and directed by Jose Javier Reyes, and released in 2004. All the young actors in the cast eventually became known names in local showbusiness, namely Rica Peralejo, Dingdong Dantes, Alessandra de Rossi, Ciara Sotto, Drew Arellano, Paolo Contis, Jay Aquitania and Jake Cuenca. This year, 13 years later, Reyes comes up with a second film about another group of young people playing the same dangerous game. 

Girlfriends Bea (Cristine Reyes), Chelsea (Ashley Ortega) and Lisette (Maxine Medina in her film debut), along with their respective beaus Enzo (Daniel Matsunaga), Andrei (Enrico Cuenca) and Jag (Benjamin Alves), headed over to an old house in Batangas to pick up some items left behind and bequeathed by Bea's recently departed grand-aunt Milagring. One of the boxes contained a huge wooden ouija board with carved inscriptions. 

Out of playful curiosity, the friends summoned a spirit via the ouija board, and the spirit of a woman named Sabrina Villafuerte (Janine Gutierrez) responded to their call, begging them to help her. From then on, the friends were haunted by various ghostly beings wherever they go, including a woman in a white wedding gown, a little girl with a bloody forehead, a man with a gunshot wound on his face, and three old witches, among others. They needed to figure out what kind of help Sabrina needed in order to stop the haunting.

The main highlight scare was that scene of their first ouija board session, which drew out all the ghosts at the same time for the first time. I thought that scene, along with a few more horror scenes, were very well-executed.  However, the bulk of the film felt more like a detective movie than horror, where the friends went around conducting interviews with surviving people who knew who Sabrina was to find out what happened to the unfortunate girl fifty years ago. 

The revenge story was well-written and interesting, familiar but with just enough twists and detail (about local society, politics and showbiz in the 1960s) to set it apart. I felt that there was a bit of a jump in logic with that parallel subplot about a blind girl named Anita (Teri Malvar). How and why can Anita (in Manila) feel a long-distance connection with this particular group of spirits even when the ouija board was still in Batangas? This puzzling point was not convincingly explained, and was just expected to be accepted at face value.

The acting of the six main friends ranged from alright (Reyes and Alves), to hammy (Ortega and Cuenca) to flat (Medina and Matsunaga) -- nothing spectacular. It was Janine Gutierrez's performance as the angry tormented ghost Sabrina and Teri Malvar's performance as the powerful medium Anita that take the top marks among the cast. The other supporting cast (like Pinky Amador, Lollie Mara, Angel Jacob) were mainly there for exposition, to provide clues to slowly reveal the mystery of Sabrina's quest for justice. 

Technically, the cinematography, editing, sound effects and musical score were above average as far as local horror films go. With his organized story-telling style, director Joey Javier Reyes was able to neatly wrap up all the multiple threads at the end, despite having so many characters both in present day and back in time 50 years ago, and still make the film effective as both a mystery (more so) and a horror (less so). 6/10. 

Review of THE GHOST BRIDE: A Chinoy Cultural Curiosity

November 1, 2017

When it was announced that "Ghost Bride" will open on November 1, I knew I will watch it on Day 1. I have a fascination for Filipino horror films, and the Chinese theme of this one makes it an automatic must-watch for me. I admit that I was not familiar with the titular tradition, so curiosity about this ancient practice was another reason for me to go see it. Apparently, many people had the same idea as me. I got the one last available ticket of that particular afternoon screening I caught. 

Mayen (Kim Chiu) was the dutiful daughter of a cash-strapped couple Manuel (Robert Sena) and Dolores (Ina Raymundo) Lim. They made ends meet by running a mahjong joint in their house and putting on cultural shows at the temple. They lived with a couple of aunts, the eccentric Akoh (Beverly Salviejo) and the comical Jana (Cacai Bautista). Mayen was currently the girlfriend of Clinton (Matteo Guidicelli), an architect from a well-to-do traditional Chinese family. She was also being pursued by Robert (Mon Confiado), a rich but boorish business partner of her dad. 

One day, Mayen was approached by the mysterious Ms. Angie Lao (Alice Dixson), an impeccably-dressed matchmaker. She offered Mayen the opportunity of becoming a ghost bride, a woman who agrees to marry a dead bachelor for a fee from his family to assure that someone will keep his memory alive during important occasions in the future. Initially reluctant, Mayen was eventually pressured by a series of familial misfortunes requiring a considerable amount of money to accept Ms. Lao's creepy but financially-rewarding offer.

For me, the horror aspect was not really too scary as it relied mainly on jump scares with sudden loud sounds (from falling objects or thunder) or sudden flashes of ghoulish faces. Familiar scare tactics from previous films persist here with characters doing foolish things like not following strict warning instructions, not turning on the lights at night, not closing the doors behind them, going up a dark attic cluttered with old costumes alone. Kim Chiu played the role of the tormented Mayen with a convincing weak melancholic screen persona, which made her an easy target for evil forces.

Director Chito Rono previously tackled Chinese superstitions in his "Feng Shui" films in 2004 and 2014 (MY REVIEW). In this one, he frequently intercut scenes from two parallel events to heighten the suspense factor. Best sequence of this style was that one where the priestess Suan Ming (a bald Isay Alvarez) was praying over a sinister bracelet in a bowl, while Mayen's brother Victor (Victor Silayan) was going up an elevator with mortal danger impending. There were about four gory death scenes for those who like that kind of horror. However, the bloody style of death is similar for three of them, so the shock value diminishes with each repetition. We were not given any back story about our ghost bridegroom to tell us why this was his preferred way of murder.

In the final act of the film when the main action shifted to a Buddhist temple in Nepal felt long and dragged out. Lucky for Mayen, her old friend David Chou (Christian Bables) conveniently knew how to translate the Nepalese instructions of the exorcism rite to her. The film also took on an action film vibe when Mayen suddenly develops sword-fighting skills to fight the ghostly bodyguards of the boss ghost. Too bad the lighting of that scene was too dark for us to fully appreciate the spectacle of Kim Chiu fighting with the CGI warriors. 

The whole movie felt like a horror episode of the "Mano Po" film series, since it also dealt with Chinoy family dynamics. It also had Filipino actors delivering lines in thick Chinese accents or actually trying their best to say some lines in Mandarin, or the occasional Fookienese curse words, with various levels of success. The award for best affected Chinese accent would have to go to Ms. Alice Dixson for her elegant-sounding intonation for the character of Angie Lao. She also had the most number of difficult Mandarin lines, for which she deserves props for a valiant effort. Ironically, it was lead actress Kim Chiu, a real Chinese, whom I did not hear say anything in Chinese at all. 

Overall, I still appreciated the film because of its meticulous details of Chinoy culture. When "Mano Po" seemed to focus on the rich taipan families, "Ghost Bride" takes a look at the less-fortunate Chinoys in Chinatown living in desperate financial straits. Aside from the ghost bride practice, this film also showcased productions of the Kao-Ka (or Chinese opera) with its distinctive costumes, props, makeup and sound. It correctly observes that this was an old tradition which is sadly on the decline. I do wish more local actors of Chinese descent were cast in ethnically-specific films like this for a more authentic feel. 5/10. 

Review of THOR: RAGNAROK: Campy Combatants

October 31, 2017

Even when the first trailer of "Thor: Ragnarok" came out, it felt sort of off because of the very bright color palate and the campy comedic flavor it imparted as a first impression. When it finally came out, I was encouraged by the good word of mouth it is receiving, precisely because of that comedy it had. That really felt odd to hear for a Marvel superhero film, which usually fed on painful angst. I had to see it for myself to believe it, or not.

It had already been two years after the Sokovia incident depicted in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015). With Odin's death, Thor's violent elder sister Hela, the goddess of war, had taken over Asgard. Thor and Loki found each other on the planet of Sakaar controlled by the flamboyant Grandmaster. Together with the Bruce Banner and a former Valkyrie, the brothers escape and join forces to save Asgardian citizens from Hela, even if it meant reviving the giant fire demon Surtur in fulfillment of the prophesied destruction of Asgard, an event called Ragnarok. 

While the story of usurpation of power and a resulting revolution was not comic by any means, the whole script from beginning to end was peppered with zippy one-liners and slapstick routines -- mostly care of Thor and Loki themselves. Chris Hemsworth (as Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (as Loki) looked like they were having the time of their lives delivering those witty/corny lines and repeatedly executing those silly pratfalls.  

Of course, Chris Hemsworth again showed off his physique as he did before. However, he also did some pretty hilarious, un-heroic scenes here. The most un-Thor-like for me was that scene that had him shouting scared when the barber (a cameo by Stan Lee) was about to cut his long hair before his fight. My favorite Tom Hiddleston scene was that one when he stood up cheering when the Hulk flipped Thor on the floor side to side, like what he did to Loki previously. The sappy lines about brotherhood between these two were so cheesy!

Mark Ruffalo (as Bruce Banner and a Hulk who actually talked), Jeff Goldblum (as the Grandmaster), and even Benedict Cumberbatch (in his short stint as Dr. Strange) likewise played their roles with tongue-in-cheek. Other supporting characters still remained serious though, like Cate Blanchett in her deadly portrayal of Hela, as did Idris Elba as the all-seeing gatekeeper Heimdall and Karl Urban as the conflicted executioner Skourge. It seems like Tessa Thompson (as Valkyrie) is being built up as a more worthy love interest for Thor, as his former affair with Jane Foster was dismissed when Thor look a selfie with his female fans. 

Anthony Hopkins was whimsically nostalgic in his portrayal of Odin. However, he did have a comic scene as well as the Odin watching a play about Loki's heroism while eating grapes. Do watch out for the actors playing the characters in the play in cameos. The guy playing Thor was Chris' brother Luke (hence the uncanny similarity in look). The guy playing Odin was Sam Neill (of "Jurassic Park" fame). The guy playing Loki in that funny wig is none other than Matt Damon!

New Zealander director Taika Waititi makes his Hollywood debut with this and hits a home run. It is the easily most entertaining of the three Thor films because it fully embraced the cartoonish elements of the character and went to town with them full blast. The action special effects were very exciting to watch as usual, especially with the discovery of Thor's lightning bolt powers (one such electric scene set to the pounding tune of Led Zepellin's "Immigrant Song"). 

Of course, the ridiculousness of the comedy does negatively affect the dramatic elements of the story. Being a full-on comedy, we don't feel any sense of danger, already knowing ahead of time what will happen to our hero at the end. There was never a doubt about Thor's survival and victory, even if he did lose his hammer and an eye in the process. 8/10. 


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My review of THOR is posted HERE.  

My review of THOR: THE DARK WORLD is posted HERE. : 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of NEOMANILA: Hitman's Heart

October 28, 2017

Despite its seemingly futuristic title and poster, this film is very much set in the present day, in Manila with its rampant drug-related killings. Irma owned a pest control business, but she also worked an assassin for hire on the side. She worked in-tandem with her partner Raul to kill subjects as instructed by their boss, a policeman they called Sarge. Irma had taken Toto, the young boy orphaned by her close friend, under her wing as her apprentice, teaching him her violent trade.

While the subject matter of the violent subculture in the underbelly of Manila is a common subject matter in films, "Neomanila" stands out with its striking cinematography. From that first hit we witness in a busy marketplace to the killer's quick getaway via motorbike in that tunnel, we immediately see that the images of this film will be out of the ordinary. The characters were followed with constantly changing camera focus, with just the right amount of shake to evoke grit and dynamism without making the audience nauseous. 

Eula Valdez is not exactly an actress I would expect to be cast portraying a cold-blooded killer, but talented as she is, Ms. Valdez pulls it off here. With that glassy stare in her steely big eyes, we know she means business. In the same way, despite her heartless job, she was also convincing as a mother figure to Toto, so much so that an 11th hour twist would come as an absolute shock. 

I first saw Timothy Castillo on stage in a Virgin Labfest one-act play, a comedy entitled "Mula sa Kulimliman" (MY REVIEW), where i saw a natural comedian. The Timothy I saw here in "Neomanila" is dead serious, showcasing the versatility of this promising young actor. It was with his character Toto that the audience will latch on to as he is initiated into a life of crime and violence. We lose our innocence together as the film progressed.

Rocky Salumbides played Raul, Irma's partner in crime and in bed. Indie favorite Jess Mendoza takes on another look here as the ruthless gang leader Dugo. Ross Pesigan played Toto's unfortunate older brother Kiko even if they do not look a bit alike. Angeline Andoy played Toto's girlfriend Gina, with a scene of gratuitous pubescent breast exposure which felt very wrong. Indie queen Angeli Bayani had a small cameo playing Irene, a target who made it complicated for the killers because she carried a baby. Raul Morit, as the gun dealer Mackoy, had the only scene that felt warm for me because of its humor.

The pacing of the story felt all too slow, which can be frustrating because it was rather predictable. A sudden last-minute twist came out of nowhere to liven things up, but in the denouement that followed, the film went back on track to the inevitable ending already telegraphed midway through. There may have been too many obvious attempts at symbolism, so it felt redundant. Irma's pest-control business is already an easy metaphor for Irma's other job as a hitman eliminating drug fiends. 

Overall, I was never really drawn fully into the drama of their lives, unlike previous local hitman films I've seen, like "On the Job" (Matti, 2013) (MY REVIEW) or "Tandem"(Palisoc, 2016) (MY REVIEW). Despite the talents of the actors, they seem to lack chemistry with each other. Despite the remarkable cinematography by Mycko David, the stylishness of director Mikhail Red kept the events in the story, no matter how current and urgent, felt oddly cold and distant. It is entirely possible too that Red did this aloofness on purpose to reflect an assassin's point of view. 6/10. 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of MEDUSAE: Mystery, Mythology and Misery

October 27, 2017

Alfa Oryol was a 37-year old single mother to a miserable albino teen boy named Luni. She was a documentary film director who was interviewing parents from the seaside town of Villa Norte about a series of mysterious disappearances of their firstborn children. One day while Alfa was out shooting another interview, Luni himself disappeared from their cottage. Witnesses reported seeing a mysterious woman in shades with him when they last saw him.

In the TV shows I had seen her in, Desiree del Valle always played a strong fearless woman, usually a villain. In this film, she again tackles a flawed character, an imperfect mother, but nevertheless still an independent woman with strong will and determination. She may look a bit young to be a mother of a teenager, but her performance as Alfa was quite natural, never overwrought, even in those scenes when her son Luni was already missing.  Her role involved a lot of swimming so it must have been physically demanding for her.

Del Valle will also play another crucial character, named Beth. I guess you can already see the humor in the choice of names, and the writer did not deny the absurdity, as Luni pointed it out and asked if it was a joke. (The name of Alfa's sister was Charly, which also made me think of the military alphabet.) The nature of Beth's character was not well-fleshed out so I was not really satisfied with how this angle of the story ended. 

Carl Palaganas played the boy Luni. (I was surprised to learn what Luni was short for, so I will not spoil that far-out detail for you.) It was a good effort for this young man,  but admittedly, his inexperience as an actor was evident but you know he was trying his best. There were scenes when his eyes were not making contact with Desiree when they were talking which looked a bit off for me, unless the director meant it that way. 

Writer-director Pam Miras has cooked up a neat little mystery in a small beach town and the sad fates that befell its residents, apparently in exchange for another big favor they were requesting the heavens. The fabled sea serpent, the Baconaua, also the subject of another indie shown in the recent Cinemalaya (MY REVIEW), was again brought up in this one, but with a twist that needed to be explained by a sociologist that Alfa interviewed. A good part of the film's exposition relied on narrations and interviews.

The titular Medusae referred to the adult form of the jellyfish. The jellyfish was repeatedly mentioned and shown throughout the film. The fisher folk in the area ate jellyfish ceviche as a roadside snack. Luni was shown with ugly welts in his arms and body caused by jellyfish stings. We also get a lesson about the the life cycle of the jellyfish. We hear the words budding, planula, ephyra and medusa. But honestly, I did not get the connection of this creature with the story of Alfa and Luni. 

The non-linear combination of mystery, myth and misery was already good enough, but what was this scientific aspect about cnidarian reproduction really all about? I am sure that Miras had a good reason to include this, and in fact even name the entire movie with a term from it. Unfortunately, I still cannot figure out its precise significance up to now. 6/10. 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of THE CHANTERS: Salience in Simplicity

October 24, 2017

This film is set in Iloilo province, and the dialog is in lilting Ilonggo language. Sarah Mae is a typical happy-go-lucky teenager who is addicted to her cell phone and to her favorite TV romantic soap "Kiss Me Heart Heart".  Sarah lives and takes care of her grandfather while her single mother is far away working. Sarah is very excited because her favorite TV actress Danica Reyes is visiting their school in the coming week and she is determined to be in the welcoming program.

Her grandfather Ramon is no ordinary man. He is a famous chanter of the Sugidanon tribe. He actively records all the ancient Sugidanon epic chants in writing, sings the chants in special social occasions and teaches these chants to neighborhood children every Saturday. Unfortunately this year, as he was writing his final book of chants, Lolo Ramon is showing progressively worsening signs of dementia.  

Jally Nae Gilbaliga was so natural in her portrayal of Sarah Mae, so young and carefree and resilient. Romulo Caballero was even more remarkable as Lolo Ramon, with his mesmerizing chanting and evocative portrayal of dementia. There have been few films that depict the relation between grandfather and granddaughter, and for this film this relationshio takes centerstage. Fortunately, the chemistry between these two actors was perfectly pitched, never felt put on at all. They definitely feel like real people we know. 

I commend Director James Robin M. Mayo and writers Andrian Legaspi and John Bedia for effectively telling such a poignant story. It was not only a personal one between two family members, but on a bigger scale, it was about cultural pride, appreciation and preservation. The film proudly proclaimed their Sugidanon heritage in their colorful tribal attire and accessories, and especially those glorious chants like Nagbuhis, Amburokay, and Alayaw. Amazing how these chants are embraced by even the children who appreciate their value.

They used an unusually smaller of screen projection (1:1 aspect ratio) that gave the film additional character. Furthermore, if only for that final scene of Sarah Mae in her full fuchsia tribal regalia with the verdant mountains in the background, which evoked for me Vermeer's "Girl with the Pearl Earring," cinematographer Jav Velasco deserves award consideration. That beautiful parting shot communicated so much complex feeling, I (and many people in the theater with me) just burst into spontaneous applause.

Sometimes, filmmakers, especially indie ones, try so darned hard to come up with something so convoluted and complex that hardly anyone can enjoy. Occasionally though, we come across a special film so sweet and simple that is not only entertaining, but also delivers the most salient and profound of messages. "The Chanters" is such a film. 9/10.