October 15, 2018
Of all the films in this year's Cinema One Originals filmfest, this is the one that had the most aggressive social media campaign. This was the only title I was actually aware of coming into this year's festival. The lead character was a gymnast, a male one at that -- definitely not a common protagonist in local cinema, maybe the only one. This made it an interesting and intriguing film to watch out for.
Gerald Zion (nickname Badger) was already up for promotion in his company for consistently exceeding his quota. However, when he received a call inviting him to resume training for the national team for Gymnastics, his lifelong ambition to win an Olympic gold made him choose his passion over his job. However, underneath his charming demeanor, athletic skills and gold medals, Badger is one psychologically-damaged wreck who can barely keep himself together.
For a new actor (this was only his second film afte "ML" earlier this year), Tony Labrusca was very daring to accept a difficult role like Badger. The most obvious challenge were the physical demands, as he needed to have a background in basic gymnastic workouts and routines. While there may have been subtle substitutions in the rings, pommel horse or the parallel bars (aided by the editing prowess of Apol Saspa-Dating), those floor exercises with the handstands and somersaults were definitely all Labrusca.
In addition, there were the unbelievable mental, emotional and specially the psychological demands of the role, as Badger suffered from severe internal anguish and torture. Labrusca tried his best to cope with this formidable acting challenge, although there seemed to have been more depth that could still have been squeezed out of him. Labrusca only played the default form of Badger with his strong drive to win despite the turmoil within.
This limitation may have been due to the way the writer-director Joseph Abello chose to portray Badger's confusing psyche with several varied personalities struggling to gain control. The story was not like "Split" (Shyamalan, 2016) where one actor shifted from one personality to another. demanding a wide range of acting prowess. Here, like it was in "Black Swan" (Aronofsky, 2010), we see Badger's inner demons played by other actors.
Badger had a very close and constant companion (oddly nameless) with whom he had the most conflict with, yet he cannot seem to live without. This interesting character was played by Joem Bascon. Bascon was a crazy, sleazy sex-addict, id personified. He was the devil who only wanted to have fun all the time. He wanted none of the rigid discipline Badger needed during his gymnastics training, especially with all those pretty lithe female gymnasts around him ripe for the picking. Bascon boldly played him in full abandon of morality.
"Double Twisting Double Back" is a frequently-heard description of somersaults in artistic gymnastics. Here in this film, it is used to describe the intricately complex psychological contortions that are all jumbling up within Badger's head. It can also be used to describe that final hair-raising loop that this whole roller-coaster ride of a film will climax on.
One could grumble about the the lag in the pacing midway, or the repetitive sex scenes with random girls all echoing the same inner conflict. The attempt to air the grievances of the gymnastics national team was admirable, but could have been better done. However, by the time you see that mind-blowing final scene, it will simply make your jaw drop in shock and haunt you long afterwards. 6/10.
October 15, 2018
In 1999, the story of 10-year old Janus Lopez and his family was featured on the TV drama anthology MMK (or "Maalala Mo Kaya"). In that episode, entitled "Origami," his father Jun, a movie scriptwriter, left their mother Celia to live with his mistress Alora. 20 years later, Janus, now a theater actor, wrote MMK again to relate an update about their family story. When his father, already a noted action director, succumbed to a heart attack, Janus had to be the one to take charge of the contentious funeral arrangements.
Neil Coleta was not the original child actor (Alwyn Uytingco) who played Janus in the 1999 episode, but he was supposedly the actor of choice of the letter writer to portray his role. To his credit, Coleta was able to carry the whole film on his shoulders as the central character who had to contend with the wacky people at his estranged father's wake, account for the finances for the burial and keep his sanity throughout the whole crazy process. Coleta was consistent with Janus's sassy gay persona throughout, never losing a beat at any time.
Nikki Valdez returned to play the role of the eldest daughter Luisa, who had grown up to be a loud, overly dramatic, potty-mouthed housewife. Her current pregnancy (her 7th) was not stopping her from chugging down one family-sized bottle of Red Horse beer after the other, cursing like a sailor at anybody who she thought was not welcome to her father's wake. This was a scene-stealing, attention-grabbing role for Nikki because her voice was decibels louder than anyone else in the film.
The original actors who played their parents are also back. It was good to be reminded how they looked like twenty years ago. Joel Torre came back as the corpse of Director Jun Lopez. He actually played dead very well, not breaking out in laughter despite the histrionics going on around him in that morgue. Great looking funeral portrait he had! Cherrie Pie Picache again played the role of Mrs. Celia Lopez, who was conveniently abroad touring various cities in the USA during the funeral. It was not clearly indicated how she got the money to be constantly touring the world.
Ricky Davao hammed it up to play Senator Lon, who used to be a movie actor launched to super-stardom by the King Cobra action/bold film series written and directed by Jun Lopez. That bit about King Cobra 4 was a bit too repetitive, but sort of saved by that final time when it was mentioned. Jojit Lorenzo and Agot Isidro (CinemaOne Originals Best Actor and Best Actress last year for "Changing Partners") played various funeral parlor staff who handled the casket, makeup, urn and columbarium niche.
Marife Necesito, as mistress Alora, was just seen crying through the whole week of the wake, with no line of dialogue given her to explain why. At least young Ricel Vito, as her daughter Girlie, got to say a few words. Zeppi Borromeo played Janus's supportive best friend Boyet. Of course, since Janus was a young gay guy, there were handsome hunks Anjo Damiles and Erik Gudelano, Jr. for him to flirt with. Not to be forgotten is the appearance of Ms. Charo Santos herself as the MMK narrator, as only she can do it.
John Sweet Lapus was one of the writers of the original script of "Origami" in 1999, along with Jun Lana and Don Michael Perez, both of whom had become film directors since then. Now, Lapus had the bright idea to write a sequel of sorts for the story and took on the directorial mantle himself for the first time with promising results. His signature brand of broad noisy comedy was clearly stamped over it. Lapus even wrote the lyrics to the original song played over the closing credits sung by a ghostly Kakai Bautista.
"Pang-MMK" reminded me of "Crying Ladies" (Mark Meily, 2003) and "Ded na si Lolo" (Soxie Topacio, 2009), films in that particular niche of macabre comedy that humorously dealt with Filipino behavior and traditions during funerals. It may have been a bit rough or too over-the-top at certain spots, but overall it was engaging, good-natured (well, except maybe for Ate Luisa's endless profanities) and a lot of fun to watch. 6/10.
October 15, 2018
While Bheverlynn was wallowing in her depression after a bitter breakup, a supertyphoon also named "Bheverlynn" is threatening to engulf the whole country in its destructive power. Her spaced-out mother Gaye and strange gay cousin Melba want to help her to snap out of her woes. Meanwhile, her arrogant ex-boyfriend Bradley and her own reflection-based "Storm Alter Ego" want Bheverlynn to keep crying her eyes out while quoting lines by Eeyore and viewing Juan Miguel Severo videos on repeat.
The usually winsome Ruffa Mae Quinto looked out of sorts in her latest outing here. She had two roles to play, and they both did not work for me. As Bheverlynn, she was an unsympathetic martyr. She was trying too hard to make her lines funny, even breaking the fourth wall, but her jokes were mostly not connecting. As the "Storm Alter Ego," she was an unconvincing antagonist. The funniest thing about this gag was the obvious goof that parts of Ruffa Mae were blatantly seen beyond the mirror frame where she was supposed to be only the reflection.
Edgar Allan Guzman played his character Bradley with slick smarminess, as a guy who thought only of himself as the most perfect man in the world. When we first met them, they had already broken up, so we never really knew how a rich blowhard like Bradley will fall for a ditzy foolish girl like Bheverlynn. I thought that this unfortunate neglect of a logical backstory was one of the major factors why we cannot get into the story that well.
Angelina Kanapi again played another one of the quirky characters she's known for -- Gaye, Bheverlynn's lusty mother. You will never expect what symbolism she would give the hand signal from "The Hunger Games." I had seen Barbie Capacio before as Jessie Mendiola's annoying sidekick in "Salvage". Here she played Bheverlynn's annoying sidekick, Melba. It was like Capacio was just acting her jaded cynical self, as she was pretty much the same character here and in "Salvage". At one point, there was even a green moth-eaten hand puppet named Kuya Bimb advising Bheverlynn.
Jude Matthew Servilla was a most puzzling character, Grego, an odd English-speaking nerd who was an unlikely sidekick of Bradley. Shady Lanes, Bradley's shades-wearing bodyguard, was played by four different dark-skinned overweight guys, but all were dubbed by a certain Brian Wilson to have a British accent. All these rom-coms about "hugot" have made poet Juan Miguel Severo a big celebrity. The scene where he got majorly doused with water from a fire hose was one of the funniest scenes for me.
Like many recent rom-coms, this was yet another comedy based on a girl who could not move on from a failed relationship. However, "Bagyong Bheverlynn" by writer-director Charliebebs Gohetia, definitely surpasses all previous similar-themed films when it comes to wackiness and weirdness, and that may not necessarily a good thing. Everything about this film is extremely exaggerated and over-the-top in its silliness, to the point that it can already be exhausting and exasperating. 4/10.
October 14, 2018
Animated feature films are not commonly seen in the Filipino film scene. Mostly, they are indies. I have seen "RPG Metanoia" (2010, MY REVIEW), "Saving Sally" (2016, MY REVIEW), and "Manang Biring" (2015, MY REVIEW). That last film was actually the big winner of C1 Originals 2015, Best Picture and the Champion Bughaw award for director Carl Joseph Papa. This year, Papa is back with another animated film, simply entitled "Paglisan."
Crisanto (Cris for short) and Dolores (Oreng for short) are a middle-aged couple. Cris was a noted composer and singer in stage musicals. Oreng was also a theater performer but gave it up when she got married to Cris and was raising their family. Their only son Ian had left home to work in Singapore, and was now involved with a gay partner Paul.
Cris was stricken with early onset Alzheimer's disease which rendered him unable to function as he would normally. His fragile condition turned their home life upside down with his forgetfulness and unreliability, which led to him to withdraw from public interactions. One day, Cris was invited to perform in the anniversary of their theater group. Will he accept?
The renditions of the human figures and the background items were very rough, as if they were mere sketches only that still need further refinement. The colors were not within the lines and would actually lag behind when the figures moved in slow motion. You can even see through the colors of the human figures to see what was behind them. Despite these observations about the artwork, there were some very dramatic blocking of the characters in the scenes that made you not nitpick too much.
During the final act of the film, it looked like another artist did the artwork with the different boldness of the brushstrokes and less detailed character coloration. I wonder if this was purposefully done because of the corresponding shift in plot in that part of the film. Anyhow, it felt as if either the drawing or the animation processes were being rushed to beat the deadline. If that was really the case, I wish that the art of the final scenes could still be corrected to look like the rest of the film.
Ian Veneracion gave Cris a youthful and hopeful voice, even if we knew that his condition is going to be progressive. His delivery of those dementia-afflicted lines were very affecting, especially in that song where Cris was being tested by his doctor ("Ten Past Eleven"). Eula Vasquez played the exhausted and harassed wife, Oreng, with inner strength and unwavering dedication despite the obvious difficulties. With her smoking, drinking and sagging breasts, she had obviously neglected herself to care for her husband.
Khalil Ramos played the dutiful son Ian, while Junjun Quintana played Ian's partner Paul. Thanks to video calls, Ian remained close with his parents despite working abroad, and his interactions with them were moving and tear-jerking. Writer-director Carl Papa himself voiced the role of Cris's doctor who provided the exposition about early onset Alzheimer's. To his credit, Papa's voice sounded very good, as cool and clear as doctor should sound.
I was pleasantly surprised that this was a musical. All the songs were beautifully written, melodious to the ear, and winningly sung by the voice actors themselves. In the upbeat first song "Hari ng Kuwento," Cris tells us about his past glory as a theater artist. In "Naalala Ko Pa," Cris tells a sleeping Oreng about how he will always remember her and the easy, simple, happy life they had together. This song had a fantasy dance scene on a pure white background, so the white subtitles could not be seen.
In "Pagod Na," Oreng tells us about her travails ever since her husband suffered his unwelcome affliction. In the duet "Paglisan," both Cris and Oreng express their apologies to each other, ending with a wish that they will remain with each other even if one partner would leave. The most memorable song number would have to be a rendition of "I Can" (from the 1996 musical film "Do-Re-Mi" starring Regine Velasquez, Donna Cruz and Mikee Cojuanco) by Cris and Oreng, together with Ian and Paul.
Papa's previous film "Manang Biring" used rotoscope animation and was rendered in black and white. In contrast, the animation used in "Paglisan" was painted in pastel watercolors with a basic 2D animation style. However, the whole look was so atypical in its seemingly haphazard artistic style, as un-Disney-like as it could get. The visuals certainly needed getting used to at first, but as the film went on, the rawness of the art greatly added to the rawness of the story. 8/10.
October 12, 2108
It is hard to believe that this is already the third film in the "Johnny English" franchise. The first one came in 2003, and the first sequel "Johnny English Reborn" came in 2011. I think I may have seen them both, and probably enjoyed the antics of Rowan Atkinson in the title role, but I do not recall much detail about them anymore. Seven years later which is this year, the third episode is released for another hilarious send-up of British spy movies.
The computer system of M7 had been hacked and the identities of all current British spies had been exposed. The British Prime Minister directed M7 to locate and contact older inactive spies to work on the case. That was how Johnny English, who had been working as a geography teacher since his retirement from M7, back into action as an agent in Her Majesty's Secret Service.
English and his trusty aide Bough were investigating a lead in the south of France about the ultra-modern yacht Dot Clam, encountering the exotic Ophelia along the way. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was planning to tie up with American IT tycoon Jason Volta to solve the series of serious major transport system hacking attacks the UK had been experiencing lately, and will announce the partnership during the G12 meeting in Scotland.
This was another showcase of James Bond spy parodies, as Johnny English was meant to do. Most of the gags were old-fashioned slapstick gags, as Rowan Atkinson was best known for. However, it was too bad that a lot of its best jokes had already been spoiled by being shown in the trailer, such as the bit about inflatable raft in the car, the cocktail umbrella up his nose, or the backward dive onto the lower deck. They were still funny to watch, but the impact had been diminished by repeated viewings.
Mercifully, there were still a number of silly gags for us to enjoy for the first time. Some of these situations were so embarrassing, I could not look straight at the screen. There was so much more to that virtual reality sequence than what was seen in the trailer. There was that entire cringe-fest at the fancy restaurant where Johnny English and Bough dressed up like waiters to try to swipe the phone of a suspect. There was that entire final act in the Scotland conference where Johnny English was trapped in a suit of armor.
Ben Miller played English's long-suffering but ever-loyal sidekick Bough, a character who was in the first film, but sidelined in the second. I enjoyed their crazy interactions with each other so much here, I'd like to re-watch the first film again. Emma Thompson was all wide-eyed over-the-top in playing the super-stressed out British Prime Minister. She got even more harassed when she got wind of English's shenanigans, realizing he was all they got.
Former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko had no problem playing Ophelia, a parody of her own femme fatale character in "Quantum of Solace" (2008), the Bond film that launched her Hollywood career. She had silly scenes of her own as she was trying to keep up with the uber-hyperactive Atkinson and his manic moves on the dance floor.
Jake Lacy played Jason Volta, the magnetic billionaire tech magnate. All those fancy gadgets with the super-efficient artificial intelligence were fascinating to watch at work, with just his mere spoken orders. At the same time, it showed the imminent danger of the whole Internet being held hostage by a greedy megalomaniac.
Of course, Rowan Atkinson showed us that he still got what it takes to make audiences laugh, and by no means did he mellow down now that he is already in his 60s. His style may be tired and corny for some, but hey, that distinctive face alone with all its weird contortions could already make me laugh. He had absolutely no shame in doing the most shameful scenes. The more ridiculous, the better. The more mortifying, the better! Classic old school British comedy still can rock it. 7/10.
October 10, 2018
The topic of exes meeting each other again after a period of estrangement had been tackled in two of the biggest box-office hits this year, namely "The Hows of Us" and "Exes Baggage." This very same topic is explored again in this new film "Wild and Free." However despite this commonality of theme, I don't expect this to reach the impressive ticket sales of the two aforementioned films.
Ellie was a driver for a transport network service called Driveby. One rainy night, she picked up a passenger, who turned out to be Jake, her ex-boyfriend. During the trip, they talked about how they met at the Toyota car showroom where Ellie used to work in sales, and the fun things they used to do together like road trips on Jake's motorbike, surfing in La Union, among other titillating things.
When their conversation got to the part when Ellie first met Jake's mother at a family gathering, this revealed a major secret that would lead to serious suspicions between the two of them. This eventually corrupted their bliss, leading to their parting of ways. Now that they had crossed paths once again two years later, will this chance encounter lead to a reconciliation of the two passionate lovers?
Sanya Lopez is sexy and alluring for sure, especially in that white string bikini on the beach. However, the way her character was so badly-written made you wonder why Ellie was behaving the way she did. Derrick Monasterio's acting was unnatural and very self-conscious. He actually came across awkward or scary when Jake was giving Ellie his "come-hither" looks. There was hardly any chemistry between them to convince us that there was love beyond the lust.
Cheska Diaz did not look nor act like Jake's mother. They had to mention that fact several times to remind us who she was. Juancho Trivino was barely onscreen as Jake's elder brother Carlo, but he still he got to have a sex scene of his own, which was actually better shot than those of Jake's. Ash Ortega was amusing as Ellie's frankly opinionated best friend Bangshie, a scene-stealer when she's on.
If you are watching this for the steamy sex scenes, the MTRCB rating of R-13 should temper your expectations beforehand. It was mostly the typical scenes of torrid kissing with modest flashes of skin and a washing machine to spice things up. Nothing really more daring given the actors involved are new to the genre. Even then, it is disturbing that they think 13 year-olds can already watch this type of movie without parental guidance. 4/10.
October 11, 2018
Before this present incarnation, there had already been three previous versions of "A Star is Born." The original version (written by Willam Welman, Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell) was released in 1937, starring Janet Gaynor (as Esther Blodgett) and Frederic March (as Norman Maine) set in the movie industry.
In 1954, there was another version also set in the movie industry but about musicals, starring Judy Garland (as Esther Blodgett) and James Mason (as Norman Maine). In 1976, there was a second remake set completely in the music industry, starring Barbra Streisand (as Esther Hoffman) and Kris Kristofferson (as John Norman Howard).
I had not seen any of these three older films before, but I did have a general idea about the basic story. An established star nurtures the career of a new artist whom he loved. While her star swung upward, his own career would decline. It was a classic story about the entertainment industry and the rise and fall of its stars. Hollywood simply could not get enough of it, and decided to remake it a third time.
Ally was a waitress who moonlit as a singer in a drag queen joint. Jackson Maine was a famous rock star who happened to be drinking in the audience that night, and was enthralled by Ally's version of "La Vie en Rose." From that fortuitous meeting, Jack featured Ally in one of his big arena concerts and their surprise duet of Ally's original song "Shallow" (a song bound for Oscar gold) became viral with his fans.
The two also connected on a personal level and became husband and wife. Eventually, Ally was picked up by a major record label and was acclaimed as a rising pop star. Meanwhile, Jack became more and more consumed by his alcoholism and drug use, which negatively affected his career and was a source of serious embarrassment for both him and Ally. Can he turn his life around and restore their damaged partnership?
Lady Gaga was positively glorious in the role of Ally. She was very believable as a young idealistic singer-songwriter. The production designer even made sure we saw a a framed cover of Carole King's album "Tapestry" on her bedroom wall so we know what kind of artist Ally was. Gaga's singing voice with its rich tangible emotions needs to be heard to be fully appreciated, and could not be described by mere words. This was a powerful breakthrough performance of Lady Gaga as a film actress. There is hype that she will figure prominently in the race for Oscar Best Actress, and I can certainly see that happening.
Bradley Cooper auspiciously debuts as a director in this film, and boldly decided to direct himself in the role of Jackson Maine. He really looked and sounded like an actual rock superstar when he was performing his music, which was very impressive considering that he did not really play the guitar before doing this role. (He had guitar lessons for 18 months to master it.) Cooper felt like a younger Jeff Bridges in his Oscar-winning role "Crazy Heart," that of an alcoholic country singing star. As director, he made sure that Jackson did not get totally overshadowed by Ally, but the effort can come across as self-indulgent for some.
Sam Elliot played the role of Jackson's much-older brother Bobby, who raised him after their father died. He did well in his confrontation scenes with Cooper. Andrew Dice Clay had completely mellowed out from the offensive characters he played in the 1990s. He was surprisingly delightful as Ally's starstruck father Lorenzo. Another 90s comedian Dave Chappelle played Noodles, an old musician friend of Jackson's. Rafi Gavron looked too young and too stiff to be completely believable as Ally's manager Rez.
As the fourth iteration of this same story, this version had to give something new to make it relevant and necessary as a remake. I'm sure viewers who has seen one or all the older films will have their own opinions about that. I cannot make that judgment myself because I had not seen the previous ones, so therefore, I can only judge this film on its own, and not on its merits as a remake.
The first half of the film was more about Ally and her rise. We see about how Jack met Ally, their first night hanging out together, and the first time they sang on stage together. These parts of the story were so perfectly told onscreen. With the camera of cinematographer Matthew Libatique tightly focused on their faces most of the time, we immediately felt the spark that lit up between them and saw how it developed into a bright ball of fire. This part of the film was so raw and honest with heartfelt chemistry between the two characters, truly amazing film-making by Bradley Cooper.
The second half of the film was more about Jack and his fall. This part felt long to watch as it became a familiar melodrama about musicians and their drinking and drugs, which we've all seen before. On the other end of the stick, as pop star Ally was hitting the big time and with the artificial red hair and sexy dance numbers and the Grammy ceremony, she also lost the simple genuine person we met and fell in love with in Act 1. When the whole scenario blew up to become larger than real life for Jack and Ally, the film sort of lost the charming heady intimacy that made the first half so beautiful. 8/10.
October 8, 2018
Perky Jackie met school jock RJ when he returned her ID that she left behind in the FX they were both riding on the way home. Devastated Kath met mysterious Dan while they were both crying for the loss of an ex while sharing a table in a roadside ramen eatery. Shy and aloof Alex met gregarious Shalee when she playfully took a surprise photograph of him in the school corridor. Their tales of love began so fortuitously; but as the title clearly told us, all three of them will wind up with a broken heart.
The young actors in the cast were all in the zone with their roles. Shy Carlos played Jackie, a girl who loved to the extreme. We definitely feel her unflappable enthusiasm whenever she was with her boyfriend. Marco Gumabao played RJ whose youth and immaturity made him unprepared to receive too much love. Of all the characters, it was RJ's motivation which was the least clear, as his action came from seemingly out of nowhere.
Louise de los Reyes as Kath was an unconventional beauty with her dreds, symbolizing her free adventurous spirit. Her boyfriend wanted space, and she felt she had no choice but to give it, even without fully understanding why he was asking for it. Yassi Pressman as Shalee was so effervescent, lively and lovable, a total departure from the TV role for which most people knew her from. We also fall in love with her so badly which made her character's fate all the her more painful.
Sam Concepcion played the one character with two distinct personalities, both of which he was able to pull off. As Dan, he was a confident ladies man who knew exactly how to make a girl fel special. Dan was a sweet talker, well-groomed and well-dressed. As Alex, he was a reclusive introvert who only kept to himself the whole day, in school and at home. Alex was socially awkward, unkempt and had no fashion sense. You simply have to watch the film to find out how one became the other.
First time screenplay writer Rinka Romero Sycip developed a beautifully affecting script based on the best-selling novel of the same title written by Marcelo Santos III. Santos was also the author of another best-seller entitled "Para sa mga Hopeless Romantic" which had also been adapted into a feature film by Andoy Ranay back in 2015, starring Nadine Lustre, James Reid, Julia Barretto, Inigo Pascual and Shy Carlos also as Jackie, the same character she played in this new film.
Digo Ricio had been a production designer in many indie films and television shows for the past 10 years. Recently, he had directed some episodes of a drama series on TV, but this was his debut as a feature film director. I have to commend and congratulate him for an auspicious debut. Even if the mood of the film was obviously downcast, Ricio was able to tell the stories in a most vibrant innovative manner, pleasantly surprising us at every turn.
There were daydream musical scenes to show the excitement of a girl about to meet the boy of her dreams. There was a fantasy astronaut scene to show how the boy was finally coming out of his shell because of love. There was a character who compared her lost love to the scenario in a video game. There was a scene of a lonely character speaking to his own talking ceiling. There was a flipbook-like series of photos imaginatively used to tell a critically dramatic scene. You may have heard the same stories before, but surely you have not seen them told like how Ricio told them. 8/10.
October 8, 2018
This film of this kind was really out of the ordinary. It stars Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder -- two famous actors whose careers blew up big time back in the late 1980s to the 1990s. Both of them have been having revivals in their careers in recent years. Reeves had been rocking the "John Wick" film series. Ryder starred in the hit web TV series "Stranger Things." I thought that it was interesting to see both of them again on the big screen together, and in a rom-com to boot.
Their first movie together was "Bram Stoker's Dracula" where Ryder played the lead role of Mina, while Reeves played support as Jonathan Harker, her husband. The two of them were also cast as leads in a rotoscopic sci-fi thriller "A Scanner Darkly" (2006), and as unrelated supporting characters in a comedy-drama "The Private Life of Pippa Lee" (2009). Ryder and Reeves were never really rom-com actors in their prime before, and this is their first one together -- she at age 46, and he at age 54.
Frank and Lindsay were strangers who met while getting on a plane to be guests at the same destination wedding in the vineyards of San Luis Obispo, California. Frank was the groom's estranged brother. Lindsay was the groom's ex-fiancé. Since they were constantly beside each other on the plane, the hotel, the spa, the shuttle, the pew -- they soon got to know how much they share the same cynicism about the world around them. Will all these negativistic conversations lead to something positive for these two anti-romantics?
Writer-director Victor Levin only made two people talk in this film -- Frank and Lindsay. The other people around them do not actually have a chance to defend themselves from what Frank and Lindsay gossip about them. Every line exchanged by Frank and Lindsay with each other was skeptical or pessimistic of someone or something. I could envision that some viewers will feel exasperated with the continuous barrage of hypercritical diatribes. For me though, I actually found most of these disparaging sarcastic remarks quite funny and entertaining despite being over-the-top.
Keanu Reeves had his John Wick look here, with this bearded cheeks. That look of his made Frank's cynical statements, all delivered in dry deadpan, all the more funny. There were certainly some embarassing scenes of an intimate nature, with some uncomfortable talk afterwards that Reeves all did with a serious face on. He was not trying hard at all to be funny, which made him funnier as a result.
Winona Ryder had such a flighty character in Lindsay. She was always getting involved with the wrong man, yet seemingly not learning any lessons. Her very reason for even considering to attend this wedding in the first place was already questionable. She constantly had something to say about anything, always complaining, always finding fault. On the other hand, she also knew how to shamelessly extol about men and their parts.
A film like this is bound to polarize based on age. Younger viewers may not be able to sit through this at all. However, Gen X'ers who grew up idolizing Ryder and Reeves, two of the biggest movie stars of their generation, will have a cherished fondness for their onscreen partnership. After all, these Gen X'ers should be able to connect better with the various concerns tackled by Frank and Lindsay in their arguments than millennials. Now if they only had the patience to keep listening to these unpleasant people ramble on and on, that is another thing. 6/10.
October 6, 2018
There were very harsh negative reviews that preceded this latest film based on a Marvel Comics character. There was even one that likened it to "Fantastic Four" (2015), which was really the most dismal Marvel film ever. Disappointing as these initial reports may be, there was no way they would discourage us to watch a Venom origin story that was totally independent of Spider-Man, unlike how we knew him first in "Spider-Man 3" (2007).
A spacecraft from the Life Foundation carrying four samples of slime-like alien symbiotes crashed to earth. One of the samples escaped (named Riot) and was able to bond to a human host for survival. The other three were brought to their CEO Carlton Drake to conduct secret experiments on unsuspecting homeless people, unmindful if these test subjects survive or not. One of these symbiotes (named Venom) found its way to bond to Eddie Brock, a reporter who was brought in to investigate Drake's unethical practices.
The introductory buildup of the story was a bit rough at first, slowburn in the first thirty minutes or so. However, when when Venom started to make itself known to his host Eddie, that was when the real fun began. Eddie began to have superhuman strength and abilities thanks to Venom. Eddie could hear Venom's deep voice inside him making sarcastic side-comments. Venom can also totally Take over Eddie, revealing its gaping hole of a mouth with sharp teeth and long tongue ready to bite someone's head off.
The choice of Tom Hardy to play Venom was an excellent one. This was undoubtedly the saving grace of the whole film. Hardy was able to balance Eddie's cockiness of attitude with his recklessness of action, his wry sense of humor with his dark depression. It was a very challenging role playing both hero and anti-hero in one person, but Hardy pulled it off with charisma and empathy. Hardy also provided the voice of Venom, and his conversations with himself as Eddie were the best lines of the film.
Michelle Williams played Atty. Annie Weying, Eddie Brock's "the one that got away." Her casting was rather iffy at first, but their chemistry together eventually kicked in in later scenes. Riz Ahmed underplayed an underwhelming Carlton Drake. He could have used a little more manic megalomania. Jenny Slate played Dr. Dora Skirth, the scientist who was bothered by her conscience about her experiments. By sheer coincidence, she met Eddie Brock in a grocery store to tell him about it.
The CG image of Venom looked gelatinous, but hey, that was how he looked like in the comics. There were some nicely-rendered CG images of symbiote and human disengaging from each other during combat. However, sometimes these CG fight scenes were too closeup and frenetic, they tended to look like a blurred mess of black goo at times. The tension of uncertain violence was still there in some scenes, but being aware that this had a PG rating, you'd know there won't be as much gore as you'd like.
Overall, I had fun watching this Ruben Fleischer film, especially after Venom manifested himself. The interactions between Brock and Venom was hilarious and engaging thanks to a wholehearted effort by Tom Hardy in both roles. The first of two midcredits scenes promise a more R-rated next episode. This was definitely not the total disaster that other critics maligned it to be. 7/10.
October 4, 2018
Sal Angioli (Adam Ferrara) and Vince Campoli (Gary Basaraba) used to be close friends and business partners. One day, after their pizza won a local contest, they became estranged and bitter rivals, each opening his own pizza parlor right beside each other. Despite this family feud though, the Angioli matriarch Franca (Andrea Martin) and the Campoli patriarch Carlo (Danny Aiello) had their own secret shenanigans going on.
Meanwhile, their children Nicoletta "Nikki" and Leo grew up together in the Little Italy district of Toronto as best friends since childhood. Nikki eventually left town to take up culinary lessons in London under noted chef Corinne (Jane Seymour). When Nikki came back home for a short two-week visit, Leo tried to rekindle the romance between them, with awkward results. Will Nikki choose to stay with Leo, or will the chef position in Corinne's newest restaurant be too tempting for her to refuse.
This film had a predictable story, cheesy dialogs and corny jokes. The basic premise was straight out of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" (and they did acknowledge this) but made into a light little comedy without the tragic parts. This rom-com had an old-fashioned look and feel about it, seemingly shot and set in the 1990s. The jokes were hit-or-miss, generally good-natured and occassionally naughty.
The lead roles Nikki and Leo were played by Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen, both of whom did not seem to be of Italian descent. With the diversity available to the filmmakers in terms of ethnicity in their setting, I thought this was a strange casting choice. I'm sure there were plenty young Italian actors and actresses out there who can do these roles with more authenticity. Being Italian was an intergral part of the story.
Emma Roberts is of mixed ethnicity from six European countries, Italy is not one of them. She is a perky young actress who had played several lead roles since she broke through in kiddie films like 'Aquamarine" (2006) and "Nancy Drew" (2007). Compared to her more recent roles in "Nerve" (2016) and "Billionaire Boys Club" (2018), her role here in "Little Italy" as Nikki seemed like less of a challenge for her as an actress. She breezed through this role like a leisurely walk in the park.
Hayden Christensen at least had some Italian blood on his mother's side, but he is 10 years older than Emma Roberts. This actor hit a major career jackpot when he was cast as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels. Unfortunately, his critically-maligned performance in those films did not bode well for his success in Hollywood since then. This was not award-winning for sure, and his lines were the corniest, but as Leo, he was actually more relaxed than the other films I had seen him in.
The better chemistry in this rom-com actually belonged to its most senior couple, Franca and Carlo. Andrea Martin is of Armenian ethnicity, but she was able to pull off this role as an true-blue Italian grandmother very realistically. She had long been acclaimed for her impersonation skills since early in her multi-awarded career on stage and tv. Danny Aiello is of course of pure Italian parentage. A veteran character actor and Oscar nominee, Aiello was very playful here and a joy to watch, a departure from his usual role as a mobster.
Director Donald Petrie is a veteran of several familiar rom-coms like "Miss Congeniality" (2000) and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2003). "Little Italy," being a film about rival pizza-making families, is a sort of throwback to the film that launched his career as a feature film director "Mystic Pizza" (1988). The casting of Emma Roberts may actually be a reference to her aunt Julia Roberts, the lead star of "Mystic Pizza." I think it is safe to say though that "Little Italy" will not do to Emma, what "Mystic Pizza" did to Julia.
This is not ground-breaking by any means, in fact you call call it a miscast cliche. However, it can still be a pleasant way to pass the time for people who fancy a taste for old-fashioned rom-coms. 5/10.
