February 7, 2019
Tony Vallelonga, a bouncer in a New York City night club, was hired by African-American pianist Dr. Don Shirley to be his driver and bodyguard for an 8-week concert tour that would take them into the "Deep South," states which were still observing racial segregation during that time in 1962. Shirley was appalled at Tony's profane language and crude habits, and tried to refine his behavior. Tony was appalled at the way Shirley was discriminated upon by his white hosts, and stood up in his defense.
"Green Book" was a film about a friendship that developed between two men with vastly different backgrounds and personalities during a long road trip. The title "Green Book" referred to an actual booklet (by Victor Hugo Green) that listed down motels and restaurants who accepted African-Americans into their establishment. Dr. Shirley was acclaimed and applauded when he was performing the piano onstage, yet he was still subjected to the same awful policies and restrictions as other African-Americans during their long road trip.
Here Viggo Mortensen became a hefty Italian tough guy, who spoke as if he had that thick New York accent his whole life. Becoming an international star only in his 40s when he was cast as Aragorn in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Mortensen was one of those actors who can disappear into his roles, like his Oscar-nominated turns as a Russian mobster in "Eastern Promises" (2008) and as an unconventional father in "Captain Fantastic" (2017). His Tony was brusque, uncouth and violent, yet oddly endearing and even delightful, especially in his relationship with his wife (played by Linda Cardellini).
Mahershala Ali was also already 40 when he gained widespread recognition with his Oscar-award winning performance as a fatherly drug-dealer in "Moonlight" (2016). Just a couple of years later, here he is again as the practical lock to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor again in "Green Book." I would not exactly call his role as "supporting" though. They were co-leads, and should have been considered like Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy, who were both nominated as leads in "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989). Ali's class and finesse as a classically-trained pianist on-stage, as well as his struggle to preserve his dignity off-stage, was mesmerizing to behold on the big screen.
The simplicity and warmth of the story is charming and engaging. The picture it painted about the hypocrisy extant in the segregationist Southern USA during those times was tense and powerful. The two lead actors Mortensen and Ali both gave down-to-earth, sincere and captivating transformative performances. The original screenplay by Nick Vallelonga (Tony's son), Brian Hayes Currie and director Peter Farrely seems to be Oscar-bound. The lack of a Best Director nod for Farrely though may not bode too well in its Best Picture bid, but definitely this is one of the year's most outstanding films. 9/10.
February 2, 2019
Arthur, Lando and Dmitri had been close friends since they were little boys forced to squeeze into a tricycle everyday on the way to school. In school, they all admired one girl, the pretty and multi-talented Elena. After graduation, and Elena was brought to the States by her folks, while the three boys all ended up in dead-end jobs as toll-gate operators right in their hometown of Sanlaan. One day years later, Elena suddenly came back home to Sanlaan, and the three friends went back to their old foolish ways, vying for her attention and her affection.
Ketchup Eusebio was clearly the most comfortable comedy actor of the three. So it was interesting that he gets to play Arthur, who was the straightest character of the three. He was the guy who wanted to become an architect, but was too lazy and uninspired to push through with his dream. He was still the one that seemingly had the voice of reason, the self-declared leader among these three amigos.
I had seen Joross Gamboa play comedy roles before, both of them as flamboyant gay guys in "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes" and "Deadma Walking". His Dmitri here was the wild man o the gang, with his unkempt upswept hair and his untidy inconsistent beard (which became a running adlib joke among them). Dmitri was also able to make his gums bleed at will, making him look like a crazy Neanderthal. He was always shouting and outrageous, especially if he performed his lame magic tricks.
With his clean-cut mestizo looks and deep dimples, Arjo Atayde was the clear odd-man out in this ensemble. His Lando was the immature man-child that was still hanging on to the apron-strings of his over-doting, over-nosy mother Milagros (played by Ruby Ruiz). We are just too used to seeing Atayde in dead serious dramatic roles, so casting him in a role like this may need a learning curve. Unlike the other two guys, he was the one who felt like he was trying too hard to be funny, coming across as uncomfortable.
Playing the apple of all their eyes, Elena, was the always winsome Jessy Mendiola. She was clearly out of their league, a pure paragon, impossibly unattainable. All she needed to do was look cluelessly pretty and nothing much more, and these loser guys would already think she was reciprocating their feelings for her. Jimmy Santos was just playing his old schtick as Police Chief Gabriel to whom they three guys were telling their tale of woe. Martin Escudero, Bob Jbeili and Victor Anastacio play their similarly foolish rival counterparts from the night shift.
This film by director Mike Livelo is a screwball physical comedy, so its appreciation depends on the taste of the viewer. not exactly my favorite style of comedy. Ketchup Eusebio's comic timing was the most effortless and natural. The other two actors were too over-the-top, such that their acting efforts felt so strenuous and exhausting. To its credit, unlike recent indie comedies, this one did not have to use foul language to be funny and I liked that. 6/10.
January 31, 2019
This new biopic by Adolfo Alix, Jr. is about former Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who just so happened to be running for a seat in the Senate in the midterm elections in May 2019. Campaign period officially starts on February 12, 2019, so this literally just barely made it within the legal period. Nevertheless, the timing of this release made this film very controversial, so calls for boycott had been endorsed by some groups. This was graded B from the Cinema Evaluation Board,
Moro rebels had taken seven women hostage in a rehabilitation facility in Davao City in exchange for safe passage. Provincial police director Bato dela Rosa headed a team to handle the situation. Interwoven into this story were flashbacks to three periods in young Bato's life. We meet him as a child selling hogwash to augment the family funds, Then we meet him as a teenager when two of his younger brothers died one after the other from disease. Still later, we meet him as a young man en route to his dream of being a police officer in the Philippine Military Academy.
The mature Bato was played by Robin Padilla and his wife Nancy was played by Beauty Gonzales. Padilla's "macho" action-star tics were all in full display here, including playing "cute" with his wife. His signature vocal inflections were so identifiable, even when he was only singing the birthday song off-screen in the first scene. Padilla's exaggerated wide-gait swag strutting scenes were amusing to watch, especially since he was much slimmer than the stockier Bato. Gonzales was not made to do much than act like a worried, concerned wife who wanted her husband to retire from field work.
The young man Bato was portrayed by Kiko Estrada, who had a strong screen presence, credible as a PMA cadet. His young wife Nancy was portrayed by very pretty Alyssa Muhlach. His parents Doro and Anesia were played by Ricky Davao and Gina Alajar. Of course, these two veteran actors gave realistic performances of unconditional support for their children. The teenage Bato was portrayed by Ryle Paolo Santiago, while the child Bato was portrayed by Miguel Vergara.
A comically scene-stealing Archie Alemania played Bato's junior police colleague, with Monsour del Rosario, Gardo Versoza and Alvin Anson playing other police officers. Allan Paule played the Governor of Davao, while Jake Joson played the impatient impulsive negotiator. Actors Polo Ravales, Kiko Matos, Joko Diaz and Mon Confiado all had their skin darkened to play terrorists. Angelina Kanapi played one of the hostages. Menggie Cobarrubias played a priest. Surely, no story of Bato dela Rosa would be complete without Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, as amusingly impersonated by Efren Reyes, Jr. (Apparently even before, he already told his officers not to feel guilty if they kill somebody in the line of duty.)
As expected there were a number of action scenes. The movie opened with a shootout right outside the dela Rosa residence. There was a throwback scene to a 1989 hostage taking situation inside a Davao prison. This was the same occasion when a female Australian missionary was raped and killed (a heinous crime notoriously revisited in a presidential "joke").There was a chase scene by foot against a suicide bomber which reach a climax on the roof of a university. Since the main hostage drama took four days, the resolution of the crisis could have been executed better, than the rushed illogical way it was done.
This was a idealized biopic designed to extol and lionize its subject. He had it all. He was the respectful son, resourceful child, smart student, responsible teenager, noble idealist, brave cadet, dedicated policeman, skillful tactician, compassionate crusader and a God-fearing Catholic. There were more than one scene showing Bato's gentle side. He prayed in tears after encounters where he shot and killed people. He visited a church during tense stand-off situations. This would seem to impress upon us how much he relied on divine inspiration when making difficult decisions, despite his brutish exterior.
The entire epilogue where Robin Padilla shaves off his hair on-screen to transform into the bald-headed Bato dela Rosa we know was accompanied by a voice-over of his promise that there may be things that are tough to do, but someone has to do them, and no one can do it but him. (That certainly sounded like a campaign slogan right there.)
To be completely objective, the movie was not really that bad for me for an average Filipino action film. However, the polarizing political shade of the subject matter is bound to greatly affect people's appreciation of it to either extreme. 5/10.
January 30. 2019
Street-smart Maya Vargas wanted to be the manager of a supermarket in which she had dedicated 15 years of her life to, only to be passed over by a younger, stuck-up MBA graduate. An embellished online resume misled a family-owned beauty industry firm into believing that she is a consultant with remarkable achievements, and hires her. However, it would take her time to realize that anything based on a lie cannot lead to any good, not only in her career, but also in her personal life.
The first part of the movie had a strong feministic tone, with Maya fighting for what she wanted, both professionally and personally. Later, the movie became a reworking of an older JLo film "Maid in Manhattan" when her "Jenny from the Block" character was thrust into the circles of the rich and famous. When she accepted her new higher echelon job based on fraud, you sort of knew how the whole story would run already, as this type of story had been retold quite often.
However in the second act, the film hits us with an unexpected curve ball when suddenly a most incredible twist that connected Maya's troubled past as a teenager, with her present situation now working in the big firm working with Zoe (Vanessa Hudgens), the competitive daughter of the big boss, Mr. Anderson Clarke ( a jolly Treat Williams). The odds of this chance coincidence happening was too impossible to be true, but this is a New York City fairy tale after all.
In between these scenes were largely comic montages of Maya and Zoe going up against each other in trying to develop a more "organic" product line which could further boost the business of their firm. Maya's teammates Ariana (Charlyne Yi) and Chase (Alan Aisenberg) had their own little side story. On the personal side, Maya had her drama with an ex Trey (Milo Ventimiglia), but her BFF Joan (a scene-stealing Leah Remini) was always a loyal shoulder to cry on.
The last time I saw Jennifer Lopez on the big screen was four years ago in a forgettable sexy thriller called "The Boy Next Door" (MY REVIEW). In her new film, she was not acting sexy, but she was still effortlessly so, even if she was supposed to be playing a "plain" forty year-old supermarket employee. She looked extraordinary, a goddess way above everyone around her. "Simple" clothes become high fashion when she wore them. Her star quality alone was the factor that really kept this film together. 5/10.
January 29, 2019
Alex Elliot and his friend Bedders were just regular schoolboys in Cornwall. Everyday they have to contend with bullies like Lance and his partner Kaye. One day, Alex encountered a sword stuck in a stone when he fell into a pit. He was able to pull the sword out, and realized he actually had the legendary Excalibur in his hands.
The fabled wizard Merlin appeared to Alex in the form of an awkward nerd to warn him that the evil sorceress Morgana had been revived and she was going to take over the whole world with her army of undead soldiers. It is up to Alex (the one destined to be the new Arthur) and his schoolmates (his own Knights of the Round Table) to save the world.
I liked the spunk of Louis Ashbourne Serkis (14 year old son of Andy Serkis) in the lead role of Alex, and Dean Chaumoo who was delightful in the role of Bedders. The two older teen actors -- Tom Taylor (whom we first met as Jake Chambers in "The Dark Tower" last 2017 with Idris Elba and Matthew McConnaughey) and Rhianna Doris -- had their moments in their roles as bullies who tormented Alex. Angus Imrie will polarize audiences in his dorky portrayal of the young Merlin.
The performances of the adult actors were even more kiddie than the kids, fully intentional I guess. I only knew two of the actors by name, and these were Patrick Stewart (who played the senior version of whimsical Merlin) and Rebecca Ferguson (who was unrecognizable under the make-up of the evil Morgana). They were made to deliver very cheesy and corny lines, it can be uncomfortable to watch, but they do so with all professional gusto.
Of course, amidst the kiddy action and comedy (very British), there are important messages for the children who watched it. It encourage kids to follow their dreams (even to be a king, if you will) and they will be fulfilled, as long as you have goodness in your heart. It also advised the kids to follow the Knight's Code to avoid misconduct, to honor people you love, to always be honest and to stick to all your endeavors through to the end.
As a whole, despite aiming to be "epic", this film by comedian-director Joe Cornish was quite juvenile in execution, in terms of the script, the humor and the special effects. It sought to revive interest in the characters of the Arthurian legend among the new generation of moviegoers, as summarized in the comics-style animated introductory scenes. You really have to turn on your inner child to enjoy this as it seemed to be geared for audiences below the age of 10 (in actual years or in terms of mentality). 5/10.
January 27, 2019
Dell Scott was an ill-mannered ex-convict who had no job and was losing his family. He was going around several possible jobs to have a form signed stating that he had been interviewed and rejected in order to continue receiving welfare. However, when he met Philip Lacasse, a bored billionaire who had been rendered a paraplegic and a widower by a freak accident, Dell was actually offered the job to become Philip's "life auxillary".
The trailer reminded me of the 2011 French movie entitled "The Intouchables," a comedy-drama about unlikely buddies. It was the French entry for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film that year, but did not earn the nomination despite the buzz. From the opening scene where we see Dell and Philip outsmarting cops who pulled them over for speeding, it was clear that "The Upside" was going to be a remake of "The Intouchables," and a very faithful one it was.
All the major plot points of "The Intouchables" were also here -- Philip's unfortunate paragliding mishap with his wife, Dell's exposure to opera and modern art, Philip's birthday party, Philip's epistolary relationship with a woman he had never met or spoken to. This American version gave Dell Scott a wife and son to worry about, showcased Aretha Franklin's music, and had an expanded role for Philip's secretary Yvonne (given that she was played by Nicole Kidman, after all).
Bryan Cranston was very good as the classy Philip Lacasse, successfully overcoming the limitations of the script and his disabled character. Despite his being confined in his wheelchair or a bed for the whole film, only able to move from the neck up, Cranston was still created a remarkable character so rich in emotional expression, from mirthful joy to absolute panic, from frustrated anger to brooding misery.
Kevin Hart's Dell Scott was a very unlikable character, with an annoying and even scary gangster attitude, I would have given up on him much earlier than Philip did. I think he overdid the brusqueness and the rudeness. He did not make it easy for viewers to root for him at all despite the family and financial problems he was facing. Admittedly, this role gave Hart a most complex acting challenge compared to his other lowbrow comedies.
Overall, the negative way Dell Scott's character had been written and portrayed did not ride well with me, causing me not enjoy this movie. It was too over-the-top and unsympathetic, it made the whole premise of the film uncomfortable and unconvincing, even if this was actually based on a true story about a French aristocrat and his Algerian caregiver. 5/10.
PS: The local poster of this film showed the two guys looking at the legs of a woman wearing stillettos with her panties hanging on her leg -- something obviously not in the international poster above. Why do the local distributors have to photoshop in this lurid image which had nothing to do with the film at all? I find it deceptive and insulting to the Filipino audience.
January 26, 2019
Three years ago, a comedy-drama film about a trans-woman "Die Beautiful" (MY REVIEW) was the box-office leader and audience choice award winner during the 2016 Metro Manila Filmfest. It also won acting awards from both Paulo Ballesteros and Christian Bables for playing the protagonist Trisha and her best friend Barbs. After its big success, news about a sequel immediately came out, this time to be about Barbs and the aftermath of the first movie. However, Bables was not available to re-create his award-winning role in the sequel, so the producers had to cast a new star in the role.
Barbs Cordero (Martin del Rosario) used his make-up transformation skills as the make-up artist of the Happy Endings Funeral Homes owned by an old transwoman Flora (Lou Veloso). After a failed attempt to recover his lost manhood by joining a religious retreat, Barbs got entangled in a web of affairs involving two married suitors -- a macho tricycle-driver (and her ex) Greg (Kiko Matos) and a gentlemanly taxi-driver (and Trisha's ex) Michael Angelo (Akihiro Blanco) -- and a problematic prostitute Yumi (Chai Fonacier).
Being a sequel, it cannot be helped that this film would be compared to the original film. Except for a couple of scenes depicting sexual violence, "Die Beautiful" was a generally wholesome and very funny film. "Born Beautiful" was much franker in language and in story. There were plenty of bleeped words in the R-16 version I saw, most probably sexually-charged terms based on context. There were several torrid kissing scenes between Barbs and her suitors, something "Die Beautiful" did not have. The story also delved into very serious topics like religious hypocrisy, rape, assault and abortion.
Martin del Rosario was beautiful and committed as Barbs. He was confidently and consistently feminine, even if his off-shoulder gowns made his shoulders look broader than her boyfriends on the big screen. Lou Veloso was a scene-stealer as the fabulously florid Mama Flora. Chai Fonacier had her effective moments as the desperate homely whore Yumi Kiko Matos and Akihiro Blanco were not really given meaty enough roles to chew on as Barbs' consorts. Paulo Ballesteros makes a special return appearance as Trisha in a most controversial incarnation which may not sit well with some Catholic viewers.
Joey Paras and Jojit Lorenzo were so sleazy as Pastor Donald and Bro. Sonny of Way of Light reformation center. Elora Espano was too good to be true as Angela, Michael Angelo's accepting wife. Gio Gahol, Jason Barcial, Milo Elomido Jr. and VJ Mendoza played Barbs' sassy coterie of trans friends, all make-up artists at Happy Endings -- Kennie, Arianne, Selena and Princess respectively. There could have been more funny gags than what they were given to do here, since the "beaucon" scenes were not really emphasized.
It is really difficult to come up with a sequel that would match the bar set by the original film. Director Perci Intalan had his work cut out for him and tried his best, but it was not enough. The writing on this one felt episodic, with situations linked together in an odd progression and pacing, and a most abrupt ending. There were several very funny shock moments here and there, but not as many, as original nor as mirthful, than the first one. There seemed to have been difficulty in figuring out a more convincing or more plausible ending than what it had. "Die Beautiful" really set its bar very high in this genre, "Born Beautiful" was okay, but simply could not keep up. 6/10.
January 23, 2019
The recent projects of director Brillante Mendoza all have something to do with the drug war. In 2016, he had "Ma'Rosa," tackling police corruption in the drug war. In 2017, he directed a TV series for TV5 called "Amo" (now on Netflix) also about police corruption in the drug war. Last year, he came out with "Alpha:The Right to Kill," and yes, you guessed right -- it was again about police corruption in the drug war.
Sgt. Moises Espino is very active in the anti-drug campaign in his district of San Miguel. He employed a young ex-con "asset" Elijah to penetrate the drug dens and do the dirty job. The two have a little extra business on the side with some of the stash they confiscate during the raids, and things were going swimmingly for their partnership. However, when police intecepted a homing pigeon with a pack of meth crystals taped to its legs, the two began to feel the heat.
The film immediately began with a written disclaimer that it was not intended to besmirch the integrity of the Philippine National Police. Instead it acknowledges the fact that there are those among the ranks of the policemen who go against the basic principles of their sworn service. At that point, we already expected that it was going to revisit issues which had already been tackled in previous films about the drug war (and there had been quite a number of them lately), probably those of Mendoza himself -- and it really did.
Exposing dirty cops working the drugs beat.had already been done very damningly in "Ma'Rosa." However, "Ma'Rosa" focused more on the dynamics of a family involved within the drug trade, led by their matriarch Rosa, played by Jaclyn Jose, who went on to win the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival that year. "Alpha" focused more on parallelizing the life of a crooked cop and his asset, family men both. "Alpha" did not have a Jaclyn Jose to boost up the acting department.
Allen Dizon's Moises Espino in "Alpha" was practically the same character as his Camilo Molina in "Amo" -- a cop involved in the drug business. He knew this character very well. Aside from Dizon, several cast members in "Amo" were also seen here in "Alpha." These included: Elijah Filamore (who played the title character Elijah, Espino's alpha or informer); Jalyn Taboneknek (who played Elijah's consenting wife Rhea), Apollo Abraham (who played Espino's chief of police Abraham), Dante Wayan (as pigeon breeder Mang Dante), Angela Cortez (as Espino's wife Angela), among others. The only other known actor is Baron Geisler, who was a very realistic drug lord.
Most of director Mendoza's signature stylistic shots to were also seen here to evoke grit and realism. We see the long tracking shots, the extreme close-ups, shaky cam, shots going on and off focus, the shots taken from floor level (all of which we also saw in the State of the Nation addresses by President Duterte, which were also directed by Mendoza). From the first episode of "Amo" there were already several similarities noted, like singing the National Anthem, random checks by neighborhood inspectors, gethering "suspects" without a warrant, sneaking drugs with children, etc.
There were several ironic juxtapositons made by the director to deliver his message. The dirty cops all had Biblical names. A policeman killed someone in one scene, then in the next scene he was attending Holy Mass at the Lamb of God part. Children of a policeman recite an earnest rhyme extolling the heroism of policemen in one scene, then in the next scene, a corrupt policeman was ambushed. The fillm as a whole was not bad at all,with moments of effective tension and dread. The topics and the execution were just so familiar such you feel you have seen it before. 6/10
January 20, 2019
Pol had admired fellow freshman Laya ever since that chance meeting during enrolment time while taking their school ID photo. However, he never did get the guts to confess to her how he felt. On the last day of school, a distraught Laya (who just had a bad breakup with her boyfriend Maui) got into the taxi Pol was driving (actually to driving to watch a concert series that night). He saw this as a serendipitous chance to finally spend some time with and get to know better the biggest crush he had been harboring for the past year.
McCoy de Leon and Elisse Joson fit right into the roles of Pol and Laya. Being exes in real life must have made the filming of their sweet scenes difficult, but it did not show on the big screen. There was very good chemistry between this young couple and they surely knew how to play up the cutesy romance for the sake of their fans. While I was watching this, I got the feeling that I was watching a younger version of JC Santos and Bela Padilla (as first paired up in "100 Tula Para Kay Stella").
The simple story would have been all over in 20 minutes if Pol had simply brought Laya to the bus station for her trip back to Manila. However, to beef the midsection of the film and make the whole film more entertaining, director JP Habac ("I'm Drunk I Love You") used the device of a game which Pol agreed to play with Laya. Each would pick out a piece of paper from a purse on which was written a crazy dare. These dares ranged from eating a fried day-old chick to dancing on a busy sidewalk to getting a tattoo!
There was also a short but funny diversion when the story decided to enter the horror comedy genre, always a hit with the young crowd. Aside from Pol and Laya, they had with them their best friends: the ditzy Erna (played by the ever-reliable Chai Fonacier), the sassy Kevs (played by Milo Elmido Jr.) and Pol's gay BFF and Kevs' boyfriend Emerson (played by Paolo Santos, whom I just saw play lead in an episode of MMK the previous week as a character very different from who he was here).
Baguio had always been a very photogenic setting for a romantic movie, and the cinematographer Lee Briones-Meily was able to capture its best colors and images. Like most of these teen romances, there was also a very eclectic music soundtrack in this one, featuring songs sung by Johnoy Danao (his version of Session Road's "Suntok sa Buwan"), KZ Tandingan ("Bakit Lumuluha") and of course, Moira dela Torre ("Tagu-taguan"). Markus Peterson had a cameo playing Laya's jerk ex-boyfriend Maui, and since he was an R&B singer here, we get to hear his song "Di Mo Na Kailangan Pang Malaman."
The main problem of this film was really the paper-thin plot. There were some moments of well-written reflections about life as a young person. You will want to hang around to see if they will get together at the end or not, but the entire midsection was obviously just fluff to make it seem like there was something substantial happening, when everything felt conveniently contrived. That said, this film was still pleasantly diverting nonetheless, thanks to the youthful brio and energy of the cast. 6/10.
January 18, 2019
Two years ago, I watched M. Night Shyamalan's "Split" starring an impressive James McAvoy as a disturbed man afflicted with Dissociative Identity Disorder. I did not expect that puzzling extra scene when Bruce Willis appeared. It was his character David Dunn from another much older Shyamalan film "Unbreakable" (2000). Shyamalan was actually going to connect the stories of these two extraordinary human beings with superpowers! Back then, this was a totally exciting development, and now this dream mash-up is a reality.
"Unbreakable" was about security guard David Dunn, a man who apparently possessed the power of invincibility. Not only had he never gotten sick ever, he was also the only survivor of a terrible major train accident. He can also see a person's past by touching him. He met Elijah Price, a wheelchair-bound genius afflicted with osteogenesis imperfecta (hence his monicker Mr. Glass), who was a comic book fan obsessed with superheroes.
"Split" was about Kevin Wendell Crumb, one of his 24 distinct personalities of different gender, age and incilinations that comprise his so-called "horde." He had been abducting teenage girls and torturing them out of their minds. His most remarkable persona was that of "The Beast," who had incredible brute strength, as well as the ability to climb up walls and crawl across ceilings.
You need to watch both "Unbreakable" and "Split" to appreciate this new film sequel on a deeper level. In this third episode, David, Elijah and Kevin were all gathered together and confined in a mental institution with advanced security facilties in order to be studied by Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson). The main aim of her sessions with them was to convince all three that their "super powers" were only mere delusions in their heads, not real.
As before, James McAvoy was spectacular to behold as the personality-shifting Kevin. Without warning, McAvoy would seamlessly shift from one character to another. (He really should have been at least nominated for an acting Oscar for "Split". ) Samuel L. Jackson can really get into play these creepy eccentric characters like Elijah with seemingly effortless ease. Even in a low-key character like David, Bruce Willis does turn in one of his best acting performances of late. The commitment of three actors to their roles certainly made the whole film worth watching despite some qualms about the storytelling.
It was incredible that all the main characters of "Unbreakable" were all back to reprise their roles. Willis and Jackson played David and Elijah like how these characters would have evolved with the passage of time. Charlayne Woodard was back in her role as Isaiah's supportive mother. The most remarkable was the return of Spencer Treat Clark as David's son Joseph. He was only 13 in "Unbreakable," now he is 31. From "Split," Anna Taylor-Joy returns in her role of Casey, who survived her ordeal under Kevin.
For those unfamiliar with the first two movies, the psychobabble may get too boring and repetitive, especially in Act 2. However, for fans who knew these characters well, all the introspective talk about and between them were actually quite fascinating, until they all peaked in a major showdown scene we all expected (but certainly not predict). Even if it may have felt like Shyamalan took too long to get to its gut-wrenching climax, everything ended in a polarizing brain-twister, in his signature style 8/10.
January 14, 2019
The Transformers film franchise by Michael Bay have been going on from the first film 2007 to "The Last Knight" in 2017. By and large, they were CGI-crazy, explosive spectacles which were critical duds despite the fact that they all hit it big at the box office. Even if I knew exactly what noisy senseless action movie I was getting into, I still watched each each and every one of them because the kids enjoyed them, and I guess me too,
This year for the latest installment of the franchise, Bay relinquished the helm to acclaimed "Kubo and the Two-Strings" director Travis Knight for his only first live-action feature film. From films starring the whole ensemble of Transformers, this time the story was going to focus on only one of them. For this first spotlight feature, they have chosen the young and yellow audience favorite Bumblebee.
When Cybertron fell to the Decepticons, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots evacuate to different planets in the universe. The scout robot B-127 was sent to Earth to secure it as the possible future base for the Autobots. However, upon landing in California, the US Military immediately wanted to apprehend him. To escape capture, B-127 took the shape of a beat-up Volkswagen Beetle.
Meanwhile, ever since her father died, teenager Charlie was having a rough time with her harassed mother Sally, dorky stepfather Ron and snooty little brother Otis. On her 18th birthday, she found a certain old yellow VW Beetle at the junkyard. Upon bringing it home, Charlie discovered that it was no ordinary car but a gentle giant robot whom she became fast friends with, calling him Bumblebee. However, it was not long after that the deadly Decepticons were on already his tail.
I think the factor that made "Bumblebee" connect more easily to the audience is his youthful demeanor and charm. He is also smaller than the other Autobots, with a decidedly cute puppy-dog face anybody can love. His friendship in this film with Charlie (as played by a spunky and winsome Hailee Steinfeld) felt more sincere and real than it was with Sam Witwicky, who also found and bought Bumblebee (as a Chevrolet Camaro) in a used-car lot in the first movie. This movie is more personal, and character-driven, which explains why most reviews are calling it "the best Transformers movie" ever. For us, Gen-X'ers, the 80s pop soundtrack and movie references certainly helped a lot.
While the story sort of confused the timeline of the other Transformers films by showing Optimus Prime and other Autobots on Earth in 1987 (not 2007 as the first film established), it can also be seen to reboot the series in the direction of more intimate stories of the relationship between humans and individual Autobots. There may have still been a lot of corny, cheesy lines and impossible close calls in "Bumblebee," but the "Iron Giant"-like heart of its story still shone through all that to win us over again and give the "Transformers" series another chance. 8/10.
