Review of AFTER ALL: Reincarnation Rambling

February 28, 2024

Single mother Yna Verder (Beauty Gonzales) brought her despondent son Joey (Teejay Marquez) to a beach resort to recover after he was shamed online by a popular girl Miles (Devon Seron). There, beside one of the beach cottages, Yna met Joseph Lianzares (Kelvin Miranda), an unusual young man whose family owned a antique shop and loved to talk about history. He seemed to know a lot of things about Yna, like what viand she liked to cook.

From then on Joseph began to visit Yna frequently at their rest house. He told her how for reasons yet unknown, he felt a very strong connection with her. He shared that he had been having dreams about being called Joselito Ibanez (Kiko Ipapo) and being thrown into the ocean. Meanwhile, Joey had snapped out of his depression and began to develop a crush on Joseph, whom Joey called an old soul because of his fondness for things past.

The plot of this film was about reincarnation, albeit a local interpretation of the concept. While the concept was there and it was interesting to be fair, either screen writer Gina Marissa Tagasa  or director Adolfo Alix could not figure out a better way to present the climax or the ending. The role of Joey was really an annoying one towards the end, especially that part where he inexplicably threw a tantrum while his mother was driving home.

The casting of the characters was quite strange. Beauty Gonzales is only 32 years old, but they want us to believe that her character Yna was already in her late teens in 1978 -- quite a stretch. Teejay Marquez was playing Yna's supposedly teenage son when he was only 2 years younger than Gonzales in real life. Kelvin Miranda is now 25 years old, only 7 years younger than Gonzales. It may look awkward, but not as May-December as they want us to think. 

They made Yna's good friend Lisa Urieta (Tart Carlos) an expert on various paranormal phenomena, reincarnation in particular. You'd expect that she would be delivering meaningful theories on what happened to Joseph / Joselito -- but that exposition never came. I thought the role of Joseph's mother Anita (Elizabeth Oropesa) could shed more light, but she didn't. Thankfully, there was a last minute save at the epilogue with Abner (Bembol Roco). 4/10

Review of DUNE: PART TWO: Paul's Prime Progression

February 27, 2024

At the end of "Dune: Part 1" (2021), we see hero Paul Atreides (Timothy Chalamet) in joining the Fremen led by Stiglar (Javier Bardem). He had met the girl in his dreams, Chani (Zendaya).  He would fight alongside the Fremen against the Harkonnens, and would eventually be accepted as one of them. He was given the secret name Usul ("base of the pillar"), and a war name Muad'Dib ("mouse of the desert"). 

His Bene Gesserit mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) had been invited by the Fremen to be the replacement of their old Reverend Mother. Jessica had to drink the blue-colored liquid poison extracted from a sandworm called Water of Life, giving her immense powers of awareness. Jessica was pregnant at that time, so the Water also gave the baby in her womb the same powers. She used her influence to plot Paul's messianic ascent. 

Denis Villaneuve continues to weave his elegant vision of Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic. Because Part One already did much of the world-building and character introductions, this Part Two could focus on the rise of Paul Atreides from a sandworm-riding warrior, the first man to drink the Water of Life, to the leader of the Fremen's rebellion against Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and the Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken). 

As it was from the first film, Timothy Chalamet as Paul Atreides carried the film squarely on his shoulders with aplomb, ably supported by Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin as his trusted mates. Rebecca Ferguson had a sinister vibe about her as the Reverend Mother. Zendaya's Chani stood by Paul's side, but spoke her mind. She received a jolting surprise before the film ended, which will surely be further explored in Part Three. 

Aside from Walken, there were three other notable newcomers in the cast. Austin Butler was scary as the psychotic Harkonnen nephew Feyd-Rautha (the character Sting played in full camp in the 1984 film).  Léa Seydoux played Bene Gesserit Lady Margot Fenring, whose skills for seduction were used for political ends. Florence Pugh narrates the story as the Emperor's daughter Princess Irulan, for whom marriage secured a strategic alliance. 

The technical merits of this sequel maintains the high standards of cinematography (Greig Fraser), film editing (Joe Walker) and musical score (Hans Zimmer) set in the first film. The scenes featuring the sandworms were excellently executed, from the exhilarating first time Paul rode the giant grandfather worm Shai Hulud, or that scene where the Maker Keeper (Alison Halstead) demonstrates how to extract the Water of Life from a teenage worm. 9/10. 

Review of AMERICAN FICTION: Author Adaptation

Theolonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) was a black writer who was critically acclaimed, but his books were not selling well because they were "not black enough." While his session in a Boston book festival was empty, most people were excited to be in the seminar conducted by Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), a black female author whose latest book selling like hotcakes, despite seemingly propagating black stereotypes.  

While in Boston, Monk got together with his doctor sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross) before going to visit his mother Agnes (Leslie Uggams), who was already showing signs of Alzeihmer's disease, and his estranged brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown), a plastic surgeon who just had a divorce after coming out as gay. Meanwhile, Monk met Coraline (Erika Alexander), the lady lawyer who lived across the street, who turned out to be a fan of his work.

This film was written and directed by Cord Jefferson, a TV comedy writer who recently won an Emmy for HBO's "Watchmen" (2019). "American Fiction" was his feature film screenplay and directorial job, and here it is nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. This was a satire on writers and the publishing industry in general, with a specific focus and commentary on the current state of black literature in the United States. 

Jefferson's script was the clear star of this film, so sharp and so witty. He had adapted the 2001 novel entitled "Erasure" by Percival Ellis. This was an experimental work where Ellis embeds the whole offensive text of Monk's fictional book "My Pafology" (later retitled as "F**k") within his own novel. Jefferson followed the same distinctive style to fascinating effect as the film arrived at its conclusion in a number of alternative ways. 

Jeffrey Wright is best remembered for winning an Emmy in HBO's "Angels in America" (2003). Showing subtlety and mastery of wry comedic timing, he finally earns his first Oscar nomination as Monk. Sterling K. Brown certainly had the loudest role as the annoying gay brother Cliff, also earning him an Oscar nomination. I was also rooting for an nomination for Leslie Uggams who was a sublime presence onscreen, but it did not come to pass. 7/10

Review of THE ZONE OF INTEREST: Ironic Idylls

Rudolf Hoss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Huller) was living in a beautiful home in the German countryside. It had a spacious garden and a river nearby where they can swim with their children. However, outside the tall walls of their idyllic property, they can see columns of smoke and hear shouting, crying, screams and gunshots. Rudolf Hoss was the commandant of the facility next door -- the concentration camp of Auschwitz. 

The anticipation to watch this film was very high, mostly due to the nominations and awards it had been picking up since it won the Grand Prix and three other prizes at the Cannes Film Festival where it premiered. It won three awards at the BAFTA, and is now nominated for five awards in the coming Oscars, including Best Picture, International Film (where it is favored to win), as well as Director and Adapted Screenplay for Jonathan Glazer.  

This film was not an easy watch. Contrary to what you may think, it was not because it was about the Holocaust at Auschwitz.  There was no scenes from inside the concentration camps at all. However, we do FEEL the horror going on behind those imposing walls, despite the clean and bright house and people we see on screen.  Jonathan Glazer made sure of that mainly by the stunning sound design by Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn.

Christian Friedel's Rudolf Hoss had an odd-looking white side wall haircut and an obsession for wearing all white and cleaning up. Even if he never had a moment of obvious anger or cruelty, we all felt the evil of what he was doing. German actress Sandra Huller had a good year last year, with a role in two Best Picture nominees (this and "Anatomy of a Fall"). Her Hedwig was just as innately chilling, even if she was just being a housewife and mother.  

This film had practically no plot. All we saw were mundane scenes of daily family life, all going on unmindful of the atrocities outside. Glazer only wanted us to see and feel the life of a Nazi officer and butcher at home. He was just like any other father who ate dinner with his family and told his kids bedtime stories. But then we knew this was not a normal family. We knew where that mink coat and those gold teeth came from. The irony was not lost on us. 8/10

              

Review of ANATOMY OF A FALL: Skeptical Suspicions

While novelist Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) was being interviewed by a female student in their chalet in the French Alps, her husband Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis) was rudely playing music very loudly in his attic room. After the student left, their blind son Daniel (Milo Machado Graner) went out for a long walk with his guide dog Snoop. When he came back home, he discovered his father dead on the snow below his room.  

At first, an accident seemed to be the most apparent cause of the fall. However upon further investigation about the details of the scene -- the height of the window, the pattern of blood splattering on the snow -- all point to another cause. Could it be suicide? Did Samuel ever attempt suicide before? Or could it be murder? Of course, since Sandra was the only other person in the house, she was the prime suspect. 

Writer-director Justine Triet made Sandra the nebulous center of this mystery story. However, as we followed the case unfolding, it increasingly became apart that the resolution of the mystery of Samuel's death was NOT the main point of the story. This was a character study about Sandra, about how the personality she projected colored how we perceive her as a suspect. Sandra Hüller's portrayal of this icy person was as riveting as it was annoying.  

We watched the way she sought legal advice from her lawyer friend Vincent Renzi (Swann Arlaud), insisting that she had nothing to do with the fall. In court, Sandra preferred to speak in English since her French is not fluent, making her seem snobbish, coming across as less sympathetic. Her testimonies tended to be inconsistent, giving rise to doubts. It came to a point where her innocence depended not on facts, but on whether you like her or not.

Triet made sure that audiences would make feel Sandra's vexation (or anger) towards her husband at that point in time. The very loud playing of Bacao Rhythm and Steel Bars' cover of 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P." was purposefully done to get on one's nerves. This raucous music also put the accuracy of Daniel's testimony in question, as, however sharp his hearing was, he may well have not accurately heard what his parents were talking about before he left. 

A most remarkable member of the cast was Messi, the border collie playing Snoop, the support animal of blind Daniel. In one heart-stopping climactic scene, the dog had to play dead while supposedly drugged. It was amazing how Triet (and his trainer) was able to elicit such a realistic performance from a dog. This was truly deserving for the Palm Dog it won during the same Cannes Film Festival where the film itself won the Palme d'Or. 8/10. 

Vivamax: Review of KABIT: Theatrical Titillation and Treachery

February 24, 2024

Theater director Harry dela Fuente (Onyl Torres) is making his big comeback to the scene with a controversial play entitled "La Querido." According to his co-producer Cathy (Naths Everett), this explosive play will surely get people talking because it will be featuring frontal nudity and sexual scenes by its daring cast.  One of the stars was former teen idol James Dizon (Victor Relosa) making his showbiz comeback in the role of farm hand, Pablo.

The three other actors were newcomers. Andrew Vega (Josef Elizalde), the godson of the producer, plays the invalid army officer Lt. Gen. Antonio Montero. Sexy starlet Trina Montes (Dyessa Garcia) plays Antonio's childhood friend Minerva. Commercial model Laura San Jose (Angela Morena) plays the female lead character Amparo, Antonio's new bride. As she was in her theater debut, she was having a difficult time following the director's instructions.

Director Lawrence Fajardo and screenplay writer John Bedia devised to present a play within a film. The script of the "El Querido" play was written by Jim Flores, obviously adapted from the classic novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" by D.H. Lawrence. The surnames of the lead characters Montero was likely derived from the film "Ang Kabit ni Mrs. Montero" (Peque Gallaga & Lore Reyes, 1999), which was also based on the same novel.

This Vivamax film felt different from others from the very start with its opening credits featuring animated pencil renditions of various portraits and scenes from the film. The first nude scene only got going after 35 minutes into it, unlike most Vivamax films that have a sex scene from the first frame. This one took its time in setting up the premise and to let viewers into the behind-the-scenes goings-on among director, cast and crew in a theater production.

The main actors were expected to act two ways -- as their character, and as their character's character in the play. Morena's Laura was supposed to be a timid virgin and she looked the part, making her an unlikely Amparo. Elizalde's Andrew was weight-conscious, but this could be an inside joke. Being more experienced, Relosa's James was more self-assured and confident. However, their stage acting techniques were not convincingly theatrical enough.  

Onyl Torres, star of Fajardo's "Imbisibol" (2015), was giving it all his campy best as the flamboyant director Harry, who would do everything to make sure his comeback project succeeds. It was very surprising to see Naths Everett, a "Ms. Saigon" alumna whom I had only previously seen in English language plays for Repertory Philippines, in the cast of a Vivamax film. Theater veteran Frannie Zamora cameos as Harry's mentor and toughest critic.

Laura's audition process would have been interesting to see because her personality seemed mismatched for her role at first. It would have been better if the rehearsals were given more time, so we could appreciate how the actors evolve into the actual performance. It was odd why the workshops were held only after critics night, when the need was obvious from the get go. The role of an intimacy coordinator could have introduced and highlighted.  

*****SPOILER ALERT

For sure, the graphic stage sex scenes (they made it clear that penile prosthetics were used) seemed more fit for a smaller intimate blackbox theater than a big stage, especially for indie producers like Cathy. This was the third Vivamax film to have gone the John Wayne Bobbitt route, after "Silab" (2021) and "#DoYouThinkIAmSexy?" (2022). However, the bigger shock came after the actual cut itself, which made for a strong ending.  6/10

Review of THE HOLDOVERS: Perceiving the Professor

February 23, 2024

It was December, 1970 at Barton Academy, a private boarding school for the rich and famous located in New England. One Christmas, unpopular classics professor  Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) was assigned to supervise students who stayed in school for the holiday break, because they could not go home. Cafeteria lady Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), who was mourning the death of her soldier son in the Vietnam War, also stayed behind. 

At one point there was only one student left with Hunham. This was Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), a headstrong boy whose mother left him behind to honeymoon with her new husband. Hunham and Angus clashed from day one because of their strong personalities. When they broke school rules by going out of campus, Angus learned out more about his teacher and why he had been the grumpy curmudgeon he was all these years. 

Whenever filmmaker Alexander Payne releases a project, people pay attention, because he has a unique talent for making intimate low-budget films which effectively unfold interpersonal relationships on the big screen. His Oscar Best Picture nominated films, namely "Sideways" (2004), "The Descendants" (2011) and "Nebraska" ( 2013), may look deceptively simple, but emotionally rich and satisfying. Now, we can add "The Holdovers" to that list. 

It is hard to believe that Paul Giamatti had only earned one Oscar nomination before, and no it was not for "Sideways," but a supporting nod for "Cinderella Man" (2006). His nomination (and possible win) now for "The Holdovers" is well deserved because only Giamatti could have played this wall-eyed, cantankerous grouch Paul Hunham, and make him sympathetic and actually lovable despite his obvious character flaws.  

It may not be apparent with all the confidence he had playing rich boy Angus Tully, this was actually the feature film debut of 21-year old Dominic Sessa, and he definitely held his own playing against Giamatti. Da'Vine Joy Randolph had so far been sweeping all the Best Supporting Actress awards this season, and once you've seen her play Mary and the dignified front she put up after the death of her son, you'd easily understand why. 8/10

Review of MEAN GIRLS (2024): Pernicious Popularity

February 21, 2024

Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) had been homeschooled her whole life growing up in Kenya with her scientist mother (Jenna Fischer). One day, Mrs. Heron accepted a teaching job in the US, so Cady had to attend North Shore High School. From her first day at a regular school, Cady had much difficulty fitting in. Fortunately, art nerds Janis (Auliʻi Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) took pity on her and clued Cady in on the various cliques in their school.

The clique that caught Cady's attention were the Plastics, a group of three rich girls obsessed with their looks and fashion. They were tattle-tale Gretchen (Bebe Wood), dim-witted Karen (Avantika) and their despicable bully leader Regina George (Reneé Rapp). When Cady shared to her friends that she had a crush on her Calculus classmate Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), she was warned to forget it because he was Regina's ex.

This was the same exact synopsis of "Mean Girls" (Mark Waters, 2004), adapted from the 2002 Rosalind Wiseman book "Queen Bees and Wannabees" by writer Tina Fey. Its phenomenal success led to the development of a stage musical version with book by Fey, music by her husband Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Neil Benjamin, which debuted on Broadway in 2018. This present film is based on this Broadway version. Fey reprised her role as Ms. Norwood from the original film, as did Tim Meadows as the principal Mr. Duvall.

Fans of the 2004 film will recognize that this new film was practically a scene-by-scene recreation of the original.  The biggest difference of course were the catchy pop songs sung in the most unexpected moments. The songs of Janis and Damian like "A Cautionary Tale" and "Apex Predator" provided sideline commentary. The songs of Regina like "Meet the Plastics" and "Someone Gets Hurt" brought in darker elements. A more raunchy song "Rockin' Around the Pole" replaced the innocuous "Jingle Bell Rock" in the Christmas show. 

With her innocent face, 23 year-old Angourie Rice plays a high school student again here, after "Senior Year" and "Honor Society" last year. Her sweet singing voice was best heard in "I See Stars" in the finale. Renee Rapp reprises her Broadway-breakthrough role of Regina George. She sung the movie's darkest song, "World Burn," with spine-chilling effect.  It was great to hear the powerful singing voice of Auliʻi Cravalho again after she voiced the title character in "Moana" (2016), highlighted in her solo number "I'd Rather Be Me."  

Mean Girls (2024): 7/10

Mean Girls (2004): 7/10. 

Vivamax: Review of TAKAS: Fleeing Femmes

February 16, 2024

Angel (Audrey Avila) and Lexi (Cess Garcia) had been very close friends since high school. They promised each other that they would not be separated from each other. However, when they got older, Angel's eyes were opened to the joys of sex, and began to prioritize her new relationship with spoiled rich kid Eric (Rome Guinto), the son of a Congressman. One night, Eric sexually assaulted Angel in the car, and the unthinkable happened. 

It was only after the two girls were seen running out of the scene of the violence in the parking lot that the opening credits began to roll.  The girls relocate to another town and rent a stall in the public market to earn a living. However, it would not take long when the irrepressible Angel hooked up with a local guy named Lemuel (Mon Mendoza). Worried that the past would repeat itself, Lexi was worried for her friend, but her words of concern fell on deaf ears.

This was the third of a series of shorter (less than 50 minutes) films that Vivamax releases every Tuesday. The screenwriting credit went to head writer John Carlo Pacala and writer Nigel Santos. The plot of the story was very, very simple, just right for a short film. If there were no sex scenes, the whole film would be over in only 15 minutes or so. The plot twist was not complicated, as you can see it a mile away.

No script was too simple or too cheesy or too nonsensical for cult director Roman Perez, Jr., as he still called his shots in his signature lush style. His outdoor scenes with DP Albert Banzon looked especially good, particularly those shot in the bright sunlight with greenery in the background. Too bad these were few and far between in this one. This style was best seen in his more sweeping projects like "Salakab" (2023), "Putahe" (2022) or "Adan" (2019). 

The three actors in the lead roles were more or less stuck with those one-dimensional personalities for the whole film. Audrey Avila's Angel was a happy-go-lucky type, friendly to a fault, always ready with a smile for the men. Cess Garcia's Lexi was the suspicious and jealous type, aloof to the point of rude, her face in a constant scowl. Mon's Mendoza's slimy manner and naughty smirk marked him with red flags early on.   2/10. 

Vivamax: Review of SALITAN: Being Bad in Bali

February 16, 2024

Annie (Vern Kaye) is the wife of a successful lawyer Albert (Nico Locco). She had always been suspicious that Albert was having an affair with his secretary Kristy (Angelica Hart). When she learned that Kristy will be going with Albert on his business trip to Bali, Indonesia, Annie was alarmed and decided to also go to Bali herself. When she got there, she got attracted to fellow Filipino Elmer (Matt Francisco) whom she bumped into at the pool area. 

Screenplay writer Juvy Galamiton and director Bobby Bonifacio Jr. decided to tell this ménage à quatre story in four subparts, where the same story was being told from the point of view of each member of the quartet -- the Wife, the Husband, the Stranger and the Mistress. But through all these parts, the story flow of all the parts were being related by one Narrator with a catty voice belonging to Ms. Mercedes Cabral -- their secret sauce.

The story of swapping partners is definitely not new in Vivamax in particular, nor even in local cinema in general. However, this one tried something with its stylized storytelling that went for high camp. This way the thoughts of each of these four main characters were also made known to the audience, making the proceedings more interesting. The naughty lilt in Cabral's voice as she told her sordid tale sounded like she was telling a bedtime story for adults. 

The film started with a murder of one character, proceeded to tell the whole story of how the situation escalated to lead up to that crime. However, when the film went back to that murder scene at the end, it felt strange that the filmmakers decided to leave the audience hanging as to how the murder took place. I guess they think the identity of the murderer was not material to the plot. Why did they bookend it this way in the first place then? Odd.

The actors were playing their characters with tongue-in-cheek for the most part. Angelica Hart was the campiest of them all, so far her signature persona on Vivamax. Matt Francisco played it quite restrained in "Haliparot" (2023), so his cheesy Elmer in the Bali scenes was quite a switch. As for lead actress Vern Kyle, she actually did quite well in her Vivamax debut, with that scene in the hotel restroom corridor as proof of her promise in drama. 5/10. 

Review of I AM NOT BIG BIRD: Thai Twin Troubles

February 16, 2024

Bank employee Luis "Carps" Carpio (Enrique Gil) had always been straight-as-an-arrow, always doing things by the book. He had been seeing his girlfriend Cathy (Ashley Rivera) for five years now, but their dates had been very routine, nothing exciting or fun. Much to her dismay, Carps never even made any sexual advance on her all those years. When Carps proposed marriage one night, he was shell-shocked when she turned him down.

The distraught Carps suddenly decided to treat his two best friends, the jobless July (Red Ollero) and the metrosexual Macky (Nikko Natividad), to an all-expenses-paid trip to Bangkok. However, when Thai people saw Carps, they seemed to be in awe of him. It turned out that he looked exactly like Big Bird, a very popular porn star in Thailand known for his gigantic manhood, who had suddenly mysteriously dropped out of the scene.

Director Victor Villanueva is still best known for the irreverent family road-trip movie "Patay na si Jesus" (2016), his feature directorial debut. Since then, silly over-the-top comedy had been his specialty, the latest one being "Kidnap for Romance" (2023). This newest project of his is certainly his silliest and most over-the-top of them all, and most challenging as he had to deal with foreign locations, language, and Thai actors in major roles. 

The screenplay was written by two writers with contrasting output in the past, you can probably guess who wrote which parts of the movie. Lilit Reyes, known for "Water Lemon" (2015) and "Changing Partners" (2017), could be responsible for the more serious parts. His co-writer Joma Labayen, who had been Villanueva's writer twice before for "Kusina Kings" (2018) and "Boy Bastos" (2022), likely wrote the raunchy parts.

Being a sex comedy set in Bangkok, it was inevitable that Carps and company had a wild time in a nightclub in the notorious red-light district. After watching the infamous sexy stage show featuring the prodigious "Banana Lady," the boys were taken to their private rooms. Here, Villanueva did self-imposed censorship with amusing effect, interrupting the visuals of their sexy time with public service announcements, as the moaning went on in the background.

This film (rated R-16 by MTRCB) was meant to shock audiences to laughter, so the sexually-explicit language and suggestive motions were left intact (the actual organs were mercifully pixelated). The scene when July, in an effort to attract attention of fellow Filipinos, was shouting "T**i!" aloud in public may seem contrived. However, when tuktuk driver / tour guide Prajak (Pepe Herrera) appeared to respond to that call, that moment was truly hilarious. 

The biggest selling point of this new film is its unlikely star -- Enrique Gil -- in his first film post Liza Soberano. Gil pulled up all the stops here, playing dual characters in a genre way out of his romantic lead comfort zone. His Carps was the butt of naughty jokes at the expense of his "shortcomings," while his doppelganger Big Bird was a riot with his legendary shlong and Italian (?) accent. Gil threw practically all caution to the wind and clearly had fun playing both of them.  7/10