MMFF 2024: Review of AND THE BREADWINNER IS ... : OFW Ordeals

January 6, 2025

Bamboo "Bambi" Salvador (Vice Ganda) has been working multiple jobs in Taipei for 15 years, regularly sending money and goods to his family back home in Arayat, Pampanga. He had a widowed Momshie (Malou de Guzman) and three younger siblings, namely Biboy (Jhong Hilario), Buneng (Maris Racal) and Boy (Kokoy de Santos). Biboy was married to Mayet (Gladys Reyes), and had two kids, Danda (Kulot Caponpon) and Argus (Puge). 

Bambi had been receiving updates from his family about the house he was asking Biboy to build for them. So this year, Bambi decided not to renew his contract and booked a flight home to surprise everyone on his birthday. However, he was dismayed to discover that there had actually been no new house built at all. Worse, all the money he had been sending home went to failed investments, and their old house had been mortgaged to pay off a debt.

The story should be very familiar to Filipino moviegoers, many of whom have members who have been overseas workers. It is quite well-known that the family back home depended so much on the earnings and gifts of their parents or siblings working abroad, so much that the OFWs have to take on extra jobs and shifts in order to comply with all the family expenses and requests. Even if the OFW willing takes on this responsibility, this is an unfortunate reality that is still prevalent even if it had already been tackled in several previous OFW-themed films.

This movie is Jun Lana's unsubtle way to tell these families to wake up to the plight of their relatives working their bones out abroad. Bambi's dramatic highlight was a monologue saying that he (and others like him) need to rest once in a while. In return, the family back home have to make sensible investments to make the money grow. Watching Biboy et al making all sorts of lame excuses, and even have the gall to throw spite at Bambi, was appalling to watch. We hope they serve as mirrors to reflect to those concerned how ugly this behavior looked.

Lana also threw shade on OFWs who go abroad only to abandon their relatives back home when things do not work out as planned, like Bambi's eldest sister Baby (Eugene Domingo). Lana also brought up the issue of how desperate people would resort to scams to gain money not rightfully theirs. This part of the story was disturbing as it may sound like they were even rationalizing the crime, especially with that cutesy persuasive speech by Maris Racal (who coincidentally also played a scammer in another recent film, "Marupok AF").

Despite the generally melodramatic premise of the film, Lana did not deny Vice Ganda fans his signature brand of slapstick comedy that they were expecting in his MMFF comeback after a 2-year hiatus from films. During the Taipei scenes at the start of the film, we see Bambi's silly interactions with his co-workers Jovie (Lassy) and Mikha (Petite). We get to see Vice dressed and made-up in a number of his past film characters (Praybeyt Benjamin, Girlie Jackstone and Gandarra) in ironically outrageous ways to remain incognito. 6/10. 

MMFF 2024: Review of TOPAKK: Triggered by Trauma

January 4, 2025

Miguel Vergara (Arjo Atayde) led his team of elite military command force soldiers against notorious bandits. Only Miguel survived this deadly encounter, and he witnessed his men executed by cutting off their heads, including his best friend Leon (Enchong Dee). Provoked into action by his explosive fury, Miguel single-handedly killed all the bandits there. However, he subsequently suffered from a debilitating PTSD that cost him his job.

He took on a job as a security guard of a huge abandoned warehouse.  On his first night on the job, he caught siblings Weng (Julia Montes) and Bogs (Kokoy De Santos) enter his area of responsibility. They had witnessed the rub-out of a gang of drug pushers by a group of crooked anti-narcotics task force led by Romero (Sid Lucero). The cops were under pressure from the big boss mayor herself to catch these loose ends and eliminate them ASAP.

Despite his fair mestizo looks, Arjo Atayde preferred to be involved in action-drama projects than rom-coms. Since he gained mainstream recognition playing Police Capt. Joaquin Tuazon, the first main antagonist of Cardo Dalisay on "Ang Probinsyano" (2015), Atayde never shirked from playing roles of damaged men, like Benjo Malaya from "Bagman" (2019) or Anton dela Rosa on "The Cattleya Killer" (2023). And now, Miguel Vergara joins that list.

Atayde's security guard Miguel had a flat monotone voice of deep timbre when he talked, and a flat monotone affect on his face whatever was happening around him. These details Atayde gave Miguel made him look and feel more imposing than his relatively slim build may suggest. Atayde's slight physique was in stark contrast with Sid Lucero's formidable heft in their final showdown fight, but by then we already know and accept that Miguel was invincible.

Julia Montes's Weng had already quit being a drug runner for Banjo (Jeffrey Tam), but because of Bogs' foolishness, she was forced to step back in. You just have to be amazed at the fortitude of Weng's constitution at the way she can recover so fully after being repeatedly stomped on her belly and having her head repeatedly banged against a metal surface. The loud sound made by every blow on Weng's body can cause viewers double up in pain.

The direction and execution of the action scenes reminded me of Somes' previous "We Will Not Die Tonight" (2018), where the main story also just happened in the course of one long night. Somes' production design still consisted of empty warehouses with a lot of plastic sheets hanging around, but this one had a flame thrower and a rotatory saw table in there. Again, Jaymie Dumancas' clean flawless editing deserves award citation. 

I watched the R-18 cut, so there was certainly a lot of bloody graphic violence. When bandits cut the necks, they don't just slash it once and it's over. Their knives must've all been dull that day, so we had to watch them sawing back and forth, as the blades were ripping skin and muscle open. Queasy folks will need to watch through their fingers to get through this and other similarly brutish scenes involving cutting heads off. I wonder how much of these scenes were cut to tame it down to R-16.  6/10

MMFF 2024: Review of STRANGE FREQUENCIES: TAIWAN KILLER HOSPITAL: Horrific Hoopla in Haunted Hospital

January 3, 2025

Actor Enrique Gil came up with "Strange Frequencies" where he would lead a group of celebrities to visit some of the most haunted places in the world. For its opening salvo, Gil chose to visit the infamous Xinglin Hospital in Taiwan. This hospital had been closed down 30 years ago after reports of malpractice that led to multiple patient deaths. Since then, it had attracted ghost hunters the world over, even if many of them do not live to tell their tales.  

Gil invited a motley group of celebrities for this trip. This includes his friends from show business like Jane de Leon, Rob Gomez, and Alexa Miro, along with beauty queen MJ Lastimosa, ghost-hunting YouTuber Ryan "Zarckaroo" Azurin and gay tarot card reader Raf Pineda. Despite warnings from a Taiwanese medium that their planned show disrespected the spirits trapped in that place, Gil and his foolhardy crew still proceeded with their plans. 

The first remarkable thing about this film was that the main cast of actors were starring as themselves. Apparent early on was the satiric take on showbiz types -- ever-conscious of the talent fees they were going to earn after this project, which was dependent on the social media engagement they can generate with their live stream. There was a goal to reach a magic number of 3,000,000 views, for which each actor will get double their fees.

Production designer Jerann Ordinario should be commended for creating those spooky sets of the children's ward (with those creepy crayon drawings and old photo albums) and the operating room (which was turned into demotic ritual temple). It was also very interesting to see modern equipment used in ghost-hunting, like electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, ghost balls, radiating electro-magneticity (REM) pods, EVP spirit box and strapped on camera rigs focused on their faces (which caused a lot of vertiginous shaky scenes). 

Being a show aiming to generate views, certain "roles" were given to the actors, like Rob as the loud annoying prankster, Alexa as the reckless, "anything for a hit show" one, MJ as the pragmatic non-believer. With "I Am Not Big Bird" and this, Enrique Gil is determined to break away from the love team movies he used to do. But here, it was Jane de Leon as the most level-headed team member who got the more stressfully grim acting moments, fully deserving her Best Actress nomination. Try to read the comments of the netizens watching the live video, as they can be quite darkly funny (like the Darna reference for Jane). 

A remake of the Korean horror film "Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum" (2018), this was supposed to be the first meta found-footage Filipino film ever. This whole film was a high achievement in cinematic technical elements -- film editing, production design, visual effects, musical score and especially the award-winning sound design -- all of which director Kerwin Go successfully used to create an immersive, realistic experience of fear for audiences. 8/10

MMFF 2024: Review of MY FUTURE YOU: Testing the Tides of Time

January 3, 2025

Alexander "Lex" Ramos (Seth Fedelin) is a 21 year-old fine arts graduate from Cebu. Karenina "Karen" Lopez (Francine Diaz) is a 21 year-old business administration graduate from Marikina City.  On one night when a big comet was in the sky, they simultaneously registered on an online dating app and were matched right away. They started to chat with each other, with Lex called himself Aquarius Boy, while Karen was Libra Gurl.

It was instant attraction at first online sight for both of them, and they got along very well in their daily chats. Not long afterwards, Lex suggested that it was time for them to meet up in person. When Karen agreed, Lex proposed that they meet on September 14 at 7 p.m. in front of the Centennial Clock at Kilometer Zero in Luneta Park. Lex flew over to Manila and excitedly went to their meeting place at the specified time. Sadly, Karen did not show up.

From there, this story of young love took a turn for the supernatural as they realized that their respective timelines were actually 15 years apart. This was not an original plot by any means as we have seen this played out in films like the Korean film "Il Mare" (2000), which was then remade in Hollywood as "The Lake House" (2006), the Japanese anime film "Your Name" (2016), and more recently, the local film "Love You Long Time" (2023).

However, writer-director Crisanto Aquino intertwined the Lex-Karen love story with the stories of their respective families, which apart from the other timeline films before it. Stories that involve time are very tricky and prone to plot holes, especially when several characters are involved. Aquino crafted his tale with so much care and heart that even the most jaded viewers will be moved so much that little questionable details won't matter anymore. 

Both Seth Fedelin and Francine Diaz shine brightly in this debut film of their love team. Fedelin in particular gives a winsome, star-making performance as the charming artist Lex. Joonee Gamboa, Peewee O'Hara, and Vance Larena play Lex's family, while Almira Muhlach, Christian Vasquez, Marcus Madrigal and Izzy Canillo play Karen's. Aquino's story intricately weaving in all these characters proved to be such a rich tapestry when it unfolded.

Now, let's talk about that ending. I can imagine that Aquino's biggest challenge was how to show Lex as a 36 year-old man. I'm afraid that it didn't work too well for me, not too convincingly executed.  However, by that time, the #Franseth partnership had already built up so much good will, and the lines were so eloquently written, most audiences would just accept it as the sweeping, timeless romantic moment that it wanted to be. 7/10. 

MMFF 2024: Review of UNINVITED: Defying Destiny

January 2, 2025

One night, single mother Lilia Capistrano (Vilma Santos) attended a fancy birthday party held in the mansion of the very wealthy Guilly Vera (Aga Muhlach), who was celebrating his 55th birthday. Introducing herself as Ms. Eva Candelaria, a donor of Vera's foundation, Lilia was able to strike up conversations with several people whom she actually did not know, including Vera's wife Katrina (Mylene Dizon) and their daughter Nicole (Nadine Lustre).  

Lilia's presence at the party, uninvited and under cover, was brought about by a heinous crime committed against Lilia's daughter Lily (Gabby Padilla) -- truly a nightmare which could push any parent over the edge. However, Lily was no shrinking violet when it came to getting justice for her child's sad fate. Unlike other mothers who would flee to forget the pain, Lilia wanted to face her daughter's tormentors to demand an eye for an eye.

Fresh from her surprising (for me) Best Actress win for "When I Met You in Tokyo" at last year's MMFF, Miss Vilma Santos is back in her darkest role since "Tagos ng Dugo" (1987) and "Lipa Massacre" (1994).  Even at age 71 now, Santos can still pull off playing a mother of a college student. And more than that, this role got her to drive cars, shoot guns, and best of all, attempt to kill goons twice her size. Now that is what you call tenacity as an actor.

Two usually wholesome actors really went way out of their comfort zones here. Aga Muhlach started played the evil Don Guilly with seriously scary sinister vibes. However, he went overboard in the third act, winding up with a caricaturish, inadvertently funny portrayal right at the film's climax.  In contrast, Nadine Lustre's Nicole had scenes doing drugs, having sex, cursing like a sailor, but in the end, she had an award-bait acting moment and nailed it. 

Dan Villegas comes back as director for the first time since 2018 in a genre as far from his rom-com comfort zone as can be.  A crime thriller with melodramatic sensibilities, "Uninvited" could be the most mainstream script of horror writer Dodo Dayao,.  The film is good-looking no doubt, but there were big plot holes, too-convenient clues, lucky coincidences, impossible scenarios, and a lack of Lilia's background that made it feel like it could've been done better. 6/10 

MMFF 2024: Review of ESPANTAHO: Painting of Pestilence

January 2, 2025

After her recently deceased father Pabling was buried, Monet had the "pasiyam" (nine-day prayers for the dead) held in their old house. Her husband Jack (JC Santos) had business out of town, so Monet was only left with her young son Keith (Kian Co), loyal helpers Frida (Donna Cariaga) and Henri (Nico Antonio), and her short-tempered, over-protective mother Rosa (Lorna Tolentino) with her during this stressful time. 

Among the things Jack left behind was a eerie-looking painting of a scarecrow in the middle of a field. The next day, Pabling's bitter and demanding legal wife Adele (Chanda Romero) marched into the house, together with her two children, Roy (Mon Confiado) and Andie (Janice de Belen), wanting to sell the properties which she claimed. However, people in the house began disappearing one by one in mysterious circumstances.

In her first film in 5 years, Judy Ann Santos shows that she hasn't lost her touch for nuanced internal acting in her portrayal of long-suffering martyr Monet. Lorna Tolentino shone her moments of fearsome rage, but the true nature of her Rosa was quite obvious from the start. In contrast, the fabulous Chanda Romero played the furious Adele to the hilt of camp, especially in that nauseating scene when something was coming out of her mouth.  

When the characters here started dying in bizarre ways, one was reminded of director Chito Rono's acclaimed horror classic -- "Feng Shui" (2004), and we recognize how Roño was and is such a master of this genre. However, instead of being preceded by Chinese zodiac creatures, the deaths this time feature various farmland pests -- giving these scenes a definite squeamish feeling of disgust. It was quite distracting though why Rono allowed one of the deaths to break the pattern and did not involve a pest.

Even if this was the first full-length horror written by Chris Martinez, fans can still catch his sassy witticisms peppered along the way here. This was especially true in the scenes featuring the shaman Georgia, played by Eugene Domingo. Martinez's script was written with juicy convolutions and stunning revelations. However, I felt that final detail about a Chinese businessman to be too much, which made the third act prone to plot holes. 7/10

My Yearend Roundup: The BEST FOREIGN FILMS of 2024 That I Have Seen

January 1, 2025

Here are the best foreign films I had seen and written about in the year 2024. Not included in this countdown were the 2022 films only shown locally in 2023, like "Anatomy of a Fall" or "The Holdovers." Also not included here were outstanding Oscar-primed 2024 films, but have not yet been released in the country, either in cinemas or streaming sites (no VPN), like "The Brutalist," "Emilia Perez," "Sing Sing," "A Real Pain," or "Maria."

Like previous years, I divided my yearend best-of-films list into two: foreign films (both in English and not) in this post, and Filipino films in a separate post (LINK). I was out of the country during the QCinema filmfest this year, so I was sadly not able to watch Cannes Palme d'Or champion "Anora" and other films like "The Room Next Door" by Pedro Almodovar, "All We Imagine as Light" by Payal Kapadia (India), and closing film "Cloud" by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Japan).

HONORABLE MENTIONS 

30. HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA -- CHAPTER 1 by Kevin Costner (MY FULL REVIEW)

28. STRANGE DARLING by JT Mollner (MY FULL REVIEW)

27. SMILE 2 by Parker Finn (MY FULL REVIEW)

26. THE FIRST OMEN by Arkasha Stevenson and Antonio Campos (MY FULL REVIEW)

26. KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES by Wes Ball (MY FULL REVIEW)

25. WOMAN OF THE HOUR by Anna Kendrick (MY FULL REVIEW)

24. A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE by Michael Sarnoski (MY FULL REVIEW)

23. BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (MY FULL REVIEW)

22. HIT MAN by Richard Linklater (MY FULL REVIEW)

21. INSIDE OUT 2 by Kelsey Mann (MY FULL REVIEW)

20. CABRINI by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde (MY FULL REVIEW)

19. LONGLEGS by Oz Perkins (MY FULL REVIEW)

18. FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA by George Miller (MY FULL REVIEW)

17. CIVIL WAR by Alex Garland (MY FULL REVIEW)

16. THE APPRENTICE by Ali Abbasi (MY FULL REVIEW)

15. BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE by Tim Burton (MY FULL REVIEW)

14. LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL by Colin and Cameron Cairnes (MY FULL REVIEW)

13. CHALLENGERS by Luca Guadagnino (MY FULL REVIEW)

12. LOOK BACK (MY FULL REVIEW)

11. THE FALL GUY by David Leitch (MY FULL REVIEW)

10. TRANSFORMERS ONE (MY FULL REVIEW) by Josh Cooley

This new animated feature by Paramount Animation and Hasbro Entertainment reintroduced us to the younger, more foolish versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron before they had their iconic names. We also meet future Autobots like Elita One and B-127 (a.k.a. Bumblebee), and Decepticons like Starscream and Shockwave. It told the story how their epic rivalry began, but I personally thought it was a bit simplistic (unless more details will be revealed later). 

9. EXHUMA (MY FULL REVIEW) by Jang Jae-hyun

Surely, the all-star cast was a factor for its box office. Choi Min-sik's magnetic screen presence as the authoritative geomancer has not diminished at all. Hearing Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun as shamans chanting spells was quite memorable. The eerie atmosphere and ghostly effects had us at the edge of our seats. That giant wire-bound coffin was terrifying sight in itself, but more so when we see the samurai creature inside rise up to its full towering height.

8. HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES (MY FULL REVIEW) by Pat Boonnitipat

I am sure most Gen Z's can see themselves in the way Billkin portrayed M, as their Gen X parents see themselves as Mengju's children. Surely, most tears shed by the audience are tinged with guilt, as the movie makes us reflect about our own elders, and how we are treating (or treated) them. With the ominous title, as well as the opening scene in the cemetery, we know how the film will end. However, the twists and turns getting there are worth our while. 

7. THE WILD ROBOT (MY FULL REVIEW) by Chris Sanders

The animation style was described to be a cross between classic Disney (particularly "Bambi") and Miyazaki (particularly "My Neighbor Totoro"), and this was quite evident. The color palette was deep and rich. The animal designs were very cute, from the sea otters who turned Roz on first, Fink the fox, mommy Pinktail and her baby opossums, peaking in that Noah's Ark situation with all the wildlife gathered together under one roof during a destructive storm. 

6. CONCLAVE (MY FULL REVIEW) by Edward Berger

Notwithstanding that this election was happening in the hallowed halls of the Vatican, it was still a political activity among men, so there will be sides to choose from. Here, it was also a face-off of liberals (who were pushing all their woke advocacies) and the traditionalists (who wanted none of those). Catholics in the audience will also find themselves rooting for their own sides -- that was how effectively Peter Straughan wrote the arguments in his script.

5. THE SUBSTANCE (MY FULL REVIEW) by Coralie Fargeat

This audaciously shocking body-horror film written and directed by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat did not shirk from showing exaggeratedly disgusting scenes of graphic gore and grotesque deformity to drive home her satiric points against ageism in show business and the extremes done in order to maintain beauty and fame. Demi Moore gave a bravely meta portrayal of fading star Elisabeth, which can lead to an Oscar nomination for Best Actress

4. WICKED by Jon M. Chu (MY FULL REVIEW)

Oscar nominations are expected for the technical aspects of this film, led by the inspired direction of Jon M. Chu, who grasped the ambitious scale of this production by the horns and succeeding, despite some issues with pace.  Nods in production design, costume design, hair and makeup, visual effects and sound are in the bag -- as exemplified in complex numbers like "Dancing Through Life," "Popular" and, of course, "Defying Gravity." 

3. DUNE PART TWO by Denis Villeneuve (MY FULL REVIEW)

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.

2. DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE by Shawn Levy (MY FULL REVIEW)

The main driving force of this Shawn Levy film is the terrific interaction between the two title characters who both have the power of regenerative healing, which meant that they can slash, stab, impale, shred through each other with their Adamantium blades and survive to inflict more. On a more humorous vein, there was a generous dose of gay bromance gags between the two guys, peaking in that climactic costume-popping "Time Ripper" scene. 

1. GODZILLA MINUS ONE by Takashi Yamazaki (MY FULL REVIEW)

The story of this new prequel film brings viewers back to a sensitive period in world history, showing how World War II had affected the common people in Japan. The threat of Godzilla came at a time when Japan was at its most vulnerable and desperate -- dealing with the socio-political aftermath of a war they lost, having their entire weapons arsenal decommissioned, and unable to get international assistance that they needed in this crisis. 

Then, there was also the personal story of our protagonist, as only the Japanese can tell them. Shikishima was a flawed man, haunted by the guilt of being a coward and a failure. He was unable to bring himself to marry Noriko, the woman he loved, because his internal war was not over yet. We see how traumatic circumstances finally brought to fore the hero in him, of course, with help from his friends. 

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My list for 2023 is posted HERE. 

My list for 2022 is posted HERE. 

My list for 2021 is posted HERE. 

My list for 2020 is posted HERE. 

My list for 2019 is posted HERE. 

My list for 2018 is posted HERE.

My list for 2017 is posted HERE.

My list for 2016 is posted HERE.

My list for 2015 is posted HERE.

My list for 2014 is posted HERE.

My list for 2013 is posted HERE. 

My Yearend Roundup: RANKING THE BEST VIVAMAX FILMS of 2024

January 1, 2025

Vivamax, now called VMX, still releases 1 or 2 new films almost every week of the year, although most of them are mid-length now, running for only 45 to 60 minutes.  They have also started accepting advertisements of online casinos and other products within their films.

This year, VMX even had two theatrical releases -- "Unang Tikim" by Roman Perez Jr. and "Celestina: Burlesk Dancer" by Mac Alejandre, both coming out in R-18 and SM Cinema-friendly R-16 cuts.  I was not able to watch the second one due to schedule conflicts. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

16. MAMA'S BOY by Paul Michael Acero

15. PILYA by Dustin Celestino (MY FULL REVIEW) 

14. KAPALIT by Carlos Alvarez (MY FULL REVIEW) 

13. UNANG TIKIM by Roman Perez, Jr. (MY FULL REVIEW) 

12. UNGOL by Bobby Bonifacio, Jr. (MY FULL REVIEW) 

11. MAHAROT by Rodante Pajemna, Jr. (MY FULL REVIEW) 

HERE ARE MY 10 HIGHEST-RATED VMX FILMS OF 2024: 

10. SALITAN by Bobby Bonifacio, Jr. (MY FULL REVIEW)

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 narrator Mercedes Cabral's voice as she told her sordid tale sounded like she was telling a bedtime story for adults. 

9. BUTAS by Dado Lumibao (MY FULL REVIEW)

From a typical Vivamax plot about sexual shenanigans in a boarding house, the story actually turned serious as it discussed about real love and just sex. Angela Morena is a veteran in portraying girls who get caught in sticky situations. Angelica Hart turns it her best performance so far as Kayla.  Albie Casino may already be typecast in rascal sex maniac roles, but JD Aguas makes an auspicious debut as a good boy dealing with depravity all around him. 

8. PALUWAGAN by Roman Perez, Jr. (MY FULL REVIEW)

The plot was quite complex for Vivamax standards, even needing a helicopter wreck in one scene. Director Perez and his DP Albert Banzon was able to bring out the lushness of the green mountain forest setting, with some impressive-looking overhead drone shots.  The atmospheric musical score by Dek Margaja for the sex scenes was very lush as well. On the debit side, the acting of the female ensemble was garish, and Relosa's wig was ugly. 

7. RITA by Jerry Lopez Sineneng (MY FULL REVIEW)

No less than National Artist Ricky Lee wrote this screenplay, so it was not surprising that there were so many complexities in this film's plot, certainly more than the typical VMX film. In the title role, Christine Bermas gave it her all, especially in those crazy, never-before-seen bedroom acrobatics. Victor Relosa and Gold Aceron nailed their challenging closet roles. This was also the first Vivamax appearance of Josh Ivan Morales, best known as the predatory uncle in "Ang Lihim ni Antonio" (2008), still as depraved and beastly as ever.

6. PALIPAT-LIPAT, PAPALIT-PALIT by Roman Perez, Jr. (MY FULL REVIEW)

Like his other Vivamax output, cult director Roman Perez, Jr. never settled for the bare minimum when it came to choosing his shots for scenes in his films. The main setting of a seaside village may sound drab, but Perez and his cinematographer Rommel Andreo Sales employed a lot of artistic camera angles for aesthetic enhancement --  with views from the top, in mirror reflections, or through windows where the warm sun was beaming in. 

5. DONSELYA by Christopher Novabos (MY FULL REVIEW)

This film was notable for its well-blocked and well-photographed scenes. care of director Novabos and his cinematographer Alex Espartero. The storyline was predictable. The ending was too rushed, over-the-top, and inexplicable in the legal context, which was unfortunate. Dyessa Garcia did well in her first starring role. Arnold Reyes had a strong screen presence. Tanya Gomez stole the show with her hilarious portrayal of mommy Rosa's greed. 

4. MARYANG PALAD by Rodante Pajemna, Jr. (MY FULL REVIEW)

Unlike her previous sullen and drab roles, Sahara Bernales was smiling beautifully here, looking radiant from her very first scene when she boarded ship. More than that, Bernales gives what it probably her best performance in a VMX film, with her relaxed, natural and confident portrayal of Marya. As his usual, Vince Rillon gives another raw yet nuanced portrayal of the lovestruck Lando. Their chemistry together here was off the charts. 

3. SWEET RELEASE by Pancho Maniquis (MY FULL REVIEW)

The premise about taking a road trip to do soul searching may sound very old hat, but this film actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Outside those distracting sex scenes and stilted acting of the supporting actors, the scenes where the three main characters were just driving around and talking with each other were actually good, especially with the easy, natural chemistry among the three main actors -- Ataska, Dyessa Garcia, and unexpectedly, even newcomer Mhack Morales.

2. KABIT by Lawrence Fajardo (MY FULL REVIEW)

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. This VMX film felt different from others from the very start with its opening credits. This one took its time in setting up its premise and to let viewers into the behind-the-scenes goings-on among director, cast and crew in a theater production.

1. UHAW by Bobby Bonifacio, Jr. (MY FULL REVIEW)

Rejoice (Ataska) was a lounge singer in a bar, where she performed her original songs. She was married to tattoo artist Marcus (Itan Rosales), who owned the Gemini Link tattoo parlor. One day, after a steamy session of lovemaking, Marcus suddenly collapsed with a severe headache and fell into a coma. When Rejoice checked his mobile phone, she discovered that Marcus had another woman in his life -- Astrid (Angeli Khang).

Writer-director Bobby Bonifacio was able to craft a serious, well-written love story of devotion and sacrifice, albeit in VMX style. The star of this feature is Ataska, not only in drama acting, as well as in singing, guitar, and songwriting. Her emotional songs gave the film its beating heart. Itan Rosales may be out of commission for most of the film, but he still had a lot of action going on in flashbacks. Top-billed Angeli Khang lends her star power in a significant supporting role.

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For my Best of Vivamax films of 2023, click HERE.

For my Best of Vivamax films of 2022, click HERE.

My Yearend Roundup: The BEST FILIPINO FILMS of 2024 That I Have Seen

December 23, 2024

Of the 169 Filipino films released commercially in cinemas, as entries in film festivals, or streaming in online apps in 2024, I've seen 149 of them so far. 

In April, the Puregold Cinepanalo film fest, with the festival theme of "Mga Kuwentong Panalo ng Buhay," was launched. I was able to watch 4/6 entries. In August, the Cinemalaya film festival was held in the cinemas of the Ayala Mall by the Bay. The inconvenient distance of the venue and the irregular scheduling made it difficult for me, but I was still able watch 7/10 films.

In September, the Sinag Manila filmfest was back, and I was able to watch 7/7 films. In November, the QCinema film festival was back, bigger than ever. But aside from the opening film, I was only able to see the one film I prioritized. On Christmas Day, the Metro Manila Filmfest opens again. I have now watched 8/10. 

Aside from "And So It Begins," I had not been able to catch any of major documentary films released this year, like "Alipato at Muog," "Ghosts of Kalantiaw," or "Los Sabungeros." The films in my list below are all narrative feature films.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: 

30. GG - Prime Cruz (MY REVIEW)

29. THAT KIND OF LOVE - Catherine Camarillo (MY REVIEW) 

28. MAPLE LEAF DREAMS - Benedict Mique (MY REVIEW)

27. MUJIGAE - Randolph Longjas (MY REVIEW)

26. A JOURNEY - RC de los Reyes (MY REVIEW)

25. ESPANTAHO - Chito Roño (MY REVIEW)

24. LOLO AND THE KID - Benedict Mique (MY REVIEW)

23. UN/HAPPY FOR YOU - Petersen Vargas (MY REVIEW) 

22. UNDER PARALLEL SKIES - Sigrid Andrea Bernardo (MY REVIEW) 

21. MY FUTURE YOU - Crisanto Aquino (MY REVIEW)

20. KONO BASHO - Jaime Pacena II (MY REVIEW) 

19. YOUR MOTHER'S CHILD - Jun Lana (MY REVIEW) 

18. LOVE CHILD - Jonathan Jurilla (MY REVIEW) 

17. HER LOCKET - J.E. Tiglao (MY REVIEW) 

16. TUMANDOK by Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay. (MY REVIEW)

15. I AM NOT BIG BIRD - Victor Villanueva (MY REVIEW) 

14. OUTSIDE - Carlo Ledesma (MY REVIEW) 

13. A LAB STORY - Carlo Obispo (MY REVIEW) 

12. SALOME - Teng Mangansakan (MY REVIEW)

11. STRANGE FREQUENCIES - Kerwin Go (MY REVIEW) 

Here are my TOP TEN: 

10. PUSHCART TALES - Sigrid Andrea Bernardo (MY REVIEW) 

Between bookend scenes of undead beings and calamitous disaster, Bernardo stitched on six episodes of melodrama dealing with a variety of family issues about infidelity, separation, LGBT, sacrifice and disease. After this, she then surprised us some more with her last minute twists that tied all the loose threads up neatly. I thought her complex script was a winner and it still managed to live up to the positivity Puregold was going for. 

9. REAL LIFE FICTION - Paul Soriano (MY REVIEW) 

This film was written and directed by Paul Soriano, whose last directorial output was the much-maligned MMFF 2022 entry "My Teacher." This time around, his latest film was a complete 180 degree turn for Soriano, in terms of richness of concept, quality of production elements, and depth of acting by its stars. "Real Life Fiction" was an abstract arthouse film. It was certainly beautiful to look at, but the story it tells is open for various interpretations.  My interpretation is a good as yours. 

8. THE KINGDOM - Mike Tuviera (MY REVIEW) 

You can clearly see the efforts of director Michael Tuviera, scriptwriter Michelle Ngu and production designer Nestor Abrogena Jr. to build this alternate reality within which our country existed in the film. They were advised by professors of history and anthropology to guide their world-building. They were meticulous in details of fashion, ornaments, tattoos, and interior decor. Direction, screenplay, production and costume design merit award consideration.

7. THE HEARING - Law Fajardo (MY REVIEW) 

Fajardo's style of storytelling immersed us in the silent world Lucas lived in, seeing people and things in his 12 year-old point of view. We see how shaky and unsettling he saw the world to be. It was very interesting to see how the deaf were being treated within our criminal justice system. Having two sign language translators interpret and relay the deaf witness's answer to every question by the lawyers  seems to be such a tedious yet necessary process to assure impartiality.

6. THE GOSPEL OF THE BEAST - Sheron R. Dayoc (MY REVIEW) 

Dayoc enveloped the whole film with blood and violence from the very first scenes at the slaughterhouse. The cinematography, editing, production design, sound and musical score here made sure that there was no let up of the tension of uncertainty and sense of danger surrounding Mateo's entire baptism of fire. By the end, we don't know what kind of future Fate has in store for this prematurely corrupted young man.

5. BALOTA - Kip Oebanda (MY REVIEW) 

Marian Rivera lends her superstar power to attract the fickle Filipino moviegoers to watch a film with an important advocacy to push. Year after year, Filipino citizens go through various elections of public officials. More frequent than not, the winners were those with the biggest bribes or the best name recall, and not the most capable nor the most honest. This film tells us to stop this ridiculous circus now, and vote seriously with only patriotism in mind. 

4. PHANSTOSMIA - Lav Diaz (MY REVIEW) 

Lav Diaz tells about the insidious effects of violence when this was done in the line of duty -- in Zabala's case, as a scout ranger against rebels, or as a policeman against activists. Zabala was old-school, a stickler for rules, and he believed what he was doing was the right thing. It was his own mind who made him recognize how damaged a man he was. Unfortunately, he also realized that violence may only rely on more violence to achieve liberation.

3. GREEN BONES - Zig Dulay (MY REVIEW) 

Ricky Lee and Anj Atienza told this crime story from two perspectives -- Gonzaga's first, then Dom's. Director Zig Dulay's knack for visual storytelling was topnotch as he riveted our attention from beginning to end. The scenic island location for the penal colony, complete with stately lighthouse and an old tree with a dramatic crown of leaves, was surely a dream come true for cinematographer Neil Daza. Nominations are forthcoming for all of them. 

2. UNDER THE PIAYA MOON - Kurt Soberano (MY REVIEW) 

The script by Vicente Garcia Groyon hewed to old-fashioned linguistic styles to keep to the nostalgic theme of the film. It included a number of charming, kitchen-inspired sayings and mottos to keep to the culinary theme. Director Soberano brings up the clash between traditions vs. modernity multiple times, but different generations will answer this question differently. I am a sucker for this type of film that has warmth, sentimentality and positivity.

1. ISANG HIMALA - Pepe Diokno (MY REVIEW) 

A solar eclipse occurred over the cursed town of Cupang. That day, a 29 year-old country girl named Elsa (Aicelle Santos) said that she saw the Blessed Virgin Mary who granted her the ability to heal. The parish priest (Floyd Tena) was skeptical, but Elsa went on with her mission, assisted by her mother Saling (Bituin Escalante), best friend Chayong (Neomi Gonzales), grateful mother Sepa (Joann Co) and local socialite Mrs. Alba (Sweet Plantado).  

Director Pepe Diokno grabbed the formidable material by the horns and made sure all its key plot and message points come across clearly and engagingly to the audience. Vincent de Jesus's big dramatic songs transitioned very well onto the big screen. Ricky Lee's religious debate of a script, with its biting socio-political commentary, remain as complex and thought-provoking as it did before, proof of its timeless and lasting significance. 

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*January 3, 2025 Updated this list after being able to watch four more MMFF 2024 films after New Years Day. I have now seen 7/10. 

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My List of Best Filipino Films of 2023 is posted HERE. 

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2022 is posted HERE.

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2021 is posted HERE.

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2020 is posted HERE.

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2019 is posted HERE.

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2018 is posted HERE.

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2017 is posted HERE.

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2016 is posted HERE.

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2015 is posted HERE.

My List for Best Filipino Films of 2014 is posted HERE.