Review of THOR: RAGNAROK: Campy Combatants

October 31, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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My review of THOR is posted HERE.  

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

QCINEMA 2017: Review of NEOMANILA: Hitman's Heart

October 28, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 27, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

QCINEMA 2017: Review of THE CHANTERS: Salience in Simplicity

October 24, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

Review of HAPPY DEATH DAY: Cyclic Chills (with Charm)

October 24, 2017

Whenever we think of a time loop film, we will always think of "Groundhog Day" (1993). Whenever we think of a murderer with a comical mask, we will always think of "Scream" (1996). When I first saw the trailer of this film, it was clear that this Christopher B. Landon film was inspired by those two 1990s favorites, so this should be a lot of fun to watch.

It was September 18, Monday, Tree's birthday. That day, a hungover Tree woke up in the dorm room of nerdy boy Carter. Later that night, she was attacked and murdered by a killer wearing a funny mask of their college mascot. Then she woke up again in Carter's room and relived the same day over only to die again at the hands of the same masked murderer. With each loop she goes through, Tree eliminates her suspects one by one until she thought she's got it all figured out.

The likability of this whole film depended on the winsome portrayal of Tree by Jessica Rothe. There was something very charming about her mean girl whose cursed repeated reliving of her birthday (and death day) had humbled her down. Her bitchy Tree was played with tongue fully in cheek. With every day relived, she managed to project a different personality that kept the proceedings interesting. But in that sequence of her penultimate reincarnation, she was positively radiant.  

The supporting actors played basically one-dimensional caricatures of typical characters encountered in a college. They probably had a lot of fun repeating their lines over and over for each different daily scenario. Israel Broussard was the shy and helpful boy-next-door Carter Davis. Ruby Modine was the seemingly thoughtful and patient roommate and nurse Lori Spengler. Rachel Matthews was hilariously over-the-top as sorority head honcho Danielle Bouseman. Charles Aitken was Tree's professor crush Dr. Gregory Butler. Caleb Spillyards was the rejected beau Tim Bauer.

The horror situations were all familiar tropes we've seen many times in different slasher films before. Again there were crazy stupid decisions made by the characters to make themselves sitting-duck targets for the killer. The serial killer character was a bit of a stretch which probably should have been left off. In any case though, a spirit of fun pervaded the whole film despite the gory goings-on, making this a diverting horror offering friends can enjoy watching together. 7/10. 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of KULAY LILA ANG GABI NA BINUDBURAN PA NG MGA BITUIN: Inordinate Interventions

October 23, 2017

Marital discord is a very common topic in local films which had been done in all variations of melodrama over the years. For a radical change, this indie film executed by director Jobim Ballesteros from a script by Jimmy Flores proposes a futuristic science-fiction way of solving these mundane domestic problems.  

Aries and Chai are a married couple. We do not know how long they have been married, but they wanted to have a child next year. However, because of their gnawing insecurities with each other's faithfulness, they are constantly fighting with each other. In order to save their marriage, Chai decided to enroll them into a retreat program which promises to help them solve the internal strife in their troubled relationship.

I felt this was supposed to have been a short film that, like its unwieldy title, was just stretched out to feature length but with nothing much more to say. There were interminable moments of nothingness -- just some psychedelic light patterns playing on the screen with weird electronic music playing to accompany them. I simply cannot see any meaning nor art in these filler scenes except to lengthen the running time by 10 more minutes. 

The saving factor of this film was the intense antagonistic chemistry between the two daring lead actors -- Max Eigenmann (as the feisty Chai) and Jay Castillo (as the phlegmatic Aries). When the two of them are on the screen together, the film comes alive with sexual tension and suspense. The whole film climaxed when they did. The first half of the film was definitely the more vital one. I felt they should have stopped there with the reveal of the futuristic therapeutic intervention used.

Instead, the filmmakers decided to give each character their own separate spin-off episode in the second half of the film. That was when the integrity of the film broke down for me, as everything felt anti-climactic since then. I did not see the need for these individual dalliances because the point of these scenes (or what Jose Rizal was doing there) was not made clear.  What's clear is that the director expects that we should be deciding on our own endings after the final fade out, whether this couple will last or not. By then though, I did not care enough to do so. 4/10. 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of BALANGIGA: HOWLING WILDERNESS: Artistic but Appalling

October 23, 2017

Mainstream audiences like their films to tell stories to be diverting and entertaining. Indie films are a way for more adventurous filmmakers to go beyond those traditionally-desired constraints in order to explore darker stories using daring visuals which may not sit well with its audience. I have seen quite a number of local indie films already over the years, and I thought I could take anything an indie director throws at me. And then along comes a film like "Balangiga."

This film was set in the year 1901, in US-occupied Samar province. In retaliation for an armed uprising by the villagers of Balangiga, the Americans launched a merciless mass killing that reduced the whole Samar into an island of death and despair. Escaping from Balangiga after his father was killed in a massacre, 10-year old boy Kulas and his grandfather (Pio del Rio), along with their trusty carabao Melchora. 

In order to avoid Americans controlling the town of Borongan, they needed to traverse three mountains and seven rivers in order to reach Quinapundan, where Kulas' mother was staying with relatives. Along the way, they passed another massacred village and picked up a toddler, whom Kulas called Bola, who miraculously survived the carnage. When the grandfather was overcome with exhaustion, the two little boys had to fend for themselves.

This is an art-house film to the max as executed by its director Khavn (who claimed in the credits that this film was not by him) and his cinematographer Albert Banzon.  Khvan employed various innovative camera angles and image-distorting techniques to further drive the "modern art" treatment of his historical subject. He also played around a lot with bright blues and bright reds. 

It had very strange, esoteric and provocative imagery that shout "Art!" but the rationale for these scenes can be questionable. I can maybe sense that the recurring image of giant bird made of Christmas party junk which spoke a Southern drawl could be a symbol of the American Eagle. But what about that truly unsettling scene of an obscene roadside "preacher"? What about those disturbing scenes of animals being abused, like a goat being molested, or a poor piglet impaled alive, pitifully wailing and exsanguinating, or a chicken whose head was being slowly severed?

There was admittedly a certain charm about using children to drive a story across about senseless violence. The film starts with whimsical images like a flying carabao as dreamt by Kulas. However, as these dreams of Kulas become weirder the longer they are on their trek, so will the images we see become more and more bizarre as the film progressed -- from stylish midgets to flying fireballs to walking church bells. 

As Kulas, the scrappy Justin Samson (who looked younger than 10) did a lot of stuff that most adults would not have the strength or the nerve to do. He had to climb tall trees, lift heavy-looking loads, pick mint leaves out of a pot of "boiling" water, eat various seemingly dirty half-cooked rootcrops and meat, hack off animal heads and shoot a rifle at someone. His most discomfiting scene of all was when he had to go inside the disemboweled carcass of an animal, reminiscent of Leonardo deCaprio's similar scene in "The Revenant" (except that this one is probably a real carabao carcass, and not a fake prop).  

As Bola, Warren Tuano was impressively well-behaved for a child his age. He even had one particularly well-shot scene where he was crying and calling out to Kulas in full dramatic mode. Tuano must have been no older than two years old because he does not seem to talk yet. His first scene had him completely blackened up, sitting among "dead" people with fires burning around them. Then there was another dangerous-looking scene where he had to toddle down a slope to go to a pond. 

This film may receive critical acclaim for its undeniable artistic merits. However, as a parent, I found the film truly upsetting and even appalling, especially when I imagine how harrowing an experience the shooting this film may have been to those child actors. Samson and Tuano had precarious-looking scenes amidst tall grasses and trees, in the dirty pools of water, in the mud and in the rain. I only have to trust that the health (both physical and mental) and safety of these children were taken seriously into consideration by the director while shooting this film in the name of art.  4/10. 

Review of BAD GENIUS: Impugning Integrity

October 21, 2017

Cheating in school exams is an open secret. Almost everyone does it, but no one openly talks about it. Thai director Nattawut Poonpiriya came up a hip film that tackles this very sticky topic and wound up with the highest grossing film in Thailand this year, as well as the most profitable Thai film distributed worldwide of all time so far. Aside from "Shutter" (2004) and "Pee Mak" (2013), it isn't very frequent that we get a Thai movie in local cinemas, so this one promises to be a really good one.

Lynn is a brilliant math genius and scholar in a prestigious high school. Her richer (but not so academically blessed) classmates conscripted her to let them copy her answers during major exams by tempting her with a generous fee of 3K baht per exam per person. When time came for the international-based STIC exams, Lynn called in her fellow genius scholar and competitor Bank for his incredible memory as the stakes of their massive cheating operation were raised to reach millions of baht for both of them.

Lynn was played by Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, a fashion model who debuts as an actress in this film, and what an impressive debut it was. A lot of excitement and drama also hinged on the charismatic performance of Chanon Santinatornkul as Bank. They did not have typical teen-idol looks, but there was an unspoken chemistry between them which was quite thrilling, especially on that scene on the pedestrian bridge. 

The millionaire classmate Pat and his pretty popular girlfriend Grace were played by Teeradon Supapunpinyo and Eisaya Hosuwan, respectively. They play typical rich brats who think money can buy their way out of any situation. Thaneth Warakulnukroh played Lynn's father, a humble schoolteacher Vit, in a most realistic and sympathetic way. I totally identified with his painful frustration and unwavering support of his daughter. 

The story was told and edited in a very exciting way, like a heist caper. The elaborate plans even involve Lynn and Bank flying to Sydney, Australia in order to get a four-hour headstart on the exam answers to transmit to Pat and Grace. I don't know if this is based on a true incident in the past but that final sequence alternating between events in Sydney and Bangkok was very suspenseful. All possible thrill gimmicks were used to enhance the tension during that climactic series of events. 

Overall the movie is a cautionary tale against dishonesty. At my age, it was uncomfortable watching cheating shenanigans in school unfold on a big screen, but I am sure high school students will find it very funny and entertaining, but I hope not educational in terms of techniques. A twist before the ending came gave me a big jolt because of a shift in character which I did not expect and I did not like, but I admit that this change was not completely implausible. Lessons about academic integrity will be taught here in this film, and I hope the target audience learns it. 8/10. 

Review of THE FOREIGNER: Avenging Atrocity

October 19, 2017

Even if he gets older and older, a Jackie Chan always promises to be a great action film. The premise of this film is quite clear from the trailer alone. It is basically Jackie's character exacting revenge on the people responsible for the death of his daughter. The story is not exactly new, yes. However, the promise of seeing more signature Jackie Chan actions scenes still make this latest project a must-see for his local fans.

Within the first five minutes of this film, Quan Ngoc Minh's daughter Fan (Katie Leung) was one of the victims killed by a deadly bomb explosion in London, an act of terrorism for which an Irish group called UDI had claimed responsibility. However, the police counter-terror command led by Richard Bromley (Ray Fearon) could not tell the distraught Quan who was responsible for his daughter's death.

A stubborn Quan then sought out Irish deputy minister Liam Hennessy, an ex-UDI member turned politician who now served as liaison between the N. Irish and the British government. When Hennessy was giving him the runaround on the phone, Quan actually went to Belfast to confront Hennessy in his office. Quan, using his background as a Special Ops solider during the Vietnam War, made the next days precarious for Hennessy to force him to spill out the names of the terrorists. 

Unlike what the title suggests, Jackie Chan's Quan Ngoc Minh is not exactly a "Foreigner". Quan was born in China, but he had migrated to the UK thirty years or so ago and is already a British citizen. I guess the title is just a more political correct term than "The Chinaman", a 1992 novel by Stephen Leather upon which this film was based. However, we still hear the word "Chinaman" in a couple of scenes as uttered by Irish thugs.

As expected, Jackie Chan delivers on the promise of amazing martial arts fight scenes. This guy lost nothing to age it seems, as the fights, be they bare-handed or with big knives and various household items,  were still as bone-crushingly realistic as ever. Being that Quan was Jackie Chan, we had no doubt whatsoever that he can take on multiple opponents or be hurt very badly, yet still come out victorious. Being Special Ops, he can do anything single-handedly!

As this story was about terrorists, it was inevitable that there would be big explosions. Aside from the department store explosion in the beginning that took the life of Fan, there was that one big chilling explosion on one of those iconic red double-decker buses in the middle of a bridge over the Thames, which must have been quite a challenge to film. Quan also got to set off his own little explosions from grocery items, smaller in scale but no less destructive.

One big difference of this film from the typical Jackie Chan film is the complete lack of slapstick comedy. Chan was dead serious here. That one tearful scene where he was first interviewed by police after the bombing was very moving. I thought they did not really have to make him trudge around like a very old man when he was obviously still very spry and capable to walk up straight. 

Pierce Brosnan was also looking older and grizzled here as Liam Hennessy, but he was still no less a lady-killer. While Hennessy has his hands full toeing the line between his rebellious past and his diplomatic present, he also has to balance two women in his life. Actually without the interesting twists and turns in Hennessy's side of the story about his wife Mary (Orla Brady), his nephew Sean (Rory Fleck-Byrne) and his mistress Maggie (Charlie Murphy), this could have just another typical generic revenge film. 

This nuanced portrayal of a complex conflicted character was a nice return to form for Mr. Brosnan, who had been in forgettable projects in the last few years. Pierce Brosnan had worked with director Martin Campbell before in his first outing as James Bond "GoldenEye" (1995) and the two will work together again in a film version of Ernest Hemingway's "Across the River and Into the Trees."

I think you can never really miss with a Jackie Chan film. I had seen Chan in a straight drama before, "Police Story 2013" (MY REVIEW) where he also played a distressed father, and it was good to see him here is another variation of that theme.  He knows what his audience wants and he delivers. Seeing Chan and Pierce Brosnan together playing roles they are not usually known for, spiced with director Martin Campbell's style of raw brutal action, made formulaic "The Foreigner" still compelling to watch. 7/10.

Review of SEVEN SUNDAYS: Richly Rewarding Reconnections

October 15, 2017

When news about this film first came out on social media, my attention was immediately grabbed with the stellar combination of actors that were assembled for this project. Now that I had actually seen the movie, all the more I am commending the casting director for this unprecedented, brilliantly inspired casting decisions that really made this film even more special than it already was on paper.

69 year old Manuel Bonifacio learned bad news from his doctor that he had only barely two months to live because of terminal cancer. His last wish was for his four busy children to spend these last seven Sundays of his life together with him in their family home. 

At first, all four siblings A, B, C and D were saddled with personal baggage and past issues with each other that made these reunions painful instead of happy. With each passing Sunday though, these lost familial bonds were slowly being mended. Suddenly, Manuel receives another piece of news which threatened to break these bonds all over again.

A is eldest brother Allan, played by a comebacking Aga Muhlach. Muhlach can still use his big puppy-dog eyes to great use in those emotional scenes to make us all care about his familial and financial predicaments. The more mature Muhlach may have gained some heft physically, but this actor still had his dramatic chops intact, which was especially seen in those moving scenes with his son Marc (Kyle Echarri). 

B is second son Bryan, played by Dingdong Dantes. He is the one sibling who was able to succeed financially, and therefore tended to be bossy and had to deal with different issues as to what he needed to do for his family. Bryan had so many chips on his shoulder, which gave Dantes several potent dramatic confrontation scenes, all of which he delivered with elegant dignity. These scenes affirm that he is one of, if not the best actor of his generation. 

C is the only daughter Cha, played by Cristine Reyes. It could have been the story of just three brothers and the story probably still would have worked, but having a daughter in there provided a showcase of how Filipino brothers are very protective of their sisters. Cha's husband Jerry (Kean Cipriano) may be a good father to their kids, but he was also an incurable philanderer. Reyes was so raw and vulnerable in portraying the hurtful pain in this martyr wife character, which made us all want to reach out through the screen to help her.

D is youngest son Dexter, played by Enrique Gil. He grew up basically alone, since their mom died early, their dad was usually abroad working and his siblings were already in college, and this estrangement due to the significant age gap was sensitively portrayed by Gil. As an actor, Gil tended to give way to his more senior co-stars as his character was really meant to be distant, but when it came for his moment to shine in the climactic confrontation scene, he did. 

As the patriarch Manuel, Ronaldo Valdez was in the center of everyone's story and he was able to hold the whole film together with his geniality and genuineness, like how most of us regard our own fathers. Unlike most movies about senior citizens, Valdez' Manuel here is still sound of mind and active of body and he had a healthy sense of humor and joie de vivre, so the dramatic aspects of the story never slid down to melodrama. Honestly, at no point did he look like a man with terminal cancer.

Ketchup Eusebio was Manuel's loyal companion and confidante, his nephew Jun. I thought that Cacai Bautista was hilarious as Bryan's homely executive assistant who had a huge crush on her boss. April Matienzo was sprightly and cute as Dex's neighborhood friend Camille. Donita Rose was underused as Bechay, Allan's very pregnant wife. Iza Calzado and Edward Barber have cameos in surprise roles -- no spoken lines but still poignant.

Jeffrey Tam was appropriately annoying as Mr. Kim, a Korean businessman who wanted to buy the ABC's Family Store out so to have a parking lot for his mall across the street. Ryan Bang suddenly showed up at the end to play another Mr. Kim, the previous Mr. Kim's brother. This final over-optimistic scene, complete with a clunky dance showdown, felt awkward given the intensity of drama preceding it, but I guess it is there to end the hopeful film on a high note.

There were moments in "Seven Sundays" that reminded of another cherished family film "Tanging Yaman" (Laurice Guillen, 2000). The long-strained relations between the rich second son and the humbled eldest son was the most obvious similarity. 

The various stories may all sound familiar and the ending may have been predictable, however director Cathy Garcia-Molina and her talented cast told the Bonifacio family's journey in a warm and relatable way that all Filipinos can identify with. (With the English subtitles in the print I saw, I'm sure foreigners can relate as well.) 8/10. 

Review of GEOSTORM: Climatic Calamity

October 13, 2017

The trailer of this film already made very clear what this movie was going to be about. This was not just going to be about a tornado like "Twister" (1996), or an earthquake like "San Andreas" (2015), or a tidal wave like "2012" (2009), or a space disaster like "Armageddon" (1998). This new film will be a smorgasbord of disasters all in one film in one CGI extravaganza -- a worldwide cataclysmic event they call a "Geostorm".

Because the Earth is already suffering extreme effects of climate change, an international group of scientists led by Jake Lawson built a satellite system called "Dutch Boy" to stabilize the earth's weather conditions. One day, there was a severe snowstorm in an Afghanistan desert that actually froze the inhabitants to death. A serious malfunction in Dutch Boy was suspected so Jake was called in and sent to the space station to check it out. 

On Earth, Jake's estranged younger brother Max Lawson, who worked in the inner circle of the White House, did his share of investigating and damage control with the convenient help of his secret fiancee Secret Service agent Sarah Wilson, as ruthless American politicians appeared to be involved. As giant hailstorms fall on Tokyo and massive tidal waves flood Dubai, the Lawson brothers have only an hour and a half left to try to stop the countdown before the whole world gets destroyed by the deadly Geostorm. 

As it was already quite evident in the trailer, the acting of the cast was on the hammy side. The whole cast felt miscast, almost everyone did not look realistic for his character even if they were supposed to be decent actors. Of course, one man can be 11 years older than his brother, but Gerard Butler and Jim Sturgess did not look nor act like brothers at all. Andy Garcia did not feel like a US President, nor did Abbie Cornish as a hotshot agent, nor Alexandra Maria Lara as the commander of a space station. 

On the other hand Ed Harris as the US Secretary of State Leonard Dekkom. You knew exactly what his character was all about the very first moment we see him. I also have to commend the work of young Talitha Bateman, whom we just saw as the tormented lame girl Janice in "Annabelle: The Creation" earlier this year. She was very genuine and sincere in her role as Jake's daughter Hannah and her voice-over narrations that bookend the film. 

Many special effects were too obviously CG when compared to other recent disaster films. The work on the Rio de Janeiro scenes did not look good, with a bikini-clad girl outrunning the freezing wave from the sea, leaving people and even a flying jumbo jet freezing up in its wake. The "exciting" parts dealt with electric cars driving away from breaking up roads in Hongkong or lightning bolts (with big man-made explosions) in Orlando. The typical "down-the-wire" race against the clock and the "heartwarming" montage of relief and jubilation afterwards are such dogeared cliches. 

So, what we end up here is a strange inharmonious marriage of three distinct genres -- the catastrophic world disaster flick and an outer space thriller and a political potboiler to boot. This is the directorial debut of Dean Devlin who had written and produced films like "Independence Day" (1996) and its sequel "Independence Day: Resurgence" (2016) before, so it seems he just rehashed ideas from his previous films and blew their scale up with a much-bigger budget. Word is there had been other writers and directors who spiced things up further in numerous rewrites and reshoots. 

The climate aspect is certainly timely, and may in fact be too timely for comfort in the wake of recent real-life destructive storms and earthquakes. But unfortunately in real life, there is no larger-than-life Gerard Butler character with his Dutch Boy to fix our deranged climate and his superheroic derring-do to save the world. 4/10. 

Review of VICTORIA & ABDUL: A Monarch and her Munshi

October 10, 2017

I had always liked those genteel British films showing their respect for their royal tradition and fastidious rules of ceremonial etiquette. After a long dearth of seeing such films on local big screene, along came of trailers of this charming movie by Stephen Frears about an elderly Queen Victoria who developed a friendship with a young Indian servant. This was only going to be shown as an exclusive feature in a few theaters. Lucky I got to catch it today, on what may be its last day.

It was 1887, the 50th year of Victoria as Queen. By then, the octogenarian Victoria was a very lonely and cantankerous queen until a handsome and charming Indian Muslim servant Abdul Karim caught her attention when he presented her a gift during one feast. Abdul's refreshing candor revived the senior monarch's  joie de vivre as she enthusiastically took lessons on Urdu and about the Koran from Abdul. She even called him her "munshi" ("teacher" or "spiritual mentor"), much to the distress of the racist royal household. 

In her scene-stealing, Oscar-winning 8-minute long appearance in "Shakespeare in Love" (John Madden,1998), Judi Dench portrayed Queen Elizabeth I. This time, her role as another iconic queen, Victoria, would have her onscreen for almost the whole two hours running time showing exactly why every Judi Dench film is a must-see. Her Queen Victoria was a lonely and cantankerous queen until Abdul revived her joie de vivre. Dench portrayed that reawakening so vibrantly. It seemed so magnificently effortless. 

Dench had already played Queen Victoria before in another John Madden film, "Mrs. Brown" (1997) Coincidentally, it was also about the sad newly-widowed Queen and her close friendship with her late husband's Scottish manservant named John Brown. The conflict of the story in this new film actually paralleled that of "Mrs. Brown" a lot, since John Brown also wielded a lot of influence over the Queen's decisions, like Abdul did. "Mrs. Brown" earned Ms. Dench an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, as this current one may well lead to another nomination as well.

Ali Fazal  is such a joy to watch in the first act of the film as the winsome Abdul, a guy who was just too happy to be in the royal presence and relished every moment of his adventure, not fearing to break protocol. Fazal's charisma was such that we do not wonder why the Queen would find him so fascinating despite their racial and social class differences. However, as the character of Abdul took on darker tones as the film went along, the energy of Fazal's performance went down along with it.

The arc of Abdul's story unfortunately also reflected on the whole film as well. I felt that the first half of the film was absolutely glorious with its infectious sense of humor in its comedy of manners. I had a smile on my face throughout these scenes recounting their first meeting, their trip to windy Scotland, their first lesson in Urdu, the Queen first learning about the mango, singing with Puccini in Florence. (Certain contentious matters about British occupation of India were taken rather lightly, but to be fair, these were not ignored.)

However, as Abdul increasingly gained the Queen's confidence, one cannot also help but feel that he was already taking undue advantage of the Queen's kindness towards him, even when her son Bertie (Eddie Izzard), the future King Edward VII, and the rest of the household was obviously against it. When lies get into the way of their friendship, it did not feel too good to watch anymore by the third act. However despite this, it was also in the downbeat of Act 3 that the triumphant acting performance of Dame Judi Dench also became absolutely exquisite. 

Of course, the breathtaking cinematography of Agra, Isle of Wight and Balmoral also added to the immense appeal of the film as a whole. 8/10. 

Review of BLADE RUNNER 2049: Replicant Reproduction

October 11, 2017

The first Blade Runner movie had a massive cult following. I am not part of that cult. I did not watch Blade Runner when it was first shown in 1981. I only watched "Blade Runner" recently in preparation for this sequel. It was a beautifully-made, moody, groundbreaking film. Having seen it, I recognize that most later movies that presented futuristic cosmopolitan cities featuring androids with artificial intelligence were all inspired by its radical vision.  

If I were to produce a long-awaited sequel, I would have probably waited two more years to release it because the events of that seminal film happened in the year 2019. Los Angeles police officer Rick Deckard is a "blade runner," whose job was to find rebel bio-mechanical beings called replicants and kill them. However, Deckard fell in love with an advanced experimental replicant named Rachael, with whom he had sexual relations. 

In this 2017 sequel "Blade Runner 2049", it was this intimate relationship between Deckard and Rachael that formed the vital connection between the two films. In the year 2049, thirty years after the events of the first film, K is a new-generation replicant built to be blade runner to destroy all previous replicant models. 

After killing off an ex-combat medic replicant, K finds a buried box which contained the remains of a woman who died in childbirth 30 years ago. However this woman is a replicant in which childbirth was not supposed to be possible. In the face of replicant rebellions, all evidence of this discovery, including her child, should be extinguished. This investigation led a conflicted K to Las Vegas where Rick Deckard had been in hiding all these years. 

Director Denis Villenueve's Los Angeles seemed bleaker, more empty than Scott's original vision of bustling metropolis as 30 years had passed since then. The sceneries we see were more of the typically dystopian scenery we have seen in other futuristic films in terms of the steampunk production design and the costumes of fur and leather. Roger Deakins' cinematography gave this landscape of the future a haunting vibrance. His scenes of K in the orange-tinged wasteland of giant stone women in stilettos and buzzing beehives, and in that strobe-lit nightclub with the hologram Elvis were surreal and bizarre. 


The pace of the storytelling was very slow, which would definitely try the patience of some audiences who are not familiar with the premise of the first film. This pace was puzzling considering that the main plot only revolved about the Rachael's remarkable ability to reproduce, which was quite straightforward. Yet there were so many confounding details around that core to prolong the movie unnecessarily.

SPOILER ALERT from this point on.

It was odd how old man Tyrell was somehow able to develop this ability with Rachael 30 years ago (despite replicants then were complaining about their short life span), but Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) and his takeover company still cannot figure it out in 2049. They never come around to elucidating the science behind this old but remarkable technology, which Wallace now coveted in order to produce more replicants to meet the demands of the time (illogical as it was for a businessman like him). It was just a miracle we should simply accept happened, impossible as we knew it was. Aside from this, most scenes with Wallace felt wrong to me -- those glassy blind (?) eyes of his, his brutal misogyny with the "newborn" replicant, the overlooked detail in Rachael's clone.

Ryan Gosling had a seemingly blank face the whole film, yet with it, he can still convey loneliness and loss so well. That evocative scene when K believed that he was the missing child as he saw the date inscription under the toy horse was a quiet moment, but it was so full of aching and longing. That scene when Freysa (Hiam Abbass) tells him a dream-crushing piece of information, K was also silent, but Gosling's face was a poignant portrait of dashed hopes. I am not sure a replicant created for the sole purpose of killing can be expected to be imbued with so much sensitivity as Gosling projects, but I guess he was just following his director's instructions. 

Harrison Ford gives a better, more emotionally convincing performance here as the old Deckard than when he last played another iconic absentee father, Han Solo. For me, it was when Deckard appeared on screen about 1-1/2 hours into the film that the whole story finally came to life. That intense conversation between Deckard and K (thinking this man could actually be his father!) about Rachael and the child, love and being a stranger was the best scene of the whole film. The way Ford was playing him, there was no way Deckard could be a replicant, no matter what some dropped clues may suggest.

Ana de Armas played Joi, K's hologram girlfriend. She was cute and perky as she was created to entertain, yet she was also capable of deep caring it seemed.  After playing Antiope in "Wonder Woman" earlier this year, Robin Wright is playing another tough character in Lieut. Joshi, K's superior officer. Aside from courage, the two characters would also share the same abbreviated screen time. Sylvia Hoeks was positively chilling as Wallace's violent girl Friday, Luv  -- ruthless, heartless, deadly. She definitely woke the film up whenever she was onscreen. Swiss actress Carla Juri plays Dr. Ana Stelline, a immuno-compromised scientist in a sterile bubble whose job was to create memories for replicants. 

There is no doubt that "Blade Runner 2049" is a visual spectacle. I am sure that all the technical awards next year will have it prominently on their nominations list in all award giving bodies. Roger Deakins might just finally bring home his first Oscar for Best Cinematography after 13 unsuccessful tries. 

This special film demands you don't tune out at any moment of its nearly 3-hour running time, lest you miss an important detail. However, those unfamiliar with the mythology and the style can be frustrated with all the long jargon-filled or philosophical conversations, as well as the glacial-paced unfolding of the main point of the story. This challenging film will make you think about it and read about it after you've seen it. It will make you want to watch it again. 8/10. 

My Review of MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE: Friendship First

October 6, 2017

I only have a vague idea of what "My Little Pony" was all about. None of my kids ever had a "My Little Pony" phase in their toddlerhood. My son says this show was only for little girls, but my daughter never got into them as well. After the "Smurfs" (MY REVIEW) and the "Trolls" (MY REVIEW) had been recently rebooted for this generation of kiddies, this time it is the turn of those cute colorful ponies of Equestria to strut their stuff on the big screen. 

Princess Twilight Sparkle is busy organizing her first Friendship Festival with her friends in Canterlot. Suddenly their activities were attacked by Tempest Shadow, a bitter unicorn with a broken horn. Twilight's fellow princesses (Luna, Celestia and Cadance) were all petrified and abducted. Meanwhile, Twilight and pony posse Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, as well as her pet dragon Spike, were all able to escape. 

It turns out that Tempest had been conscripted by the Storm King (in exchange for his repairing her broken horn) to kidnap all of Equestria's princesses because he needed to use their collective magic, so she needed to capture Twilight to complete the set. On the other hand, Twilight needed to figure out how to avoid capture, as well as how to prevent the impending major disaster to her realm if the Storm King were to achieve his evil plans. 

I really had no idea what "My Little Pony" stories were about since I had never seen any of their shows on TV ever. I was expecting to totally be bored by its relentlessly juvenile sweetness. At first, it took some time for me to know which pony was which. I sort of figured out that if an elegant-looking pony had a horn on its forehead, it was a sign of royal lineage. The initial scenes about the festival preparations were cornily saccharine, but once Tempest and company showed up, things got more interesting. 

I did not expect bad things to be happening as I thought this was going to be a completely positive film without any antagonist. Aside from scary events like petrification and kidnapping, there were also scenes of lying, betrayal, stealing, quarreling, angry outbursts among the ponies themselves! Princess Twilight is the princess of friendship, yet she inexplicably does the most unfriend-like actions. This was actually rated PG in the US (yet rated G here).

The original voice actors from the TV series, Tara Strong (as Princess Twilight), Ashleigh Ball (as Rainbow Dash and Applejack), Andrea Libman (as Pinky Pie and Fluttershy), and Tabitha St. Germain (as Rarity), still voiced the "Mane 6" ponies. Guesting vocals include those of  Emily Blunt (as Tempest),  Liev Schreiber (as the Storm King), Taye Diggs (as the street-smart cat Capper), Zoe Saldana (as parrot pirate captain Celaeno), Kristin Chenoweth (as hippogriff princess Skystar),and Sia (as the pegasus singing superstar Songbird Serenade).

The artwork is proudly 2D traditional animation (which I later found out was by Filipino animators of Top Draw Animations), beautifully drawn and executed whether the scenes be set on land, sea or air. The quality of the animation is first-rate, not what you'd see on TV or straight-to-video features. The songs generally had melodious catchy tunes kids will like (I liked the songs too, by the way). 

Overall, this film was a pleasantly delightful surprise.  I was very surprised with how complexly the story developed. This was definitely not the shallow confection geared only for little toddler girls I thought I would be watching. Could it be that I'm becoming a "brony" (a fan outside the Ponies' target demographic of little girls)? 7/10. 

Review of THE DEBUTANTES: Bloody Birthdays

October 5, 2017

In the grand tradition of Pinoy horror that it actively pushed in the "Shake, Rattle and Roll" films, Regal Films produces this new horror film with a unique casting gambit. This latest work of director Prime Cruz features five of the prettiest young actresses of today as five teenagers all about to turn 18 one after the other in a course of two weeks. However, a sinister force is determined not to make their debut birthdays happy ones for them. 

Kate Angeles is the typical school genius who was also a major social outcast. She wore a thick long unruly crown of hair with oppressive bangs to frame her sullen face. She was an orphan who lived with her aunt, and shared her bedroom with Wena, a younger girl who can remain remarkably calm come whatever happens to help Kate cope with her bullies.

Kate longed to belong to a group of popular girls in their school, the Saint Clarence University, est. 1955. These pretty and stylish girls included Jenny, Candice, Shayne and Lara. Of course, these girls would simply ignore Kate like she did not exist. One day, a flunking Lara desperately asked Kate to help her with her math lessons and the two eventually get closer. 

Lara invited Kate to attend the debut party of Jenny (coincidentally the same birthday as Kate's), the mean girls played a very mean prank on the poor nerd. From that day, each of the mean girls would meet a terrifying death one after the other, all on their birthdays. Kate had to rush to figure out how the curse could be stopped before it reaches her friend Lara.

The plot ran like most teenage horror flicks where each character gets picked off to die one by one until only the main character would remain. The revenge scenario seemed to the obvious order of the day. However it will still puzzle some viewers because Kate always seemed to be asleep when the victims met their violent ends. Actually, I think you will figure the mystery out before the reveal, as the answer was not that hidden that complexly. 

Sue Ramirez, with her remarkably sad eyes, does pretty well in her role as the tormented Kate. She was definitely deglamorized here to make her look mousy and wretched. At first, there will be questions surrounding this strange girl. Why does she keep retching and vomiting at the sink? Why does she have all those terrible scars on her back? What is Wena's relationship with her? These questions will all be answered in the course of the film, which is good. But I am curious why no one ever cared to ask her about the scars even if they were in plain sight.

Miles Ocampo, as Lara, seemed to be content to play her usual goodie-goodie roles we also see her play on TV. The three mean girls were over the top in their mean-ness towards Kate. Everyone was one-dimensionally bad girls. Jane de Leon played the nasty ringleader Jenny. Michelle Vito is the kleptomaniac snoot Candice. Chanel Morales is the stubborn swimmer Shayne. No remorse indeed for the wicked.

I have to commend the two child actresses who were outstanding in their harrowing roles here. Faye Alhambra is the one who played the ever-supportive Wena. Kim Chloie Oquendo is the one who played Kate as a young girl. 

It was very unusual that the girls were always alone, with no one else around, even in very public places like a parking lot or a public pool. It was always only them inside their houses at any time. No one comes to their aid when they are already screaming or struggling loudly. There was a scene showing Kate's aunt and her toddler son, but they were never seen or heard of again throughout the film. 

The story of this horror flick is not too complicated. The horror effects were competent, and the scary tension was built quite well. When you see that guy in the dark-colored monster though, no, it was not really scary. But wow, he came out of someone's mouth! At least, that was new. However, there was not really any good jump scares. 

"The Debutantes" is geared towards the teen crowd same as its protagonists. The teens' obsession with cellphone video taking and social media posting is well-addressed. Remarkable that there is not a single significant male character, except one in a flashback. It was also remarkable there was not a single significant adult character, except that same one in the flashback. Overall, this was not bad, but it had nothing too innovative or special to make it too memorable as well. 5/10.