Netflix: Review of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (2022): Mindless Mortality

October 29, 2022

It was the spring of 1917, on the third year of the war between Germany and France. In Northern Germany, there was a student Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) who faked the signature of his parents to allow him to join his friends to become a soldier. After cheering a speech about service to the Fatherland, the boys excitedly donning their new uniforms, singing while marching out to be sent to La Malmaison, Northern France, 25 km to the western front.

The mood changed radically when the boys reached the trenches. Paul felt death staring right at him when he was assigned to gather the dogtags of his departed colleagues. He was able to make friends with an older soldier named Kat (Albrect Schuch) with whom he stole from farms for their food. As the death toll of German soldiers continued to rise, a politician Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Bruhl) was trying to negotiate an armistice with the sarcastic French authorities.

This film is based on a famous anti-war novel published in 1929 written by German author Erich Maria Remarque. It was immediately adapted into a film the very next year 1930 by director Lewis Milestone to critical acclaim, consistently cited as one of the best films in that era. The film won the Oscar for Best Production, the first Best Picture winner to be based on a novel. Milestone won the Oscar for Best Director, his second after winning for "Two Arabian Nights" (1927) on the first Academy Awards ceremony. 

Unlike the original 1930 film (and a 1979 TV movie version), this current film is remarkable because it was produced by German filmmakers in their original language. Films about the first and second world wars are seldom told from the point of view of the Germans, so they were just perceived as "the enemy." Here we see that those young Germans soldiers also tremble or weep. They are not at all the heartless beasts they are usually portrayed. We see that there were also German officials who worked for a peaceful conclusion. 

Faithful to the spirit of the book, director and co-writer Edward Berger depicted the frontlines as a bleak place of mud and grime, a place of endless uncertainty and danger, where death can happen anytime. The main character Paul was one of those nameless young soldiers whose idealism was broken by the experience of actual battle. There was no impressive displays of heroism or bravery, these men just want to survive and go back home. Yet the winds of fate constantly changed right up to the end of the war. 

The destructive violence and senseless tragedy in the battlefields were caught by the beautiful cinematography of James Friend, especially those magnificent long shots of soldiers marching, running and dying across the desolate landscape. The details of the widespread carnage, with the unique injuries of each dead soldier so meticulously recreated with make-up and prosthetics, were realistic and very difficult to look at. Its strong message about the absurdity, pointlessness and stupidity of war was loud and clear. 9/10.

 

Netflix: Review of THE GOOD NURSE: Medical Murders

October 28, 2022

ICU nurse Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) was a single mother raising two daughters, 9 and 5 years of age. She knew her job well, efficient and no-nonsense in her duties. She was compassionate to her patients, calling them by their first names, relating well with their families. She was afflicted with a condition that limited her endurance at work. However, since she was still new at this present hospital, she had no health insurance.

One day, there was a new nurse hired in the ICU, Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne). He was also efficient and compassionate like Amy, so the two of them became fast friends at work. When he learned about Amy's secret health problem, he promised that he would help to get through the next four months until she can get health insurance. There was a series of mysterious deaths among patients in their ICU, and police were called in to investigate.

Jessica Chastain again proves here how she can totally disappear into her roles, a particular skill that just won her the Oscar for Best Actress for playing a real-life personality in the last Academy Awards for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye." Those best scenes were those where Nurse Amy was suffering from severe dyspnea owing to her cardiac condition were so realistic, audiences will feel her fighting through extreme discomfort as she struggles to take a breath. 

Her co-star Eddie Redmayne is also an Oscar winner for a biopic performance, Best Actor for playing Stephen Hawking for "The Theory of Everything." has got that innocent good guy face and demeanor that made him the perfect actor to play Charlie. He exuded an air of sincerity and kindness which makes him someone you can easily trust. This was why for the rest of the film, we are with Amy in believing that this guy can do no wrong. 

This film, the English-language debut by Danish director Tobias Lindholm, was certainly a riveting true crime drama about the most prolific serial killer in the USA. However, more than that, it was also an indictment of the flaws of the hospital administration systems which allowed a crazy crime like this to go on longer than it should. The deliberately slow pace and the minimalistic musical score make it a chilling viewing experience. 7/10. 

Vivamax: Review of SELINA'S GOLD: Revenge and Redemption

October 28, 2022

It was 1942, in the remote village of El Oro y Luna, somewhere in Northern Luzon. 17-year old Selina (Angeli Khang) was forcibly brought by her father Berong (Soliman Cruz) to sell her to of village's richest man Tiago (Jay Manalo). The old man was immediately aroused by Selina's youthful beauty and supple body, he ravished her right away. All the while, Tiago's blind son Domeng (Gold Aceron) silently listened under the house. 

The whole Japanese occupation scenario was not totally needed, as this story could have been set at any time, even the present. There was only one scene with a Japanese soldier, but this was over in a second. Even if Jay Manalo's tattoos looked anachronistic with their design, the production design crew tried to make the time period look authentic with the money Tiago used in his pawning trade, as well as his method of making gold bars. 

The film contrasted how different women react to abuse. Before Selina, there was Cora (Azi Acosta), offered to Tiago by her desperate mother Magda (Mickey Ferriols) as payment for her debts. The poor girl went insane from her intense trauma. However, Selina would learn to take charge of her own situation and managed to turn her misfortune around to her advantage. Khang embodied Selina's journey from victim to survivor very well. 

Since his "Totoy Mola" days 25 years ago, Jay Manalo had made a career out of playing lust incarnate. With that lecherous leer on his face, Manalo fit right into the character of Tiago. As Domeng, Gold Aceron played yet another young man during his sexual awakening, a role he had played in practically all his prior films starting from his acclaimed debut as an inter-sex in "Metamorphosis." His sensitivity as an actor remains his strong point.

Veteran film writer-director Mac Alejandre (now using his full name McArthur C. Alejandre) had a plot that followed the tried-and-true Vivamax formula of sex and violence, and this was already apparent from the very start. Alejandre threw in a twist revelation that made Selina's abuse feel even more harrowing. However, more knowledgeable cinephiles would immediately call to mind Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" (2003). 5/10. 

Amazon Prime: Review of WEDDING DRESS: A Daughter's Disposition

October 26, 2022

Wedding dress designer Joan (Cristine Reyes) raised her daughter Sarah (Xia Vigor)  as a single mother after her husband died at a young age. They had frequent dinners together with her brother Jun (Jeffrey Hidalgo), his wife Heidi (Lara Morena) and their children. Joan had tension with another sister, Mean (Andrea del Rosario), who blamed Joan for the death of their mother who did not approve of Joan's choice of husband.

Sarah dropped out of ballet class because she was being bullied by her former best friend Gina (Phoebe Villamayor in full-on Gladys Reyes mode), and chose to take up martial arts instead under coach Gio (McCoy de Leon). Even if she did not have friends, Sarah did not mind because she believed that she will always have her mother on her side. However, Joan already knew that her time with daughter would not be too long anymore.

This Viva movie is yet another Filipino adaptation of a Korean film, after "The Housemaid," "A Hard Day" and just very recently "Always." Again, there was already a ready story formula which they simply had to follow for sure box office success. The melodramatic plot and conflicts of "Wedding Dress" (2010) were actually quite universal, so this was something a Filipino writer could have come up with on their own, but did not.   

Cristine Reyes and Xia Vigor certainly had their characters wrapped around them. In sharp contrast to their last screen roles -- Reyes as a politician's assertive daughter and Vigor as a spirited girl smuggled into prison -- both of them were very quiet and restrained here as introverts who would rather suffer in silence. The all-important believable chemistry as mother and daughter was there, with that formal dance scene showing it best.

The way the drama was built up by director Dado Lumibao, the climactic mortal moment did not exactly have the tear-jerking effect it was supposed to have anymore, providing no satisfying catharsis for me.  Perhaps, there were so many distracting side threads being woven into the mix (like that karate thing or even the wedding gown itself), or maybe I had been steeled and ready for that sad ending since very early on in the film. 5/10. 

Amazon Prime: Review of DAY ZERO: Gutting the Ghouls

October 26, 2022 

Fil-Am ex-Special Forces Emon (Brandon Vera) was a convicted criminal currently serving his sentence and was about to earn his parole. However, one day, zombies suddenly overran the penitentiary where he was locked up. Along with his friend Timoy (Pepe Herrera), Emon was able to fight himself out of the zombie horde in the prison grounds.

He commandeer a vehicle to go find and rescue his wife Sheryl (beauty queen Mary Jane Lastimosa) and their deaf-mute daughter Jane (Freya Fury Montierro) who lived in an old apartment building in the city. When they reached the place, it was also swarming with zombies. When they reached their room, Sheryl and Jane were not there anymore.

This set up the rest of the movie as Emon had to scour their building in search for his family while killing off zombies left and right that one night, the first night of the zombie epidemic. Along the way, Emon and Timoy helped a young man David (Yohance Levi Buie) looking for his cop father Oscar (Joey Marquez), as well as a young couple Paolo (basketball star Ricci Rivero) and Hazel (Jema Galanza). 

The running time was a brisk and economical 80 minutes. The script by Ays de Guzman saw no need for a clear origin story for the zombies. Only the shallow basics of personal relationships were shared. Maybe Emon could have voiced out those sign language scenes between him and Jane for a better emotional connection. Oscar's breakdown scene was unexpected, perhaps illogical, but it lent more tension when it was needed. 

Brandon Vera practically reprised his role in "BuyBust" (2018) as he barreled his bulk through the zombies instead of addicts. Pepe Herrera provided the needed comic relief amidst the chaos. The low budget and the amateurish acting were obvious, but the technique, effort and the energy of cast and crew were clearly there in those pulse-pounding chase and gory fight scenes that director Joey de Guzman had set and shot within claustrophobic confines. 6/10. 

Review of LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE: Rhythmic Reptile

October 20, 2022

Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem) was a flamboyant magician from New York City, who could never seem to pass auditions at talent shows. One day, depressed after yet another rejection, he found a cute baby crocodile inside a pet store and was surprised to hear it singing. Seeing how this could spice up his act, he bought little Lyle and trained him to perform. However, Valenti's big plans did not succeed and led him to leave town. 

A year and a half later, Josh Primm (Winslow Fegley) and his parents (Constance Wu and Scoot McNairy) moved into Valenti's brownstone house. When the family saw adult Lyle in their home, they were at first shocked and scared, however, soon they were all charmed by his singing talent. Unfortunately, the grumpy neighbor who lived downstairs Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman) could not stand all the racket they're making. 

Songs like "Top of the World" had a tune that reminded me of "The Greatest Showman." It turned out that this song and others were written by the songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (the same guys also behind "Dear Evan Hansen" and "La La Land." The songs sung by Lyle here were pleasant and tuneful, but not really too memorable right away. Pop hits like "I Like It Like That," "Sir Duke" and, of course" "Crocodile Rock" are also in the mix.

Unlike the sassy anthropomorphic animated animal characters of past films like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Space Jam" or "Sonic the Hedgehog," Lyle does not talk. He only has his facial expressions and body language to expresses his feelings, and yes, he can make you smile as well as he can move you to tears. With Shawn Mendez's voice coming out of him when he sings, this Lyle is a certified pop sensation.

The trailer already tells us that this was going to be a fun and funny movie, and it was. The CG version of Lyle was very cute, and will not be scary at all even for young kids. I can see how the relationship of Lyle with Valenti or Josh are emotionally important in the story. However, despite the charm of Constance Wu or the sarcasm of Brett Gelman, their subplots could have been dropped so we can see Lyle sing and dance more. 6/10. 

Vivamax: Review of TUBERO: Fixing Frigidity

October 21, 2022

Paula Dimaagos (Angela Morena) was an assistant professor at the university while taking up her masters in behavioral science and writing her book. She was living with her fiance of five years Logan (JC Tan), who was in the process of renovating a house in preparation for their upcoming wedding. However, lately they were experiencing some problems in their relationship because she can't seem to satisfy his lust. 

Logan gave Paula an ultimatum that she should better be more receptive to him, or else accept that they have an open relationship. Paula asked her lawyer friend Maila (Alona Navarro) for advice, and was told to let her libido guide her, suggesting that she can perhaps learn techniques from another man. While Logan was away at sea, she sought the services of a male prostitute Gimo (Vince Rillon) to awaken her sexual desires.  

Angela Morena is distinct from the other typically fair Vivamax girls because of her dusky, pure Filipina beauty. This is the first time she has solo female lead in a film, after sharing the lead with Rob Guinto in "X-Deal 2" earlier this year. Here she was, a university professor, choosing between an oversexed seaman and a gigolo plumber as if she can't live without either of them. It was unfortunate that her role as written made her look weak and pathetic here. 

Eschewing his usual typical "jologs" hairstyles in previous films, Vince Rillon channeled the irresistible charm and loverboy moves of a young Robin Padilla in his portrayal of Gimo. As Logan, Vivamax newcomer JC Tan projected well on screen, but only up until he needed to do some serious acting. In contrast with Morena's stilted acting style, new Vivamax beauty Alona Navarro was very loose and natural as the liberated Atty. Maila. 

This is a rare Vivamax film where the female protagonist was highly educated professional. Yet, writer Cyril Ramos still made Paula's life a big mess only because she fails to satisfy her man in bed. She was forced to debase herself to hire a paid sex worker to unclog her pipes. Then she was unable to separate emotions from the sex, leaving her in a dilemma that still needed a forced deux-ex-machina to resolve. Misogynistic writing. 2/10.

Netflix: Review of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL: Flipped Fates

October 20, 2022

There were two girls in the village of Gavaldon. Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) had long blond hair and a pretty face. Agatha (Sofia Wylie) had dark curls and plainer looks. They were both outcasts in their community, but they were the best of friends. When they learned about the legendary School of Good and Evil from the bookshop keeper Mrs. Deauville (Patti Lupone), Sophie wanted to go, but Agatha did not.

When the night of red moon came to pass, a giant bird-like creature called the stymph came into Gavaldon and picked the two girls up with it to fly them to the School of Good and Evil. However, witch-like Agatha was delivered to the School of Good, while princess-like Sophie was dropped off to the School of Evil. Sophie kept trying to argue that she had been brought to the wrong school, while Agatha kept wanting to go home.

David Magee's script was based on the YA books by Soman Chainani. The "good" Evers were being trained by Prof. Dovey (Kerry Washington). The girls were all pretty, always with coiffed hair and ball gowns, while the boys were dashing in their princely garb, did archery and sword fighting. The "bad" Nevers were under Lady Leonora Lesso (Charlize Theron). They all wore black Goth outfits, were cross and ill-mannered and engaged in dark shenanigans. 

It was these meticulously imaginative details in its elaborate production design and bombastic costume design that give this film a distinctive atmosphere of its own. Special visual effects are of course essential elements of a fantasy story like this, and their team of graphic artists and animators deliver on those counts as well, albeit in various degrees of finesse -- from arrows turning into daisies, to dragon tattoo on a girl's neck coming to life. 

Sofia Wylie is only 18 year old but she was able to give an empathetic performance as her Agatha learned important life lessons in friendship and love. Sophia Anne Caruso's Sophie had that difficult journey from thinking she was dropped in the wrong school to fully-accepting her inner witch-hood with aplomb. Jamie Flatters had the requisite charm to play the popular jock Tedros, who wielded Excalibur of his father King Arthur. 

Lawrence Fishburne with his strong screen presence could have had more scenes as Headmaster. Michelle Yeo was there, but only had one major scene teaching a trivial class. It seemed illogical for Charlize Theron to be teaching kids how to become ugly. Kerry Washington could not keep her smile genuine with all the meanness and oneupmanship in her School for Good. Cate Blanchett lent her beautiful speaking voice as the narrator. 

With a story involving teenage witches, this will be compared to the Harry Potter films, and come across as a pale copy. There could have been a more substantial back story about the twin brothers Rhian and Rafal (Kit Young) to make the story richer. This had an unwieldy length for a YA fantasy romance at 2-1/2 hours. It seemed director Paul Feig may have shot enough scenes for a mini-series but had to edit the material down to one long movie.  6/10. 

Review of BLACK ADAM: Homicidal Hero

October 18, 2022

The country of Kahndaq is being oppressed by the forces of the criminal Intergang organization for several years now. University professor Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) was being hunted down by the enemy for her work in the resistance movement. She was looking for a legendary crown of pure evil made of eternium, a rare mineral for which a cruel king in the past oppressed and killed his countrymen in order to find.

Along with her brother Karim (Mohammad Amer) and her colleague Ishmael (Marwan Kenzari), she was able to find the crown inside a temple hidden underground. However, they were ambushed by Intergang henchmen who wanted to get the crown for themselves. When Adrianna was cornered, she uttered an ancient incantation which caused a long-buried powerful Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson) to emerge from the stone floor.

There is something about Dwayne Johnson that makes his character Teth-Adam come across as noble and heroic, even if he was driven by vengeful rage and had no regard for the loss of  human life. His likable portrayal of this anti-hero makes us root for him despite his ultra-violent methods of killing his enemies. The scenes showcasing Teth-Adam's powerful mix of fighting styles looked better because it was Johnson doing the stunts.

Hawkman a.k.a. Carter Hall (Aldis Hodge) finally comes to life on the big screen with his metallic armor wings. Watching Hodge directly fighting Johnson can actually made Hawkman look bad at first, until you realize and comprehend the strict principles he stood for.  Pierce Brosnan was dashing and respectable as ever as Kent Nelson, and when he donned his golden helmet and turned into Doctor Fate, his CG-aided action scenes were breathtaking.

There were two neophyte superheroes joining their first Justice Society mission. Maxine Hunkel (Quintessa Swindell) is the sweet yet no-nonsense Cyclops, who has the power to manipulate wind. In contrast, Al Rothstein (Noah Centineo) is good-natured but bumbling and foolish, even in his hero persona Atom Smasher, who had the power to manipulate his body size, still causing much collateral damage in his awkwardness. 

The relationship of Adrianna and her skateboard-riding, superhero-worshiping teenage son Amon (Bodhi Sabongui) was the emotional core of the present-day situation, as it was the relationship between Teth-Adam and the brave spirited boy Hurut (Jalon Christian) in the historical flashbacks. Putting family first and selfless sacrifice were always the central themes of these stories, which makes them easily relatable for all audiences. 

Even if I grew up on DC Comics, I confess to have limited knowledge about Black Adam.  However, as the film gradually unfolded his backstory that spanned 5000 years, I now know why Johnson fought hard to have this film made. The storytelling by director Jaume Collet-Serra was very engaging, with some serious geopolitical issues and a healthy sense of humor. That superstar cameo surprise in the mid-credit scene adds one more point! 8/10

Review of HALLOWEEN ENDS: Final Face-off

October 13, 2022

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) was the sole survivor of the first killing spree of masked murderer Michael Myers in the town of Haddonfield, Illinois in the year 1978. She now lived with her grand-daughter, nurse Allyson (Andi Matichak), whose mother Karen, Laurie's daughter, was killed when Myers made a grisly comeback to Haddonfield after escaping from the authorities after 40 years of imprisonment.

Young man Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) was shunned by town residents when a little boy he was babysitting died under his watch on Halloween 2019. Laurie recognized his good heart and introduced him to Allyson, who also liked him a lot. However, after Corey fell into a deep ditch after an encounter with a group of neighborhood bullies, he was pulled into an empty sewer pipe by a shadowy figure with a mask.

I was never a fan of slasher films. I only got started on watching "Halloween" films in 2018 when a sequel came out set 40 years after the events of the original 1978 movie. In that one, original survivor Laurie Strode was already a grandmother, with her estranged daughter Karen and grand-daughter Allyson. It was followed by another sequel in 2021 "Halloween Kills," where Myers again escaping death by the mob and killed Karen at the end.

The strange thing about this latest (and final) sequel was that Myers was hiding under the sewers for majority of the film. Myers became a mentor of sorts here, feeding the psychologically-disturbed mind of young Corey with murderous inspiration. It was Corey (wearing Myers' mask) who went around Haddonfield in a killing rampage that Halloween, with the neighborhood bullies an arrogant DJ and his nagging mother among his body count. 

It was only towards the end did Laurie and Myers (both still played by their original actors Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle) have their showdown in Laurie's house. But since the title already tells you that Halloween ends here, the final outcome of their fight to the death was apparent even before it began. The repeated screen appearance of an industrial shredder in the junkyard presaged Myers' final fate. There were no surprises in this finale. 6/10. 

  

Amazon Prime: Review of HOW TO LOVE MR. HEARTLESS: Genius with Guilt

October 15, 2022

Blue (Diego Loyzaga) was an antisocial science nerd in school. He kept to himself most of the time. When there was a group assignment, he would rather do the whole project by himself so he can be left alone to have his peace and quiet. He lived with his sick mother Chu (Yayo Aguila) and the family of his aunt. Even at home he was short-tempered, miserable and would usually shut himself up in his room in his books. 

During one out of town ecology trip, his group mate Yanyan (Sue Ramirez) was injured when her foot was wounded by sharp mollusks on the seabed. Blue stayed with her and tended to her wounds. When they returned back to school, Yanyan wanted to make up for Blue's kindness by cooking him her special viands. However, Blue rudely rejected her overtures of friendship, even citing the scientific basis why her food was unhealthy for him. 

Sue Ramirez's Yanyan lived with her mother Helen (Marnie Lapuz) and her younger siblings. Her father Mario (Garry Lim) is serving a jail sentence for a serious crime. However, Yanyan remains to be idealistic and cheerful (as most of Ramirez's roles seem to reflect her bubbliness). Yet, Yanyan carried inside her a dark harrowing secret and sense of guilt, and Ramirez pulled off that sensitive confession scene with remarkable emotional restraint.

Diego Loyzaga's Blue was quite a departure from his recent roles. Loyzaga was convincing as a genius with low EQ, delivering those challenging jargon-filled lines about a range of topics from nutrition, astronomy, physiology, and even law, in an amusing deadpan manner. Blue also harbored serious mental anguish borne out of frustration that threatened to push him over the edge, and Loyzaga was able to see that darkness through.

Add "How to Love Mr. Heartless" to that list of writer-director Jason Paul Laxamana's best romance films to join "100 Tula Para Kay Stella" and "Between Maybes". His story was deceptively simple, yet so complex in substance. His eloquent script delivered everything from biting sarcasm, supreme sacrifice and heartfelt romance. His beautiful camerawork, effective motivation of actors and excellent emotional crescendo deserve awards.  8/10. 

 

Vivamax: Review of RELYEBO: Illuminated by Indiscretion

October 14, 2022

Jimmy Canaria (Sean de Guzman) was a security guard in an apartment building. During their duties, he and his fellow security guard Roman (Jeric Raval) observed the lives of the tenants who lived in the building. Jimmy's wife Amor (Christine Bermas) worked the day shift at a pizza kiosk. Despite their conflicting schedules, the two of them were very happy together and were expecting their first child together. 

One day, there was a new woman Ms. F (Jela Cuenca) who moved into Rm 422, likely a kept woman of an old sugar daddy. She had long red hair and an irresistible perfume that mesmerized Jimmy. When she needed a plumber for a clogged drain, Jimmy eagerly volunteered to work on the problem. One night, upon Ms. F's text, Jimmy sneaked out of their house to meet her at her apartment for one night of lust. 

The story is actually very simple, a familiar story of a happy couple broken up by infidelity. However, writer-director Crisanto Aquino was able to give this film a cinematic treatment which elevated it above a run-of-the-mill television drama. The scenes of the urban jungle of Manila were very well shot, as well as how the regular routine of the characters was shown by the daily time clock and CCTV footage at the apartment.

The sex scenes need not have been that graphic, but I guess the director had to abide with the Vivamax standard at this point. They were there to establish that Jimmy and Amor had a happy sex life together, albeit routinary. The night of forbidden passion between Jimmy and Ms. F had to happen to get the story going. Good thing we were spared from seeing Ms. F cavort with her decrepit sugar daddy. 

The performances of Sean de Guzman and Christine Bermas had leveled up in this movie. They showed that under the proper direction, they can deliver when it comes to dramatic acting, and they're good, not just for bed scenes. For Jela Cuenca, being a femme fatale like Ms. F is not a big stretch for her. It was to her that de Guzman delivers his memorably killer line "Hindi totoong guard lang ako. Security guard ako, ma'am."

Jeric Raval was still very youthful-looking in his spiky hairstyle reminiscent of his action star heyday. He was very natural in his performance as Jimmy's older co-guard and his final scene giving Jimmy advice was very well-written and executed.  Lara Morena played Mrs. S, a woman whom the guards observed was having trouble with her husband. She was likewise given a good scene giving Jimmy some well-said words of wisdom. 

The way director Aquino set up, blocked and shot the conversations between Sean de Guzman and Christine Bermas was remarkably filled with dramatic tension and emotional connection. Their best scene together happened at the very end of the movie, beautifully shot in a verdant field at the foot of Mt. Makiling. In that tear-jerking scene, you can clearly see that they had really become very good actors. 7/10.

Review of MAY-DECEMBER-JANUARY: Tense Triangle

 October 12, 2022

Teenager Pol (Gold Aceron) lived with his mother Claire (Andrea del Rosario), who had raised the sickly Pol on her own since they were abandoned by his father. Pol best friend and study partner was their class science whiz Migoy (Kych Minemoto), who usually slept over in one bed at Pol's bedroom after they studied together.

Pol had long harbored a crush on Migoy, but he did not have the guts to come out as gay, fearing it would negatively affect their friendship. Migoy had long harbored a crush on Claire, age difference be damned. One night, in one moment of impulsive passion, Migoy confessed his feelings to Claire and even shocked her with a stolen smack on the lips. 

The film did not waste much time to establish the whole premise of the film. In the very first scene, we already see a barely-dressed Migoy toweling himself off in front of a distracted Pol who was staring at him longingly. By the 10th minute, Migoy already declared his love to Claire, earning himself a slap for his boldness. But before the 20th minute, Migoy and Claire were already naked together in bed, cavorting in the sheets. 

The rest of the film was spent exploring the ramifications of this awkward love triangle that had formed between these three people. Migoy and Claire were not exactly very subtle about their trysts, so Pol eventually caught them, causing him much sadness distress. When an additional complicating factor of a congenital illness was introduced, you can already see where things were going to go, and somehow predict how the story is likely to end.  

For me, I thought director Mac Alejandre rushed things too much at the beginning with regards to how Migoy and Claire's love affair came to happen. Claire's initial repulsion and disgust was the normal and expected reaction. However, there was not any significant build-up to make her eventual acceptance of Migoy as a lover more believable. There was no absolute indication that she was thirsting for a male lover at that point in her life. 

During the scene when Migoy introduced Claire to his parents (Lander Vera Perez and Yayo Aguila), it was very surprising how relatively smoothly things went. Their 19 year old son was dating a woman twice his age, yet all the mother could say was that old cliche about "marriage is not like a spoonful of rice which you can spit out when it is too hot". I hope this worn-out line was just an awkward ad lib, and not from the pen of National Artist Ricky Lee. 

Andrea del Rosario's Claire is a modern single mother who had her own ideas about how she would raise her child. You may or may not agree with how she was doing things, but you knew she only had her child's best intentions in mind. Of all the ugly cries in this film, the only one which I felt was truly appropriate to the situation was Claire's cathartic cry after confessing her guilt to Pol. This breakdown was del Rosario's best scene which may bring her awards.

Gold Aceron's breakthrough role as a teenage inter-sex in "Metamorphosis" was deserving of the awards he won for it. Being Pol was right up Aceron's comfort zone, and he handled Pol's dramatic conflict very well. However, because of an androgynous vibe around him, I hope Aceron's future roles won't be limited to gay ones. He felt miscast when he played a lusty straight guy in "Scorpio Nights 3," but maybe his role shifts should not be too radical. 

Kych Minemoto was the big revelation of this film. In the past, I only knew Minemoto as the swishy, wishy-washy gay friend in the "Gameboys" BL web series and films. However, as the precocious Migoy here, he was actually credible as a straight guy, which said a lot about his range as an actor.  He did particularly well in that one scene he had with Yayo Aguila as his mother talking about their relationships in the dining room. 

Ice Seguerra's signature love song "Pagdating ng Panahon" was used beautifully in the final scene, but when it was also used to accompany one particularly sensitive scene, it felt oddly incongruous to what was being shown on screen.  Intimate scenes were inevitable in a story like this, but I felt the sex acts need not have been so graphically shown on screen. The story and actors were strong enough for this film to stand on without these scenes. 6/10

 

Netflix: Mini-Reviews of MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE, LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE and LAST SEEN ALIVE

October 10, 2022

MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE

Director: John Lee Hancock

When Mr. Harrigan passed away, Craig put the old man's iPhone into his casket with him. However, it would seem that Craig still had a directly line to his good friend. Initially, there would just be cryptic text messages from him. Later, when he called Harrigan's phone to "tell" about a problem at school, the problem would be "solved" for good the next morning.

Jaeden Martell as Craig (also Colin O'Brien as young Craig) had a great rapport with the venerable Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan. It never felt like a suspense film at first, just two people two generations apart who develop a unique friendship. There was also some sharp commentary about the cellphones and the world wide web.

The movie began with Craig reading various classic novels aloud for Mr. Harrigan, so I did not expect the turn to horror it would take. Only later did I learn that this was based on a recent Stephen King novella, then it made sense why it felt so familiar. Like other King works, the horror element was there, but it was a young person's coming of age that was the main point. 7/10

LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE

Director; Mike Barker

Magazine writer Tiffani Fanelli (Mia Kunis) was about to get married to wealthy preppy Luke Harrison (Finn Wittrock). One day, a documentary filmmaker Aaron Wickersham (Dalmar Abuzeid) wanted to interview for a film he's making about an explosion in posh private school she attended before where she was the only one who survived.

It turned that Ani was the victim of a vicious rape by three of her rich classmates at Brentley School. One of these rapists, Dean Barton (Alex Barone), is still alive and is now a popular wheelchair-bound advocate for gun control. Should she reveal this crime against her and risk her current social status and coming wedding?

Mila Kunis's Ani was a woman still possessed by a terrifying experience she suffered in her past. She is angry, and getting angrier all the time every time she sees her rapist Dean being admired for his advocacy work, despite getting away with the abuse and assault he had done to her. Chiara Aurelia was very good as the young Ani, as well as Scoot McNairy who played her professor Andrew Larson. 6/10.

LAST SEEN ALIVE

Director: Bryan Goodman

Will Spann and his wife Lisa were going through a rough patch in their marriage. They were driving to Lisa's parents' house as she requested for some time apart. Along the way, they made a stopover at a gas station. While Will was filling up the tank, Lisa went inside the store to buy a bottle of water. She never made back to their car. 

As distressed husband Will, Gerald Butler tried his best to keep this B-movie afloat. However, all the supporting characters were very hammy -- from Jaimie Alexander (who played the wife Lisa) to Russell Hornsby (who played the Detective Patterson) to Ethan Embry (who played the redneck guy "Knuckles"). The actors playing the guy at the store counter and Lisa's parents were even worse.

There was really nothing much of consequence that happens in between.  There was that incongruous sequence set in a meth lab in the woods, probably just included so that this "action" movie would have its requisite gunfire exchange and explosions (even if it came out of nowhere). It is one of those vapid action movies where you can just fast forward through to the end to see whether he can find his wife or not. 1/10. 

Netflix: Review of LITTLE WOMEN (K-Drama): Poverty, Plunder and Pain

October 9, 2022

The Oh family was composed of three sisters. The eldest sister is In-joo (Kim Go-eun), who worked as an accountant. The second sister is In-kyung (Nam Ji-hyun), who worked as a news reporter. The third sister is In-hye (Park Ji-hu), who is a talented painter who made it as a scholar in an exclusive art school. On the occasion of In-hye's 13th birthday, their mother abandoned her daughters to join her husband in the Philippines to pick mangoes.

In-hye's best friend in school is Park Hyo-rin, a very wealthy girl whose parents are Park Jae-sang (Um Ki-joon), who was currently running for Mayor of Seoul, and his wife Won Sang-a (Uhm Ji-won), who was a patron of fine arts as well as orchid horticulture. In-kyung was investigating a series of disgruntled bank customers who died of suicide. Meanwhile, In-joo's best friend Jin Hwa-young (Choo Ja-hyun) also committed suicide.

Because of the title, I thought the story would somehow approximate the famous novel of Louisa Mae Alcott. However, aside from the fact that the lead characters were sisters who were poor, there was nothing else to connect the two. The three sisters in the K-drama did not reflect any traits which could match them with any of Meg, Jo, Beth or Amy, and they definitely did not have a good Marmee supporting them. 

After Hwa-young's mysterious death, In-joo came into possession of 2 Billion Won. She was thrilled with this unexpected windfall which can certainly help her family out of their dire straits. Won Sang-a offered In-joo a job to be her secretary, which she accepted to be nearer In-hye who was getting closer and closer to her benefactors. However, In-kyung's investigation had brought her closer and closer to exposing Park Jae-sang's involvement in plunder. 

There was some romance injected in the story, but this was not at all a main concern. In-kyung had childhood friend Ha Jong-ho (Kang Hoon) to call for research assistance for her case. He had romantic feelings for her that she did not reciprocate. In-joo had Choi Do-il (Wi Ha-joon) helping her out of tight spots. He was employed by the Park and his wife laundering their illegal wealth, so his true loyalties were not immediately apparent. 

Lead stars Kim Go-eun and Nam Ji-hyun should both be cited for Best Actress for turning in emotionally-complex performances. The villainous turns of both Um Ki-joon and Uhm Ji-won, which went from subtle hypocrisy to downright insanity, also deserve commendation. Kim Mi-sook (as grand-aunt Oh Hye-seok), Kim Myung-soo (as war veteran Choi Hee-jae) and Jang Gwang (as school principal Jang Sa-pyoung) all lent credible support. 

From what seemed to be a simple family drama, this intriguing 12-episode series tackled bank fraud, slush funds, double identities, Vietnam war, secret societies and rare orchids. Each episode ended with an unbearable cliffhanger, usually with a key character dying. Watch out for guest appearances of Oh Jung-se (as a shady boss), Adrian Pang (as a Singaporean hotel manager) and "Vincenzo" himself Song Joong-ki (as a luxury shoe salesman). 9/10. 

Netflix: Review of DOLL HOUSE: Reconnecting in Rotterdam

October 8, 2022

Rustin Clyde Villanueva (Baron Geisler) was the front man of a rock band. He and his bandmates led a hedonistic rock star lifestyle with alcohol and drugs. One night after a gig, his good friend Diego (Alwyn Uytingco) died at age 40. Suddenly shaken about his own mortality and his unfulfilled life, Rustin made the decision to backtrack on his past, and fly back to Rotterdam, where he has some unfinished business.

While walking along the familiar streets and landmarks, Rustin recalled about Sheena (Izah Hankammer), the wife whom he divorced years back. Outside a certain apartment, he met a gay Filipino man named Bok (Phi Palmos) and his cute niece Yumi (Althea Ruedas). He learned that Yumi's mother passed away three years ago in a car accident, and her father was a worthless Filipino drug addict who abandoned his family. 

Baron Geisler may fit the role of an irresponsible, alcoholic, drug addict and rock singer to a T. But the rest of the film where Rustin (using his auxiliary name Clyde) playing and interacting with a spirited little kid Yumi is something we thought we'll never see. Having genuine rapport with a child co-star is never easy, but Geisler pulled it off nicely, enough to elicit tear-jerking emotional connection with his audience when it counted.

The magical ingredient here is little Althea Ruedas who played Yumi. She was a natural young actress, sweet and precocious without coming across as annoying. She had good comic timing in the funny scenes with her uncle Bok, whom she called Ganda. She was delightful when she was trying her best to sing. She was dear and precious in that touching scene at the hospital ICU (unlikely as that was to happen in real life).

Director Marla Ancheta brought us to frenetic Morocco in her first Netflix film "Finding Agnes" and now she brings us to a quiet, less-bustling section of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Bringing the screenplay by Onay Sales-Camero to life, Ancheta once again showed skill in weaving together events of the past with the present. However, there were some contrived story elements and amateurish acting of supporting cast that mar the final product. 6/10. 

Vivamax: Review of PABUYA: Uneasy and Unrewarding

October 7, 2022

Pepe (Diego Loyzaga) and his gang are losing men and arms to the rival gang of Jojo (Felix Roco) who had been intruding into Pepe's territory.  Because of increasing tension, both gangs were called by their big boss Lito (a miscast Bor Ocampo) to settle their issues via a rumble, with the strict rule of no weapons allowed. However, while Pepe was wrestling with Jojo's right-hand man Ray (Marco Gomez), Ray took out a knife. 

The fight ended with Ray dead, and Pepe on the run from the police led by Victor (Jiad Arroyo), as well as from Jojo and his gang. Even Pepe's own gangmates led by his right-hand man Bogs (Thor Garcia) and his current girlfriend Maricar (Jela Cuenca) turned against him. With his back against the wall, Pepe had no other choice but to meet up with his ex-girlfriend Bella (Franki Russell) to ask for her help.

Diego Loyzaga was never convincing as a gang leader, looking dull and incompetent practically the whole time. In contrast, Felix Roco, who seemed to have trimmed down a lot from his past Vivamax outings, effortlessly exuded arrogance and ability. It was a wonder how Pepe could even assume leadership of a gang. However, it was no surprise why he easily lost the loyalty of his men, and his women.  

Franki Russell is a fresh and pretty face, still with a conspicuous foreign accent to her Filipino. This is her feature film debut, but it was too bad that she was made to play someone who was uninteresting and boring. Russell seemed uneasy in her bed scenes, probably because she knew did not need have to go this sexy route to get her film career going. However, she does need more time with her acting coach to get her confidence level up. 

Writer-director Phil Giordano is an American filmmaker whose first short film "Supot" (2016), starring John Arcilla and Mercedes Cabral, was met with critical acclaim, and led to a successful career in directing commercials in Singapore. His first Vivamax feature film was "Pusoy," which had Brillante Mendoza's name above the title. But in this new one, Giordano is completely his own to explore various camera angles to make his sex scenes more titillating. 

The issue of gang wars had just recently been tackled on Vivamax in Roman Perez's "Sitio Diablo," released just barely a month ago. This one basically tread the same murky waters of dishonor among thieves. "Pabuya" is only a compact 1 hour 20 minutes long. If there were no sex scenes of which it had a lot (not only Pepe, but also Jojo, Victor and Bogs get their turns with various ladies), it could have been a short film of 30 minutes or less.  3/10. 

Review of AMSTERDAM: Ambitious and Amusing Affairs

October 6, 2022

In 1918, Dr. Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale) and lawyer-to-be Harold Woodsman (John David Washington) met as fellow soldiers for the American regimen in Paris at the tail end of World War I. They both sustained significant injuries during one encounter, and they were attended to by a dedicated nurse named Valerie (Margot Robbie) who later became their good friend. After the war, they all went to Amsterdam so Berendsen could get his injured eye fixed, and Harold and Valerie can proceed with their forbidden romance.

12 years after the war, Burt and Harold were again brought together when they were contacted by Liz Meekins (Taylor Swift), the daughter of their former commanding officer General Bill Meekins (Ed Begley, Jr.) to investigate his suspiciously sudden death. However, as soon as they get involved, Burt and Harold were framed for murders that they did not commit, and important pieces of evidence were being stolen. Circumstances led to them being reunited with Valerie as the plot thickened.

This star-studded film (with 15 actors named above the title on the poster) is the latest work by acclaimed writer-director David O. Russell, the auteur behind such Oscar-nominated films like "The Fighter" (2010), "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012) and "American Hustle" (2013). After faltering with "Joy" (2015) and dealing with documented issues of toxic abuse against his cast and crew, Russell took an extended break from film directing, only coming back to the big screen this year with this new one -- and it is a major one.

The three lead stars of Bale, Washington and Robbie all nail their memorably idiosyncratic characters. Bale's Dr. Berendsen has dedicated his post-war career to repair injured war veterans like himself, who had a scarred face, broken back and a glass eye. Washington's Atty. Woodson was a charismatic, confident and cool lawyer who knew how to stand his delicate line as a black man. Robbie's Valerie was an artist with bizarre ideas as she created her art works with shrapnel she extracted from the soldiers she treated. 

Every other actors in the cast played similarly quirky characters which gave color to the whole noir scenario. Andrea Riseborough played Burt's wife. Chris Rock played a fellow war veteran. Zoe Saldana played an autopsy nurse. Mike Myers and Michael Shannon played intelligence agents. Matthias Schoenaerts and Alessandro Nivola played NYC police officers. Rami Malek and Anna Taylor Joy played influential socialites with big ideas for change. Robert de Niro played the widely-admired General Gil Dillenbeck whose words were worth gold.

Being a comeback vehicle of sorts, David O. Russell was out to impress. However, his over-ambitious direction with abundance of little details across its 2 hour-14 minute run time may have been too much to be helpful to his cause. There were some subplots which did not eventually lead to anything substantial in the long run. However, because of the powerhouse cast, as well as technical excellence in cinematography, production design, makeup and costumes, this was still entertaining and involving to those who get its drift. 7/10.

Review of THE WOMAN KING: African Amazons

October 6, 2022

In 1823, Dahomey was a kingdom in West Africa under King Ghezo (John Boyega) who favored to engage in the slave trade, rather than the less-exploitative palm oil trade. The tough and battle-scarred General Nanisca (Viola Davis) led their major line of defense -- an all-female army of warriors called the Agojie. When the Agojie freed a number of Dahomey women captured by the slavers of the rival Oyo Empire, the brutish Oyo General Oba Ade (Jimmy Odukoya) declared war on the Dahomey.

Nawi (Thuso Mbude) was a spirited young woman who was not afraid of speaking her mind. She outright rejected the abusive older man arranged for her to marry, and was taken to be trained with the Agojie. She was impulsive and impetuous, which led to frequent upbraiding from Nanisca herself. One day, Nawi met and befriended half-Dahomean gentleman Malik (Jordan Bolger), who came with the European slavers conniving with the Oyo, led by Santo Ferrera (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). 

As before, Viola Davis dominates this film with her powerful screen presence. The closest thing we have seen Davis in an action movie would probably be her recurring role as Amanda Waller in DCEU movies. But here in the title role of the fearless warrior Nanisca, a buffed Davis is in full-on action mode. However, the role, with Nanisca's bitter war experiences and delicate secrets, also gave her room to flex her acclaimed dramatic chops which we know so well. An Oscar nomination for Best Actress is inevitable. 

Not eclipsed by Davis' star power was youthful-looking 31-year old South African actress Thuso Mbude. She had recently received critical praise for her intense portrayal of runaway slave Cora in "The Underground Railroad" (2021) and this is her feature film debut. Her Nawi (incidentally the name of the last known Agojie warrior who died in 1979) can come across as arrogant and belligerent, but she earns respect with her independent mind and spirit.  An Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress is not a far-off possibility. 

Aside from Davis and Mbude, strong performances were also given by Lashana Lynch (whom we knew as Maria Rambeau in "Captain Marvel") and Sheila Atim (whom we knew as Buddhakan in Halle Berry's MMA drama "Bruised") as veteran Agojie. As King Ghezo, John Boyega was regal and charismatic, looking very different from Finn in the Star Wars' films. As the only white actor in the cast, Hero Fiennes Tiffin also sports a different look here compared to his recent "After" young adult romance series of films. 

The only African women warriors most modern movie fans know would likely be the Dora Milaje from "Black Panther" (2018).  It is about time that their real-life inspiration -- the Agojie, who protected the Kingdom of Dahomey from the 17th to 19th century, were given a film of their own, as made by female filmmakers, writer Dana Stevens and director Gina Prince-Bythewood. The action sequences were well-choreographed and brutal without gore. The romance bit felt forced and out of place, and even dampened its powerful message. 7/10

Review of TICKET TO PARADISE: Scheming Sabotage

October 5, 2022

After being divorced and estranged for 20 years, David (George Clooney) and Georgia (Julia Roberts) get back together again for the occasion of the graduation of their daughter Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) from law school. They were bickering the whole time during the ceremony much to Lily's consternation. Before going off to work in a top law firm, Lily and her best friend Wren (Billie Lourd) decided to go on a grand vacation in the beaches of Bali first. 

There, Lily met native boy Gede (Maxime Bouttier) when he rescued them in his motor boat after an unfortunate incident with their own boat. Lily and Gede fell instantly in love at first sight, and not long after, they suddenly decide to get married. Alarmed with the news, David and Georgia get together again to fly to Bali, both trying to whip up the best plan to throw a wrench into the wedding plans so that they can take Lily back to the US with them. 

The story was very formulaic and familiar -- already done and re-done in countless rom-coms in the past. Girl meets boy, they plan to get married, her parents can't accept it, so they do everything so that the wedding won't happen -- is this not practically the plot of "Father of the Bride"? The parents were already divorced, but, you can likely predict what happens to people who hate each other after being trapped in an island paradise.

The main draw of this film of course are the A-list superstars George Clooney and Julia Roberts, who both looked great and whose chemistry together was as strong as ever. They knew each other and these characters of David and Georgia like the back of their hand. They certainly looked like they had a lot of fun throwing insults at each together, or making fools of themselves, as they did in that crazy beer pong scene. 

Boomer audiences can likely identify with the concerns of parents David and Georgia when their daughter just suddenly decided to abandon her law degree and marry a seaweed farmer halfway around the world. Their conversations about what happened to their relationship during their marriage and what they have learned since then could also strike a cord among couples who had been married for more than 20 years. 

I could not help but imagine how could it have been if the producers had chosen a Philippine island instead of Bali. Aside from boosting tourism, it would have been a better showcase for the Filipino language than "Easter Sunday." It would have been nice to see a Hollywood interpretation of Filipino wedding traditions. there could have been a Filipino leading man, instead of French-Indonesian model Maxime Bouttier, . But alas, this was not to be.  6/10. 

Review of SMILE: Grim Grin

October 2, 2022

Psychological therapist Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) was attending to Laura (Caitlin Stasey), a PhD candidate who saw her Professor Munoz commit suicide in front of her. Since then, Laura claims that she can see people giving her a sinister smile which is making her feel and act crazy. During their interview, Laura seemingly saw something that made her scream in fear, give a weird smile and cut her neck with a shard of broken pottery.

After this incident, Rose began to see and hear mysterious things going on around her making her increasingly paranoid. Rose fell out with her fiance Trevor (Jesse T. Usher) and her sister Holly (Gillian Zinser) who both could not understand her disturbing behavior. An ex-boyfriend police officer Joel (Kyle Gallner) helped her track down a grisly series of people who had the same bizarre symptoms as hers, all leading up to grotesque suicides.

The trailer pretty much tells us what this film was going to be about some kind of a supernatural curse that caused its victims to see evil smiles on people around him that later led to a deadly fate. This film had a premise built on the increasing paranoia being experienced by lead character Rose was expanded to an almost 2-hour long movie with unsettling images, possessive monsters and a constant creepiness all throughout. 

The main brunt of keeping up the intense psychological edge of this movie fell on its lead star Sosie Bacon (yes, she is the daughter of Kevin Bacon). We feel her maddening frustration as she portrayed Rose's efforts to convince people she's not crazy with behavior that certainly made her look crazy. It was good to see a much-heftier Kal Penn back on the big screen, this time as Rose's senior consultant. Jesse T. Usher, whom I only knew before as the irritatingly cocky A-Train on "The Boys," was effortlessly annoying as Rose's irritatingly cocky fiance.

Writer-director Parker Finn had an 11-minute short film "Laura Hasn't Slept" about a young insomniac woman consulting her therapist about how her nightmare about a man with a creepy smile has seeped into her real life. Finn has expanded the premise of this short into his debut full-length feature film. He cast his original Laura, Caitlin Stasey, as the patient whose suicide started it all for her therapist Rose. Finn had stuffed his film with enough jump-scares and malevolent energy to keep horror fans at the edge of their seats. 6/10.