Mini-Reviews of A-List Series Presents: FDCP WORLD CINEMA 2023

 August 30, 2023

AFTERSUN

Written and Directed by Charlotte Wells

One summer, 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) went to visit Turkey with her 30-year-old father Calum (Paul Mescal). She recorded their time together on her MiniDV camera. Sophie was friendly with other British teenagers in the resort, including a boy her age named Michael (Brooklyn Toulson). Calum, now living in London apart from Sophie and her mom, was trying his best to put up a happy front, keeping to himself the problems he was having.

Having read all this effusive praise for Charlotte Well's directorial debut, as well as Paul Mescal's Oscar nomination for Best Actor, must have given me very lofty expectations which were too much for this humble indie film to fulfill. For me, it felt so much like watching a random stranger's home video from her vacation that I hardly felt any connection to. Temper your expectations before you watch, and you will probably get to appreciate it more. 4/10. 

CLOSE

Written and Directed by Lukas Dhont

In rural Belgium, two 13-year-old boys, Léo and Rémi were the best of friends and were very close to one another. They spent a lot of time playing together at the flower farm of Leo's parents. When their classmates began teasing them about being gay, Leo did not like the innuendo and began to distance himself away from Remi. When Remi confronted him about it, Leo became very defensive, and they had a physical fight about it. 

The intimate way director Lukas Dhont showed us the break down of a very close friendship between two boys was a very uncomfortable cinematic experience for us in the audience. The climactic twist was one of extreme sadness that no one saw forthcoming, and because of Dhont's excellent build-up, the emotional effects were devastating. Dhont decided not to spoon-fed us the correct answers, challenging us to think hard. 8/10. 

CORSAGE

Written and Directed by Marie Kreutzer

With all her ceremonial duties, Empress Elisabeth (Vicky Krieps) was unhappy as the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria (Florian Teichtmeister). Her constraints were represented by the tightness of the corsets she needs to wear, and she rebelled against them. She only confided with her trusted friend Countess Marie Festetics (Katharina Lorenz), and enjoyed activities with her cousin King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Manuel Rubey).

Director Marie Kreutzer used a lot of innovative techniques to set this apart from the usual period biopic. There was technical surprises in the cinematography and musical score. There were inserted black-and-white scenes from the newly-invented motion picture camera by Louie Le Prince (Finnegan Oldfield). There were a couple of scenes featuring modern pop songs ("Help Me Make It Through the Night," "As Tears Go By"). 7/10

RETURN TO SEOUL

Written and Directed by Davy Chou 

Freddie Benoit was a Korean who was adopted by a French family when she was still a baby. Now a young woman of 25, Freddie decided to fly to Seoul, Korea when her trip to Japan did not push through. While in Seoul, Freddie tried to look for her birth parents from the adoption agency who facilitated it. She was met with varied reactions -- one parent was over-apologetic, while the other one did not seem to care to see her.

As played by Park Ji-min, Freddie was not exactly a likable person. Her headstrong, rude attitude is not easy to watch or sympathize with. She had some relationships along the way, strangest being with a middle-aged French arms dealer. The belated reunion scene of Freddie and her birth mother was very unsatisfactory. The whole final scene of older Freddie at a remote hotel was a puzzling conclusion. 4/10

Review of PAST LIVES: Instilled on Inyeon

 August 30, 2023

As children growing up in Seoul, South Korea, Na Young (Seung Ah-moon) and Hae Sung (Seung Min-yim) were classmates in school, competitors for top honors, and good friends who walked home together everyday. One day, Na Young's parents (Ji Hye Yoon and Choi Won-young) decided to migrate to Toronto, Canada. Her mother told Hae Sung's mother (Min Young-ahn) their plans, as the kids played together at the park.

12 years later, Na Young (Greta Lee) had moved to New York City to work as a playwright, taking on the name of Nora. Her mother told her that Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) had posted on her father's Facebook page that he was trying to get in touch with Na Young. The two friends reconnected via daily online video calls but no one could commit to visiting the other. When Nora took a break to attend a writer's retreat, she met fellow writer Arthur (John Magaro).

This romantic film is the directorial debut of South Korean-Canadian playwright and filmmaker Celine Song. The story began familiarly, two close childhood friends were separated by distance and time. 12 years later, they reconnect and expressed how much they missed each other. By this time, Song has drawn us in to see if their past inyeon (connection) will allow this couple to get back together or not, even if it would take 12 more years for us to know.

The way Song approached her story was very slow burn, and that is not only because it took more than two decades to unfold. The events in each of three segments of their relationship were told in a most restrained and controlled manner. Despite a clear conflict, there were absolutely no moments of heightened emotions, no anger, no melodrama. Even when not much words are said, we feel what they want to say in subtle visual clues Song provides.

There was that chemistry between lead actors Greta Lee and Teo Yoo which made you want to root for Na Young and Hae Sung's friendship to go up the next level. However, John Magaro played unenviable role of the man who, through no fault of his own, stood in their way. Because of the elegantly understated mood Song built up, these actors only had their facial expressions and vocal inflections to reflect the nuances of their characters. 9/10. 

Netflix: Mini-Reviews of HEART OF STONE and HIDDEN STRIKE

August 29, 2023

HEART OF STONE

Directed by Tom Harper

Screenplay by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder

In the snowy Italian Alps, technician Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) stayed in their van as backup, while MI6 field agents Parker (Jamie Dornan), Yang (Jing Lusi), and Bailey (Paul Ready) were extracting an arms dealer. The mission went completely wrong. Surprisingly instead of taking cover, Stone contacted her other bosses in the secret coalition called the Charter, to get into the action as their field agent "Nine of Hearts." 

The very concept of this film was very much like other spy franchises and their complex missions. Here, there were two groups of agents going after a target called "The Heart", a powerful AI program capable of hacking into any computer in the world -- which is basically the same plot as the recent "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One". Aside from double agents with self-interests, there was also a misguided tech genius (Alia Bhatt). 

Gal Gadot's acting chops are admittedly quite limited, but her beauty and a powerful star presence going for her here. Of course, you knew it was not her doing all those wild stunts on the snowy action sequence in the first act, or that brutal fight scene with a man twice her weight in the final act. However, she can still sell them with her smile and charisma, even if the suspension of disbelief could be quite a bit of a stretch. 5/10

HIDDEN STRIKE

Directed by Scott Waugh

Written by Arash Amel

Terrorist Owen Paddock (Pilou Asbæk) took over a Chinese-owned oil refinery in Iraq. The chief of security of that firm was "Dragon" Luo Feng (Jackie Chan) and he was tasked to evacuate the civilian employees to safety. Meanwhile, ex-Marine Chris Van Horne (John Cena) reluctantly joined a mission of his mercenary brother to raid that convoy. Luo Feng and Chris end up joining forces to rescue the hostages and the plant. 

The story of this action-comedy was paper-thin so this only depended on the charisma of its two lead stars to save it from total oblivion. Jackie Chan played his typical heroic bit, plus overprotective father schtick once again. His action sequences are still the highlight of this movie, as it always had been in all his movies. The best action here was in that frenetic fight scene among the gas tanks with the yellow pipes. 

John Cena has been developing his own style of action-comedy since his pro-wrestling days in the WWE, and so far his whole filmography is practically in that subgenre. Like Chan, Cena is an amiable funny guy, even silly, but is well-worth his action cred. Chan and Cena had an awkward chemistry at first, but that was the intention. To take full advantage of his partnership with Chan, Cena even flexed his ability to deliver lines in Mandarin. 5/10 

Review of RETRIBUTION: Explosive Encumbrance

 August 29, 2023

Matt Turner (Liam Neeson) was a very busy fund manager who had very strained relations with his wife Heather (Embeth Davidtz) and their two children, teenager Zach (Jack Champion) and preteen Emily (Lilly Aspell). One morning, he reluctantly accepted a request from Heather that he be the one to bring the kids to school. Along the way, an unfamiliar ring tone began to ring from inside the armrest. 

When Matt answered the phone, a strange male voice on the other line told him that their car had been booby-trapped with bombs. These bombs were weight-sensitive, all activated when they took their seats. The minute it detects that Matt or the kids had gotten out of their seats, the car would explode. Matt was threatened that he should follow all the orders given to him, that is, if he wanted his family to live.

Since his sleeper box-office hit "Taken" (2008) at age 56, nary a year passed by that Liam Neeson did not have action-thriller in the can. These were usually B-grade and forgettable, but Neeson just kept on doing them even up to now, doing physical stunts even with his advancing age. Mercifully, "Retribution" had no running and fighting for 71-year old Neeson, just keeping him in the driver's seat of his car the whole time. 

This movie was practically all Neeson's show in close-up as he kept a conversation running with the unknown entity on the phone. There were some interactions with the annoying kids at the back of the car, and his unhappy wife Heather with her issues. There would be some high-stress encounters with a couple of Matt's co-workers along the way, his boss Anders Muller (Matthew Modine) and colleague Sylvain (Arian Moayed). 

The trailer reminded me of another film about a bomb in a moving vehicle, "Speed" (1994), but the full film did not exactly turn out that way. Of course, this whole scheme would also be about money, but the bomber this time was demanding a much, much higher monetary settlement than the $3.5M in "Speed." Like other recent Neeson thrillers, it was good for a quickie thrill, but hardly anything will register afterwards. 5/10. 

Vivamax: Review of SUGAPA: Beastly Betrayal

August 25, 2023

Ben (Aljur Abrenica) and Ana (AJ Raval) lost their home in La Union when their uncle Arturo (Archie Adamos) outbid Ana's mother Rita (Ana Abad Santos) at the bank.  Arturo asked for P500,000 for them to buy the land back from him. Ben decided that they go try their luck in Angeles, Pampanga, where his friend Mando (Lander Vera Perez) could help them find jobs. While Ben worked in a restaurant, Ana worked at a nightclub. 

However, with the move to the big city, it was inevitable that trouble finds its way into their lives. Ben became addicted to online cockfighting, and getting into big debts with the bookie (Mark Dionisio). In his desperation to raise quick cash, Ben did an unthinkable deed that drove a humiliated Ana away from him, and right into the arms of her benefactor, ex-cop Sarge Teodoro (Art Acuna), who made her his mistress and the manager of his bar. 

It has been sometime since the last Vivamax project of director Law Fajardo, which was "Nightbird" released in January 2023. This time, he brings back the so-called original Vivamax A-lister, AJ Raval, whose last film had been "Us X Her" released November 2022. This is her first film after her much-publicized removal of her breast implants last March, reportedly in order to focus on becoming a better actress. 

And true to her promise, AJ Raval delivered and proved here that she was serious about improving her acting craft. "Sugapa" features her AJ's best acting performance since her celebrated Vivamax debut in "Paglaki Ko, Gusto Kong Maging Pornstar."  Gone were all her self-conscious mannerisms of the past, she has genuinely transformed into Ana. Her emotional breakdown scene while confronting Ben was gut-wrenching. 

Unfortunately, Aljur Abrenica, despite his much longer experience as an actor, gave a relatively wan, lifeless performance as Ben. This was made even more evident in contrast with AJ's burning passion as Ana. His face constantly had that blank, sad sack expression that did not come across too well onscreen. This was disappointing especially as this film is the first that paired these two real-life lovers as onscreen partners. 

The screenplay by John Bedia tread familiar ground with the misguided decisions in life men make in order to pay off a big debt. The means Bedia thought about for Ben to escape his obligation was particularly despicable. I wished that the events after that act of betrayal could have been less melodramatic in development. Anyhow, the direction, editing, and production design was done very well by Law Fajardo, back in fine form, with lush camera work by DP Joshua Reyles. 6/10. 

Review of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM: Out from the Ooze

August 24, 2023

Because he disagreed with how the Techno Cosmic Research Institute head Cynthia Utrom (Maya Utrom (Maya Rudolph) wanted to use his mutant-creating technology, scientist Baxter Stockman (Giancarlo Esposito) went into hiding. One night, TCRI agents caused an explosion in Stockman's lab that killed him and his family of mutant animals, while one vial of his green ooze rolled down into the maze-like sewers of New York City. 

Fifteen years later, there were four teenage humanoid turtles -- improv comedian in orange Michaelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), big burly in red Raphael (Brady Noon), bespectacled geek in purple Donatello (Micah Abbey), and their anxious leader in blue Leonardo (Nicholas Cantu) -- who lived in the sewers, The brothers were raised by their over-protective father, an old rat named Splinter (Jackie Chan), who taught them martial arts. 

Their first human friend April O'Neil (Ayo Edebiri of "The Bear") was also still a dorky teenager in high school here. She wanted to be a reporter but the camera made her extremely nervous and notoriously so.  The antagonist here is a sociopathic mutant fly named Superfly (Ice Cube), who led a squad of other mutant creatures, including warthog Bebop (Seth Rogan), rhino Rocksteady (John Cena) and Mondo Gecko (Paul Rudd), among others.

The main story here was how the turtles wanted to mingle in the human society above, something Splinter always warned them against. The turtles thought that stopping Superfly and gang can make them into heroes whom the humans will love. However, when they meet the other animal mutants, they also felt a bond with them because of their common origins, hence tough decisions needed to be made. 

This script took Seth Rogan and four more people to write. It was set in the present day, with numerous fun references to pop singers like Beyonce and Adele, and movies like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Avengers Endgame" and "Attack on Titan." The musical soundtrack included a couple of 90s earworm hits -- Blackstreet's "No Diggity" during an "OldBoy"-inspired fight scene, and 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up" during a crazy car chase scene. 

Director Jeff Rowe was just nominated for an Oscar for his last project "Mitchells and the Machines" (2021) even with its anti-Disney style artwork. The artwork of this new film is even bolder, with raw, rough "sketches" with thick lines and bold colors done using pastel crayons. It is this novel-looking, deliberately unrefined artwork style that gave this film its unique quality that makes it more memorable than if the original art style was retained. 7/10. 

Review of WISH YOU WERE THE ONE: Daring Destiny

 August 23, 2023

Astrud Estrellado (Bela Padilla) had a successful business making curtains and uniforms. One night, she wanted to surprise her chef boyfriend Jordan (Kean Cipriano) with a birthday cake, but walked in on him making out with a pretty cook in his kitchen. They broke up. That same night, geeky landscaper Ellis Perry Sumilang (JC Santos) was rejected by his high-society girlfriend Zoey (Franki Russell) when he proposed to her with a diamond ring. They broke up. 

Four months later, Astrud learned that Jordan was the chef of a gay wedding reception in Tagaytay. She decided she needed to go in and talk with him there. By coincidence, Ellis was also in that party but his date stood him up. Desperate, Astrud walked up to Ellis and asked him if he could name her as his date so she can enter the venue. Ellis agreed, on the condition that he can introduce her to Zoey and her friends as his new girlfriend. 

Bela Padilla and JC Santos played screen partners four times before: "100 Tula ni Stella" (Jason Paul Laxamana, 2017), "The Day After Valentines" (Laxamana, 2018), "Vodka, Beers and Regrets" (Emma Villamor, 2020) and "366" (Bela Padilla, 2022). Despite the potent chemistry between the two stars, things did not exactly go too well for their onscreen relationships in all of these movies. Will things go any better between them in this new one?

Because of marital issues between her parents (Romnick Sarmenta and Che Ramos), Astrud grew up promising herself that she would never be the one to be left high and dry by her partner. As before, Padilla played bitter Astrud in her usual winsome style, such that it was inevitable for us to like her and root for her. It also helped that Padilla, in her copper (or was that gold?) cocktail dress and long wavy hair, looked positively stunning. 

As Ellis, JC Santos kept pace with the effusive energy of Padilla's Astrud all throughout. Ellis was a young man who dared to court Zoey, an upper-class girl clearly out of his league, despite ridicule he received from her snobbish friends Louisiana (Kaladkaren), Georgina (Peach Caparas) and Rowan (Itan Magnaye). Santos can play this familiar underdog character like the back of his hand by now, but his Ellis still had secrets to spare. 

Writer Enrico C. Santos came up with a refreshing scenario of how romance can bloom between two people with chips on their shoulders. He intertwined their paths three times before without them knowing it, making a strong argument for how destiny worked for them. Director Derick Cabrido told the story with a dreamy filter, which heightened the emotional connection with his audience, many of whom may be left teary-eyed by the finale. 8/10. 

Review of GRAN TURISMO: Intent on Immortality

 August 21, 2023

Marketing executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) pitched an idea to his bosses in Nissan his idea to recruit the best players of Gran Turismo, a motorcar racing simulator game by Playstation, to become real-life competitive racecar drivers. Cognizant of the dangers this seemingly foolhardy plan involved, Moore had a hard time hiring a trainer, until ex-racecar driver, now mechanic, Jack Salter (David Harbour) agreed to take on the job.  

One of the top scoring Gran Turismo players of the world invited to participate was Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a university dropout from Cardiff, Wales. His father Steve (Djimon Hounsou) was particularly critical about Jann's obsession with Gran Turismo. He thought that this game could never help Jann achieve his dreams of becoming a real race car driver. However, Jann won his race and was admitted to the GT Academy to train. 

Before anything else, the film paid tribute to Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of Gran Turismo, and regaled on how the meticulous details of this game perfectly captured the experience of being racecar drivers. It was this conceit that led Danny Moore to come up with this wild idea aiming to boost the sales of Nissan cars. The Nissan bosses did not lose time agreeing to Moore's plan, and the film settled this backstory within the first five minutes. 

The racing scenes edited together actual racecar footage with overhead scenes as from a Gran Turismo game. The rank of Jann's car was always labeled while it was running so we know how he was doing. If not that way, there were also labels in big letters that tell what lap it was already. It was also looked very good when images of racecars were being constructed and deconstructed around Jann in his bedroom or arcade playing his video game. 

Archie Mardekwe may be a relatively new face, but his 6'4" height makes his Jann stand out from the crowd. From "Stranger Things" and "Black Widow," David Harbour can really portray these father figure characters like Jack Salter very well. Orlando Bloom looked much older since we last saw him in the last "Pirates of the Caribbean" film (2017). Djimon Hounsou portrayal was Jann's Dad was the film's emotional core. If you thought Jann's Mum looked familiar, she is none other than Ginger Spice herself, Geri Halliwell!

Overall, this film is, in essence, a typical sports movie, where an underdog candidate defied the odds to achieve his dreams. From the trailer alone, we practically know the whole story already. Nevertheless, there were still some shocking events that happen in between that kept things exciting. Its musical soundtrack, featuring Kenny G and Enya, provided some amusing moments. An additional plus was that this film by Neill Blomkamp was based on the story of the real Jann Mardenborough, the youngest GT Academy champ in 2011. 7/10

Review of THIRD WORLD ROMANCE: Poor and Pragmatic

August 19, 2023

One day, while people lining up for ayuda at the center during the pandemic, there was a sudden strong downpour. Getting drenched, Britney (Charlie Dizon) hurriedly ducked under the umbrella of the guy next to her, Alvin (Carlo Aquino). From there developed a friendship that led to Alvin helping Britney get a job as a cashier at the Wynn Grocery where he worked as a bagger. Eventually, the two got to know each other better and fell in love.

Being an indie romance between two young people in Class D (lower middle class), their days of bliss were expectedly not going last too long, even if they promised to keep each other happy every day.  There were issues arising from Britney's OFW single mother Ging (Ana Abad Santos) whose employer abandoned her in Oman. There would also be problems arising from the way grocery supervisor Sir Dodong (Archi Adamos) ran his store.

As twentysomethings in the workforce, they would rather keep their mouths shut in the face of unfair labor practices, like running extra errands outside their job description, or not receiving their overtime pay for several months. Newcomers may have idealistic mindsets about how they should be treated fairly as employees by their bosses. However, when the time comes that fighting back could mean losing their jobs, can they still walk their talk?

Carlo Aquino again plays romantic lead here, a hot streak that began from "Meet Me in St. Gallen" (2018) up to "Seasons" (2023) then this one, playing consorts to beauties from Bela Padilla to Lovi Poe, and now, Charlie Diaz. Even at age 37, Aquino can still pull off the youthful energy of a guy supposedly the son of Iyah Mina, just 10 years his senior. As expected, he had both the rom-com and the romantic drama down pat as second nature.

Since breaking into showbiz big time in 2020 with "Fan Girl" and "Four Sisters Before the Wedding," Charlie Dizon only returns to the big screen now.  In three years, she looked quite different, more mature, like a different person. As she played a blue-collar worker, Dizon was deglamorized here with shorter hair and pimply forehead. Her Britney was plucky, street-smart and knew how to stand up for her rights, until she didn't. 

The production design of this Dwein Baltazar film was a bit problematic. The residences of Britney and Alvin were very spacious, not like those where a real bagger or cashier could afford to live in. Britney's bedroom even had a lampshade and capiz windows that opened out on a roof.  Alvin's motorcycle also did not look like it was the cheapest model. Alvin's family, while unconventional with LGBT dynamics, did not seem to be lacking means for him to be stuck in a menial job.  6/10. 

Vivamax: Review of KAHALILI: Bizarre Boldness

 August 19, 2023

Martha (Stephanie Raz) was sent by her agency to the mansion of Rod (Sid Lucero) and Isabel (Millen Gal) to be their housemaid. Isabel was a conservative religious woman who often quoted Biblical verses. When the couple found out that Martha was still a virgin, Isabel offered her a million pesos to be the surrogate mother of their child. However, as Isabel was a devotee of the divine, she wanted Martha to conceive her a baby the natural way. 

This particular Vivamax film directed by Bobby Bonifacio Jr. has the most ambitious concept that I have seen in recent memory. This is Bonifacio's fourth feature film for Vivamax, after intense drama "Tahan" (2022) and a couple of comedies "Bula" (2022) and "Salamat Daks" (2023). For his newest project, Bonifacio goes back to horror, the genre of his first film of note "Numbalikdiwa" (2008) and his comeback project "Hospicio" (2016). 

It is interesting to note that Bonifacio brought back some elements from "Hospicio" into the story of "Kahalili," like sisterhood and drug addiction. By the end, it would be evident that the title "Kahallili" (or "replacement") would mean more than its more apparent reference to surrogate motherhood. The style of horror in "Kahalili" was ritualistic and hedonistic, reminiscent of Dario Argento's "Suspiria" (1977) and Ari Aster's "Midsommar" (2019).

Stephanie Raz has been featured in several Vivamax films since her debut in "Pornstar 2" (2021), mostly in supporting and antagonist roles. Her two more conventionally beautiful sisters, Micaela Raz ("Bata Pa si Sabel") and Angela Morena ("La Querida"), both had their solo breakout films already much earlier, and now it is Stephanie's turn. Stephanie may seem miscast at first, but as the story turned out, her casting as Martha was actually astute. 

Sid Lucero underplayed his part Rod here, but his eyes can project intensity. After low key roles in several Vivamax films since Virgin Forest (2022), Millen Gal makes a grand bid for stardom as the barren desperate, and deranged wife Isabel. This is stud du jour Victor Relosa's third consecutive Vivamax film in three weeks, playing Martha's no-good boyfriend Carlos.  Mercedes Cabral lent her indie cred here in a smaller but significant role as Martha's sister. 

The screenplay by Juvy Galamiton was bold, bitter and bizarre. The technical elements, above average for a Vivamax film, all deserve commendation: the eerie sound design by Armand de Guzman, the atmospheric musical score by Emerzon Texon, the mind-boggling jump cuts by editors Nelson Villamayor and Noah Tonga, the eclectic production design of Sigrid T. Polon and Junebert Cantila, and the moody cinematography by Michael Henree J. Bautista. 6/10. 

Review of BLUE BEETLE: Mexican Might

August 16, 2023

After graduating pre-law from Gotham College, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) went back to his home in Palmera City. His family was composed of his parents Alberto and Rocio (Damián Alcázar and Elpidia Carrillo), his sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), grandmother Nana (Adriana Barraza) and Uncle Rudy (George Lopez). The happy homecoming was marred by many financial and health problems which forced Jaime to find a job at once. 

Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) is the daughter of Kord Industries CEO Ted Kord. Her aunt Victoria (Susan Sarandon) took over their family's multi-million business after Ted's death. When Jaime visited Jenny to ask for a job, she asked him to safekeep a box, which turned out to contain the Scarab, an ancient alien artifact. When Jaime held the Scarab, it integrated its way inside his body and gave him a bulletproof exoskeleton and awesome abilities.

I went to watch this film without knowing anything about the Blue Beetle. When the opening credits were rolling and there were no familiar names in the mostly Latino cast except for Susan Sarandon and George Lopez, so I did not expect too much. However, Jaime and the Reyes family are easy to love and we rooted for them to overcome their difficult situation, especially as the bad guys came after them to give up the Scarab.

The name of lead actor Xolo Maridueña may be unfamiliar, but fans of the Netflix nostalgia series "Cobra Kai" will recognize him as the young karate apprentice Miguel Diaz. He gives a likable and charismatic performance as the reluctant superhero Jaime Reyes. He had great chemistry with his screen family, particularly veteran comedian Lopez (as his loud, resourceful Uncle Rudy) and Oscar nominee Barraza (as his unexpectedly empowered Nana). 

The structure of the story was very similar, almost exactly, with the humor and heartwarming family dynamics of another superhero DC franchise -- "Shazam." A young man gets other-worldly superpowers to fight bad guys. When he gets into a tangle later on, his family also gets into the action with their own super-weapons. Of course, this one had a strong Mexican flavor, some dark scary transformation moments and Jaime had a love interest here. 

As a bonus for Filipino fans, the alien inside the Scarab Khaji-da (originally voiced by Mexican-American pop singer Becky G.) was voiced by Filipina voice artist Inka Magnaye, the voice of Philippine Airlines' pre-flight safety instructional video. She would surprise us now and then by injecting some Filipino phrases into her lines.

There was an extra midcredits scene that opens up a possibility of a sequel. There were also random references to Superman, Batman and the Flash, which confirms that they exist in this universe, hinting on a possibility to integrate the Blue Beetle with the Justice League. 7/10

  

Review of MEG 2: THE TRENCH: More Massive Monsters in the Marianas

August 15, 2023

It has been five years after the events of the last movie, Dr. Suyin Zhang had passed away and her teenage daughter Meiying (Shuya Sophia Cai) is being raised by her husband Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham). Her brother Jiuming (Wu Jing) has taken over her leadership of underwater research facility Mana One. Jiuming had actually raised a young female Meg he called Haiqi, and believed he had trained it to follow his commands via sonic signals. 

One day, Jonas and Jiuming led a team to explore the Mariana Trench, and Meiying stowed away on their craft. At an underwater station, they discovered that there had been illegal mining activities being undertaken by traitors from within Mana One. A reckless undersea explosion set off by the bad guys released not only the Megs, but more killer monsters from the trench, like the carnivorous dinosaur-like Snappers, and a tentacled giant Kraken.

This sequel basically followed the same formula of the first film. During scientific explorations into the deeper parts of the Marianas Trench, a breach of the thermocline caused the release of deadly prehistoric monsters to attack a popular beach resort. From only 2 Megs in the first film. we now have more voracious killers, not only Megs and Kraken from the sea, but also Snappers on land -- a mix of "Jaws," "Tentacles" and "Jurassic Park."  

The acting is very tongue-in-cheek from everyone in the cast, especially from Chinese actors. Wu Jing (also known as Jacky Wu) tends to have a comical expression on his face in his action scenes, coming off like a younger Jackie Chan. In contrast, Jason Statham is always in all-action hero mode as expected from him. The other actor who catches attention is Page Kennedy as Mana One engineer DJ, because of his wisecracks and emergency bag.  

There really is not much to expect in this movie except for shallow action entertainment. There were many people killed left and right by the Megs and the other creatures, and those can be a lot of morbid fun to watch for a film like this.  The situations with the Kraken and Snappers were all quite preposterous and over-the-top, done with a comic flavor. Of course, Statham can certainly pull off those impossible jetski and Meg-harpooning stunts very credibly. 5/10. 

RANKING THE 9 NARRATIVE FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS IN COMPETITION OF CINEMALAYA 2023

August 13, 2023

I have seen 9 out of the 10 feature length films in competition for this year's Cinemalaya film festival. The 10th film was a documentary entitled "Maria" by Sheryl Rose Andes, the first documentary film to compete against narrative feature films in Cinemalaya history, which I was not able to see. 

Here is how I ranked the 9 narrative feature-length films of Cinemalaya 2023 that I have seen:

9. TETHER (MY FULL REVIEW)

The production values of the film were not so polished, with dull colors, erratic sound and awkward costumes, likely because of budget limitations. The original songs did well to liven up the drab atmosphere. Ultimately, it was all up to lead actors Jorybelle Agoto and especially Mikoy Morales, who gave performances so strong, they lifted the film up another level, not allowing the stiff acting of their amateur supporting actors to completely sink key scenes. 

8. HULING PALABAS (MY FULL REVIEW)

First-time feature film writer and director Ryan Machado told the story of a teenage boy who was discovering and processing his sexual identity in one summer. This was not exactly a new topic in local indie films. However, Machado's secret ingredients clearly reflected in this film were his sentimental affection for his hometown of Looc; its unique tongue, Onhan (a variation of the Western Bisayan language), and its folklore about cursed beasts and encantos.

7. WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER (MY FULL REVIEW)

Many movies about drug-induced trips are shallow, but this first feature by Kevin Mayuga was actually quite multilayered. It tackled the contrasting pandemic lifestyles and behaviors of the penthouse rich and basement poor, in some sort of a local iteration of "Downton Abbey" in a condo. The friendship of The Guy and Rosemarie was established, but was not pursued much further because of circumstances, leaving us curious to see where this would lead.

6. BULAWAN NGA USA (MY FULL REVIEW)

This charming, unassuming Ilonggo film by Kenneth de la Cruz was one of the rare films which bravely goes against the usual down, dark and depressing road commonly taken by various Cinemalaya movies. Even if there are some serious issues of child abandonment along the way, most of the film had a light, childlike air about it as it followed Makoy's quest for an elusive enchanted element from his childhood. 

5. ROOKIE (MY FULL REVIEW)

Of all the films that I had watched in this year's Cinemalaya festival, this was one with the most audience impact. This was so far the only one where the audience, particularly the Gen Z and Gen A girls, were actually shrieking with delight as romance developed between Ace and Jana This film also took time to mention problems experienced by female athletes, like playing during her period, shaving armpits, wearing short shorts and sexual harassment. 

4. GITLING (MY FULL REVIEW)

Of all the films I had seen in this year's Cinemalaya, this was the one that is the most "arthouse" in impact. The camera work and angles while following the two lead characters, the subtleties in lighting of the scenes, the dramatic sweep of the musical score. It felt as if celebrated Chinese director Wong Kar Wai may be one of the cinematic heroes of first-time feature film director Jopy Arnaldo in the way he executed his ambitious script. 

3. AS IF IT'S TRUE (MY FULL REVIEW)

Like several movies in the last decade, this film, written and directed by John Rogers, also dealt with a relationship where online social media played a very big part. This was a complicated affair with a very thin and tenuous line dividing their genuine emotions from things which they only manufactured for online content. We see one thing now, but later turned out to be something else. The audience is teased back and forth this way up to the end.

2. ITI MAPUKPUKAW (MY FULL REVIEW)

Writer-director Carl Joseph Papa astutely decided that this complex, multi-layered tale dealing with a triggering subject matter can best be told by way of an animated film. Despite being overlain by animated computer graphics, we still see and feel the acting prowess of tried-and-true actors Carlo Aquino (a truly internalized acting performance), Dolly de Leon (for sweet maternal interaction in Ilocano language) and Gio Gahol (for a supportive BL angle) shining through. 

1. ANG DUYAN NG MAGITING (MY FULL REVIEW)

Two 17 year-old college students, Jose Santos (Miggy Jimenez) and Simon Manuel (Dylan Ray Taleon), had been picked up by policemen when they were found hanging around a church where a bomb just exploded. They were there because they wanted to immerse themselves with the plight of disenfranchised farmers. However, the policemen who arrested them were accusing them of being terrorists. 

The quality of the writing was astoundingly astute and hard-hitting as writer-director Dustin Celestino presented both sides of the arguments in scathing and acerbic, yet eloquently- and elegantly-constructed, statements. Despite the seriousness of the topics, Celestino was still able to inject welcome elements of dark humor into each episode, all succeeding to elicit uncomfortable but welcome laughter from the audience to break the extreme tension.    

Vivamax: Review of KAMADORA: Escaping Exploitation

August 12, 2023

For the past five years, Ica (Tiffany Grey) had been living in the boarding house of school teacher Aling Adeng (Angie Castrence) and her teenage nephew Abner (Itan Rosales). She worked as a salesgirl at the Davidson Mall, the biggest mall in the Camanava area, with her friends Melai (Armina Alegre) and Inday (Hurry Up Tingson). She was very hardworking and dedicated to her job, but would not hesitate to answer back to rude customers. 

Pretty and feisty, Ica had three men pursuing her. First was her predator boss Sir Galvez (Karl Medina) who kept calling her into his office for "reprimands." Second was a crooked policeman Roman (Jun Jun Quintana) who forced her to be his mistress by withholding information about her missing father. Third was her true love Dave (Victor Relosa), heir apparent to Don David Tantengco (Emmanuel dela Cruz), owner of the mall where she worked. 

With all the plot threads and characters that cult director Roman Perez, Jr. juggled in this film, he could have made his complicated story into a mini-series. However, he still tried to cram everything into its one hour and 44 minutes running time. Of course, he also had to stuff in various permutations of sexual couplings along the way, involving even minor side characters, leaving a very limited time for the meat of the story to be dramatized in full.

Because of this, Perez had to resort to a very detailed narration by Ica, relating her traumatic experiences from her childhood growing up with her mother Selya (Sue Prado) and her common-law husband Ruel (Raffy Tejada) who was engaged in criminal activity. She also had to narrate how she eventually got involved with Roman, then Dave. These were sordid melodramatic tales of abuse, rape and exploitation, signature Vivamax.

Through all the going back and forth in time and all the multiple characters involved, the film was not that easy to follow. By the end, however, I recognized that the idea of the story was actually good in substance, but sadly, those extraneous sex scenes really got in the way of good storytelling. A "kamador" was a henchman responsible for getting rid of murdered bodies. You need to wait up to the very last scene to see how the title fits into all this. 4/10. 

CINEMALAYA 2023: Review of HULING PALABAS: Rustic Realizations

August 11, 2023

It was 2001 in Looc, Romblon. Dominador "Andoy" Alejandro (Shun Mark Gomez) was 16 years old, about to turn 17. He never met his father and his mother was working out of town, so he lived with his aunt Fe (Senanda) and her husband Julio (Jay Gonzaga). Andoy and his best friend Pido (Bon Andrew Lentejas) loved watching movies at neighbors with VHS machines, and browsing at VHS rental stores even if they did not have money. 

As his graduation from high school approached, Andoy met a couple of people who fascinated him. One was Ariel (Serena Magiliw), the transwoman beautician who befriended Andoy after she saw him in tears at the waiting shed. The other was Isidro (Cedrick Juan), a tall, long-haired, fair-skinned fellow who had just returned home from the big city, whom Andoy espied sunbathing in the nude at the abandoned water reservoir. 

First-time feature film writer and director Ryan Machado told the story of a teenage boy who was discovering and processing his sexual identity in one summer. This was not exactly a new topic in local indie films. However, Machado's secret ingredients clearly reflected in this film were his sentimental affection for his hometown of Looc; its unique tongue, Onhan (a variation of the Western Bisayan language), and its folklore about cursed beasts and encantos.   

The pace of the first two acts was quite languid and relaxed, much like the laidback rural lifestyle of the small town depicted. However, the third act felt so hurried and jarring. There were scenes which are reminiscent of other gay coming-of-age films.  The scene of Andoy humiliating his uncle was like one similar scene in "2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten" (2016). Andoy's fascination with an older newcomer in town was akin to "Call Me By Your Name" (2017). 

Appreciation of this film would depend on one's world view about LGBT topics. Were Ariel and Isidro helpful friends in the liberation of Andoy's identity? Or were they bad influences who led Andoy astray? What was that red-lit bacchanalian party held by Isidro with Ariel and Andoy all about?  While it had rustic charm, that final scene showing what Andoy was up to after that fateful summer was anticlimactic, given his academic achievements. 5/10. 

CINEMALAYA 2023: Review of ITI MAPUKPUKAW: The Missing Mouth

August 10, 2023

Eric (Carlo Aquino) had not said a word since he was a child. He communicated by means of writing on a whiteboard which was hanging around his neck.  One night, his mother Rosalinda (Dolly de Leon) called him to check on his Uncle Rogelio, who had been missing for a few days already. From the animation studio where they worked overtime, Eric and his co-worker and new friend Carlo (Gio Gahol) went to his uncle's last known address.  

When we first see Eric, you immediately notice that he had no mouth, which coincided with his inability to speak (although we never see how he ingested food or water). After the events at his Uncle's house, Eric was revisited by a giant green alien which terrorized his nightmares as a child. With his every encounter with this alien, we would see Eric lose other organs from his body. Will he be able to beat this monster before he loses his whole self?

Writer-director Carl Joseph Papa astutely decided that this complex, multi-layered tale dealing with a triggering subject matter can best be told by way of an animated film. Like his previous triumph "Manang Biring" which won Best Picture in the CinemaOne Filmfest of 2015, Papa once again used rotoscopic animation style of having computer-generated images super-imposed on the actual actors acting out the scene, but this one is in full color realism.

Interspersed among the present day scenes were also animated scenes using a more childish style of artwork to tell the flashbacks of Eric's childhood. Instead of reducing the triggering effect, these moving kindergarten crayon drawings with that black doodle drawn to obscure the face of the bad person narrated by a child's voice made these events look and even feel more traumatic than they inherently were. This felt more mature than its R13 rating. 

Despite being overlain by animated computer graphics, we still see and feel the acting prowess of tried-and-true actors Carlo Aquino (a truly internalized acting performance), Dolly de Leon (for sweet maternal interaction in Ilocano language) and Gio Gahol (for a supportive BL angle) shining through. All three deserve acting nominations to recognize the challenge and difficulty of acting with a greenscreen in the manner they did. 8/10. 

CINEMALAYA 2023: Review of GITLING: Subtitling the Silent

August 10, 2023

Japanese filmmaker Makoto Kanno (Ken Yamamura) was invited to grace a film festival in Bacolod City which will feature one of his most famous films, noted for its last twenty minutes which was completely without dialogue. A Filipina translator, Jamie Lazaro (Gabby Padilla), had been hired by the festival director (Emmanuel dela Cruz) to help Makoto in his daily communications and also to write the subtitles for the film to be shown. 

Of all the films I had seen in this year's Cinemalaya, this was the one that is the most "arthouse" in impact. The camera work and angles while following the two lead characters, the subtleties in lighting of the scenes, the dramatic sweep of the musical score. It felt as if celebrated Chinese director Wong Kar Wai may be one of the cinematic heroes of first-time feature film director Jopy Arnaldo in the way he executed his ambitious script. 

There was hardly any action in this film, only intimate conversations between a Japanese film director and his Filipino interpreter for a good 100 or so minutes of its run time. You have to pay attention intently because these conversations would be conducted in five languages -- English, Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Nihonggo and Jamie's own invented language. The color-coded subtitles will be your friend here (although they were typed in a rather tiny, thin font).

One of the key plot moments was Makoto's decision to put subtitles in the silent third act of his masterpiece. This would be the highlight of the final night of the festival, as a special midnight screening to be held at the picturesque, exquisitely-lit Ruins. In a unique and remarkable innovation, Arnaldo himself would do this in "Gitling," as his wordless scenes would also be given subtitles to bring us into the unspoken thoughts of the two main characters. 

Veteran Japanese actor Ken Yamamura was so remarkable in its restraint. Despite the very subdued introversion of his character, Yamamura can draw audience sympathy to his problematic situation. One cannot help but be impressed with the way Gabby Padilla shifted seamlessly in all the five languages of the script, English with an affected accent notwithstanding. Padilla was certainly able to hold her own in this deep two-hander.  7/10. 

CINEMALAYA 2023: Review of ROOKIE: A Sapphic Sports Story

August 9, 2023

Maria Isabel Pilar "Ace" Asuncion (Pat Tingjuy) was a boyish teenager who loved to play basketball. Her dad just passed away and her mom's job brought them to a new neighborhood. So in her junior year, Ace had to transfer into a new school called San Lorenzo, a Catholic all-girls school without a basketball team. Instead, tall and athletic Ace was immediately recruited by the volleyball Coach Jules (Agot Isidro), who trained the school varsity team called the Angels.

Ace had a crush on the star player of the Angels, the pretty but intense Jana Ramos (Aya Fernandez). Her mother, a star volleyball player in her youth, had passed away, and her father pressured Jana to get recruited by a prestigious college volleyball team. Jana was very serious about winning games so she was very annoyed when Ace was suddenly included in the varsity team even if she did not know even the basics of volleyball.  

Of all the films that I had watched in this year's Cinemalaya festival, this was one with the most audience impact. This was so far the only one where the audience, particularly the Gen Z and Gen A girls, were actually shrieking with delight at each and every scene as romance developed between Ace and Jana -- from Ace's furtive glances from afar at first, to the bed arrangement at the training camp, to the prom night invitation and dance, and more. 

This film also took time to mention problems experienced by female athletes in high school, like playing during her period, shaving armpits, or wearing short shorts. However, it spent significant time recounting Ace's unfortunate experience with the predatory physical therapist of the team, Coach Kel (Mikoy Morales). The girls in the audience audibly expressed their disgust over this disturbing scene with loud gasps and murmurs.

There were also scenes of commentary about the attitude of the Catholic Church about the issues where Ace were involved.  During prom night, the nun at the entrance raised a problem about the outfit that Ace wore to the event. While discussing the issue of sexual harassment on campus, the oily father rector (Joel Saracho) cared more about the effect of the scandal on the school, and even cited the Bible.  Again, the girls loudly expressed their disdain. 

This film was co-written and directed by Samantha Lee, whose filmography mainly dealt with lesbian relationships among young ladies, like "Baka Bukas" (2017) and "Billie and Emma" (2018). This is the feature film debut for both Fernandez and Tingjuy, and they did a very good job portraying their respective characters. The two had good chemistry, and that was heard in the enthusiastic reaction of the audience rooting them on. 7/10. 

CINEMALAYA 2023: Review of TETHER: Cursed Connection

August 8, 2023

Eric (Mikoy Morales) was an smooth-talking playboy who can easily charm his way into bed with any girl. Kate (Jorybelle Agoto) was a timid loner who could not speak up against people who take advantage of her. One day, Eric, ever on the prowl, saw Kate by herself at the bar and struck up a conversation with her, which would eventually lead to a romp in the bedroom. The next morning, an extraordinary connection happened between them. 

You have to give it up for writer-director Gian Arre to come up with such a bizarre concept for his very first feature film. When two people fall in love, it is said that the have found a perfect connection with one another. However, in this film, the connection was so complete, in that one partner can totally feel what the other partner is feeling. This connection was so total such that both partners literally share their every sensation with each other.

I doubt if there is such a pathological condition that can affect two people, especially when it came to feeling pleasure or pain even when the two partners are not in the same place. When Arre upped the ante by showing that even real bleeding wounds can be inflicted on each other from a distance, this is already clearly in the realm of fantasy. It is practically voodoo, using one's own body as the voodoo doll against the partner.

In this type of story, it was tough for the writer-director-editor Arre to not have biases between his two characters. While it was Eric who was clearly the delinquent and unfaithful partner, it was Kate who used their mysterious connection to manipulate and hold Eric hostage against his will.  It was Kate who was shown to be the mentally-unstable, overbearing and actually terrifying partner, while Eric was shown as her trapped helpless victim. Is the ending 

While Mikoy Morales channeled Michael Douglas's charming, philandering male in "Fatal Attraction," while Jorybelle Agoto channeled Glenn Close's unhinged female who was not going to be ignored. Perhaps unjustly, the transformation of Morales's Eric from a cheerful free spirit into a dulled down zombie can gain audience sympathy, while Agoto's crazy mood swings and loud irrational arguments make her the bad guy.

The production values of the film were not so polished, with dull colors, erratic sound and awkward costumes, likely because of budget limitations. The original songs did well to liven up the depressing atmosphere. Ultimately, it was all up to Morales and Agoto who gave performances so strong, they lifted the film up another level, not allowing the stiff acting of their neophyte supporting actors to sink some key scenes. 5/10. 

CINEMALAYA 2023: Review of WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER: Tumultuous Trips

August 7, 2023

The Guy (Juan Karlos Labajo) worked for his Uncle to supply recreational drugs to his classy clientele. When the pandemic hit, a couple of rich girls from the penthouse of the building, Tanya (Nourijune Hooshmand) and Taylor (Chaye Mogg), called him for an order of weed edibles.  Later, they asked him to help them organize a rave party for their friends. When he learned that Taylor could help him get a US visa, The Guy was all in.

Frequently, The Guy would sneak up to the roofdeck of his condo building to smoke. He was always caught and asked to stop by the roofdeck caretaker Rosemarie (Jorybelle Agoto), who cited that smoking was against building policy. With a secret they agreed to keep between the two of them, The Guy and Rosemarie eventually become friends despite their differences. The Guy now realized he had the perfect venue for the girls' big party. 

The Guy was a drug pusher who would also be asked to take the drugs himself to convince his buyers that his products are good. Therefore, a good percentage of the film were The Guy's drug-induced trips with the psychedelic colors, imagery and musical score drawing the audience to immerse in it. His ultimate trip was the so-called "ego death" induced by a 'shroom concoction by his perpetually high neighbor Neeks (Jiro Umali).

Many movies about drug-induced trips are shallow, but this first feature by Kevin Mayuga was actually quite multilayered. It tackled the contrasting pandemic lifestyles and behaviors of the penthouse rich and basement poor, in some sort of a local iteration of "Downton Abbey" in a condo. The friendship of The Guy and Rosemarie was established, but was not pursued much further because of circumstances, leaving us curious to see where this would lead.

The rich characters like Tanya, Taylor, Nicole (Renee Dominique), and particularly the flamboyant character of Aaron (Aaron Maniego), were negatively portrayed as over-the-top bossy and selfish. Meanwhile the service staff like Rosemarie, Likha (Zara Loayon), Lottie (Lottie Bie) and Kuya Ruel (Jonathan Tadioan), were mostly friendly, meek and subservient, with the distinct exception of strict building manager Ms. Kate (Lotlot Bustamante). 

Juan Karlos had already proved his acting mettle in films like "Blue Room" (2022) and "Ako si Ninoy" (2023). His The Guy was practically onscreen for the whole film going through all kinds of emotions. We rode this roller coaster along with him from the blinding lights and throbbing club music, through his freaky, mind-bending psychogenic trips, until he came crashing down head first back into real world where he finally realized his true place. 

The film chose to devote more screen time to the relationship of The Guy with his estranged mother Lanie (Ana Abad Santos). She had married an American and soon immigrated to the States to build a new family, leaving The Guy to fend for himself on regular allowances that she sent over.  As much as this was where the main heart of the film lay, psychological studies of abandoned children are already a familiar topic in past Cinemalaya films. 5/10. 

Cinemalaya 2023: ANG DUYAN NG MAGITING: Aggressive Arguments

August 6, 2023

Two 17 year-old college students, Jose Santos (Miggy Jimenez) and Simon Manuel (Dylan Ray Taleon), had been picked up by policemen when they were found hanging around a church where a bomb just exploded. They were there because they wanted to immerse themselves with the plight of disenfranchised farmers. However, the policemen who arrested them were accusing them of being terrorists. 

The rest of the film followed other characters who were involved with the case of the two boys. Political science professor Victor Angeles (Jojit Lorenzo) was notorious for being an instigator for student activism. Social worker Jill Sebastian (Dolly de Leon) advocated for the boys against the biased police chief Gabriel Ventura (Paolo O'Hara). Helen Santos (Agot Isidro) brought Jose up by herself after her husband was killed in a political event.  

Also featured in their own episodes were: senior professor Michael Sy (Joel Saracho), whom the university administration had tasked to have a heart-to-heart talk with Victor about his radical views and their proposed punishment; Ventura's wife Cora (Frances Makil-Ignacio) who has yet to move on from the death of her own son; and Atty. Emy Gonzales (Bituin Escalante) who had a serious tête-à-tête with Ventura about the boys' case. 

Director Dustin Celestino had adapted his own Palanca-award winning full-length play to write the screenplay of this film, and the theatrical style of the writing cannot be denied. The structure of the play (and film) was somewhat like a chain, and felt like a series of powerfully-written one act plays playing one after the other. The scene most theater-like in execution was when as Cora got a sexual thrill as the torture of Jose played out in front of her. 

The ensemble is composed of veteran stage actors, and everyone delivered topnotch acting work. Lorenzo's Victor was a conundrum as he taught things he'd never done himself. De Leon's Jill may look timid, but she dared stand her ground. O'Hara's Gabriel was chilling as Makil-Ignacio's Cora was unhinged. Escalante's lawyer expertly played both sides. Isidro's Helen was absolutely earth-shattering with her intense maternal passion. 

Young actor Miggy Jimenez gets his biggest acting challenge of his career here, and he was able to hold his own. He played Jose as a typical well-to-do kid whose political awareness was naive and idealistic. His mestizo looks provided effective contrast with Dylan Ray Taleon's Simon who was from the lower income bracket. The effect of socio-economic status on the treatment of arrested suspects provided another level of thought-provoking discussion. 

The quality of the writing was astoundingly astute and hard-hitting as Celestino presented both sides of the arguments in scathing and acerbic, yet eloquently- and elegantly-constructed, statements. Despite the seriousness of the topics, Celestino was still able to inject welcome elements of dark humor into each episode, all succeeding to elicit uncomfortable but welcome laughter from the audience to break the extreme tension.    

The soundtrack only consisted of the dialogue, rightfully the main highlight of the film. The absence of any musical score made the proceedings feel more stark and tense. Practically each and every line will make you assess your own beliefs and attitudes about the various ethically-controversial topics brought up. The final scene left the door open for audiences to decide on the ending and process everything that they have just witnessed and heard. 9/10