Review of ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER: Fumbling Frantic Father

September 28, 2025

The French 75 was a group of left-wing revolutionaries constantly at odds with the military because of their criminal activities. Among the members were their leader Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) and "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (Leonardo diCaprio), who were lovers. A hardcore, white-supremacist officer handling their case, Capt. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), developed an ironic indecent obsession on Perfidia. 

Perfidia got pregnant and gave birth to a girl she named Charlene, whom she left for Pat to raise while she resumed her French 75 activities. When Perfidia got caught, Pat was forced to move out, changing his name to Bob Ferguson, a widower who raised his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) alone. 16 years passed unremarkably, until one day, Col. Lockjaw somehow managed to zero in on their location, forcing them to go on the run again.

Far from his usual screen persona of cocky confidence, we see a deglamorized image of Leonardo di Caprio here -- disheveled, disoriented and dubious. Another rare aspect of di Caprio that we see here is his comedic side, tending to silliness, especially in his scenes with the eccentric Sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro). It was almost slapstick in the last half of the film, with his unkempt topknot and ugly checkered robe, while fumbling with passwords. 

Sean Penn chewed up all his scenes here with his unnerving portrayal of Hitler-like Col. Lockjaw. He may as well be the Anton Chigurh (bowl-cut villain of "No Country for Old Men") of 2020s cinema with that shock of silver hair on his head which he kept down with his spit. He was effortlessly sleazy in his scenes with Perfidia, and was sickening when he faced off with helpless young Willa (ingenue Chase Infiniti was so radiant in that scene!). 

Once this latest film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson had its Hollywood premiere, there had already been quite a number of effusively positive reviews for it. Oscar hype for it ran high immediately, like his previous film masterpieces -- "Boogie Nights" (1996), "Magnolia" (1999), "Phantom Thread" (2017), and of course, "There Will Be Blood" (2007).  Better not watch this new film too high on the hype, lest you expect too much. 

Anderson was able to mix character study, social commentary, political satire, family drama, crime action all together in in perfect harmony. The comedic elements were more prominent, while the dramatic elements were decidedly more subtle. After giving us so much chaos in the first two hours, Anderson saved the best sequence in the closing minutes, executing what could be one of the best shot, most heart-stopping car chases that I've seen.   8/10

Review of THE RIDE: A Desperate Drive

September 26, 2025

Barry (Piolo Pascual) was a member of a carnapping gang under his boss Vince (Gabby Eigenmann). Disgruntled, he wanted to move over to the gang of rival carnapping kingpin, Windsor (Ramon Christopher), which he planned with his senior gangmate Anton (Levi Ignacio). While this was going on, Barry picked up his son Leo (Kyle Echarri) and drove together to the province where his ex-wife Sally was dying from cancer. 

The exact reason why Barry decided to coincide his business coup attempt with his family road trip was not too clear. However, this serious lapse in Barry's critical decision making certainly resulted in a sure-fire formula for a night of violence that put both his and his son's life in danger. This shared experience of being on the run for their lives did push father and son closer together unlike any other time in their checkered past. 

This feature film runs for only a little over an hour, ending just as you were on the edge of your seats. Remarkably, despite the brevity of the run time and seeming simplicity of the plot, there were three writers credited for the screenplay -- Thop Nazareno, John Bedia and Dodo Dayao.  Director Nazareno went straight to the point, with no unnecessary fluff. However, there may have been some details lost, like who exactly Bossing (Joey Marquez) was. 

Kyle Echarri has gone a long way from "The Voice Kids" in 2015 where we first saw him. 2025 is his breakthrough year in film acting. He was just in "100 Awit Para Kay Stella," where he played the third wheel in the love story of the two leads. This latest one of his pits him with Piolo Pascual in a virtual two-hander story, and he was able to hold his own. While still giving off spoiled brat vibes, Echarri was able to show off more range here acting-wise. 

It has been about 30 years since Piolo Pascual broke through in TV soap opera "Esperanza." From being the quintessential romantic leading man, he'd gone on to do action ("On the Job"), horror ("Mallari"), experimental ("Real Life Fiction") and Lav Diaz ("Hele ng Hiwagang Hapis").  Now in his late 40s, he can now play the father of teenagers, like he did in a cameo role in "Sunshine" (2024), going full-length as a flawed dad in this latest one. 

Pascual did very well in the action scenes, like that frenetic shoot-out in the marketplace. However, his forte is really drama. His Barry narrated the story as it went along, his confession. He called himself a bad husband, a bad father, and a bad person in general. His scenes with Echarri's Leo were purposefully awkward, but we feel the sincere effort of this delinquent father to connect to his delinquent son, until he just gave it his all at the end.  7/10

SINAG MAYNILA 2025: Review of ALTAR BOY: Frailties of a Fil-Canadian Fellow

September 25, 2025

Daniel (Mark Bacolcol) was the 17 year-old son of a Fil-Canadian couple, Joseph (Pablo Quiogue) and Rose (Shai Barcia) Garcia. At home, his parents talked to him in Filipino and he answered them in English. They had frequent family reunions, where they partake of Filipino food and videoke singing. Rose was very religious and attended services in the parish of Fr. Simon (Steve Kasan), where Daniel was an altar server. 

This year, Daniel was not exactly doing well in his grades. However, he was accepted into the basketball team of their high school, Pacific Grove, together with his two good friends, Kyle (Denzel Brooks) and Ricky (Blake Canning). He also had a crush on a girl whom he often saw at church when he was serving. She was his pretty classmate Summer Stevens (Emily Beattie) who picked him as his partner in a school project.  

This Canadian production told a simple coming-of-age story about a teenage boy from an immigrant family. It tells his life at home with his family, and at school with his friends. It just so happened that this was about a Fil-Canadian family, so it should be more interesting for Filipinos, as it features Filipino language and culture. However, it was not really telling anything new, as we've seen variations of these same stories in many other teen films.    

Mike Bacolcol's Daniel is likable enough, despite his hang-ups and shortcomings. We know he is basically a good boy, so we root for him to win the girl, and get over his troubles. Bacolcol's lines were wry, sardonic, delivered with deadpan humor. He did not really look 17 anymore, but Bacolcol also wrote this screenplay, so we do have to give him credit for some neat scenes and lines. Ironic though that his being an altar boy was not dealt with with more depth.  

Viewers of the older generation will feel the frustrations of Rose as a mother raising a son in a foreign country. She tried hard to integrate values and practices into her son's life, making sure that he took them to heart without feeling forced to do so. The absolute best scene between mother and son was that dinner scene after things got awkward between them. Barcia's facial expressions had emotional weight there, and that catch-up kiss sealed the deal. 6/10

SINAG MAYNILA 2025: Review of MADAWAG ANG LANDAS PATUNGONG PAG-ASA: A Teacher's Tenacity

September 24, 2025

In 2019, a encounter between the military and rebels happened in Barangay Pag-asa, Quezon province. A teacher and a student lost their lives there. Because of this tragic incident and the pandemic that followed, the school never reopened. As the children were idle, barangay captain Merlinda "Indang" Sarmenta (Dorothy Gilmore) hired kids to be "scholars" in her video game business called Axis Divinity, where they earned good money.  

In 2022, a young teacher named Araceli "Ara" Lumawig (Rita Daniela) was sent by DepEd to Pag-asa to reopen the school and become their new teacher. Kapitana Indang took an instant dislike to her, but fortunately, Ara had parish priest Fr. Caloy (Jim Pebanco) and sari-sari store owner Ka Ambo (Lou Veloso) on her side. A troop of soldiers under 1Lt Randy Meneses (Jak Roberto) was assigned to provide security to the school. 

Rita Daniela gave a very dedicated performance as Ms. Lumawig, who reopened the school against all odds. Only five students came in on her first day of class, so she had to go house to house to try to convince hostile parents. Fortunately, her Ara was likable, sincere, and certainly tenacious with a never-say-never attitude. If there was anything jarring about her, it was that overdone kissing scene with her estranged activist boyfriend Teddy (Albie Casino).  

Jak Roberto was a bit too obvious as the lovestruck Lt. Randy. He did not find it embarrassing to lovingly stare at his crush in full view of his own men, or her students, not exactly subtle as military officers would likely be. Veterans Lou Veloso and Jim Pebanco can do no wrong with their good guy characters, though they could be too good to be true. Ara pet students Estong (Ynigo Delen) and Betchay (Felixia Dizon) were delightful.

The rural vibe of the whole film, the politeness and good-naturedness of it all, was very refreshing to watch. The Axis Divinity thing may be a bit too sophisticated a plot point, but it did serve its purpose as a source of serious conflict. The screenplay of Eric Ramos had some surprising revelations about Ara in Act 3 that led to a particularly tearful ending scene with her students, which director Joel Lamangan really squeezed for all its melodramatic worth.  7/10

Review of EXIT 8: Loopy Labyrinth

September 20, 2025

An old man was berating a mother with a crying baby on the train. Bothered by this, a young man decided to alight at the next station. While he was walking on his way out of the station, a young man received a phone call from his recent ex-girlfriend who told him that she was in the hospital. She called to tell him just found out that she was pregnant. This news unsettled the man to have an asthma fit, and the choppy signal made things worse for him. 

When the call was dropped, the young man eventually noted that he had been walking around in circles while trying to reach Exit 8. He kept on passing by a certain corridor with a series of posters on one side and doors and vents on the other side. He would see a tall man emerge on the other end of that corridor and he would walk past him. After going through the same things a number of times, he realized he was trapped in an endless loop.

This psychological horror film was based on a 2023 video game called "The Exit 8" developed by Kotake Create. Japanese filmmaker Genki Kawamura wrote and directed this film version, recreating the atmosphere of claustrophobia and paranoia that made the game popular. The object of the game was to spot "anomalies" in order to decide whether to go forward (if there was none) or to turn back (if there was one). An error would reset one back to Exit 0.

The numeral 8 was chosen for this concept because as seen on print, it is does not have a visible beginning or end, just one curving line crossing itself in the middle like a Mobius strip. One of the posters in the corridor was about an art exhibit featuring works by 20th century Dutch artist Mauritz Cornelius Escher. His famous work "Relativity" depict architectural optical illusion of people going up and down an endless maze of stairs -- an obvious inspiration.

At first there were only two guys -- the main character called the Lost Guy (Kazunari Ninomiya), and the Walking Guy (Yamato Kochi), who walked past Lost Guy every time he passed under the Exit 8 sign in the main corridor.  We certainly felt Ninomiya exasperation and frustration, as well as his asthma-induced dyspnea. Walking Guy was supposed to be an NPC (non-player character) only, but Kawamura also chose to give him a back story. Kochi

In the opening scene, Kawamura followed Lost Man in one amazing long single tracking shot from the train to the Exit 8 corridors. Being shot in Lost Man's point of view really made us feel his ever-growing anxiety and desperation. Kawamura then added the Boy, a helpless child in the loop who is likely a metaphor for Lost Guy's ex's pregnancy. While these dramatic detours added depth to the story, they did also distract much from the build-up of suspense. 7/10

Review of THE LONG WALK: Physical and Psychological Pressure

September 18, 2025

The US was still reeling from the effects of a major war and a failing economy. For the chance to win a grand cash prize, several young men all around the country apply to join an event called "The Long Walk," organized by the Major (Mark Hamill).  The fifty chosen boys would have to walk continuously, no stopping allowed, no sleep, no bathroom breaks. If ever someone' speed went below 3 miles per hour, he was going to be eliminated, literally.  

Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) was one of the boys chosen by raffle for the walk that year. Because the walk was being held in his home state, he was brought to the starting point by his mother Ginnie (Judy Greer). He quickly made friends with fellow walkers Peter (David Jonsson), Hank (Ben Wang) and Baker (Tut Nyuot). Other walkers were not too friendly, like Stebbins (Garrett Wareing), Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer) or Collie (Joshua Odjick). 

The most memorable films in director Francis Lawrence's filmography are those in the "The Hunger Games" franchise, starting from the second film "Catching Fire" (2013) to the current reboot. Actually, "The Long Walk" had an uncanny "Hunger Games" vibe. There was a dictatorial military government who chose a representative from each state, and they will join an intense physical and psychologically-demanding contest to the death. Familiar, right?

"The Long Walk" is a 1979 novel written by horror auteur Stephen King, under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was the first novel King started to write as a college freshman, but only published four years after he released "Carrie." The novel started with 100 men, and the minimum walking speed was 4 mph. In the book, Ray meets his girlfriend in Freeport, instead of his mom as we saw in the film. Also, the final two guys differed in the two versions.

This film served as an introductory acting showcase for its cast of young actors. Cooper Hoffman is the son of the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. As Ray, he had certainly gone a long way from when we first saw him in "Licorice Pizza" (2021). He had a great rapport with the other actors, especially David Jonsson and Tut Nyuot, establishing genuine friendships with their characters. As sadistic Major, Mark Hamill was a fearsome symbol of their collective oppression. 7/10

Review of MAGELLAN: Conquest and Conversion

September 15, 2025

In 1511, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was part of the crew of Alfonso de Albuquerque, who sailed around the tip of Africa to reach Malacca, which was claimed in the name of King Manuel I of Portugal. In 1519, Magellan led his own expedition to Southeast Asia, this time going around the tip of South America, through the Pacific Ocean to reach Cebu island, which he claimed in the name of his new royal sponsor, Carlos V of Spain.

This historical biographical film was written and directed by Filipino slow cinema auteur Lav Diaz. It runs for 160 minutes, a modest length in the Lav Diaz canon, where at least 8 of his films ran for more than 5 hours long, 3 of which ran beyond 9 hours long. 

Even if the running time was relatively shorter than his usual, there were still those very long, languid steady camera shots with very little action happening, and puzzling, erratic editing. For his fans, this signature cinematic style is part of the charm of watching Lav Diaz film. People who are watching this film as their first Lav Diaz will likely get very restless, but believe me, this taste can surely be developed with more exposure.

This is only the third time Diaz shot in color, following two of his best-known works -- "Batang West Side" (2001) and "Norte, the End of History" (2015). However, the most powerful scenes had muted colors, such as those of the strong waves breaking along the beach as mothers mourned their dead children. 

For a film about a voyage halfway around the world by a fleet of huge four-masted ships, the scenes of ships at sea and the people on board felt strangely static, depending only sound effects of splashing water and subtle camera movements to create an illusion that they on rough waters. We won't see epic seafaring wide-shot scenes here, like those we saw in "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" (2003) or even "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1962).  

In the Cebu scenes, the costume of the natives were so randomly arbitrary. While there were those who were typically dressed as expected, there were several natives, men and women, who were completely naked -- from the opening scene of a woman catching snails in the river, to that moving scene of a funeral cortege walking towards the ocean. I was wondering why there had to be nudity when clothes already existed.

This had been chosen to be submitted for Oscar consideration for Best Foreign Film, a second time for Diaz after "Norte". However the choice feels rather ironic. Aside from telling the story of a colonizer, Diaz ended the film by going against a historical detail that every Filipino learned since their childhood. Many will sit through all the slowburn to see a climactic battle with Lapu-Lapu, only to be disappointed when he didn't show up as expected. At the risk of casting doubt on his very existence, Diaz boldly portrayed Lapu-Lapu as a collective spirit of native defiance against foreign invaders. 6/10

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Here are my reviews of the other Lav Diaz films I had seen before:

PHANTOSMIA (MY REVIEW)

ESSENTIAL TRUTHS OF THE LAKE (MY REVIEW)

KAPAG WALA NANG ALON (MY REVIEW)

HISTORYA NI HA (MY REVIEW)

PAN, GENUS (MY REVIEW)

ANG HUPA (MY REVIEW)

ANG PANAHON NG HALIMAW (MY REVIEW)

ANG BABAENG HUMAYO (MY REVIEW)

HELE SA HIWAGANG HAPIS (MY REVIEW)

MULA SA KUNG ANO ANG NOON (MY REVIEW)

NORTE: HANGGANAN NG KASAYSAYAN (MY REVIEW)

FLORENTINA HUBALDO, CTE (MY REVIEW)

MELANCHOLIA (MY REVIEW)

EVOLUTION OF A FILIPINO FAMILY (MY REVIEW)

Netflix: Review of KONTRABIDA ACADEMY: Hurting the Heroes

September 13, 2025

Gigi (Barbie Forteza) was having a miserable life. She worked as an assistant manager in a Korean barbecue place under a slave driver of a manager Jingo (Jonathan Tadioan).  She was forced to help settle big debts that her irresponsible mother Betty (Carmina Villaroel) incurred from loan sharks. Her relationship with her boyfriend of seven years Abet (Yasser Marta) was going nowhere, until she saw another girl riding his motorcycle with him. 

Gigi won a big screen television set in a raffle at work. When she turned it on, it was only showing one floridly melodramatic telenovela entitled "Batas ng Api" ("Law of the Oppressed"). The lead character was a girl named Mirinisa (Ysabel Ortega) who was relentlessly abused by her wicked stepmother Mauricia (Eugene Domingo) and seductive stepsister Mimi (Xyriel Manabat). One day, Mauricia addressed Gigi by name, inviting her to enter the TV world. 

That this comedy-fantasy film was written and directed by Chris Martinez (based on an original concept of Alpha Habon and Randolph Longjas) automatically made it a film to check out. Martinez also wrote the screenplays for "Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme" (2009) and its sequels, and "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" (2011), all of which starred Eugene Domingo. With Mauricia, Martinez had created another memorable role for Domingo and her signature unbridled over-the-top style of comedy acting. 

Domingo took her assignment to heart and went to town with it. She embraced the villainy of her role fully -- her eyes wide with cruelty, her insults brutally sharp, her slaps painfully crisp. On the other end, Barbie Forteza's Gigi was the perfect martyr. After Mauricia got her to turn on her dark side, Forteza showed off her acting range by convincingly transforming into sexy, confident and assertive Gia -- ready to exact revenge on her tormentors.

The best parts were those lessons by real-life villain actors, like Rez Cortez (Facial Expression), Dimples Romana (Insults), Odette Khan (Principal), Celia Rodriguez (History), Jean Garcia (Art), Pinky Amador (Languages), Gladys Reyes (Math), Baron Geisler (P.E.), Mylene Dizon (Science). Portraits of those who had departed, like Joaquin Fajardo, Bella Flores, Zeny Zabala and Cherie Gil, were a nice touch. They should've added more.

With leading man Arnaldo (Jameson Blake), Gia visited a school for heroes, called San Bida University. All it succeeded to show was how learning to be a hero was dry and boring, in contrast to how fun it was learning be a villain. Everything felt very cliché, from the fashion (long sleeves, long skirts) to the subjects (Hope, Modesty, Patience). That cameo by Susan Africa was inspired, but her lesson could have been better written. 

Halfway through, a problematic message seemed to be coming across. Does one really need to be "villainous" in order to stand up against his bullies? Did timid Gigi really need to turn into a feisty Gia in order to confront her enemies and fight for her rights?  Why become a villain to fight your villains? Martinez did try to smooth this issue out towards the end by rationalizing how someone's "villainy" can actually prove to be something good to the other person. 7/10

Review of DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE: Memory and Modernity

September 13, 2025

It was 1930. The Crawley family, headed by Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), were facing much stress from all fronts. Cora's brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) had lost their family's fortune in the US, and wanted to claim their family's stake at Downton. Also, the news of Lady Mary's (Michelle Dockery) divorce from Henry Talbot came out in the newspapers, causing a scandal that made her a pariah in their circle. 

In order to help Mary recover her social standing, her sister Edith (Laura Carmichael) hosted a party at Downton Abbey with playwright Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) and actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West). Meanwhile, Lady Merton (Penelope Wilton) brought Carson (Jim Carter) and Daisy (Sophie McShera) to join the organizing committee of the annual county fair with her, much to the chagrin of stuffy old chairman Sir Hector (Simon Russell Beale).

The screenplay of this latest and final installment of the Downton Abbey series is still its original creator, Julian Fellowes. Fellowes had won an Oscar for his screenplay of "Gosford Park" (2001), about the lives of the aristocrats and the servants living in a single estate. He then expanded this concept into "Downton Abbey," a beloved TV series which ran from 2010 to 2015, showing the evolution of the Crawley family from 1912 to 1925.

After the series came to a close, two feature films followed: "Downton Abbey" (2019), and "Downton Abbey: A New Era" (2022). These films depicted how the aristocratic Crawley family and their loyal staff struggle to accept the new ways which were slowly but surely encroaching into and threatening the elegant old traditions they were used to. This grand finale continues to document this process of the family adapting and transitioning into modernity.   

Knowing that this is the final film in the series brought with it a sense of sentimental nostalgia. This was going to be the last film where we will see that grand old mansion -- the halls, the library, the dining room, the ballroom, even the staircase. Aside from the grand dinner and county fair, another colorful event shown in this episode was the Ascot horse racing sequence. These were showcases of early 20th century England period production design, costumes, hair and makeup -- the signature feature of the whole Downton Abbey franchise. 

Since this newest film is a self-declared grand finale, Fellowes gave everyone -- major or minor, upstairs or downstairs -- some sort of closure. Viewers just watching Downton the first time with this film may be overwhelmed by the numerous characters. While the story may be understood, the viewing experience will really be more satisfying for fans who have seen the whole series from the beginning, those who actually care for these beloved characters. That montage of departed characters at the end is precious and bittersweet. 8/10

Review of 100 AWIT PARA KAY STELLA: Pursuing Passions

 September 10, 2025

                                                         

Stella Puno (Bela Padilla) was now the CEO of Rainstar, a events company that specialized in singles-only parties. In one of her first events, Stella met aspiring singer Clyde Pelayo (Kyle Echarri) who asked her to choose which of two songs he had should be his lead-off single.  Stella's choice was a winner, and Clyde became a star. He would tease his fans about having a crush on Stella, which made her a viral online celebrity as well.  

When one of Stella's events needed a bigger venue, she was able to make a last-minute booking at a place called Bale Ganaka. It turned out that the present owner of this new venue was none other than her long-estranged friend, Fidel Lansangan (JC Santos). Fidel was still shy, stuttered when he spoke, and still into writing music and poetry. Stella felt that the lyrics of Clyde's songs sounded vaguely familiar. She soon realized why.

The first film about the relationship of Fidel and Stella was "100 Tula Para Kay Stella" (2017) released 8 years ago, also written and directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. They were freshmen back then, blockmates in AB Psych at the Pampanga Agricultural College. Fidel was a shy, nerdy honor student who stuttered and wrote poetry. His muse Stella was a tough chick who wore black lipstick and was the lead singer of a rock band. 

The unexpected ending of the first film left a lot of fans wanting for a better resolution for their love story. This sequel picks up 15 years after college, 15 years without any contact with each other. Fidel and Stella were engaged in their own businesses now, and seemingly content at being single. They both had unsettled issues from their past that still haunted them -- Fidel with his mother Sandra (Yayo Aguila), Stella with her ex Von (now played by Albie Casino).

JC Santos and Bela Padilla fit very comfortably back into their characters, quirks and all. The fans in the audience react gleefully to their undeniable chemistry together -- they want them back together again. Kyle Echarri spent most of his screen time posturing for the camera, never felt like a serious threat as the third wheel. Clyde was also given the emotional burden of living up to a music legend father, but this was more told in words, than actually shown. 

The title implies there will be 100 new songs, but of course that is not possible. We hear maybe four songs in full (sort of) -- #1 "Kamusta Na," #2 "Itim na Lipstick," #50 "Simoy," and #100 "Iisang Daan." There would also be snippets of about 20 more scattered throughout. All of these original songs were by Thyro Alfaro. A song from the original film is also prominently featured here -- Rivermaya's "Balisong" -- which surely brought back the feels.    7/10

Review of CAUGHT STEALING: Down and Dirty Dealings

September 10, 2025

It was 1998. Henry "Hank" Thompson (Austin Butler) was a bartender living in an apartment in the Lower East Side of New York City, with his girlfriend Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz). One day, Hank's mohawked neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) left his cat Bud for Hank to take care of while he went to London. Soon after, two Russian mobsters Aleksei (Yuri Kolokolnikov) and Pavel (Nikita Kukushkin) came around and beat Hank up so badly that it cost him a kidney.

Police narcotics detective Elise Roman (Regina King) came over to Hank's apartment to interrogate him. She also told him that his friend Russ was actually dealing for a pair of Hasidic Jew drug lords Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully (Vincent D'Onofrio) Drukcer.  Hank soon discovered that Russ has hidden something in Bud's kitty litter box. When the bad guys found out about his possession of the item, everyone was now going after Hank. 

"Caught Stealing" is a 2004 crime novel written by Charlie Huston, following the adventures of its first-person narrator, Hank Thompson, a former baseball-player (a serious knee injury sidelined his budding career) and current bartender who got involved with various dangerous criminals. Hank was very close to his mother, whom he called daily in her California home. This book eventually had two sequels, "Six Bad Things" and "A Dangerous Man." 

After mesmerizing the world with his transformation into Elvis Presley in "Elvis" (2022), Austin Butler got down and very dirty this time (there was a scene of him trying to unjam a blocked up toilet with a plunger) as a young man whose life went terribly awry after he agreed to take care of a neighbor's cat. He showed amazing form in that scene where he was batting a barrage of baseballs in a cage. Hank was an alcoholic but he did not have a beer belly to show for it. 

This film got my attention mostly because it was directed by Darren Aronofsky. Ever since his big critically-acclaimed breakthrough "Requiem for a Dream" (2000), his subsequent films like "The Wrestler" (2008), "Black Swan" (2008) and "The Whale" (2022) also garnered Oscar love, even winning the big prize for two of his lead actors. Even if it is also a deep but darkly comic character study, this must be Aronofsky's lighter, more accessible films.  8/10

Review of BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY: Honoring Heroes

September 4, 2025

Once upon a time, two good friends went to the Philippine National Police Academy. Ricky Mapa (Martin del Rosario) followed the footsteps of his father, a retired police general.  His girlfriend Anna Jacob (Maxine Trinidad) finished at the top of their class Sinag Lawin. Meanwhile, their close friend Daniel Bartolome (Paolo Gumabao) went to the Philippine Public Safety Academy to become an officer of the Bureau of Fire Protection. 

The most notorious crime organization operating in the country was the one led by kingpin Victor Salazar, a.k.a. Bungo (Jeffrey Santos). When Bungo was arrested and jailed after a bungled jewelry heist, his younger brother Carlo (Mark Neumann) took over leadership to continue their next big bank heist. They run a very sophisticated modus operandi, which involved computer hacking by their cunning tech expert Jade (Bella Thompson). 

The first film directed by Jose JR Olinares under his own production outfit Pinoyflix was "The Buy Bust Queen" (2022) about brave female PDEA officers. This latest film of his basically follows the same advocacy to highlight the heroism of crimefighters, this time about police officers who graduated from the PNPA. Ricky led the Special Weapons and Tactics team, while Anna led the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, both in the QCPD.

There are parts of this film that felt like an informercial for the Philippine National Police. There were scenes shot in the impressive-looking PNP Command Center. There were key cameos by the PNP Maritime and Air Units, as well as state-of-the-art investigation robots. Also highlighted was the PNP LAB (Love and Blessing) Virus Program, an initiative for female empowerment by the PNP Officers' Ladies Club (OLC) Foundation, Inc.

The passion to honor heroes was admirable, even if the budget was visibly limited, especially when it came to fire and explosion special effects. The writer can be good with inspirational sentiments, like "I know there is hope, because we are hope." However, his dramatic scenes can be awkward and jarring, In the lovers' quarrel scene, Ricky accused Anna of only "playing dress-up" -- a misogynistic remark completely out of his character. Another questionable scene was when Bungo was confronted by Anna who was holding a pencil -- simply so wrong.

The saddest aspect of this film was its treatment of Daniel and the firemen. They were depicted only as an afterthought, such that everything about them could have been edited out and not mattered. In sharp contrast with the modernity of the PNP, this film showed how poorly-equipped our firemen are. They were only using regular surgical masks when entering a smoky building to rescue victims, not a single gas mask or hazmat suit in sight. Sad. 4/10

Review of THE CONJURING: FINAL RITES: Malevolence in the Mirror

September 2, 2025

In 1964, young Ed and Lorraine Warren were investigating the case of a haunted full-length mirror. It had a heavy wooden frame, with carvings of three faces adorning the top part. When Lorraine was heavy with child at that time, and her mere touch of the mirror surface cracked the glass and sent her into immediate labor. As her emergency delivery was underway, Lorraine was seeing demonic visions around her. When her baby came out, it was stillborn. 

In 1986, the Smurl family of Pittston, Pennsylvania were celebrating the confirmation of one of the daughters. Her grandparents' gift was something they bought at the flea market -- a big mirror with a heavy wooden frame with three faces carved on the top part. From that time on, various inexplicable things were happening around the house. These were innocuous and seemingly harmless at first, but soon, they became more and more sinister.

This is the 9th film of the Conjuring Universe, which also includes the Annabelle and the Nun films. It is the fourth film in the main Conjuring series about real-life cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren: James Wan's original (2013) about the Perron family, and sequel (2016) about the Entfield poltergeist, Michael Chavez's "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" (2021) about the Ann Cheyenne Johnson case, and this new film about the Smurl family. 

Consistent with the Conjuring tradition of horror, this latest film was also had excellently-executed creepy and startling scare scenes involving a haunted house, children, and toys. This time around, one of the younger girls had an ugly crawling baby doll that kept on calling her mother that can really get under your skin. Those scenes involving the priest Fr. Gordon (Steve Coulter) in the Smurl basement and in his superior's office were also very well done.

To appreciate the film more, better not put too much thought about the ghosts that the Smurls and the Warrens were seeing and fighting. A number of ghosts were technically not directly from the mirror at all, including the madman with the axe, the crone in the hall of mirrors-type fitting room and even Annabelle on the rocking chair.  The final showdown between the Warrens and the mirror went on a bit too long, that it felt over-the-top than truly scary.  

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have really settled into their characters comfortably. The scene where young ex-cop Tony (Ben Hardy) was asking for Ed and Lorraine's blessing to marry their daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) was light and comic. A lot of time was spent on the family life of the Warrens, which some may feel went on with more humor than scares. Being the final installment of the Conjuring franchise, the ending was sentimental as expected. 7/10

Review of OUTSIDE DE FAMILIA: Treasuring Time

September 2, 2025

Glenda (Sheila Francisco) was a wealthy widow. However, despite having all the comforts in life, she was disappointed that her son Greg (Luis Alandy) was always very busy at his job. Whenever they were supposed eat out together, he would frequently stand her up because of meetings. Whenever they were supposed to be eating together at home, he would be rather be tinkering his phone than talk to her. 

Elena (Ruby Ruiz) had never been well-off financially since she was young. At present, she made a living as a small-time loanshark. Elena brought up her daughter Noemi (Gelli de Belen) as a single mother. Noemi already had her own son Totoy (Dwayne Garcia), but she still ran back to her mother frequently when she fought with her abusive deadbeat partner, and would even get food and cash from her.  

Written and directed by Joven Tan, "Outside de Familia" is about the solid friendship between these two senior ladies.  Glenda and Elena had been best of friends since high school and up to the present. They may be miles apart in behavioral finesse and financial status, but they spent a lot of time having fun together in coffee shops, restaurants and even cocktail bars. They found their happiness outside their respective families.

Sheila Francisco had her roots in musical theater, most notably as Bloody Mary in a West End revival of "South Pacific" (2002), and Tiya Dely in "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (2018).  Ruby Ruiz got her humble beginnings in indie films like "Ekstra" (2013) which snagged her a Best Supporting Actress award at Cinemalaya. Since then, she worked her way up patiently to lead roles, even making her Hollywood debut in "Expats" (2024) with Nicole Kidman. 

Francisco and Ruiz convinced us that Glenda and Elena were really bosom buddies. The ebullient happiness of their fun scenes together felt sincere and real. They traded caustic comments and naughty jokes as only true friends could. Emotions reach a peak in that scene where they celebrated Mother's Day together. Their characters may be drunk, but I'm sure there was no dry eye in the theater as they professed their undying loyalty to each other. 

I watched this film on a Tuesday afternoon with a theater full of senior citizens enjoying their free movie of the week. I noted that that the audience were reacting to the topics in the this film. It could be about old classmates dying one after the other, or perhaps about having testy relationships with their children. They clapped after Sheila Francisco sang "Kailangan Kita" at the karaoke scene. The grandfather beside me enthusiastically said that all Filipino senior citizens should go watch this film, and I agree wholeheartedly. 7/10 

Netflix: Review of THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB: Geriatric Gumshoes

August 31. 2025

At the posh Coopers Chase retirement home, there were three elderly amateur sleuths who meet in the jigsaw room to discuss cold murder cases every Thursday. Leader Elizabeth Best (Helen Mirren) had a wide portfolio of skills from her job in international affairs. Ron Ritchie (Pierce Brosnan) was a trade unionist. Ibrahim Arif (Ben Kingsley) was a psychiatrist for veterans with PTSD. Their latest case needed someone with a medical background, so Elizabeth invited retired nurse Joyce Meadowcroft (Celia Imrie) to join them. 

Ian Ventham (David Tennant) was the owner of the land where Coopers Chase stands. Ventham wanted to close down Coopers Chase and turn it into an events place. However, his business partner Tony Curran (Geoff Bell) was opposed to the idea because an old aunt of his was still a resident. One day, Ventham and Curran had a loud quarrel right on the grounds of Cooper's Chase. The next day, Curran was found bludgeoned to death in his home.

The Thursday Murder Club is a 2025 crime comedy film directed by Chris Columbus from a screenplay by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote, based on a 2020 novel (the first of a series of books) by Richard Osman (his first book). I knew of Osman from his interesting quiz shows making the rounds as reels online, such as "Pointless" and "House of Games." Knowing that he wrote these mystery novels makes me want to read them all, and soon.

The main cast is quite a powerhouse cast of A-list actors -- Mirren, Brosnan, Kingsley -- all turning up the British wit and charm. "Dr. Who" actor Tennant led the stellar supporting cast, along with Whitney Houston actress Naomi Ackie as a young police officer Donna, Daniel Mays as her chubby chief inspector Hudson, "Lucifer" actor Tom Ellis as Ron's celebrity son Jason, Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant as a crime kingpin florist Tanner, Henry Lloyd Hughes as immigrant worker Bogdan, and Jonathan Pryce as Elizabeth's dear husband Stephen. 

Director Chris Columbus ("Home Alone," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone") tells the story as a light murder mystery with a wry sense of humor, llamas and cakes. Before the Coopers Chase murders came up, the Club was at first trying to figure out a cold case from 1973 brought up by founding member DI Penny Grey, who was now comatose. Of course no matter how complex things got, and how unlikely the clues were, all the pieces fall into place in the end, just like the Agatha Christie mysteries that inspired it. 7/10

Review of THE ROSES: A Damaging Divorce

August 30, 2025

British architect Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his chef wife Ivy (Olivia Colman) migrated from London to Mendocino, California, USA to reboot their respective careers. For the first 10 years, Ivy had put aside her career plans so that she can raise their two children Hattie and Roy. Theo had rise through the ranks to be the lead architect of the new maritime museum. In 2021, Theo gave Ivy her own restaurant, which she called We Got Crabs. 

On the inauguration day of the museum, a very bad storm blew in from the sea and totally destroyed Theo's. Meanwhile, the same storm diverted a lot of unexpected customers into Ivy's restaurant, one of whom was a noted food critic from the city.  So, on the very day that Theo was fired from his job, Ivy's sales at her humble restaurant began shooting through the roof. With this, the couple had to make some big adjustments in their lives.

This husband vs. wife scenario was based on a 1981 novel by Warren Adler entitled "The War of the Roses," alluding to the 15th century battle between the White Rose of York vs. the Red Rose of Lancaster for the throne of England. This was made into a hit 1989 movie of the same title directed by Danny de Vito, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. This story involved a heart attack of husband which triggered the sudden change of heart of wife.

In this reboot, the road that led to the Rose couple's divorce was more subtle than that of the original story. Director Jay Roach ("Austin Powers," "Meet the Parents") and writer Tony McNamara ("The Favourite," "Poor Things") took their time building up to that dire decision.  Theo and Ivy seemed to still be giving each other chances along the way, until this chance encounter with a beached whale (of all things) pushed things over the edge.

Making the couple originally British made McNamara's screenplay drip with sarcastic British witticisms which Cumberbatch and Colman can deliver with flair. Colman may feel miscast as Cumberbatch's wife, but eventually she settled into the role.  There were also more intrusive participation by friends here who can be very annoying -- lawyer Barry (Andy Samberg) and his wife Amy (Kate McKinnon), rival Rory (Jamie Demetriou) and his wife Sally (Zoe Chao). 

As an update for this new film, the new house under contention was equipped with AI that followed their every command, a feature used to annoy the hell out of their partner during their climactic battle. Here, the final scene was bittersweet but dark, despite a fade-to-white ending. However, I still believe that the equivalent scene from the original, after the chandelier fell with them on it, was more memorable for being so heartless. 6/10

Review of SOME NIGHTS I FEEL LIKE WALKING: Hurting Hustlers

August 28, 2025

A group of young street hustlers who hung around seedy movie-houses of Manila cruising for guys who wanted a piece of their flesh.  They were Uno (Jomari Angeles), Bayani "Kuya Bay"(Argel Saycon), Rush (Tommy Alejandrino) and Miguelito "Ge" (Gold Aceron). One night, Uno was picked up by a customer who wanted a threesome with him and another gigolo, an obvious newbie named Zion (Miguel Odron). 

That same night, an unfortunate and very serious drug-related accident happened to one of Uno's friends while he was servicing a client. While he lay dying, he wished to be brought back to his hometown to die. The other boys went out of their way to bring their friend by bus to Painawa, his last known address. They learned that his brother (Vic Robinson) was a pastor of the town, so they went looking for him first. 

Petersen Vargas's auspicious directorial debut was also a queer coming of age film, "2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten" (2016), Best Picture of the CinemaOne Filmfest that year. His last three directorial jobs -- "An Inconvenient Love" (2022), "A Very Good Girl" (2023) and "Un/Happy for You" (2024) were big box-office hits featuring big movie stars. This film, the first both written and directed by Vargas, brings him back to the LGBT indie scene where he started. 

In the main cast, Aceron is the veteran, Ordon is the ingenue, the other three only began their careers during the pandemic. Playing the two central roles, Angeles and Ordon had very strong screen presence individually and an electric chemistry together. Saycon's height and his heft made him look older than the others (though Angeles was really older). Cinemalaya 2022 Best Actor winner Alejandrino shone in the heavy dramatic scenes. 

"Some Nights" felt like two films mashed up together. The sticky and steamy first part was about the decaying underbelly of a big city where desperate boys brazenly plied their skin trade, and something began to develop between two of them.  All this initial sleaze would soon evaporate as the film turned into a road trip of sorts. There were touches of dark humor here and there, as the story built up to a sentimental test of true friendship. 

Painawa may have been a Pangasinan word meaning "to rest," but ironically, the "virtuous" church there was so intolerant it won't even provide shelter to a prodigal son who was down. Vargas weaved in literal and metaphorical scenes of abuse, ridicule and rejection experienced by LGBT sector. The vivid cinematography of Russell Adam Morton and the dissonant musical score of Aly and Moe Cabral enhanced Vargas's bold storytelling.  6/10

Review of THE LIFE OF CHUCK: Essence of Existence

August 23, 2025

"The Life of Chuck" was one of the four novellas Stephen King included in his 2024 book "If It Bleeds." It was a major shift of style and substance for director Mike Flanagan, whose filmography consisted of horror films like "Oculus" (2013) and "Doctor Sleep" (2019). More recently, he is more known as the creator of well-received horror series on Netflix, from "The Haunting of Hill House" (2018) to "Fall of the House of Usher" (2023).

In Act Three "Thanks Chuck," we first see California is sinking into the ocean and the internet is totally down. Teacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his ex-wife nurse Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan) discuss how the whole history of mankind fits in the last hour and a half of December 31, assuming the Big Bang happened on January 1. Meanwhile, ads were thanking Chuck Krantz "for 39 great years" were appearing everywhere.  

In Act Two: "Buskers Forever," we see that chance magical encounter of three strangers on the Eighth Street Promenade. One was drummer Taylor Frank (Taylor Gordon) who set up there to busk for cash while playing drums. Second was Janice Halliday (Annalise Basso), an employee at the Paper and Page who was just dumped by her boyfriend by text. Third was none other accountant Chuck Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) attending a conference there. 

Act One: "I Contain Multitudes" brings us back to the childhood of Chuck Krantz (Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak, Cody Flanagan at ages 17, 10 and 7) growing up under the care of his grandparents, accountant Albie (Mark Hamill) and dancer Sarah (Mia Sara) Krantz. There was a cupola in their house which was kept locked, which made Chuck even more curious about it. In school, Chuck joined the "Twirlers and Spinners" dancing club under Miss Rohrbacher (Samantha Sloyan), where he met his crush Cat McCoy (Trinity Bliss).

The movie was presented as how the novella was written -- in reverse order, which made things more thought-provoking than they already were.  There were a number of themes we see in more than one Act, such as Carl Sagan and his Cosmic Calendar, Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," as well as side characters, like the girl on roller skates, and Mr. Sam Yarborough (Carl Lumbly), the mortician. Narrator Nick Offerman helped us navigate through. 

This film told the highlights of Chuck's life, but it was more philosophical than narrative. Our brains contain everything we see and know, the whole world we build as we are living. Yet, we may not be able to explain our every impulsive decisions.  We may be able to see the future before it happens, but the interminable waiting for it to happen will be tough. But then, there was all the dancing scenes, and those were so relaxing to watch. 9/10

Netflix: Review of ONE HIT WONDER: Nifty Nineties Nostalgia

 August 22, 2025

In 1984, Lorina Dominguez (Sue Ramirez) made it all the way to the Grand Finals of Ang Bagong Kampeon, only to freeze up and lose to a certain Chona Velasquez. Her mother Carmen (Lilet Esteban) was forced to work in San Francisco as a caregiver, leaving Lorina with her aunt Ester (Gladys Reyes). By 1994, Lorina worked in a record store, while also the PA of her cousin Lyn-Lyn (Vivoree) who was an up-and-coming singer.  

In 1984, Entoy Mangarap (Khalil Ramos) helped his father Ben (Romnick Sarmenta) whose business was hand-painting movie posters. One day, he saw Lorina practicing on a building rooftop and became her instant admirer, and was thinking of her ever since. By 1994, Entoy was a musician with his own band he called Ang Banda ni Tessa after his late mother. One day, he went to The Record Station at the Broadway Plaza and saw Lorina working there.

For fans of Filipino music scene in the 1990s, "One Hit Wonder" was a treasure trove of nostalgia with those beloved songs we hear in the soundtrack from bands like Introvoys, Yano, Color It Red, Ang Tunay na Amo, Neocolors, Teeth, Hungry Young Poets, and of course, the Eraserheads. There were actually cameos from a number of musicians of that era -- Dingdong Avanzado, Barbie Almalbis, Cooky Chua, Ito Rapadas, Jay Durias, Dong Abay and others. 

Some of the songs being performed by Entoy, Lorina and Lyn-lyn (later Jo-C) were also 90s hits, like Rivermaya's "Ulan," Roselle Nava's "Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita" and the centerpiece song -- IAXE's "Ako'y Sa 'Yo, Ika'y Akin" -- which became the breakthrough song of Ang Banda ni Tessa. Entoy, Lorina and the band also performed an original song written by director Marla Ancheta and Paulo Zarate, a jaunty pop ditty called "Hindi Ako Susuko sa Iyo." 

The throwback vibe began with a recreation of the iconic Ang Bagong Kampeon 1984 grand finals with Chona (later Regine) Velasquez winning with her winning song, George Benson's "In Your Eyes." Jackie Lou Blanco played her late mother Pilita Corrales, the host of that talent show.  There were also little pieces of news that happened in the early 1990s, like the Marian apparition in La Union and the start of the internet in the country. 

There were also a lot of details on how it was not easy for striving bands to get demos of their original music to be played on the radio back then. They spend for the recording studios and slip their tapes or CDs to the station by hook or by crook. After that, it was a waiting game if their music ever got airplay or not. Plan B was usually joining a Prod Night with other new bands performing before studio execs and managers for that elusive chance for fame. 

This film was so easy to like and enjoy because of the charismatic lead actors, Khalil Ramos and Sue Ramirez. They are both bona fide talented singers, so their characters felt real and relatable.  Their romantic chemistry was also off the charts, so we root for their relationship all the way, even as tough decisions had to be made. That sidewalk scene ran the gamut of painful conflicting emotions, but both stars, especially Ramos, played it with great restraint. 

Director Marla Ancheta had an auspicious feature film debut with "Finding Agnes" (2020),  which ended up as my top Filipino film of that year (MY REVIEW). I guess Sue Ramirez is Ancheta's lucky charm, as she hits another winner with this new film. Ancheta's creative team had a field day recreating the 1980s and 1990s props, costumes, hair and make-up. The cute graphic designs that pop up on screen added to the cheerfulness of the film as a whole. 9/10 

Review of MUDRASTA: Stepped-on Stepmother

August 21, 2025

When he was in high school, Victor "Becky" Labrador (Roderick Paulate) helped to sell his mother's empanadas. One day, Becky was accidentally hit by the yellow VW Beetle of the rich, handsome new transferee student from Manila, Enrique Santillanes (Tonton Gutierrez). The two became very close friends and constant companions. Before Enrique left for college, Becky outright confessed his love for Enrique. 

Several years later, when Enrique passed away, he left a will stating that Becky will inherit half of his estate on the condition that he should move into their mansion and be the stepmother of his two sons Nikolai (Enzo Magalona) and Andrew (Arkin Magalona). Nikolai, who now runs the family business, and Enrique's imperious mother Madame Evita (Celia Rodriguez) were dead set on humiliating Becky so that she will just go away.

The trailer alone already tells us that the style of comedy is still the silly florid slapstick style of gay comedy Roderick Paulete had been known to do since the 1980s and 1990s in films like "Kumander Gringa," (1987) or "Bala at Lipistik" (1994). At the turn of the new millennium, his films have been fewer and far between, with "Ded Na Si Lolo" (2009) as his last lead role. Now at 65, Paulate is making a major comeback in the lead role, and title role to boot. 

In the screenplay written by Joni Son Fontanos, the past story was to be told by flashback scenes.  Director Julius Alfonso threw us a hilarious curveball by having the characters of Becky and Enrique be played by Paulate and Gutierrez even in the flashbacks. With ugly mop-like wigs and puffy wrinkly faces, the two were giving it their all playing high school students with gusto, and that in itself was already very funny in all its awkwardness. 

Also quite funny here was that the character of Becky's BFF May Anne (Carmi Martin) was still in her pre-transition stage in the flashbacks, with real name Melancio (Awra Briguela).  The comic chemistry between Paulate and Martin, developed back in the 1980s during their variety show "Tonight with Dick and Carmi," was as strong as ever. The transition from Briguela to Martin was so radically different, that casting decision was comedy genius.

Celia Rodriguez had on her silk head wrap, her fashion signature since she first wore one as Valentina in the "Lipad, Darna, Lipad" (1973). Her wide expressive eyes bordered with heavy mascara were as intimidating and condescending as ever. Paulate had a field day spoofing her flamboyant acting style and outlandish fashion choices right in her presence, so funny. Having classic baddie Odette Khan as Evita's personal maid Badette was another genius casting choice.

While the first two acts of the film was mostly a riot, the third act became one teary, gooey melodrama. We have recently been reminded that Paulate can also do drama in "In His Mother's Eyes" (2023) with Maricel Soriano, and he does a more lighter-hearted version here. Between the Magalona boys, Nikolai was the more complex role, and Elmo had the guts to portray a risky character like this, but his twist only felt contrived. 5/10

Review of FOOD DELIVERY: Survival and Sovereignty

August 19, 2024

In March 2025, "Food Delivery" made a lot of noise and hit headlines when it was suddenly pulled out of the 2nd CinePanalo Film Festival sponsored by supermarket chain, Puregold.  This happened only two days prior to the opening night of the festival, so its withdrawal raised a ruckus. The exact reasons were not explicitly revealed, but of course, the prickly international geopolitical nature of this documentary film was a probable reason.  

This controversial documentary is directed by Baby Ruth Villarama, who has been involved in documentary filmmaking since 2010. Her big breakthrough came in 2016 when "Sunday Beauty Queen," about Filipina house helpers working in Hong Kong joining their own beauty pageants. When it unexpectedly won the Best Picture at the Metro Manila Filmfest of 2016, that victory cemented Villarama's reputation as a documentarist to watch out for.

"Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea" is about the socio-economic issues in that hotly-contested marine-rich body of water. Villarama chose to approach this contentious topic by telling three stories of human interest. She and her cinematographers actually joined her subjects on their boats as they traversed the choppy open waters, areas where they could encounter the imposing white vessel with water cannons belonging to the adversary. 

The first story was about a RORE (rotation and reprovisioning) mission by the Philippine Navy and Marines to replenish the food and supplies of the soldiers manning the Naval Detachment in Patag and in Lawak. They travel 162 nautical miles left of Palawan, making their critical drops fast and undetected. Soldiers talk about their sacrifices of lonely isolation and impending danger, and hoped that their services be appreciated by their countrymen.

The second story was about Arnel Satam, a 55 year-old fisherman from Calapandayan, Subic, Zambales. One day, he tried to enter the fertile Scarborough Shoal. His little fishing boat of light materials was met by two speedboats of the Chinese Coast Guard who chased him off. This action was witnessed by Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists and reported by mass media. His sons just laughed when the reporters asked them how they felt  

The third story was about four fishermen from Subic who had been missing since November 27, 2024 near the Scarborough Shoal. There is a 30-mile limit around the shoal which is under strict Chinese control, so locals cannot go search. The Philippines invoked the 2016 UNCLOS arbitral award of an exclusive economic zone, which China viewed as illegal and invalid -- resulting in an impasse that made it impossible for local fisherman to make a living.

We hear soundbites of politicians talking about the WPS issue (yes, including that "jetski" quote). We hear the actual announcement issued by the Chinese Coast Guard ship when it encountered the Philippine Coast Guard ship. However, Villarama never dwelt on political intrigue nor did she dissect international laws. She wanted to give relatable faces to issues we only hear about in the news, and inspire patriotism along the way -- she succeeds in that aspect. 6/10

Review of NOBODY 2: Amusement of an Assassin

August 19, 2025

Much to dismay of his family, Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) had to go back to being an assassin full-time to pay off his financial obligations to the criminal organization of the Barber (Colin Salmon). To appease them, Hutch brought his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), their kids Brady (Gage Munroe) and Sammy (Paisley Cadorath), and his father David (Christopher Lloyd) to an old theme park in small town Plummerville. 

While playing games at the arcade, Brady was challenged to a fight by local tough boy Max (Lucius Hoyos), son of the oily theme park owner Wyatt Martin (John Ortiz). When Hutch intervened, he got the goat of the local sheriff Abel (Colin Hanks). All these shady town characters were connected with mobster queen Lendina (Sharon Stone) who was using the town in her massive bootlegging operations. 

Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto makes his English-language debut with this film. Tjahjanto is noted for his direction of the bloody action thriller "The Night Comes for Us" (2018), the first Netflix original production from Indonesia. His skill in executing violence in his action scenes was quite evident here.  Brutal as they were, a cartoonish streak of humor was also integrated in these action scenes in the spirit of the first "Nobody,"

Bob Odenkirk embodied Hutch's unremarkable loser look so well, which made Nobody's explosive action scenes more exciting. He was basically the only central cog that was holding this sequel together. The bad guys like Abel and his minions were one-dimensional entities who were predictably going to die various forms of violent deaths to delight the adrenaline junkie audiences who love watching films like this.

Sharon Stone may have been caricaturish in her look and portrayal of the evil Lendina, but she was such a hoot to watch on the big screen. Christopher Lloyd is already 86 years old this year, but he is still quite a joy to watch, you wish he had more to do as a retired ex-FBI agent. The chemistry between Odenkirk and Connie Nielsen as husband and wife felt rather weak in this sequel, negatively affecting that fight climax, albeit predictable. 6/10

Review of TOGETHER: Sticky but Smart

August 14, 2025

When she got accepted to teach English in an elementary school in a rural area Fullton County, Millie (Alison Brie) and her musician Tim (Dave Franco) left the city and their friends.  During their send-off party, Tim changed outfits when friends said they looked good in matching jackets. When Millie sprung an unexpected public wedding proposal on him, Tim hesitated with his answer. Millie could not help feeling that Tim become distant from her lately.

One day, while hiking in the woods near their new house, they got lost in a sudden rainstorm. While looking around, Tim fell into a hole in the ground, and Millie fell in after him. They decided to build a fire and wait the rain out inside. When they got thirsty, they drank from a pool of water inside the cave. When they woke up from sleeping, their legs were stuck together. It was painful to pull them apart, but eventually they were able to.  

This psychological and body horror film was written and directed by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks, his first full-length feature film. Like other horror films by Australian directors, the pace of the storytelling took its time, slowly but surely letting the horror build up. Tim had trauma as a young boy and still did not have a driver's license even at age 30, making him more susceptible to whatever "curse" that was they got from the cave. 

The body horror part ensued when their bodies began becoming literally stuck to each other when they came into contact. That episode of the stuck legs was just the beginning for more incidences to come, from hair swallowing to seeming vaginismus. This would later escalate to a degree that their bodies were literally being pulled towards each other, their bodies contorting unnaturally as they desperately fought the irresistible magnetism to stick togehter. 

Franco and Brie both give intense, unsettling performances. The cinematography by Germain McMicking, film editing by Sean Lahiff and musical score by Cornel Wilczek all helped to build up the uncomfortable suspense. The cave itself with its symbolic bell and rumors of a New Age cult as told by helpful neighbor Jamie McCabe (Damon Herriman) further add to the puzzling mystery. That choice of a Spice Girls pop song during the climax was genius. 7/10  

Review of THE NAKED GUN (2025): Drebin's Dry Drollery

August 13, 2025

Sergeant Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) was a Detective Lieutenant of Police Squad, a special division of the LAPD. The day after he stopped a gang of bank robbers while disguised as a schoolgirl, his chief (CCH Pounder) reassigned him and his partner Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) to the case of a crashed Edentech electric car in Malibu that claimed the life of software engineer Simon Davenport.

Drebin received a visit from Simon's sexy sister Beth (Pamela Anderson), who was a writer of true-crime stories based on fictional stories she made up. She believed that Simon's boss Edentech owner Richard Cane (Danny Huston) was involved in her brother's death. While questioning a bank robbers, Drebin discovered that the safety deposit box stolen in the robbery also belonged to Simon Davenport. 

This current incarnation of "The Naked Gun" is a reboot of a trilogy of "The Naked Gun" films released in 1988, 1991 and 1994, starring Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin. The first two of these films were directed and co-written by David Zucker. The character of Drebin actually made its debut earlier in a short-lived 1982 television series entitled "Police Squad," co-created and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker.

This present film also used the same silly slapstick comedy style that "Police Squad" and the original "The Naked Gun" films were known for. Aside from outrageous sight gags (like those of Drebin and Beth in the kitchen as seen through infrared glasses), the script was chock-full of naughty or dry jokes of various degrees of cleverness (like how Drebin pronounced the word "manslaughter" or how some lines frustratingly wound up as non-sequiturs).  

Seeing 73-year old Liam Neeson as Detective Drebin Jr. is already comedy enough in its anachronistic senselessness in relation to the original films. Ever since "Taken" (2008), Neeson has been in several dead serious action B-movies. So seeing deadpan Neeson here in idiotic scenes wearing a short schoolgirl skirt with underpants showing or getting caught upside down with his pants pulled off, will make even the toughest nut chuckle.

Pamela Anderson played a perfect femme fatale as the elegant but clumsy Beth Davenport. Her comic chemistry with Neeson was electric (although that animated snowman bit did not exactly fly), and she even had a surprising jazz scatting song number. Hauser's character was the son of George Kennedy's character, but he was underused here. Weird Al Yankovic has his fourth cameo in four films. Great to see Priscilla Presley in a cameo, but it was too short.  7/10