Review of ESCAPE PLAN: Unexpectedly Smart and Entertaining

October 11, 2013

I went in to watch "Escape Plan" with very low expectations, not knowing anything of the plot, prepared not to like it. But surprisingly, this film turned out to be very engaging and fun to watch after all. 

Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) is a Houdini of jails, having the ability to escape even the highest of high security enclosures. He finds himself locked up in The Tomb, an unofficial prison facility whose problematic heinous inmates are meant to "permanently disappear". In this technologically advanced and remotely isolated prison, Breslin's escaping skills will be put to the ultimate test.

Sylvester Stallone still delivers his lines as garbled as ever, but he looks good for his age, and has not lost his charisma as an action star. He managed to be quite credible in playing such an incredibly-skilled individual. We are ready to suspend disbelief and accept that he can do the impossible. Hey, that is Stallone on that screen!

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a German inmate named Rottmeyer, who befriends Breslin and becomes his escape partner. Arnie plays it light here, with his acting so typically awkward and actually funny, but we know and love him in this tongue-in-cheek style of his.  

Jim Caviezel is very intense as Hobbes, the warden of this special prison, as well as its proud designer. He will go to all extremes to prove that his prison is escape-proof. Caviezel's career seemed to have taken a dip after "The Passion of the Christ" and that is unfortunate after the limits he pushed with that memorably emotional performance. He is sadistically good here in a potentially one-dimensional antagonist role.

It was very good to see Sam Neill on screen again, also after what seems to be a long absence. He plays the prison physician here faced with a moral dilemma.

The story telling by Swedish-born director Mikael Håfström is well-paced and actually quite exciting. The set design of the prison was very high- tech, and well thought of. That version of solitary confinement was harsh! The escape sequences seemed logically planned and were thrillingly executed. The revelation scenes are very well-staged and that is only how far I'm going to describe them so you won't be spoiled with the many surprises this film has in store for you. 

Recommended for those looking for a good, entertaining and unexpectedly smart action film. You may think you already know how it all ends, but the road it took to get to that ending is quite an enjoyable ride. I had a really good time watching this. 7/10.

Review of GRAVITY: Incredible Lost-in-Space Adventure!

October 5, 2013

"Gravity" tells of the unenviable situation experienced by medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and her astronaut mission commander Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) when an accidental disaster caused by a shower of satellite debris destroys their space station, leaving them floating in deep space.

Director Alfonso Cuaron has created a masterpiece that knows when to move for excitement and when to stop for meditation. We enjoy the breathtaking ride through the dangerous outer frontiers. We also get to look inwards to the essence of our own minuscule humanity in stark contrast to the vastness of the universe. We will feel agoraphobia and claustrophobia at the same time while Stone and Kowalski struggle to keep themselves alive.

"Gravity" is not much of a story to be told by mere words, but a story that needs to be experienced best via the medium of film, and all its modern abilities. This film employs the best of cinematographic technique (by Emmanuel Lubezki), editing efficiency (by Cuaron himself and Mark Sanger), top-of-the-line 3D visual and eerie sound effects to re-create the harshness of outer space. The musical score by Stephen Price can be both soaring and quiet as the scene called for it. I truly see ALL the technical Oscars going to this fantastic team that created the most convincing atmosphere for this film to come to life.

There may be some scientific principles amiss as some incredible coincidences arise to move the story forward. However, we so care so much for our two characters that these minor details done in the name of artistic license can be overlooked with no big deal. The film successfully makes us feel emotionally connected with them. We really feel we are out there with them, and we want to escape this scary and hopeless situation with them. Just allow yourself to be immersed in this unique milieu.

Sandra Bullock comes up with a precious performance of a lonely person desperately confronting the biggest fears of her life in the bleakest of situations ever. Her range of emotions ran the gamut from fearful despair to hopeful determination. She is front, center and everything this movie is about. She did not lose her sense of humor when we also needed it. This has got to be a Best Actress performance of the highest merit. 

Supporting Bullock is George Clooney as that believable voice of calm and reassurance we all need. With him there, Ryan felt she can overcome any adversity she faced. His wit and charm carried Ryan through her ordeal, and this was palpable enough to carry the whole audience along the ride with her.

"Gravity" might as well be declared the Best Picture of this award season already. As of now, it can already be considered a lock for the big prize because of its audacity of scope, its technical excellence, its memorable performances, and above all, its images full of artistry and symbolism. This film needs to be seen on the big screen for the best effect.  Watching this in 3D (and most likely, IMAX) will actually further enhance your viewing experience. 10/10.

PRISONERS: Torturous Outrage

September 27, 2013

The less you know about the story of this film, the better. I went into the theater not knowing anything about "Prisoners" except for the names of its lead actors. I have decided that I will not give you a synopsis so you can still watch the film without knowing the full story.

"Prisoners" attempts to transform a story about a neighborhood kidnapping into something more than just a crime film. When a member of your family becomes a victim of a crime, you will be imprisoned in your own sense of justice. It becomes a thought-provoking film which makes you question your own sense of morality.

The atmosphere created by Director Denis Villeneuve is dark and heavy from the first frame, as Hugh Jackman intones the Lord's Prayer. The cold November rainy weather sets the ominous mood very well. However, two and half hours of a relentlessly downcast mood can take its toll on the audiences. I did feel that the film lost its bearings somehow when scalding showers and snakes entered the scene.

Whatever missteps of the story and direction is made up for by the talented actors who try their best to bring this turgid story to life. It becomes a compelling drama, better than what it may have appeared on paper. The stellar Oscar-caliber stars bring their A-game to elevate this film to a higher level.

Hugh Jackman is explosive here as Keller Dover, the parent with the more extreme reaction to the crime against his family. He is clearly in Wolverine mode here as he gets caught up in his own warped vigilantism. He goes over-the-top in a lot of disturbing scenes, but it was that quiet moment when he recognizes a bloody item of clothing that was his best scene.

Jake Gyllenhaal does very well as the dedicated officer in charge of the case, with a name as unlikely as Detective Loki. His best scene is when he was driving through the freeway in the pouring rain with a bleeding wound on his head further distorting his vision, rushing to bring a dying person to the hospital.

Maria Bello plays Keller's unstable wife, trapped by her own addiction to sleeping pills. I do not like her past work, but here she was actually good despite her irritating character. Terrence Howard and Viola Davis play the Birches, close friends of the Dovers. They are generally calm people but circumstances force them to turn a blind eye and even become accomplices to another crime.

Paul Dano plays a mentally-challenged guy named Alex Jones. He somehow gets us to feel sympathy for his creepy character. Melissa Leo plays his adoptive mother Holly. Their behavior will keep you guessing as to their involvement in the case on hand, if any.

Overall, this can be a very compelling film that will keep you guessing. However, this is a lengthy, deliberately slow paced film. Despite its good intentions, I feel that it could have been edited into something less meandering and repetitive. A film like this dragged too long is bound to give rise to questionable plot devices and bad red herrings, and this one unfortunately has both. 6/10.

RUNNER RUNNER: Predictable Gamble

September 26, 2013

Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake), a Princeton management graduate student who promotes an online gambling site on campus, earning commissions to pay off his tuition. When the school clamps down on his activities and he loses all his savings on a last ditch all-or-none bet, Furst goes straight to the top, flying to Costa Rica to seek out Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), the kingpin of online gaming.

Block admires Furst's gambling acumen and hires him to be a trusted runner for his business affairs, which slowly reveal themselves to be less than on the level. When FBI agent Agent Zbysko (Anthony Mackie) enters the scene with his threats, Furst discovers he might have bitten off more than he could chew.

Justin Timberlake generally does well as Furst, wide-eyed and excited at first, troubled and harassed at the end. I liked his scenes with his father played by John Heard. I do not really expect much from Ben Affleck as an actor, and again here, he does not measure up. He is hardly believable as a nefarious gambling lord who could feed his enemies to crocodiles. 

The beautiful Gemma Arterton is totally wasted here. She does not get to do much, and she does not have any chemistry with any of the men she is supposed to be in liaisons with. Anthony Mackie plays the FBI agent too over-the-top to be convincing.

The story was too familiar to be exciting. The relationship of Justin and Ben (and Gemma, for that matter) were too dry to be engaging. The gambling jargon was too hard to follow to be interesting. The ending is too obvious to be worth the time spent watching.  Director Brian Furman does not rise above the limitations of the script he has.  4/10.

ANG TURKEY MAN AY PABO RIN: Fil-Am Adobo

September 24, 2013

Matthew Adams from Pennsylvania, USA (Travis Kraft) and Conchita "Cookie" Evelyn Bigos (Tuesday Vargas) from the Imus, Cavite, meet online on a singles website called Kanoluvspinay.com.  This film is all about that one week of adventures and misadventures of this newly-married couple from November 18 Friday to November 24 Thursday, which just so happened to be Thanksgiving Day.  

Matthew works in a business outsourcing firm (a.k.a. call center) in the Philippines.  This film would talk about observations of Matthew about his immersion into Filipino culture.  He would talk about odd Filipino words (like "ano" and about Filipinized English expressions like "open/close the lights"); about strange Filipino food habits (like eating pancit canton on rice); about his very superstitious parents-in-law (who rely on herbal concoctions and stingray's tail to cure a flu); and about funny Filipino names, like that of Dong (JM De Guzman), Cookie's younger brother. 

Travis Kraft, whom I first heard about years back cooking "Adobong Manok" in his hilarious video on YouTube.  He still speaks Filipino in that very strong American accent of his.  The years did not tone that accent down at all!  He is sometimes appears very self-conscious on screen, so his performance can appear wooden at times.  

Cookie of course would try to defend Filipino culture as Matthew criticized them, in the inimitably Tuesday Vargas way.  Before she married Matthew, she is a young widow with a young son named Jonjon.  She would constantly hang around with her two zany girl-friends Osang (Julia Clarete) and Girlie (Cai Cortez).  During this week approaching Thanksgiving, she is nervous about her visa interview, but she is at the same time in consternation about acquiring a turkey for Matthew's Thanksgiving dinner.

Tuesday Vargas is really so over-the-top!  Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't,  I wish that this would be a comedy where the Filipina did not have to resort to physical comedy to get the laughs.  I actually liked Tuesday better in her quiet scenes than these excessively flamboyant ones.  She really worked so hard in this film and the effort shows.

Quite a wide array of topics were tackled in this film, all the peculiarities of Filipinos that American would find strange.  They really tried to squeeze every little issue with varying success, in terms of laughs.  Some are funny, some are not.  I wish Cookie had a better job than deboning milkfish.  Was that job supposed to be funny?  I did not find the food fight scene too funny, nor specifically Filipino in character. 

I wish their scene with the older Fil-Am couple had deeper insights as to the difficulties of this type of relationship than what was shown.  Was it on purpose that the same Caucasian guy they meet in the mall food court the same guy as the third consul in Cookie's visa interview? Cai Cortez is already so funny, but why did she have to have a lisp?  Why did Cookie's parents have to be so bizarre in behavior?  

This is a uneven but nevertheless funny film about Filipino culture.  It is very entertaining as we really have a good time laughing at things we do that unnerve other cultures.  It can be very informative and eye-opening at the same time.  This concept could still be done as a more sophisticated comedy style some day, but this one does quite well with what it has. 5/10.

ANG HULING CHA-CHA NI ANITA: Controversial Sweetness

September 24, 2013

The curious title did not really appeal to me.  I was not really planning to watch this film at all.  Until last Sunday at the awards ceremony of the Cine Filipino Film Festival, this film tied for Best Picture (along with "Ang Kuwento ni Mabuti") and won for Best Acting Ensemble.  The bigger shocker was the unknown 13-year newbie actress who played Anita, Teri Malvar, won Best Actress over the one and only Superstar of Philippine Show Business, Ms. Nora Aunor! These accolades made "Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita" a must-watch in my book.

Anita is a awkward young girl who develops a crush on a gorgeous neighbor named Pilar.  Pilar apparently left their town under scandalous circumstances five years ago, worked abroad as a physical therapist, and has now resettled in town after her father passed away.  This film shows us how Anita discovers and comes to grips with her unconventional sexual orientation.  This tale was told with the feast of St. Claire in Obando, Bulacan in the background (although I am not really clear what the connection of this to the main story.)

I thought Teri Malvar was a very natural actress as Anita.  She was acting her age.  She is very brave to tackle such a daring role.  That final heart-to-heart talk scene between Anita and her mother Lolita (played by Lui Manansala) was so good!  The Best Actress award she won was very generous of the judges.  Not to say that young Teri not deserve it, but the performance of Nora Aunor in "Mabuti" is clearly superior and with more depth.

For me the more remarkable performance was that of the beautiful Ms. Angel Aquino.  The camera simply loves her in this film.  There was not a single bad shot of her in any angle in any scene.  Her acting was truly affecting too.  Her Best Supporting Award was very much deserved.  With her long screen time, she could even be cited for Best Actress, but yes, she is not the central character.

To be very honest, no matter how beautifully this film was made (and it was), its very premise, once obvious, made me very uncomfortable while watching.  I am not familiar with this scenario, and this was a very eye-opening film for me, in spite of my age.  I admit I was a bit appalled by the careless exposure of Ms. Malvar's chest when she was changing her t-shirt, not once but twice.  This is especially because I have a daughter of my own of her age and I don't think this was proper at all.  

I am also not sure about the topics of conversations between Anita and her young friends Goying and Carmen. Do kids their age really talk like them nowadays?  I do not hear this type of talk among my kids, but then again the milieu of this story is different from ours.

This film also touched on the contentious topic of abortion.  My discomfort lies not really because it was shown, twice in fact, in two different ways.  But I am disturbed with the seemingly mistaken idea in the film that the "hilot" (massage) done by physical therapists actually includes the type of "hilot" done in performing an abortion.  There was also a scene of a drug-induced abortion, in the presence of a minor, which I did not sit right with me.

I would commend Director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo for tackling this heretofore never or rarely addressed story of the blossoming of a young lesbian girl.  Several movies about homosexual boys have been made, notably the acclaimed "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros," but not yet about homosexual girls that I know of.  It is ground-breaking in that sense in the local indie scene.  I do not know if it is a coincidence that the film that won the Palm d'Or in this year's Cannes, "Blue is the Warmest Color," likewise dealt on a budding lesbian's affair with an older woman.

As pleasant as the title might sound and with the presence of child actors in the cast, this movie is not for general patronage.  I would say it is essential viewing for parents of young girls who are in the same situation as Anita's point of view is well-expounded upon.  But due to sensitive issues it delves in, not everyone in our conservative society will be entertained by it.  I have seen several movies of various genres and from various countries, but this one, set in the local context with kids that remind me of my own, still certainly challenged my sensibilities.  It is brave, controversial, envelope-pushing.  This is bound to be a cult classic of its sub-genre. 6/10.

RUSH: A Winning Rivalry

September 24, 2013

I almost passed on watching "Rush" because I am not really a fan of F1 car racing. However, very positive word of mouth egged me to squeeze it into my schedule. The buzz proved true -- this is one excellent film.  You do not need to be an F1 fan to enjoy this film.  This is more about the remarkable men the behind the wheel, than the cars themselves.

Austrian Niki Lauda is a straight-laced, super-serious and introverted man, already a world champion the year before. British James Hunt is a happy-go-lucky, smoking and drinking, and gregarious ladies man, looking for his first major title. During the 1976 F1 season, Niki (driving for Ferrari) was leading all the way on total points until a devastating event threatened not only his crown, but his life. Can Niki summon enough will to fight the mortal odds and recover in order to race to the finish, or will James (driving for McLaren) just be handed the cup of his dreams on a silver platter?

Even if we only see Chris Hemsworth's face in the poster as James Hunt, this film was more about Niki Lauda, played with devastating realism by Daniel Bruhl. I would not be surprised if Bruhl will be cited for Best Actor come awards season, and he should.  The charismatic Hemsworth displays the most mature acting he's done in his career.  The conflict between two racing arch-nemeses with contrasting personalities seemed to be too ideal a story to be true, but amazingly this film indeed was inspired by a real events. We would witness their relationship evolve from jealousy, enmity, challenge, admiration to respect.

Their relationships with the women in their lives were so well integrated into the mix in order to further delineate our two main characters off the track. James and his whirlwind marriage to New York-based model Suzy (Olivia Wilde) again contrasted perfectly with Niki and his calculated marriage to the elegant Marlene (Alexandra Maria Lara). 

The racing scenes were very intense, so well-shot. Those scenes when you see the track in the point of view of the driver were amazing. You can smell not only the gas and the fumes, but the adrenaline rush in the air. You can feel the real danger as past accidents were shown in ominous graphic detail. These scenes will definitely be showered technical Oscar nominations for cinematography (with that nostalgic color palette), editing (thrilling cuts from track to cars down to engine parts), sound and sound effects mixing (brings us right there in the midst of the action). The production design with those vintage F1 cars and authentic-looking costumes also deserve mention.

Director Ron Howard takes full advantage of the inherent drama in these events to create a very tense and entertaining film, not only on the race tracks (from UK to Germany to Japan) , but also in their personal lives and their philosophies about winning. Even if I did not know Lauda and Hunt, I was drawn into their story complete with all the ingredients of epic action, drama, and romance. Howard does not lose control of his material as everything fell in its right place in the gripping final cut of the film. 9/10.

PUTI: Artsy Achromatopsia

September 20, 2013

Art forger Amir Luna and his son Jaime figure in a bad vehicular accident.  Father and son both survive but little Jaime remains in a deep coma.  Amir's cerebral injuries result in color-blindedness, which makes his "occupation" of copying paintings next to impossible.  As time passed, aside from this initial handicap, Amir also begins to experience ghostly and violent visions involving people around him and subjects of his art work, and these are beginning to drive him out of his mind.

Ian Veneracion plays the tormented Amir very well.  He was effective in getting us over to sympathize with him and his predicament despite his unsavory occupation.  He has some very unusual scenes but he does not lose his character.  Jasmin Curtis Smith plays timid Niki, Amir's assistant. She seemed very tentative here, but then did this role before her award-winning role in "Transit".  Lauren Young plays the volunteer storyteller Ana.   She is an elegant presence whom the camera loves.  The other members of the cast are Bryan Pagala as the young son Jaime and the venerable Leo Rialp as an unscrupulous attorney.

"Puti" is a highly artistic psychological thriller, both in theme and execution.  How the story turns out may seem familiar from other films of the genre, but the way this reaches that climax is very unique and original.  You may initially think that the plot may be ridden with big holes and red herrings, but later you will realize that it is, in fact, not.

The story deals with art, and therefore the bizarre imagery, crazy camera angles and stark color palette reflects the director Mike Alcazaren's sense of artistry. The seemingly sterile dream-scape this film creates may seem so clean and white, yet it was ironically dark and very disturbing at the same time . Brisker pacing would have made the film a more effective thriller. Alcarazen decided to take the slower route, creating a more thought-provoking piece. 7/10.

RIDDICK: Heroic Anti-Hero

September 21, 2013

As the movie begins, we see Riddick abandoned in a strange planet only inhabited by vicious predatory beasts. He relies on his instincts in order to survive such an inhospitable environment. He even tames an alien dog to be his companion. Later, mercenaries come and try to take Riddick back with them for bounty. These mercenaries clearly do not know who they are up against.

"Riddick" is already the third of a series that began with "Pitch Black" (2000), followed by "Chronicles of Riddick" (2004). If "Riddick" is the first one of the series you are watching, you will not really appreciate it as well as one who has seen all three. I don't think it stands alone by itself very well. I believe you should at least see the first film, "Pitch Black" to get introduced to this unlikely lead character with the shiny eyes.

"Pitch Black" is a great science fiction film with a great story and awesome special effects. Riddick is a murderer who has special eyes which can see in the dark. He was a passenger of a spacecraft that was forced to crash land on a planet with flying predatory beasts that thrive in the dark. When an eclipse plunges the planet into pitch black darkness and the beasts come out in deadly swarms, the crew needed Riddick's unique abilities to get them out of there.

The events of "Riddick" happen about 10 years after those in "Pitch Black." Basically, "Riddick" follows the same progression of story: Riddick on a new planet with violent beasts, Riddick interacts with new human characters, Riddick fights the beasts to get out of the planet. 

Among the mercenaries who try to capture Riddick are the crazy psychopath Santana and a man with a connection to a character in Riddick's past, Boss Johns. The best scene of the film was that one where Riddick makes good his promise of getting Santana's head in a box. As for Boss Johns, you may not pick up the connection right away if you have not seen "Pitch Black" where one of the guys on the ship with Riddick back then was also named Johns.

The most interesting facet of "Riddick" is with the character development of Riddick in the first act, from a broken man to one who rediscovers his inner animal instinct and confidence to fight and survive. We will get to meet the more human aspect of this ruthless killer. These aspects elevates "Riddick" from being a one- dimensional violent sci-fi kill-fest into one of deeper meaning. 6/10.

ANG KUWENTO NI MABUTI: Simply So Good

September 20, 2013

This is practically the only film in the ongoing CineFilipino Film Festival that has any advanced publicity.  This is also the only entry with a bonafide superstar headlining it, no less than Ms. Nora Aunor herself. Its first screening at the Gateway Mall was sold out, a testament to the drawing power for Ms. Nora.  I will not be surprised if this will be the top box office hit of this one-week festival.  The CineFilipino Film Fest only runs at Gateway, Lucky Chinatown, Resorts World and Shangri-la Mall cinemas.

"Ang Kuwento ni Mabuti" is a simple film about simple folk who live in a remote hilly area of Nueva Vizcaya. Mabuti is a folk healer known for her cheerfulness, friendliness and kindness.  She lives with her Mother and two adult children, Ompong and Lucia.  Ompong has one daughter, indulgently named Kate Winslet.  Lucia is very unlucky in her relationships, having three daughters (Lenlen, Angge and Mimay) with three different men.  

Mabuti needed to mortgage their land when Ompong was going abroad to work.  When they receive a letter for her to pay interest on their loan, she makes a difficult trip into the city to settle.  On her way back to their home, a stranger on the bus entrusts a bag to her and runs off. Will the contents of the bag change the life of good Mabuti?

This is again another triumph for Ms. Nora Aunor in subsuming herself into another character of the masses.  Though they are similarly poor provincial women, Nora's last role in "Thy Womb" is very distinct from this role as Mabuti.  I enjoyed that she was constantly smiling in this film.  We never really see Ms. Aunor often in a happy role.  Her eyes are really very eloquent in conveying her inner thoughts, as we know from all her classics in the past.  All those seemingly simple scenes set in the the military base, the public transportation, the realty office and the stone steps gain special poignancy because they had Nora Aunor in them.

Indie actors Arnold Reyes and Mara Lopez play Ompong and Lucia respectively, while Sue Prado plays a mysterious lady on the bus.  The rest of the other actors seem to be native Ilocano-speaking actors which lend additional realism to the scenes.  Josephina Estabillo, the actress who plays Mabuti's mother Apu Guyang, is very natural actress.  She has a heartwarming bond with Ms. Nora and the kids who play her great-grandchildren. There are also the side characters of the barangay captain and his aide Boying who provide welcome comic relief.

The dialogue of the film is entirely in Ilocano, with English subtitles.  Maybe they should also add subtitles in Filipino for the benefit of audiences who may not know how to read English.  Nora speaks it with the fluidity of a native Ilocano speaker (she is a Bicolana) like the other Ilocano supporting actors.  She really knows how to push and challenge herself with her every role.

Director Mes de Guzman (who just won Best Director at the Cinemalaya 2012 for "Diablo") has succeeded to create a charming fairy tale with modern-day characters and situations. There is a whimsical element about the interplay of harsh realities of live with fate and destiny that will make the audience smile.  As for the moral lesson of the film, the film leaves the ending open for us to determine that life message for ourselves.  7/10.

THE GUERRILLA IS A POET: Poetic Rebellion

September 20, 2013

I had no idea what this movie was about when I went in.  It was the only entry to the Cine Filipino film festival that was being shown at 10 am when I went to the mall yesterday morning. Fortunately, there were two other people who wanted to watch it, so the screening pushed through.

"The Guerrilla is a Poet" turned out to be a biographical film about CCP-NPA founder, Mr. Jose Maria Sison.  It was a semi-documentary since they also had footage and interviews of the 74-year old Mr. Sison himself and his wife Julie as they continue to spend their exile in Utrecht, as well his comrade-in-arms Bernabe Buscayno.  I did not know that "The Guerrilla is a Poet" was actually a title of an important poem that Mr. Sison wrote.

The film depicted the youth of Mr. Sison (aka Amado Guerrero) from his days as a student activist, his marriage with fellow activist Julie, the rebirth of the communist movement, his relation with Ninoy Aquino, his alliance with Bernabe Buscayno (aka Kumander Dante), his clash with President Ferdinand Marcos, and his days of torture in captivity.

Young Joma was portrayed by Karl Medina, another talented member of the Medina family (after father Pen and brothers Ping and Alex).  He did not really look like the real Joma, whom Buscayno described as "mukhang Instik" (looked Chinese) when they first met, which Karl did not.  Karl has a very realistic portrayal of an activist, but it was hard to see him as Joma Sison, especially since we see the real Joma also in the same film.

This is the first film that I have really seen Ms. Angeli Bayani, who gained prominence in her lead role in the Singaporean film "Ilo-Ilo" which won in Cannes this year.  You can see how she transforms into her character, very realistic.  Hoping to see more of her work in the future.

Most supporting cast were not known actors which adds to the realism of the film.  There were also some recognizable faces like Jao Mapa as Sen. Ninoy Aquino and Raymond Bagatsing as the notorious Major Aure.  Ferdinand Marcos was portrayed by master impersonator Mr. Willie Nepomuceno.  His was a chilling uncanny performance, although he was obviously too old to play the young Marcos, when compared to the news reels featuring the real Mr. Marcos.

The story was a straightforward telling of that turbulent time in recent Philippine political history. Of course, this was in the version of Mr. Sison.  Image-wise, it was replete with artistic touches by the lady directors behind it, Sari and Kiri Dalena.  The cinematography of the scenes in the mountains can be so breathtaking with the unique camera angles being utilized.  The length of the film was formidable, running almost two hours and a half, which may be difficult to sit through for some people with limited interest or conviction in the subject matter.  6/10.