Review of BARBER'S TALES: Female Empowerment

August 14, 2014

"Barber's Tales" ("Mga Kuwentong Barbero") has been shown in film festivals abroad since late last year. Lead actress Eugene Domingo had won the Best Actress at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival last October 2014. It has earned a Grade A from the Cinema Evaluation Board. After all that impressive advanced press, it finally gets its local commercial run this week. 

The year is 1975. Marilou (Eugene Domingo) is the lonely wife of the village barber Jose Aguallo (Daniel Fernando), who treats her like a doormat. When her husband unexpectedly passes away one night, Marilou decides to continue the family trade. Customers though tend not to trust a female barber. However, when the parish priest Fr. Arturo (Eddie Garcia) and the town mayor Alfredo Bartolome (Nonie Buencamino) become her avowed customers, her new career gets going.

Marilou has two close friends. There is Susan (Gladys Reyes), whose husband keeps on wanting to have a boy, even if they already have five daughters. There is the spinster Tessie (Shamaine Centenera), who has a nephew Edmond (Nicco Manalo) on vacation from his studies in Manila. Marilou will get to meet her husband's favorite prostitute Rose (Sue Prado). Later, she will also get close with the mayor's beautiful but lonely wife, Cecilia (Iza Calzado).

It's Martial Law time. The NPA are very active in the provinces, and the military are constantly on their tail. These rebels play a major role as the story of Marilou unfolds. This setting gives the film a platform to showcase the events and highlight popular opinions about Marital Law during that time, on both sides. To accurately recreate the period, this film had a meticulous production designer and costume designer. A sepia-toned color palette further put the audience into the atmosphere of that time in recent history.

Eugene Domingo tones down her usual hyperactive acting tics several notches in order to achieve the very serious Marilou we see on the big screen. She hardly even smiles in this one nor does she crack a single joke. Her character undergoes major awakenings in her life that makes her grow immensely within the film. Domingo shows us these developments so subtly, yet so effectively. She was really very good, a riveting presence in the entire film. 

The supporting cast does really well. Nicco Manalo is really turning out to be THE indie actor to watch. After his award-winning turn in "The Janitor", he gives us another affecting performance here. His short haircut in this film actually made him look like his father Jose Manalo for the first time since I have seen him act. Nonie Buencamino, as always, stands out as the charming town mayor, who has unspeakable activities on the side. Gladys Reyes is steady as rock in her portrayal of the ever-loyal and ever-pregnant Susan. At the end, the film still surprised us with an unexpected special guest of superstar proportions.

Writer and director Jun Lana, fresh from his success with "Bwakaw" last year, comes up with yet another excellent character study.  What he does for gay senior citizens in the first film, he does for women in this film. On top of that, he adds on a layer of interesting historical and social commentary which for me, makes this film even better and substantive than "Bwakaw". The storytelling was impeccable. He was able to build up a tension so thick, it can be hard to breathe in certain parts. I read that this is Lana's second in a trilogy of films about provincial life.  I cannot wait to see the third installment. 9/10.

Review of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (2014): Darker Juvenile Reboot

August 13, 2014

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are characters that were first seen in comic books way back in 1984.  Since capturing the fancy of the audience, this franchise spun off to have its own cartoon series, toys, video games, and of course, films.  The first TMNT live-action film was shown in 1990, followed by two sequels. In 2007, a CGI-animated film simply entitled "TMNT" was shown. This current TMNT film is a live action-computer-generated motion capture combination-style reboot of the franchise, produced by Michael Bay and directed by Jonathan Liebesman.

In this reboot, we start at the very beginning again, before the world knew about the turtles. April O'Neil (Megan Fox) is a TV journalist who desperately wants to be taken seriously at work. When she incidentally witnessed shadowy figures fighting against some criminals, she reports them to her boss, who of course does not believe her. She will later discover that these unseen vigilantes are actually four young overgrown turtles with ninja fighting skills. 

From there, we will again be told the origins of our four "heroes in a half-shell who are named" after Italian Renaissance painters. There will be certain big changes in the story of how the turtles came to be from how we used to know it. Their Sensei rat Splinter learned his awesome martial arts skills from a book. It also showed how April first knew the Splinter and the turtles as a little girl in her scientist dad's laboratory.  

When main villain Shredder (this time in an all-metallic suit armed with boomeranging blades) finds out where the turtles' lair was, he and his henchmen attack it and abducts three of them captive in order to suck out their blood to extract the secret super formula that runs in them. Of course, the bad guys leave one turtle, as well as April and her driver/admirer Vernon (Will Arnett), to save the day. You know how this story will end, so that should not a spoiler, is it?

When Michael Bay's name is attached to a film, we expect wild action and big explosions, and we won't be disappointed here in that regard. The "cowabunga" action sequences still ruled!  Even Splinter had a grand martial arts fight scene with Shredder. This reboot is for the young kids of today so it is acceptable and understandable that everything felt so juvenile. The sense of humor in these action scenes is also juvenile, most of the visual jokes would be best appreciated by young kids. Most adults could muster a smile at least.

Megan Fox seems to be Michael Bay's muse, as she also appeared in Bay's other franchise, Transformers. She is no doubt beautiful, but unfortunately her acting sadly remains to be very amateurish. Will Arnett is not really any help if his function here is to be the comic relief. His character was actually extraneous with corny lines.

However, the best part of film remains to be the Turtles themselves. They are as we know them: Leonardo the serious leader. Raphael the hotheaded one. Michaelangelo the whimsical one. Donatello the smart one. They were made to look a little darker, heftier and angrier, like most classical superheroes are expected to look these days. No more bright cheerful colors allowed, it seems. Nevertheless, these Turtles are still fun and funny for the younger set, and fondly amusing for the parents. That silly elevator scene is proof of this appeal. These cool Turtles will endure despite the uneven quality of this film reboot.  5/10.

Review of INTO THE STORM in 4DX: A Vicarious Thrill

August 12, 2014

I saw the trailer of Into the Storm and was curious as to how different could this movie be from Twister (1996) which is also about chasing tornados in the American Midwest.  Also, I figured this film would probably be the perfect one to go see to try out the new 4DX theater in town, with all the storm effects going on around me.  

In the small Midwestern town of Silverton, a high school was holding their outdoor graduation ceremony, oblivious that a tornado was going to run right through them.  Meanwhile, a desperate storm filming crew keeps right on chasing these tornadoes seemingly unmindful of the risks. To add some complicating circumstance, two students just had to do an off-campus location video shoot right on on that same day the tornadoes hit. So there was not really any substantial story. That's ok, that did not really matter.

The central family composed of the school vice principal Gary and his two sons Donnie and Trey were played by Richard Armitage with Max Deacon and Nathan Kress. The ruthless main storm-chaser Pete was played by Matt Walsh.  The lead meteorologist Allison was played by Sarah Wayne Callies. They even got Scott Lawrence, an actor who looked and spoke like President Barack Obama, to play the clueless school principal. I did not know any of these actors. You might enjoy watching a couple of daredevil country bumpkins played by Kyle Davis and Jon Reep chase tornadoes on their beat-up pickup or tractor. So there were not really any big name stars in the cast. That's ok, they did not really matter as well.

However, as expected what the production saved on story and cast, they poured the majority of the budget on the massive computer-generated special effects. Of course, with the considerable advance of visual effects technology since 1996 when "Twister" wowed us all with flying cow and the like, the degree of devastation seen onscreen in "Into the Storm" was so much greater. Director Steven Quale just wants to bring us right into the thick of a monster tornado with multiple vortices. THAT is the main point of this film. (Unfortunately, the trailer already showed how the super strong winds were able to pick up jumbo jets and trailer trucks, so those big scenes were not a surprise anymore, which was a pity.) 

So, was the 4DX worth it?  For me, yes.  It added a sense of fun. It feels a bit guilty to say the word "fun" knowing you are watching a grand-scale disaster unfold with an untold toll of lives and property.  So in that perverse sense of entertainment, yes, those shaking seats, strong winds and lightning flashes did add so much to the realism of the special effects you see onscreen. I really felt like I was in a dangerous storm. But I also felt like I was riding a 90-minute long amusement park ride. Too bad that I did not feel any water spraying on me though, despite the fact that there was splashing water on the screen. I also mistakenly thought that the whole film would be in 3D when you watch in 4DX. It was not.

So, just ask yourself, do you want to experience how it is going to feel like to be right in the middle of a tornado? If you say yes, then you go watch this film and have a blast with all the realistic effects. However, since we live right on the path of several tropical cyclones, I guess that won't be much of a come-on in these parts of the world. But I think that vicarious thrill may still draw a lot of people in. 6/10.

CINEMALAYA 2014: Review of DAGITAB: Ode to Middle Age Love

August 9, 2014

This is the film that is being tipped to be the front-runner for awards in the New Breed category of the current Cinemalaya film festival. Before the festival ends, I simply cannot miss this particular film even if it was a bit out of my usual time to watch.

The Tolentinos, Jimmy (Nonie Buencamino) and Issey (Eula Valdez), are a childless married middle-aged couple. They are both writers and professors based in the University of the Philippines in Diliman.  Jimmy is on the verge of publishing the book he has spent many years researching and writing. Issey is a panelist on a writers workshop in Mt. Makiling for students, which included her godson Gab Atienza (Martin del Rosario), a prodigy who was accepted in the workshop right out of high school.

Gab wrote an outstanding essay called "Intersection" about his love affair with an unnamed 45-year old female, which garnered public attention in more ways than one. While Issey was unwittingly dragged into this scandal, Jimmy has found Lorena, his first love who became a rebel and disappeared into the mountains. Will their marriage withstand these storms that threaten to break it apart?

Being about writers, the highlight of this film is definitely the very poetic and witty use of words in its script. As audience you savor every word as you hear them being uttered, and you'd like to have the screenplay in front of you so you can read it back over and over. All the conversations between Issey and Jimmy were dripping in rich wry humor and lingering unhappiness. Most memorable of these exchanges included that one in the car while Issey was drunk and that one over breakfast while Issey was in the toilet.  "Intersection" is a highlight in itself as we hear Gab reciting it over a beautifully shot scene on the beach, and then again later, when Jimmy was reading it out in full in front of an unwilling listener.

The acting of veterans Nonie Buencamino and Eula Valdez were flawlessly raw and riveting. When the two of them are together, it felt like they were not acting at all. You can feel the bitterness, loneliness and longing of their characters in their delivery of their crazy-good lines. They are definitely the top contenders for winning the Best Lead Performance trophies in the New Breed category. Martin del Rosario also has his moments to shine with those big expressive eyes of his, which he can certainly put to good use. He can hold his own in the presence of the more experienced senior actors. 

The cinematography was topnotch. That innovative camera angle used on that scene where Issey and Gab were seen lying down on the beach while the surf came in and out was mesmerizingly artistic and breathtaking. The quiet ending scene with Issey and Jimmy in the tall grass with the sun setting behind them and the fireflies flying around them -- simply dramatic. I enjoyed how this film photographed its beautiful main setting, the UP Diliman campus, where I also spent my college days. I can recognize the roads where they jogged or the classroom and corridor in Palma Hall, or those cluttered offices in the Faculty Center. 

My main issue with the film was about the storytelling. I felt it did not flow so smoothly all the time, and made the film feel long. Those scenes of Jimmy in the mountains with a daring nude Lorena (Max Eigenmann) and the perfectly dug hole in the ground were very strange. There some puzzling scenes, like Issey with the electronic mosquito swatter or Issey with the hiding cat, which do not seem to mean anything. There was the gay subplot which seemed out of place in the main story, except maybe providing a way out of the conflict at the end. 

I agree that this film is one of the best of the festival. Based on the New Breed entries I have seen and written about, "Dagitab" should go home with the awards for Lead Performances (at least Best Actress is a sure thing), Screenplay (by its Director Giancarlo Abrahan) and Cinematography. Best Picture is not a remote possibility. 7/10.

Review of LUCY: Superhuman Genius

August 9, 2014

Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is a party-going American girl studying in Taipei, who gets meets a guy named Richard in a club. Richard tricks her into delivering a suitcase to a certain Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik). Instead of a simple turnover, Richard was shot and Lucy was abducted. Jang turned out to be a maniacal sadistic Korean drug lord. The contents of the suitcase turned out to be a blue crystalline drug, and Lucy was to be its mule.  

A bag of this powerful substance was surgically implanted into her abdomen, but it leaks and spreads throughout her body. This drug would accelerate Lucy's usage of her brain to levels no one has yet experienced, giving her incredible superhuman abilities. Using her Lucy eludes her abductors in order to reach eminent expert in brain physiology Professor Samuel Norman (Morgan Freeman) in Paris to offer herself for the benefit of science.

Scarlett Johansson finds herself again in another sci-fi feature, third in a row now. First she was the voice behind Samantha, the operating system Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with in "Her".  Just last month we saw her as the mysterious alien seductress picking up and killing hapless men in "Under the Skin." This time, like her most popular film role as Black Widow in "The Avengers", she again gets to use her action star skills to good use as Lucy.  Her performance is distinct in each of these recent films, and in "Lucy" she gets to display great range as her character undergoes the dizzying effects of the drug.

Director Luc Besson is back in the groove as he sells us this outlandish story of an unlikely super-genius in great style and flair.  Besson is known for his over-the-top action scenes in films like "Taken" and "The Fifth Element", and he displays some of his work best here. There are those bloody violent fight scenes, so well-conceptualized and executed in brutal grace. There was that ridiculously awesome car chase scene in Paris had some of the wildest car stunts I have seen onscreen. 

The sci-fi aspects of the film are very imaginatively presented, with surreal images ranging from microscopic cells dividing to vast galaxies of stars. Besson would intertwine images of nature to his narrative, like that of a cheetah going after a gazelle which added further tension to the scenes when Lucy was abducted.  The authoritative voice of Morgan Freeman keeps the film grounded, lending credence to the science on which this story is based on.  

Besson also keeps us updated on the percentage of Lucy's brain access as the film goes along. It was interesting to note their theory that the more realized human brain potential is, the less human we become. The extraordinary sequence of events that happen when Lucy reaches 100% was a cornucopia of bizarre images, highlighted by an incredible series of flashbacks of Times Square in New York City through history to prehistory to the beginning of time.  Those dreamlike scenes need to be seen on the big screen for best effect.

Overall, "Lucy" is an exciting, fast-paced, action-packed sci-fi thriller, very entertaining to watch. It keeps you at the edge of your seats during the ride, and concludes the trip with awe and wonderment. We may have seen this same scenario of drug-induced brain perfection recently with the film "Limitless" starring Bradley Cooper. But "Lucy" went further with the idea, taking it to a more philosophically ideal level. Lucy did not use her new-found genius to try to solve her own personal problems, but instead she aimed for something more altruistic. 8/10.

CINEMALAYA 2014: Review of S6PARADOS: A Decidedly Male Viewpoint

August 8, 2014

One day, six men were attending a wedding, listening to the priest deliver a sermon about the sanctity of matrimony. Unfortunately, these six men were men who have been separated, on the process of separating and planning to separate from their wives

Santi (Victor Neri) is a chef. He is separated from his wife who is an annulment lawyer too busy with her work to care about him. He is the groom of this wedding, his second stab at married life. Pancho (Alfred Vargas) is Santi's cousin, a Balikbayan who opened a car detailing business. His strained relationship with his wife drives him to be an alcoholic. Marcel (Ricky Davao) is Santi's new father-in-law, a bank manager. After 26 years of marriage, he decides to confess to his wife that he is gay.

Armand (Jason Abalos) is a car salesman. His wife is a shabu addict who has drawn him into the habit, causing him trouble at work. Rico (Anjo Yllana) is a seaman between jobs.  His wife is a condescending businesswoman who drives him nuts and unfaithful.  Christian (Erik Santos) is a call center agent who moonlights as a wedding singer. His wife is his supervisor at work who would violently beat him up for every little infraction. 

Victor Neri credibly plays a chef. It turns out in reality, he took up the culinary trade during his sojourn from acting in the past seven years, so he looked comfortable in the kitchen.  He's solid in his performance though his face tends to look stern constantly, even when he was in a happy scene. Santi's wife Pia was played with confidence by smart pixie-haired Angel Jacob. His new girlfriend turned bride Gabbie is played by the beautiful Ritz Azul, who gave a very winning portrayal. The scene where Santi proposes to Gabbie was very well-executed.

Ricky Davao plays his natural best as the gay Marcel.  His confrontation scene with his wife played by Melissa Mendez was very well-written and well-acted by both veteran actors. Davao's scenes with Jason Abalos (as Armand, the apple of Marcel's eyes) were quite funny. The first time I saw Abalos in a film was also in a Cinemalaya film, "Endo" back in 2007, and he has gone a long way since. His scenes with Althea Vega, who played his drug addict wife Connie were shot in poor light, perhaps to emphasize the darkness of their existence.

Anjo Yllana, whom we know mostly as a comedian, was very natural as the philandering character Rico. Sharmaine Arnaiz likewise does well as his domineering wife. Unfortunately, Rico's character felt most unconnected to the rest of the story. Christian is incidentally the singer during Santi's wedding and the call-center guy who answered Rico's call. Erik Santos' portrayal of the battered husband is quite good for a first timer. Iwa Moto's performance as his raving virago of a wife felt too outlandish though.

Alfred Vargas also does well as the alcoholic Pancho, though a little cliche-ish in his approach.  His mysterious wife Iris is played coyly by Diana Zubiri. There would be a flashback scene which would try to explain the root of their problem. But the director seemed to have forgotten to close this particular story.

The technical aspects of this film are very clean.  The cinematography looks very good in general. The film editing was neat. I liked the director's technique of having each man show up in the stories of the other men as incidental characters. This made the story telling more interesting to watch and showed how their lives intersected.

With a title like "S6parados," the plot is no surprise.  This film discusses the lives of six men and the wives with whom they have or will separate.  The unique aspect of this melodrama is that it is told completely from a male point of view, of men confiding to other men. While many would criticize it for being one-sided, I actually thought it was a refreshing change from all the usual female-driven drama stories. Director GB Sampedro has filled a long absent void for male-oriented relationship stories. 6/10.

CINEMALAYA 2014: Review of HUSTISYA: Nora's Last Laugh

August 8, 2014

“Hustisya” is the most awaited film in this year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival and the one with the most advanced publicity for one reason.  It stars no less than the Superstar, Ms. Nora Aunor.  Every new film that stars Ms. Aunor is an event, especially this one, following the recent controversial presidential snub of her nomination for National Artist.

Virginia Cabahug, more known by her nickname Biring (Nora Aunor), is a trusted aide of a bigtime human trafficking queen Vivian (Rosanna Roces). She does the rounds with the payoffs and deliveries walking around with her umbrella, white bag and thermos jug.  One day, Biring gets framed for murder.  While in prison, she was linked up with a hotshot young lawyer, Atty. Gerald (Rocco Nacino). The attorney not only gets Biring released, but also revealed bigger plans for her within their organization. 

Nora Aunor is really an acting force to reckon with and delivers all the goods her fans expect from her.  She may not seem too comfortable with the comedy aspects, with a number of one-liners that did not fly. But you cannot deny that her serious dramatic scenes were all nailed perfectly.  The way she delivers those lines punctuated with Tagalog or Bicolano profanity was so crisp! She is not a saint here. And yes, those eyes still pack their punch.

The rest of the cast also mostly do well. Rocco Nacino exudes confidence in his role as a crooked cocky young lawyer. Rosanna Roces looked and acted every inch like a wicked madame, with Gardo Versoza as her libidinous consort.  Romnick Sarmenta was realistic as an investigative reporter hungry for an expose.  Miles Kanapi stood out as a lesbian bully inmate who loves videoke and beating people up. With her fair skin color, there was no way Sunshine Dizon could be Nora's daughter, but she manages to  convince us she could be. 

While I get that it is a metaphor, I am wondering if it is indeed possible to go up the clock tower of the Manila City Hall, like Biring did regularly to appease the city by throwing prayers and cash off its balcony. As it is, it seemed too strange and contrived a ritual for a scared woman from the province to think of doing in real life.

And that strange scene at the very end deserves special mention. What could that be all about? It echoes the classic open ending of "Lost in Translation" as we see Atty. Gerald whisper something to Biring, which elicited a most unexpected reaction from her, the meaning of which will long be speculated upon.

Director Joel Lamangan works with a Ricky Lee script that was rich in detail and well-plotted. The film as a whole may be just good on the whole, as Lamangan detoured a lot from the main story to showcase poverty porn and anti-imperialism rallies. He just did so more pointedly in his recent film "Kamkam" (My Review). But for "Hustisya", there is little doubt that its main highlight is Ms. Nora Aunor, and she is well on her way to winning another Best Actress statuette here. 6/10.

CINEMALAYA 2014: Review of THE JANITOR: A Commercial Indie

August 8, 2014

It used to be that indie films meant a film with an intense story wrapped around an interesting topic of focal interest, but with largely unknown actors and relatively poorer production values than mainstream films, as they were either poorly lit or roughly edited. So therefore, they would be of interest to only serious cinephiles in film festivals, like the Cinemalaya. 

But as I got to watch more and more local indie films over the years, I see that more and more mainstream actors are getting into the indie scene, and that the production values are getting much cleaner and better. Save for a few little details, this film "The Janitor" follows the lead of last year's "On the Job", with its big name stars and sleek production, it also looks and feels like a very commercial mainstream film.

"The Janitor" is about Crisanto Espina (Dennis Trillo), a committed cop who was suspended when he shot a minor drug suspect dead.  On June 21, 2011, the Mabuhay Bank in San Pedro, Laguna was held up and ten of its employees were killed.  A drug addict tricycle driver Junjun Carasco (Nicco Manalo) was apprehended for questioning and a list of suspects was tortured out of him. The new police chief Bugaouisan (Ricky Davao) instructs a senior police officer Rudy Manapat (Richard Gomez) to handle the case Solitaire style, which turned out to mean summary execution. Manapat assigns Espina to "clean up" these suspects.

Dennis Trillo credibly played the flawed hero Espina.  We see Trillo's quiet tender side at home, in his scenes with his new wife Melba (LJ Reyes) pregnant with their first son, his mother Ester (Irma Adlawan) left a vegetable after a major stroke, and his dad Monching (Dante Rivero) a grumpy perverted old man who never forgave his disgraced son. On the other hand, when he is "on the job" so to speak, action star Trillo comes out with some very well-choreographed chase and fight scenes. 

We suffer together with poor Nicco Manalo throughout his cruel torture scenes, the method of which was determined by a spinning a wheel, be it Helmet or Kwek Kwek, among several other brutal ways. The one called Adidas made some queasy audience members scream with its realistically bloody rendition. The execution scenes escalated from simple to complex.  The way Alex Medina was killed in a cornfield was suffused with suspense.  The way Raymond Bagatsting was killed was extremely thrilling, effectively eliciting shrieks from the audience.  

Derek Ramsey, who plays the idolized scourge of drug lords SPO3 Dindo Marasigan, was given an idealized masculine presence onscreen, with his steamy bed scene with the sexy Kristal (Sunshine Garcia), his big macho wheels, his devil-may-care demeanor and look. 

The technical aspects of film-making, particularly the cinematography and the sound, were excellent. There were some editing issues noted though, such as in the fight scene between Trillo and Ramsey where the gun on the floor was drastically shifting position with every scene, or in one of the first scenes when Trillo seemed to have made the sign of the cross in reverse. I was also confused whether Manapat and Espina were policemen from Laguna or Manila, because I thought I saw Manila on their badges of their uniforms.

Although it is not exactly to the caliber of "On the Job" with which it shared some similarities (the summary executions topic and the poster style, to mention a couple), "The Janitor" is an entertaining and exciting action film which the mainstream audience will also like. Director Michael B. Tuviera has succeeded to create an indie film with a definite commercial look, feel and appeal. Yesterday, it had already been declared the box-office hit of the festival. A blockbuster regular run won't be far behind. 7/10.

CINEMALAYA 2014: Review of MARIQUINA: Requiem for a Shoemaker

August 6, 2014

"Mariquina", as in most outstanding indie films, wraps an intense story around a topic of focal interest, As the title would suggest, we learn as much about the problems that beset the Marikina shoe industry, as well as about the Guevarra family whose fate is entwined in it.

Old Romeo Guevarra (Ricky Davao) commits suicide by jumping off a bridge. While searching for the perfect classic black wingtip shoes for his wake, his estranged daughter Imelda (Mylene Dizon), busy businesswoman dealing with garments, reflects on the travails of their family when she was growing up. 

Flashback to 1986, Romeo was the topnotch shoemaker in Marikina. No less than Ms. Imelda Marcos wore his shoes.  He has what seemed to be the perfect life with his simple wife Leonor (Che Ramos) and spirited daughter Imelda (Barbie Forteza).  When Romeo got involved with a female business partner, the stylish Tess (Bing Pimentel), tensions arise which would break his family apart.

There are so many excellent aspects about this remarkable film.  

Of course, the acting of the two main players were amazing to witness as always. Mylene Dizon is so natural as the adult Imelda.  She was more preoccupied with business concerns at work than the death of her father, for whom she could not seem to shed tears. Ricky Davao is as reliable as ever in a difficult role of balancing the clashing emotions of a father whose family is crumbling around him. 

However the performances of two supporting actresses actually become bigger highlights of this film. First is Ms. Bing Pimentel who was a riveting presence, drawing attention every time she is onscreen. She was so classy as the younger Tess, and was absolutely sublime as elderly Tess. Second is Barbie Forteza who gave a heart-tugging performance as the adolescent Imelda. That scene where she was left waiting in the restaurant by her parents was quietly eloquent, with only her eyes conveying her conflict of emotions.

The production design also deserves mention.  Half of this film transpired in the late 1980s so it was essential to get the props and costumes right.  The set showing the aftermath of the flooding brought about by the devastating Typhoon Unsang in 1988 was so hauntingly realistic. Painstaking attention to detail was evident in the way the exterior of the shoe factory was weathered and aged in the thirty years that had passed.

If this was an indie film done in a rush on a shoestring budget, it was not obvious at all. Director Milo Sogueco has transformed the screenplay of Jerrold Tarog into an elegant vision. The cinematography was clear with crisp colors with beautiful blocking and angles. A paler palette was used to distinguish the flashback scenes, with impressively clean film editing work. "Mariquina" is definitely a serious contender in most categories among the New Breed entries come awards night. 8/10.

CINEMALAYA 2014: Review of KASAL: Closeted Commitment

August 5, 2014

Sherwin (Arnold Reyes) is a lawyer who dealt with annulment cases.  Paolo (Oliver Aquino) is an indie film director.  They had been in a relationship with each other for the past three years. When Oliver suggested for them to take what they had to the next level and get married, Sherwin insisted that same-sex marriage will never fly in the Philippines, all the while dwelling on an episode of infidelity by Paolo which happened a year ago. 

One day, the couple go to Sherwin's hometown to attend the wedding of his teenage sister Mary Jane who got impregnated by her similarly teenage boyfriend Bong. Before, during and after the wedding ceremony, Paolo and Sherwin see more clearly how they stand in the public eye, and make very important decisions about their own relationship.

Arnold Reyes plays Sherwin as very pragmatic and logical. Oliver Aquino plays Paolo as the more emotional and sentimental partner. These two guys performed well with and against each other. It was good to see 90s sexy nymphets Maureen Mauricio and Rita Avila now playing mothers of Sherwin and Paolo, respectively.  I was impressed with newcomer Chloe Carpio who plays the young bride Mary Jane.  Her scene before the wedding apologizing to Sherwin and that scene during the exchange of vows were both short, but her performance was memorably infused with so much emotion.

This film tackles love and commitment in the context of a homosexual couple, but such issues also hold true for any couple, gay or straight.  In fact, we have seen this same story in various incarnations with various characters, in both local and foreign films. This is a very universal conflict that no one group holds exclusively. 

However, there is still the closet to contend with in gay relationships, especially in the Philippine setting. The pointed homily during the wedding Mass drives home that stigma. 

However, the best aspect of this film is its direction.  Director Joselito Altarejos takes the sensitive script he has co-written by Zig Dulay and brought it to life with innovative visual technique. We listen in on a couple arguing through closed window panes during a rain storm.  We bear witness to a couple fighting via a scene shot through the back window of a car. We have seen so many wedding videos in real life, but Altarejos manages to capture these simple rural matrimonial rites and all its attendant traditions in radiantly dramatic and evocative camera angles, right up to the touching ending. 5/10.


POSTSCRIPT:

I confess I did not really plan to watch this film.  I had a choice between this film and another film entitled "Asintado".  Reviewers had not been kind to "Asintado", one even going on to say that it was the worst of all the entries he had watched. At the last minute, I decided to watch "Kasal" instead. 

Knowing that this had a gay theme, I was apprehensive about watching this film. I was hoping that nothing too graphic would be shown until I saw the R-18 rating. That uncomfortable scene would be shown in the first fifteen minutes -- a bold lovemaking scene not hidden under the covers, obscured only slightly by lights and shadows of a movie (starring Boots Anson-Roa!) being projected over them.  This scene was in one long continuous take.

Anyway, after that  scene was done and over with, the rest of the film was actually a very good discussion on various aspects of relationships, love and commitment, thus being pertinent to audiences of all preferences. I personally thought they could have done without that sex scene and still not lose the messages it wanted to convey.

CINEMALAYA 2014: Review of RONDA: A Subdued Ai-Ai

August 5, 2014

Ai-Ai de las Alas made her name as a comedian with a boisterous and brazen performance style, with her big wide toothy smile, loud raucous laughter and wild gesticulations.   We also see her in some TV soap operas doing some drama as well, but she tends to act also with a florid style with bawling and copious tears. In "Ronda", one of the ten entries in the New Breed category of the current Cinemalaya film festival, we see a totally different Ai-Ai de las Alas. In this her first indie film, she proves that she can also act in a completely subdued style, with no hysterics at all.

SPO3 Paloma Arroyo (de las Alas) is a serious, no-nonsense policewoman. Her husband is currently working in Dubai so she is raising her son Leo (Julian Trono) on her own. Leo has not been home for two nights already and this is gnawing on Arroyo during her duty that night.  In this film, we follow her as she goes on her regular police beat with her partner Tamayo (Carlos Morales). Because of her guilt regarding some personal indiscretions, she has her own suspicion on why her son is not answering her calls and she tries to set things right. However, the real reason was way beyond her expectations and its repercussions will shake their lives forever.

As you can see, "Ronda" is just a simple story of a mother and son, stretched out to two hours with various scenes of police work and side characters, filmed in true indie fashion by new director Nick Olanka.  Aside from scenes depicting Arroyo making arrests and booking random criminals, we also have to sit through seemingly pointless scenes of their police car just driving around the dinghy streets of Manila.  While we stare at the police car or Ai-Ai's face during these prolonged interludes (which last what felt like ten minutes at a time), we also hear a lot of political radio commentary, mostly about the namesake of our lead character, ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. 

In addition, other peripheral characters were given their share of the running time. We will repeatedly hear about Tamayo's womanizing, juggling three wives at a time. We see Hepe, their corrupt and abusive chief, played with sleaze by Menggie Cobarrubias.  We meet Ima, a retired teacher now down to selling cigarettes and snacks, played by Perla Bautista. A barely recognizable Bernardo Bernardo plays Mindy, a gay pimp. Indie favorite Angeli Bayani is also in there as an aggressive news reporter on the police beat.  Kiko Matos (who was introduced in last year's "Babagwa") has a few minutes as a drunk bully who harasses Officer Arroyo. But the most surprising guest appearance of all is that of Cesar Montano, as Leo's guidance counselor with "extracurricular activities". 

The main selling point of "Ronda" is Ai-Ai de las Alas' rare performance in a no-frills, unglamorous and unfunny role.  Otherwise, this film could well have been two hours of just impatiently waiting for the answer of what Leo was up to for the past two nights. To be fair, these last fifteen minutes were the best shot scenes were the best in the whole film, and was well-worth the long wait. 5/10.