Review of THE MARTIAN: Scintillating Science

October 4, 2015

Mark Watney is an astronaut member of NASA's Ares III mission to Mars. After a freak accident in a Martian storm, Mark gets knocked out cold and was left behind as dead in the emergency evacuation of his crew off the planet. As it turned out, Mark was still alive. Left to survive on his own resourcefulness, skills and expertise in Botany, Mark had to keep himself alive while waiting for NASA back home to make contact with him and perhaps send a mission to rescue him off Mars.

The story is just like any shipwrecked story where a man is left alone on a deserted island. In this film though, the perils and the problems are upped hundredfold because the island on which this man is marooned is another planet altogether. Mars is nearly a hundred kilometers away from Earth, with no water nor vegetation that could sustain life. In his own words, Mark Watney had to 'Science" his way out of this big predicament.

He needed to create water and fertile soil for his sustenance. He needed to figure out an efficient way of travelling to the target point of the future Mars mission given the limited battery life of his roving vehicle. He needed to figure out a way to communicate with Earth to coordinate any possibility of rescue. Mark Watley was a McGyver of space survival.

Being the only man on Mars, Matt Damon was practically a one-man show here. He was responsible for keeping audiences engaged what could have been a boring 2-1/2 hour film of solitude. As his character Mark was keeping his spirits up by his humorous video log entries, he was keeping us entertained as well with his never-say-die optimism. His positivity draws us to root for him to get out of this alive and well. If that physical transformation of his was not a special effect, it was also a haunting proof of Damon's dedication to this project.

However, unlike "Gravity" where Sandra Bullock was alone for practically the whole film, "The Martian" also tells us about the NASA staff (played by Jeff Bridges, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean) and their efforts to rescue Mark once they realized he was still alive. We will also see Mark's teammates on the Hermes (played by Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan) who grapple with their consciences about leaving Mark behind on Mars and be impressed with the critical decisions they make. 

Humor also came from the kind of anachronistic yet undeniably infectious musical soundtrack. These were mainly disco songs from the 1970s, supposedly the favorite music of mission commander Melissa Lewis (Chastain), like "Turn the Beat Around," "Don't Leave Me This Way," "Hot Stuff" and "Waterloo". Just wait for when the cast credits roll up at the end, another surprising but appropriate disco hit will play which may have you singing along.

The scientific principles may not be fully understandable to laymen or even be completely accurate for scientists, but they all seemed logical, and that is what's essential in good science fiction. Various jargon in rocket science and astrodynamics were used, which may literally fly above our heads, but these did not really hamper enjoyment of the film. No matter how complicated the science involved in the situations we see onscreen, writer Drew Goddard (adapting from the 2011 novel of Andrew Weir) and veteran director Ridley Scott made the proceedings very engaging and easy to follow. 

After "Gravity" and "Interstellar," I think I may have another science fiction film on top of my year-end list again this year. 10/10.

Review of STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON: Ghetto Gumption

October 3, 2015

I am not really a fan of the gangsta rap genre, so at first I was not really planning to watch this film about gangsta rappers. However, it had a 2-week run at number 1 in the US box-office. It eventually became the highest grossing music biographical film all-time worldwide, as well as the highest domestic grossing film from a black director all-time in the United States. It was difficult to ignore such achievements. I needed to watch this film to see why.

This film was not just about any ordinary gangsta rapper. It was about N.W.A., the seminal rap supergroup that brought gangsta rap into mainstream consciousness in 1988 with the release of their debut album entitled "Straight Outta Compton". Three rap superstars trace their solo success from N.W.A., namely Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. The film shows us their rise to fame and their falling out as a group, as well as their individual personalities. I just knew these rappers by name and by their hits, this is the first time I actually witnessed the circumstances from which they drew the inspiration for their brand of music.

Incredibly, the young actors in the cast actually resemble the rap stars they were portraying. The easy standout is O'Shea Jackson, Jr. as Ice Cube. Of these three rappers, Ice Cube was the more showy and outspoken one, never afraid to speak his mind or defy authority. Jackson, Jr. is actually the son of Ice Cube in real life, so the similarities in look and attitude were uncanny. This film debut of his was surely a star-making performance.

Corey Hawkins fully captured the cool, calm and class of Dr. Dre, whose demeanor did not seem to belong to this group. Jason Mitchell was remarkable in his understated performance as Eazy-E, the founder of N.W.A. whose own life would crumble after his group broke up. 

Like his other roles, Paul Giamatti was again totally transformed here into Jerry Heller, N.W.A.'s Jewish manager and co-producer. R. Marcos Taylor was a chillingly terrifying presence as Suge Knight. I enjoyed the cameos of other superstar rappers like Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur, played by look-alikes Keith Stanfield and Marcc Rose respectively.

From the beginning, you knew this would not be an ordinary biopic. The cinematography by award-winning Fil-Am Matthew Libatique was impeccable, with brilliant colors, dramatic contrast and captivating shots.  The original music by N.W.A. and the individual rap stars with their killer beats and head-bobbing grooves were perfectly chosen to enhance the atmosphere of the scenes. 

The way director F. Gary Gray told his story, audiences would find themselves immersed into their violent world of rap, women, crime and drugs as their explicit song lyrics would describe. For the uninitiated, the violence depicted is ruthless, numbing and eye-opening. 

This is not a film for everybody. People who do not approve the turbulent excesses of the gangsta rap lifestyle will likely not tolerate the the very profane language they use here or the buxom molls who hang around them (not unlike what we see in their videos). However, people who are into pop culture in general, or hip hop culture in particular, will find this film an essential watch, watching how some of rap's biggest stars came to be who they are now. Certain dramatic confrontation scenes may come across over-the-top and cheesy. Overall though, this film is brutal, unflinching, yet interesting, engaging and vital. 8/10. 

Review of PAPA FRANCISCO: Dry and Disappointing

October 1, 2015

The present Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, is a very charismatic man. He is also a very brave man, unafraid to voice out his views on the most controversial topics in society, with the most eloquent of words. The Philippines had just been witness to Pope Francis' all-embracing love and holiness during his recent visit here earlier this year. He had a rockstar appeal, attracting big cheering crowds wherever he went. The PhilStagers already made a very entertaining original Filipino musical about his life entitled "#Popepular". (MY REVIEW)

This year, an Argentinian film about Fr. Jorge Bergoglio's life prior to Papacy was released in local cinemas. Based on its simple and straightforward trailer, I am not really expecting too much. However, I still watched the film to learn more about this beloved man and how he rose among the ranks to be the anointed leader of Catholics worldwide.

"Papa Francisco" (also called "Francis: Pray for Me" or "Francisco - El Padre Jorge") tells the life story of the Fr. Jorge Bergoglio (Darío Grandinetti) from Argentina, from his boyhood to his election as Pope in 2013. These were told alongside the fictional story of Ana (Silvia Abascal), a agnostic Spanish lady reporter (with an Argentinian mother) assigned to cover the Papal election of 2005. Ana met Padre Jorge when they sat across each other on a train going to Rome, and from then became lifelong friends. 

The Ana character may have been based on Elisabetta Pique, an Argentine journalist and friend of Padre Jorge, who wrote the biographical book "Pope Francis: Life and Revolution" upon which this film was based. The book was said to be based on interviews on more than seventy people who knew the Pope very well. While individual stories may have read well as a book, but these same stories may also have led to the rather disjointed nature of this film. 

The film, written and directed by Beda Docampo Feijóo, told the Pope's story in bite-sized episodes, flashing backwards and forwards in time. These scenes just seemed like simple renditions of the highlights of his life, with no effort to connect them into one cohesive whole. There were scenes about controversies, but these were executed with no tension at all. The best example would be this confrontation scene with a lady politician who wanted him to lay off on his crusade against corruption. Padre Jorge says a few eloquent words, and the scene was over, no more follow through on what happens next. 

There were good episodes, like the one where the young Jorge (Gabriel Gallichio) met a beautiful lady at a wedding reception where they danced the tango, exchanged books and phone numbers. Unfortunately, we never hear of her again after she left on a bus. In fact, that would be the way this film treated most of the other characters from Padre Jorge's past, like his mother or his friends. They were never mentioned again when Padre Jorge was already cardinal.  The only exception would be Padre Jorge's book about St. Francis. We saw it given to Jorge by his grandmother when he was a young man, and we would see that book again before he was announced as Pope.

Award-winning Argentinian actor Dario Grandinetti plays the senior Padre Jorge. His last film of note was "Wild Tales", an Argentinian film which was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film last year. While he may look sincere, Grandinetti did not really capture the charisma of Padre Jorge. The delivery of his lines were so stiff and lifeless. There was no passion that could be felt nor inspiration that can be drawn from his dry performance. Grandinetti's Padre Jorge did not smile much nor exude warmth, so unlike the person he is portraying. 24 year-old Argentine actor Gabriel Gallichio certainly had more charm in his few scenes as the young Jorge during his student days. 

This was a simple biographical film with no high artistic aspirations. It was just a plain retelling of various events in the present Pope's lifetime with no unifying concept or focus. This film does not have cinematic artistry nor wide audience appeal of other biopics like "Gandhi," "The Last Emperor," or even "Romero". It would probably appeal only to Catholics who simply want to know more about their present leader. But even with those modest expectations, this uneven film would probably still fall short. With his growing worldwide popularity and influence, I trust Pope Francis will have a better film about him in the future. 5/10.

Review of THE INTERN: Fatherly Friendship

September 30, 2015

70 year old Ben Whitaker joins a new program for retirees and was assigned to be a senior intern for Jules Ostin, a very successful 32 year old owner of About the Fit, a fast-rising internet clothing company. His winning gentlemanly ways endear him to his co-workers, and eventually even to his difficult boss. Ben came at a time when Jules was deciding whether she needs to hire a CEO for her firm to help her keep up with the escalating demands of the business, as well as her home life with her stay-at-home husband Matt and daughter Paige.

I admit that initially with only the bare knowledge of its synopsis, I did not really plan to watch this film. Although I like Anne Hathaway, I can't say I would say the same for Robert de Niro's body of work lately. However, with all the initial positive ratings I saw praising "The Intern", I decided I should also see this film for myself. 

From playing Meryl Streep's intern in "The Devil Wears Prada," a more mature Anne Hathaway plays a boss this time. The role of Jules Ostin really fit Hathaway very well, and she was really very natural playing her. She was convincing as a successful woman struggling to keep her demanding business schedule up and balancing it with her domestic duties as wife and mother. She really imbued her character with so much relatability, we empathize fully with what she is going through. Her restraint was admirable.

I had to change my initial apprehension of Robert de Niro's present state of acting with his understated yet brilliant performance here as Ben Whitaker. The script makes his character so perfect, so ideal, too good to be true. Yet, de Niro makes him believable and real, warm and engaging. We will all want to meet someone like him to be our friend and confidante. Even if Ben had a lot of potentially awkward situations here with Jules, but the chemistry between de Niro and Hathaway keeps everything swimmingly afloat.

A lot of the comic relief came from the gang of younger interns at work whom Ben also helps out with their respective issues. These were Jason (Adam DeVine), Davis (Zack Pearlman) and Lewis (Jason Orley). The four of them had a adventure caper sequence about breaking and entering a house that on paper may have felt very out of place in the main story. But as it was executed, it was a comic highlight of the film that I really enjoyed. 

It was good to see Rene Russo again in another one of her rare movie roles. She had a comeback of sorts two years ago as a ruthless TV news producer in "Nightcrawler". While I like Russo's performance, her role was very strange -- a company masseuse. I did not realize that companies would even have a job like that. 

They cast Anders Holm, an actor more known for comedy, in the critical role of Jules' husband Matt. He did not possess the typical Hollywood leading man looks which made him feel more real. His performance in the dramatic confrontation scene with Jules was very effective, it was a pleasant surprise.

Writer-Director Nancy Meyer has an impressive list of comedies under her belt, mostly about human relationships, like "What Women Want," "Something's Gotta Give" and "It's Complicated." "The Intern" is also about problems and dilemmas modern women face, but it explores another type of friendship. The script was witty and smart as what Meyer was known for. I liked the nostalgia about lost gentlemanly habits, like shaving daily or bringing a handkerchiefs.  The characters were admittedly all so feel-good-natured to be real people. However, the acting talent and palpable chemistry of the cast injected these characters with such vitality, that we the audience can fully empathize with them. 8/10.

Review of ATTACK ON TITAN 2: END OF THE WORLD: Rushed and Raw

September 25, 2015

This sequel to last month's live-action version of the manga/anime "Attack on Titan." That was a much-anticipated film because of the popularity of the anime. However, it was uniformly met with bad reviews and fan disappointment because of the poor Titan special effects, but more because of the significant, arguably ill-advised or unnecessary changes in the storyline made to fit a live-action format.

The first episode ended with the revelation that Eren was actually the special Titan who was killing the other regular Titans. This sequel began with an inquiry conducted by a ruthless Director General who seemed to want nothing but to execute Eren. Of course, Eren's friend Armin bravely argued for his friend. The action builds up to a climactic grand three-way fight among three special Titans on the outermost wall. 

This sequel, released just a month after the original, was only about an hour and a half long. The first 20 minutes or so was just a reiteration of the event in the first film. For me, the two films could have been simply integrated into one longer film. We do not see much of the regular Titans anymore in this film. We will also see the origin of the Titans and the reason why Eren become a Titan recalled in flashbacks which I wished were treated with more details and clarity. 

Like the first film, and even more so in this sequel, we see over-the-top acting from most of the cast. The main group of young soldiers, led of course by the trio of lead characters: Eren Yeager (Haruma Miura), Mikasa Ackerman (Mizuhara Kiko), and Armin Arlert (Kanata Hongô). The Mikasa of the films was not at all like the Mikasa in the anime. We see at least one act of bravery from each of their friends as well, namely Sasha Blouse aka Potato Girl (Nanami Sakuraba), Jean Kirstein (Takahiro Miura) and Sannagi (Satoru Matsuo). 

We see more of the bespectacled,, incredibly (and hilariously) hyperactive senior female officer Hange Zoë (Satomi Ishihara).  We will get a surprising revelation about the enigmatic Shikishima (Hiroki Hasegawa), the character that replaced Levi Ackerman, "Humanity's Strongest Soldier" in the manga/anime. A similarly remarkable storyline follows the human antagonist Kubal (Jun Kunimura). Unfortunately, the film does not give us a satisfactory explanation about what happened to these last two characters.

This film just sought to close the main storyline started by the first film, direct to the point. No more side detours were included. It was all over in less than 90 minutes. Unfortunately, a major part of this sequel was just a lot of talking, with practically no action in the first hour. By the time it reached the battle-royale in the last thirty minutes, a lot of the audience may have already zoned out. It was not really much of a cinematic Armageddon as promised by its title. 4/10.

Review of HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2: Juvenile Jeopardy

September 25, 2015

According to the 2012 animated film, Count Dracula ran "Hotel Transylvania" as a resort for monsters who wanted to get away from the humans who frighten them. One day, a human boy named Jonathan stumbles upon the existence of this hotel and falls for the gothic charms of Dracula's daughter Mavis. Being the over-protective dad that he was, single-dad Dracula does everything to keep the two from falling in love.

In this sequel, Jonathan and Mavis got married and have a son Dennis. Dracula was very concerned that his grandson Dennis was already turning five, but was not showing any signs of being a vampire. So while Mavis and Jonathan fly to California to visit his parents, Dracula and his wacky gang of monsters bring Dennis to a vampire summer camp, hoping the kid's fangs come out faster.

From the poster alone, we already know that this sequel will be a cute juvenile romp with delightful "monsters". The story line is reminiscent of other films, like "Sky High" or "The Incredibles," about the distress caused by an offspring who apparently did not have the superpowers of his parents. In the first film, the laughs came from Dracula struggling with the problem of his daughter falling in love with a human. In this sequel, it was also Dracula's struggles about this grandson that make this film funny (mildly) more than anything else.

Since this is a sequel, the artwork was basically the same as the first one, with most of the characters coming back to reprise their roles. Curiously, the look of the new main character baby Dennis was not at all original. With his full head of wild curly red hair, Dennis looked almost exactly like the baby brothers of Merida in "Brave."  The design of Great Grandpa Vlad and more so his scary sidekick Bela and his army of ghoulish vampire bats could be the stuff of nightmares for very young kids. The special effect of flames looked very good.

Adam Sandler's voice was very apparent as Count Dracula. You can totally imagine him talking in that "Dracula" accent. The cast list boasts of an impressive roster of noted comedians past and present who were all able to project their comic personas through their voice work for their characters. Of course, Sandler's usual movie posse is there composed of Kevin James (as Frankenstein), Steve Buscemi (as Werewolf Wayne), and David Spade (as Invisible Man Griffin). Andy Samberg plays the goofy Jonathan opposite teen star Selena Gomez as Mavis. In smaller supporting roles are Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman (as human grandparents Linda and Mike), Dana Carvey (as Camp Counselor Dana), Fran Drescher (as Frankenstein's wife Eunice), and the most esteemed Mel Brooks (as Vlad).

This another one of those zany, hyper, and yes, predictable animated films for the juvenile set, ultimately not too memorable. Despite the illustrious cast of comics though, the big laughs in this film are only few and far between. At most, a smile or a little chuckle here and there are all you get. Despite some disturbing scenes of apparent child endangerment in this film, you know this is all done in the spirit of silly fun and nothing bad is really going to happen. 5/10.

Review of ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL: On Friendship and Films

September 18, 2015

Greg (Thomas Mann) is an awkward introverted teenager who would rather stay invisible in high-school. Together with his childhood pal Earl (RJ Cyler), whom he would rather call his "co-worker," Greg would rather create strange little videos spoofing films he watched, as influenced by his quirky stay-at-home Dad (Nick Offerman). 

One day, Greg's overeager Mom (Connie Britton) nags him to visit his schoolmate Rachel (Olivia Cooke) who had just been diagnosed to have Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. While Greg's first visit was coerced, he and Rachel actually hit it off very well and became very good friends. However, it was a friendship he described as "doomed" from the start.

Like all the other coming-of-age films before it, from "The Breakfast Club" to "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", "Me and Earl" also tackles friendship among teens and how these friendships develop their individual personalities. Being an independent film, "Me and Earl" does not exactly have the gloss of a big Hollywood production. However, being indie -- with unknown actors and non-mainstream musical soundtrack-- gave it a fresh and unusual vibe. 

Lead actor Thomas Mann, with his unusual sad sack facial features, was the perfect actor for a role like Greg. He might be trapped in playing socially-inept nerdy characters like this for sometime though. RJ Cyler has that cool laid back brother vibe as Earl. It would also be his character who suddenly would spout the most intuitive and profound sentiments at the most unexpected moments. Olivia Cooke was radiant as the ill-fated Rachel. Her big round eyes are very expressive of her inner thoughts.

Being a film buff, the best of parts of the movie for me are those hilarious spoofs of old classic films as ingeniously made by Greg and Earl. Breathless (1960) by Jean-Luc Godard became "Breathe Less". The Grapes of Wrath (1940) by John Ford became "The Prunes of Wrath". Rashomon (1950) by Akira Kurosawa became "Monorash". The Seventh Seal (1957) by Ingmar Bergman became "The Seven Seals". A Clockwork Orange (1971) by Stanley Kubrick became "A Sockwork Orange".  These delightful juvenile parodies were painstakingly made combining live action with stop-action animation and puppetry. The cover designs of their DVD covers were also very witty.

This film may not be for all tastes. Just last year, the depressing topic of cancer in a teenager was tackled in the box-office hit "The Fault in Our Stars." "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" may have the same central story, but it has a remarkable difference -- this is not a love story, not exactly. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon has a hip and vibrant vision of Jesse Andrews' script (adapted from his own novel). It is more of a coming of age movie, about a teenager discovering himself and the friends around him. It was more about the journey and the artistic way it was told, than its inevitable destination. 7/10.

Review of EVEREST: An Adventure Glorious and Gloomy

September 17, 2015

This film tells the true story of a group of men who dared to climb to the peak, braving a harsh environment physiologically-incompatible with human life. Bob Cotter ran Adventures Consultants, a service to guide climbers willing to shell out $75,000 up to the Everest summit. His support staff includes base camp manager Helen Wilton, medic Dr. Caroline Mackenzie, along with a number of expert climbers and native sherpas for guides. 

For the fateful climb on May 10, 1976, we follow expedition group leader Rob Hall and his group composed of doctor Beck Weathers, mailman Doug Hansen, journalist Jon Krakauer (who eventually wrote the book about this climb), female Japanese veteran climber Yasuko Namba and others. Before their big climb on May 10, they first had a month-long training camp on the lower levels of the mountain in order to acclimatize their bodies to the inhospitable conditions. While the group was up the mountain though, a deadly blizzard descends upon the mountain, placing all the men on the mountain in extreme peril.

Jason Clarke radiated a lot of warmth as compassionate New Zealander expedition group leader Rob Hall. His conversations with his pregnant wife Jan (played by Keira Knightley in a brief yet remarkable supporting performance) were touching and heartbreaking. 

Josh Brolin was loud and arrogant as the wealthy Texan climber Beck. John Hawkes was perfectly self-effacing as Doug, a poor working man whose climb was partially sponsored by school children. Despite his prominent billing, Jake Gyllenhaal plays only a small role as an unconventional surfer-type rival guide. As in his previous films, Sam Worthington was not really very memorable as Bob Cotter. Emily Watson was motherly as the distressed manager Helen. 

I am partial to mountain adventures more than the beach. Based on my limited number of hikes up mountains like Pinatubo or Diamondhead, reaching the peak gives such a victorious feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment. Knowing my limitations as a climber, I know that climbing even a segment of Everest is but an impossible pipe dream. 

That is why I liked this movie a lot. With its spectacular cinematography, this film brought me up to the summit of Everest in such a realistic, involving way. The places on the majestic mountain which I never would have even dreamed of seeing, like the Base Camp (17,000 ft), the Balcony (27,390 ft) or the Hillary Step (28,740 ft), were right there in front of my eyes! 

We see everything along their snowy way -- those elegant yaks, those serene Buddhist monks, all the way up to the legendary peak with the little flags summiteers have planted their as a sign of their successful conquest. We will also see the various faces of the human spirit when challenged by the elements -- from triumph, valor and brotherhood to despair, defeat and resignation. 

Thankfully, the very real dangers of the climb, like the wide crevasses to be crossed on rickety ladders, the icy wind burning the skin off your face, the nasty frostbite that could cost you to lose frozen body parts, or the avalanches that can rumble down on you at anytime, are to be experienced from the safety of your theater seats. 

The parts of the film when the characters were just making their way up the mountain and training for the big climb may be slow for certain audience members. You will learn a lot about the medical aspect of climbing up to an oxygen-poor altitude such as that of Everest. For me, I vicariously immersed myself in that literally breathtaking climbing experience which for certain I will never have myself. 

Man, in his quest to prove that he the master of this world, has this unquenchable desire to conquer the earth's highest peak -- Mt. Everest. However in climbing Everest, the last word, as the film tells us, always belonged to the mountain. 8/10.

Review of HENERAL LUNA: Hot-Headed and Heroic

September 15, 2015

Once in rare while, there comes a Filipino film which is uniformly celebrated by both critics and mainstream audiences alike. ""Heneral Luna" by Jerrold Tarog has been receiving rave reviews since before and during its regular run in cinemas starting last week. I was so frustrated that I had not been able to attend the press previews nor the first days of showing. I read positive things about it everyday on social media, it is hard to ignore. Fortunately I was finally able to watch it today on what may be the last day of its theater run. 

"Heneral Luna" tells us a more detailed account of the life of one of the revolutionary heroes we learn about in school, yet know practically nothing about -- Gen. Antonio Luna. Practically all we know about him is that he had a very bad temper which gained him a lot of enemies, eventually leading to his assassination. Aside from telling us specific situations where this legendary temper flared up, we also get to meet him more intimately as a leader, a soldier, as a son and as a man. 

Even from his intense penetrating gaze and formidable mustache in the poster alone, you already know John Arcilla will be excellent in this film. His comic timing was impeccable. It was a most vibrant performance of a most vivid man, making him really loom larger than life. He was over-the-top in his explosiveness, just the way Tarog wanted him to be. The way he was built up, we were ready for that climactic assassination scene, however outrageous the savagery. 

Mon Confiado was a picture of ironic calm as President Emilio Aguinaldo. The more movies we watch about the revolution certainly brings up more and more questions about the controversial Aguinaldo. Nonie Buencamino was so slimy as his treacherous surname-sake Felipe Buencamino. That nonchalant look on Lorenz Martinez face was so hateful as he essayed the role of the equally haughty Gen. Tomas Mascardo. 

It was also such a casting risk and surprise to put known comedians in such key roles, like Epy Quizon as Apolinario Mabini, Leo Martinez as Pedro Paterno and Ketchup Eusebio as the vengeful Capt. Pedro Janolino. I must admit their presence can be distracting in certain dramatic moments, particularly Eusebio. Or maybe that was their purpose -- to balance out the severe seriousness of those scenes.

You immediately upfront that the filmmakers were aiming high for this film. The initial introductory texts were written in English, signifying intentions for this film to make the rounds of foreign film festivals. (I read that there were even certain reels with English subtitles shown in some more upscale cinemas.) The presence of disclaimers stating that this is a work of fiction inspired by fact could somehow raise an uneasy question as to how much fiction was in there mixed among the facts.

This film will also grab you with its gorgeous cinematography. The images on the big screen had such vivid colors and innovative camera angles. The period production design and the costume design were meticulous in detail. During a beautifully-edited flashback sequence, there was a stylized scene about Rizal's execution that was so uniquely and hauntingly rendered. There are most gruesome and graphic special effects showing the violent brutality of warfare which will shock you. That reference to the Juan Luna's painting masterpiece "Spoliarium" towards the end was both poignant and ingenious.

The historical storytelling was very clear, exciting and engaging from beginning to end, with a fresh graphic novel feel to it. Humor was such an unexpected yet integral element of the script, from those crisp off-color expletives of Luna to those sarcastic side comments of Lt. Rusca (Archie Alemania) and many more in between of different shades. The patriotic sentiments were very poetically-written, but the way they were delivered here felt sincere. They did not sound preachy or cheesy, like when such lines were mouthed by Robin Padilla in "Bonifacio" or Jeorge E.R. Ejército in "El Presidente". 

Just like a Marvel film, there was an extra scene in the middle of the closing credits, suggesting a next film featuring Paulo Avelino as Gen. Gregorio del Pilar. There was also a brief cameo appearance of Benjamin Alves as a young Manuel L. Quezon, hinting at a possible trilogy. This is a very exciting plan indeed which we all hope will materialize given the success of "Heneral Luna".

I hear this is also under consideration of being submitted for Oscar consideration, and I support that campaign. The screening I caught today was a full-house despite being 1:30 in the afternoon on a weekday. It was really gratifying to see a quality Filipino film have commercial success even if it was not an inane comedy or "kilig" teen flick with box-office stars in the cast. 

Kudos to Artikulo Uno Productions and director-film editor-musical scorer Jerrold Tarog for coming up with what may just be the best, certainly the most audacious, Filipino film released this year to date. Like Gen. Luna, this film leads a mad charge on horseback with a raised fist against Filipinos who say they love their country yet look out for their personal interests first. Let's hope this strong message hits its targets. 9/10.

Review of SINISTER 2: Vexing Videos

September 13, 2015

"Sinister" was a critical and commercially successful horror film in 2012. Ethan Hawke starred as Ellison Oswalt, an author of true crime novels who moves his family into the very home where a gruesome family massacre had previously taken place. He discovers a box of film reels which had video footage documenting the deaths of several families. His research turns into a real life horror for him and his family. I liked the first "Sinister" film, as it was as its title states.

This sequel "Sinister 2" is connected to the first film via the character of James Ransome. He was the deputy in the first film who was helping the Oswalt family. In this new film, he had quit the police force to become a private investigator. He is, as he was before, still unnamed, only known as Ex-Deputy So-and-So.  

This time, he gets involved with a battered wife Courtney, who is in hiding from her brutish husband Clint. Unknown to her, Courtney's two young sons Zach and Dylan are being visited by ghostly children controlled by a shadowy being called the Bughuul. The twins were made to watch grisly videos of the other kids killing their family. 

The scary highlights here are those dastardly evil snuff videos of some of the creepiest and most violent ways of killing people. With ominously innocent titles, like "Fishing Trip" or "Christmas Morning," those faded films are disturbing to say the least, and had matched or even upped the gruesomeness of those in the first film. Their accompanying music soundtrack record makes the atmosphere in that basement even more sinister.

The devil children are shown in plain sight here interacting with Zach and Dylan. It is actually quite disturbing to think that these kid actors were actually exposed to and performing in such evil scenes. I am especially bothered by the diabolically violent scenes of Dartanian Sloan who portrayed the character of the naughtier twin Zach. His real life twin, Robert Daniel Sloan, plays the meeker, more vulnerable twin Dylan. 

James Ransome makes a good lead character here as he is likable and not the usual superhuman hero. He is usually clueless, clumsy and easily creeped out like the rest of us, so we can identify with him. The writers somehow sneaked in some sort of an awkward romance between the ex-deputy and the pretty Courtney (played by Shannyn Sossamon). I thought that was a bit on the cheesy side.

Originality (which is a big factor for my 9/10 rating of the first film) is not there anymore of course because this is a sequel, but we do get to meet the bad guy Bughuul better in this one. New director Ciaran Foy still employed several horror film cliches like jump scares, but again I thought they worked for the film's advantage. Overall, I thought "Sinister 2" matched the creep and scare factors of the first. It is definitely worth the watch for those in the mood for a good horror film. 8/10. 

Review of MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS: Rogues, Rebels and Zombies!

September 10, 2015

Almost exactly one year ago, the first "Maze Runner" film was released in local theaters. I thought that the action sequences within the maze scenes were all quite exciting and very entertaining to watch. However, after all the excellent suspense and tension built up in the first two-thirds of the film, at the end nothing really gets explained clearly.  It felt like an incomplete film on its own. For those it gets interested though, this sequel is expected to give answers to questions raised in the first film.

While under the care of a high-security facility, Thomas becomes increasingly suspicious of Janson, the man in charge. When he overhears a sinister plot hatching, he gets his fellow Gladers out to brave the arid desert called the Scorch outside. However, it was not only the elements they have to worry about, there were still a horde of killer zombies called the Cranks out there to contend with. Thomas and his gang survive the Scorch and unite with the rebel group in the mountains in order to fight the danger foisted on humanity by the increasingly mysterious Dr. Ava Paige and her WCKD organization.

Dylan O'Brien continues his good portrayal of the ever-doubting Thomas. In this film, his character would need to make a lot of difficult decisions and O'Brien convinces us that he can make those hard choices. The other young actors in his gang do not really do too much to stand out. Aidan Gillen, the ever-slimy Littlefinger on "Game of Thrones" brings his smarmy charms in this film as the Rat-Man, Janson. One look at him and I cannot really separate him from his TV character. 

Rosa Salazar gives a strong performance as Brenda, a survivor within the city ruins whom Thomas encounters. She registers better onscreen than the main female lead Kaya Scodelario, who plays Teresa. It was good to see another "Game of Thrones" actress in there, the attractive Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays Harriet, one of the rebels. Veteran actresses Lili Taylor and Patricia Clarkson lend class to their rival scientist characters, Mary Cooper and Ava Paige, respectively.

The excitement build up strongly in the first act. However the second act in the Scorch felt a bit slow as the Cranks overstay their parts too long. Their horror scenes were effectively creepy at first but they get a bit too repetitive. A protracted hallucinatory party scene can also be quite head-scratching. The third act though hikes up the explosive climactic action and revives anticipatory audience excitement for the next installment. The production design of elaborate setup of the WCKD laboratory and the ruins of the huge city looked very good. At the end of the 130 minute running time, there are still a lot of questions about the true intentions of WCKD, or is that name alone already a giveaway clue?

There was no more maze in this movie anymore for the characters to run through. However, the maze is for the viewer who has to try to absorb this whole labyrinthine dystopian world that James Dashner hatched in his novels. Director Wes Ball does his best to make the complex plot engaging, exciting and entertaining with some pretty well-executed action scenes. Overall, when compared to the first "Maze Runner", this sequel was the more satisfying film for me. 7/10.