March 18, 2020
During the Enhanced Community Quarantine declared by the government on response to the insidious Coronavirus Disease 19, one of the directives for social distancing is the closure of all movie houses for one whole month. In response to this, TBA Studios has released 8 of their films on YouTube so Filipino film fans have something to enjoy in the next four weeks of being confined in their homes.
Of the 8 films, I had already seen and written reviews for two of them. These were: "Bliss" (Jerrold Tarog, 2017, MY REVIEW) and " Matangtubig" (Jet Leyco, 2015, MY REVIEW). I the past two days I was able to binge on the other five films on their channel that I had not yet seen before. They were all of relatively short length, tackled interesting topics and had slick production values that made watching them one after the other in three days a breeze.
These first three films I will write about all had their Philippine premieres as films in competition at the QCinema Film Festival of 2015.
IISA
Director: Chuck Gutierrez
Writer: Arnel Mardoquio
There was a major typhoon in the province of Compostela Valley, and the people were starving in its aftermath of its destruction. A group of NPA rebels, led by Monir (Perry Dizon), Mao (Mon Confiado) and Rufo (Jess Mendoza), were looking for food for the sustenance of their group. Meanwhile, Rufo's wife Ross (Angeli Bayani) was being accused of stealing money from their funds, and sought comfort from their spiritual leader Sister Jo (Rio Locsin).
This is very sad story of social injustice was framed with beautiful cinematography and a stirring musical score. The film opens with an elegant overhead shot of men stirring to life in a pit of mud during a downpour, a memorable scene which is depicted in the film's poster. The film closes with the camera on the ground facing the sky while rain is falling down on it. The haunting elegiac strings music playing during this scene was reminiscent of "Schindler's List." The veteran actors in the cast all performed with realistic grit. 7/10.
GAYUMA
Director: Cesar Hernando
Writer: Cesar Hernando
Mike (Benjamin Alves) is the grandson of a famous painter and is a fine arts student in UP himself. He is in a relationship with Joy (Elora Espano), a film student in the same university. One day, his attention was drawn to Stella (Pheobe Walker), an elusive model he saw in one of the figure drawing sessions. As Mike's attraction to Stella eventually turned into an erotic obsession, he realized that there had been more passed on to him by his grandfather aside from his artistic talents.
What seemed to be a sexy drama in its poster turned out to have an undercurrent of horror running though it. The old house where Mike lived made sure you feel that from the outset. While the camera visuals and the main actors may look good, the simple story was just too overstretched to be compelling. Most of you can already figure out what was the whole point maybe at the halfway point yet it still took its time. Along the way, we get nude sketching sessions, cantankerous arts professors and Cherie Gil as Mark's chic tita. 4/10.
PATINTERO: ANG ALAMAT NI MENG PATALO
Director: Mihk Vergara
Writer: Zig Marasigan
Meng (Nafa Hilario Cruz) was the leader of a gang of misfits, which included her nerdy best friend Nicay (Lenlen Frial) and wimpy new kid Shifty (William Buenavente). The other kids in their school always made fun of them because they always lost in their favorite sport, Patintero. For the annual community Patintero competition, Meng convinced her team to join under the name of "Mga Patalo" ("The Losers"). A mysterious cape and mask-wearing kid who called himself Z-Boy (Claude Adrales) materialized out of nowhere to become their fourth team member.
The most striking aspect of this film are the frenetic scenes of patintero, depicting the exaggerated game action with brightly-colored graphic designs and an energetic musical score. Of course, these animated scenes did get repetitive after a few times, but they were fun anyhow. The film went on a rather dark turn when it tackled the sibling rivalry between Meng and her older brother (Vince Magbanua), which stressed their chain-smoking grandmother (Suzette Ranillo) out a lot. Nevertheless, lessons on teamwork and sportsmanship make this a fun and worthwhile film for kids, which led to its win as audience favorite during the filmfest. 6/10.
My Part 2 of this review set is posted HERE.
March 12, 2020
BLOODSHOT
Director: David S. F. Wilson
US Marine soldier Ray Garrison was mercilessly killed along with his wife. He was brought back to life by scientists with his body enhanced by advanced technology that gave him super strength, extreme agility and self-repair. Time eventually came when he began to remember the moment when he and his wife were murdered and the man responsible for the heinous crime. He broke out of his training facility to exact revenge, but was he actually remembering the correct memories?
This was a very typical Vin Diesel action vehicle which may easily be interchanged with all his past vindictive tough-guy characters. The computer-generated special effects were a lot more obvious and cartoonish here than his other films, like "Fast and the Furious," "Chronicles of Riddick" or "xXx." Of course, you get your expected dose of high-octane, high-tech action Diesel is known for, this time with futuristic sci-fi production design, but not skimping on the gore. Adrenaline junkies will still enjoy this, but the story would be easily forgettable right after a while. 5/10.
GUNS AKIMBO
Director: Jason Lei Howden
An underground organization called Skizm organized live-streaming death matches for sheer entertainment. There was a nerdy computer game programmer named Miles enjoyed trash-talking in the Skizm chatrooms. This activity gained the attention of Riktor, the psycho owner of Skizm, who decided to convert Miles into one of the crazy warriors in his violent game. Riktor had guns surgically attached to Miles' hands, thus earning him the nickname of "Guns Akimbo" among the game fanboys. To make Miles' ordeal more extreme, he was pit against the deadliest Skizm figher of them all, Nix.
After being Harry Potter for the first 10 years of his career, Daniel Radcliffe's subsequent roles had been very unusual and offbeat, like "Horns" (2013) or "Victor Frankenstein" (2015). These roles were certainly as far form Harry Potter as can be (that seems to be the rationale for his choices), however, nothing particularly memorable, unfortunately. This current role as Miles is another one of these weird roles where Radcliffe was again deformed into some sort of a monster, but with his goofy charms still intact. This was certainly original, exhausting and oddly fun in its own way. 6/10.
THE ROOM (2019)
Director: Christian Volckman
Matt and Kate moved into a large house located in the countryside of New Hampshire. While exploring the house, Matt stumbled upon a hidden room which apparent can make any material thing he wished for a reality so he wished for famous paintings (since he is an artist) and loads of cash, among others. Kate, having had two previously miscarriages, wished for her ultimate dream -- a baby of her own. However, they were soon to discover that there is a twist to all these wonderful gifts they had been requesting for.
This was actually a very nifty story right out of the twilight zone. I liked how the story unfolded once the room had been discovered and eventually the secret behind it. The story then escalated into more and more bizarre scenarios as it reached its outlandish climax. This was an unexpectedly compelling little unheralded film which I was glad I was able to watch. Olga Kurylenko never actually had another memorable role after her splash as the Bond girl of "Quantum of Solace" (2008), so it was good to see her exotic beauty and strong screen register again as the confused wife, Kate. 7/10.
March 6, 2020
Gabby (Lovi Poe) and Dennis (Marco Gumabao) were best of friends, in a very close but strictly platonic relationship. One day, Gabby's boyfriend was her fellow film buff Gabriel (Tony Labrusca). One day during their wedding preparations, Gabriel met a fatal car accident. Gabby was left such a depressed wreck that she was somehow able to conjure up a seemingly flesh-and-blood Gabriel, who still controlled her every action and decision. Problems arose more than a year later when Dennis declared to Gabby that he loved her romantically after all. However, Gabriel would not allow that to happen.
The big twist of this love triangle was that one of these men competing for Lovi Poe's attention was actually already dead and was just a ghost. This was not exactly a novel idea, but it could have been an interesting twist, if only the esteemed writer Ricky Lee and director Joel Lamangan had been clear and consistent about where the ghost came from. Was the ghost Gabriel was a result of Gabby's distraught mind following his death, or was he a restless soul who could not cross over to the other side? The filmmakers could not decide and contradicted themselves many times. If Gabriel's ghost came from Gabby's mind, then he should not have decisions of his own. Furthermore, their conceit that we should believe and accept that Gabby perceived Gabriel's ghost as solid bordered on insulting.
I thought it was nifty how the ghost aspect was introduced gradually. So if you came in not knowing this supernatural aspect of the film, you actually would be surprised. However, maybe because of budget constraints, they could not really give Gabriel that ghostly "glow" special effect all of the time. In the first ghost scene, people were seen walking through Gabriel. However, after that. Gabby had to open the car door for Gabriel to come out. In one blatant goof, Gabriel actually opened and closed the car door himself when he rode the car. This dismal disregard for detail was certainly cause for derision and dismay.
Whatever sensuality the alluring poster promised, the rating of PG given by MTRCB would likely make you temper your expectations. Despite the hype, there were only two lovemaking scenes, very similarly shot in extreme close-ups with brief flashes of skin here and there, one with Gabby and Gabriel, and one with Gabby and Dennis. Even if these scenes were relatively tame, this should have been rated an R-13 at least. For me, it is rated only PG if there had been no actual sex scenes at all.
Like several films lately, the protagonists all had ambitions to become filmmakers, and were working on a script for an indie romance. I guess it was funny in a way when the characters criticized their own script for being about being unable to move on from a failed relationship, when the whole film in itself was about a major case of being unable to move on. The actors were attractive, yes, but acting-wise, their performances were limited by the implausibility of how the story went and the silliness of what they were given to do. I believe the germ of a good story was in there somewhere, but how it came out onscreen was just not good. 3/10.
January 21, 2020
My very first review published on ABS-CBNNews.com came out June 6, 2013. That was a largely negative assessment of the Will and Jaden Smith disaster called "After Earth." I never dreamed that I could reach the 100-mark in less than a year's time after that.
And now 6 years later, the number of my articles that appeared on ABS-CBNNews.com have gone beyond 800. I am humbled and very thankful for my editor's continued trust and confidence in my opinion writing about movies, plays and concerts.
"Avengers:Endgame," "Captain Marvel" and "Frozen 2" aside (since they were written by other reviewers), here is the list of the 20 most popular movie reviews on ABS-CBNNews.com which carried my byline for the year 2019:
20. Downton Abbey (LINK): Posted at Sep 30 2019 05:35 AM
19. Because I Love You (LINK): Posted at Jun 28 2019 01:09 PM
18. Toy Story 4 (LINK): Posted at Jun 24 2019 04:28 PM
17. Midway (LINK): Posted at Oct 29 2019 05:02 PM
16. Eerie (LINK): Posted at Mar 29 2019 05:09 PM
15. It Chapter 2 (LINK): Posted at Sep 15 2019 09:27 AM
14. Midsommar (LINK): Posted at Jul 28 2019 11:35 AM
13. My Letters to Happy (LINK): Posted at Jul 21 2019 09:51 AM
12. The Two Popes (LINK): Posted at Dec 22 2019 09:45 AM
11. John Denver Trending (LINK): Posted at Aug 09 2019 12:51 PM
10. Joker (LINK): Posted at Oct 07 2019 1:14 PM
9. Quezon’s Game (LINK): Posted at May 31 2019 11:41 AM
8. Jowable (LINK): Posted at Sep 29 2019 9:40 AM
7. Weathering With You (LINK): Posted at Aug 29 2019 11:59 AM
6. Just A Stranger (LINK): Posted at Aug 23 2019 12:02 PM
5. Isa Pa With Feelings (LINK): Posted at Oct 22 2019 12:03 AM
4. Dead Kids (LINK): Posted at Dec 04 2019 1:03 PM
3. Alone Together (LINK): Posted at Feb 15 2019 1:51 AM
2. Unforgettable (LINK): Posted at Oct 24 2019 12:06 PM
1. Hello Love Goodbye (LINK): Posted at Aug 02 2019 11:31 AM
March 1, 2020
A film by Pixar is invariably a big movie event. Ever since 1995 when it gained critical and commercial acclaim with "Toy Story," every new Pixar film had been met with much anticipation from kids of all ages. Yes, including me. For some reason though, this latest film of theirs "Onward" (the first Pixar film without John Lasseter) went under my radar, so I knew nothing about it when I went in to watch the advanced screening. The vague nondescript title did not give any clues, so discovering the plot unfold was going to be very exciting.
The story was set in New Mushroomton, a suburban community of magical creatures who had steadily lost their magical abilities because of the progress of modern technology made their powers seem obsolete. The story centered on a family of elves named Lightfoot, headed by widowed mother Laurel (Julia Louis Dreyfus). She had two teenage boys: a reckless, role playing game addict eldest son Barley (Chris Pratt); and his timid, fearful younger brother Ian (Tom Holland).
On the occasion of Ian's 16th birthday, Laurel brought out a gift from their departed father which could enable a spell to bring him back to life for 24 hours. Since Ian only discovered that he had wizard abilities just that day, he was only able to bring the lower half of his body back. The two brothers then had to embark on a grand quest to recover a rare gemstone which could allow Ian to complete the spell, but they only had less than 20 hours to do so, or else they lose the chance to reunite with their father forever.
Unlike other Pixar films which were impressively original in content, this one felt like you've seen it before. The suburban community of mythical creatures reminded me of Guillermo del Toro's Netflix animated series "Trollhunters." That Ian discovered his wizard abilities on his birthday was rather Harry Potter-ish, as well as his failed initial attempts at casting spells. There was also a bit of "Frozen" in the mix as well, as it centered on the relationship between two siblings who never really quite got along well while growing up.
Even some aspects fo the artwork, a main Pixar hallmark, felt like you've seen it before. The characters here looked like they were from a Dreamworks film rather than a Disney-Pixar film. In particular, the hefty Barley Lightfoot looked very similar to the character of Snoutlout from "How to Train Your Dragon" among other familiar looking characters. They also mined older Pixar films for inspiration. For instance, the character design of the Manticore (Octavia Spencer) I felt looked like a cross between Sully of "Monsters Inc." and Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear of "Toy Story 3."
However, I have to say there were still a lot of proudly Pixar moments, most especially those exhilarating moments of the brothers crossing the bottomless chasm or fighting the major curse unleashed by the magic gem. The voice work of Pratt and Holland were perfect for their characters. This film may appeal more to older kids than the very young ones, whom I only heard laughing during those requisite slapstick comedy scenes in films like this. The pacing was rather uneven along the way. However, that final battle and the dramatic scenes of brotherhood that follow will get your undivided attention and emotional connection. 7/10.
February 29, 2020
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
Director: Jeff Fowler
Sonic was a powerful super-sonic alien hedgehog who sought refuge on Earth when bad guys on his home planet wanted to capture him. For 10 years, he hid out alone in Green Hills, Montana. One night, Sonic caused an electromagnetic pulse that caused a massive power outage. The government called on the eccentric genius Dr. Robotnik to contain the source of the electrical surge. Sonic, along with his favorite human, local sheriff Tom Wachowski, make a road trip to San Francisco to retrieve his bag of rings which could create portals to help him escape to another planet.
I only knew Sonic as a Sega video game character but I never really played any Sonic video game. However, the Sonic in this film was really cute, easily likable and very delightful in his antics, as he wished to complete his own bucket list of human things for him to do with the help of Tom, who was played by a uncharacteristically un-serious James Marsden (whose most famous character Cyclops barely even smiled). The main comic highlight was Jim Carrey reprising another snide slapstick character Dr. Robotnik, like those he famously brought to life in the beginning of his career, like "Ace Ventura Pet Detective" and "The Mask." The two after-credit scenes brought back more video game nostalgia and promised an entertaining sequel. 7/10.
THE NIGHT CLERK
Director: Michael Cristofer
Bart was a 23 year-old young man who had high-functioning Asperger's syndrome living with his mom who worked in the front desk of a hotel. To learn speech patterns and behavior of "normal" people, Bart surreptitiously took videos of guests via cameras he hid in their rooms. One night, he witnessed a murder of a female guest at the hands of a man with whom she was having a secret affair. Police detective Espada felt that Bart was not being on the level. Meanwhile, Bart noted that Andrea, a female guest he liked and became close with, may also be in danger.
The most remarkable aspect of this quiet creepy voyeuristic film were the performances of its lead actors, Tye Sheridan as Bart and Ana de Armas as Andrea. Sheridan, in a complete turn-around from his hyper character in "Ready Player One," was convincing as someone within the autistic spectrum, with his little odd mannerisms and repetitive verbal tics coming off very naturally. Ana de Armas, whom I just knew from her recent role in the winning ensemble of "Knives Out," was mysterious and beguiling. Their tender interactions lifted the film from the limitations of the weak script. Long absent 90s star Helen Hunt played Bart's protective mom Ethel, while John Leguizamo played the suspicious Detective Espada. 5/10.
IP MAN 4: THE FINALE
Director: Wilson Yip
Action Director: Yuen Wo Ping
Master Ip traveled to San Francisco, California to find a school for his rebellious son. For this he needed a letter of endorsement from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. However, association president Mr. Wan was reluctant to give him that letter because of his displeasure with the attitudes of Bruce Lee, Ip's celebrated student who was then teaching Chinese martial arts to Americans. Meanwhile, Master Ip also tried to help US Marine Corp staff sergeant Hartman Wu to integrate Chinese martial arts into their training program, but met severe resistance from his sadistic superior, gunnery Sgt. Geddes, who believed karate was superior.
For this final installment, the Master was on a fictional trip to the US, where he joined the fight for rights of Chinese immigrants and respect for Chinese culture, specifically martial arts. Donnie Yen's performance as Master Yip was as serene as ever, and his elegant Wing Chun fighting skills were still the main draw of this film. Danny Chan's portrayal of superstar Bruce Lee was magnetic. Vanness Wu, once famed for his long hair as part of the F4, now sported a very close-cropped military haircut for his role as a Marine staff sergeant. However, Scott Adkin's portrayal of insultingly bad American soldier Geddes was one-dimensional and downright caricaturish. 7/10.
February 27, 2020
Architect Cecilia Kass was trapped in an oppressive relationship with Adrian Griffin, a very wealthy innovator in the field of optics. One night, she decided to escape from their beautiful fortress-like seaside mansion with the help of her sister Alice. Deeply traumatized and paranoid, she hid at the home of her old policeman friends, Detective James Lanier, and his teenage daughter Sydney.
Two weeks later, news reaches Cecilia that Adrian had committed suicide. She reluctantly met with Adrian's lawyer brother Tom to talk about an inheritance that Adrian had left her, with the condition that she had no involvement in crime and remained sound of mind. However, right after that meeting, Cecilia began to experience inexplicable events which made her look crazy in front of other people, including the very people dear to her.
The story of an invisible man was from the fertile mind of H.G. Wells in 1897. The name of Wells' invisible man Griffin is likewise used here as the surname of Adrian. Both Griffins were experts in optics. The first Griffin used chemicals to render bodies invisible. In this new one, Griffin used a suit of micro-cameras to make himself invisible. How? No idea. They never thought it would be helpful to elaborate the technology used, even a theoretical one. However, his invisibility made his obsession to control Cecilia's life even more sinister.
Lead actress Elizabeth Moss had been more famous in her TV roles, in acclaimed series like "The West Wing," "Mad Men" (for which she won a SAG Best Actress award) and more recently "the Handmaid's Tale" (for which she won an Emmy Best Actress award). Since we do not see her tormentor, we only see the terrifying ordeal of Moss as Cecilia. She was totally invested in this exhausting role, needing to act as if someone was throwing or pulling her around even if she was all alone in that scene. With her vulnerability all out on her sleeve there onscreen, you will feel for her as she teetered on the edge of sanity.
The musical score by Benjamin Wallfisch was pretty intense in a lot of scenes, creating a wall of sound in those moments of extreme suspense. In contrast, there were also suspenseful moments in total silence with no music at all, and those scenes likewise kept me on edge. Director Leigh Whanell (writing and directing for the third time since "Insidious: Chapter 3" in 2015) had crafted a nifty and gripping thriller, complete with some feminist undertones as per recent trends in dramas. There was certainly more to this than the seemingly spoiling trailer would suggest. This Blumhouse film is a winner. 7/10.
February 26, 2020
Med tech Marge and artist Mike used to be lovers. The end of their relationship was not good. Five years later, Mike flew back home from the US to apologize for his past misdeeds, but bitter Marge would not hear of it. However, when a major gaffe at work necessitated Marge to make a long drive to Laoag, she allowed Mike to tag along. Together for more than 12 hours on the road, will Mike finally be able to gain Marge's forgiveness?
The initial scenes set at Marge's place of work -- a diagnostic laboratory -- was highly improbable from the get-go. Real-life med techs would never act as unprofessionally as those careless fools we saw in that unfortunate sequence of events, no matter how busy they get during their shifts. The whole contrived situation was manipulated unnaturally to be able to set up a long road trip for Marge and Mike. This opening scenario alone already warned me not to expect too much from the rest of the film.
It was only during this road trip that we are given the details about their failed romance. It turns out that the beginning of how they became lovers was actually as bad as how their relationship ended. Every possible coincidence just had to be in the right place in order to make all the stars align for that moment that Marge met Mike, whom she considered to be the answer to her fervent request to the patron saint of Monasterio de Tarlac for her to get a boyfriend soon. Unfortunately, Mike came along with complicated issues to overcome.
Marge was a medical student when she was with Mike, but it was incredible how much free time she seemed to have. Even on those weekends when her classmates needed to review, she can afford to take road trips to Zambales to attend an art festival. The whole thing about Marge being the third wheel between Mike and his then girlfriend Ana was also very unrealistic. Like, since when would a third party be invited to an intimate dinner meant to celebrate a "monthsary" of a couple, even if she was a close friend?
The way they ended their relationship was also fraught with a terrible strain of incredulity. So when there was a drowning incident involving a friend and Marge was not able to revive her with rudimentary CPR. For some contorted logic, a few days later (not immediately mind you, he had time to think about it), Mike actually accused Marge of killing their friend and even called her a failure as a future doctor. Marge was clearly not responsible for making that girl drink herself silly and go swimming into the ocean to drown. That scene was unbearable because of its ultra-overdone melodrama.
Lead stars Jane Oineza (as Marge) and RK Bagatsing (as Mike) did well to perform their roles effectively despite all the limitations of the story. They were able to project their ill-fated romance well, given whatever reasonable or unreasonable situation the script made them do. The two actors were also credited at the end for their contributions to the script, which I guess really needed a lot of improvisation to spice things up. They were definitely the plusses of this production, even though their box office appeal has yet to be proven.
Sarah Edwards played the impossibly magnanimous best friend and girlfriend Ana. Jin Macapagal played Paolo, the poor guy from Laoag to whom Marge had to personally apologize. He also got to channel Whoopi Goldberg's Oda Mae Brown in a couple of scenes. They could have cast a bigger girl in that last scene to play Paolo's daughter Lois to reflect the five years that has supposedly passed.
Just when you thought this plodding story had nowhere else to go, there suddenly came a twist out from left field. The big reveal was the major gamble of the writer Juvy Galamiton (who also wrote "Gandarrapiddo," "Ghost Bride" and "Indak") and director Joy A. Aquino (a cinematographer on her feature film debut) to give this sappy love story a preternatural closure, and hope that the viewers will watch it in awe for its cleverness, instead of derision for its incredulity. It is one of those "love it or hate it," "believe it or not" scenarios.
For me, I would give that climactic plot twist credit for at least enlivening the final act, which up to that point had just been wallowing in endless, tiresome, repeating lines of bickering, regrets, and apologies. 4/10.
February 24, 2020
Once upon a time, there were three women who worked for the American right-wing, conservative cable TV news channel, Fox News. Invariably, like all other women featured on camera in this channel, they were not only confident and articulate when they speak, they also generally fit a common mold -- white, blonde, beautiful and sexy. The way the network blocked them on set made sure their legs were seen on TV.
In the 2015 presidential primary, popular newscaster Megyn Kelly confronted then candidate Donald Trump about his misogynistic statements and acts against women. When Trump and his rabid fans turned against her, Fox got her back. When an issue about sexual harassment erupted within Fox News itself, she hesitated to take any action -- at first. However, she knew in herself that she had to make an important decision soon.
On the other hand, Fox & Friends co-anchor Gretchen Carlson (former Miss America 1989) had fallen from the graces of her bosses and was being fired from Fox. In retaliation, Carlson accused Fox big boss Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, something she had meticulously documented over the years. She opened a can of worms which had long festered within their organization where women who dared to complain were shut up.
Meanwhile one day, a pretty, young Fox new recruit Kayla Pospisil was called into Roger Ailes's office. Aside from talking business, she was asked to raise her skirt, among other things. Being the new girl, Kayla was pressured to keep silent about what transpired behind Ailes' locked door, on the pain of losing her precious opportunity to be an anchor. Her liberal lesbian friend Jess (Kate Mc Kinnon), could not risk her job as producer to help her.
Charlize Theron was nominated for Best Actress for her apt portrayal of Kelly's quandary of professional ethics. Nicole Kidman was also remarkable in her portrayal of the bitter Carlson. In another year, she could have been a nominee as well. Since their characters were based on real life people who were still actively seen on TV, the challenge for these actresses for authenticity was formidable.
Seeing Margot Robbie's innocent Kayla in front of a lecherous Ailes was one terribly uncomfortable scene to sit through. For that scene alone, her nomination for the Best Supporting Actress was unquestionable. Veteran actor John Lithgow was barely recognizable as he morphed into the predator Ailes, who physical infirmities did not curb the sexual maniac within him.
The initial buildup of this film's premise took some time with the Donald Trump angle, which was just an introductory issue to set the mood of the whole proceedings. However, when it got into the main story about Roger Ailes and his sexual predator ways, then things began to get focused and riveting. Theron and Kidman had been transformed into Megyn and Gretchen respectively, looks-wise. This achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling by Kazu Hiro was rewarded with an Oscar. 7/10.
February 20, 2020
Oplan Tokhang was the code name for the recent government project of inviting everyone involved in illegal drugs to come forth, confess their guilt and promise to reform themselves of their destructive habit. However, despite its noble intentions, some of those who voluntarily surrendered to this campaign actually became targets for what seemed to be cases of extra-judicial killings.
Several cinema verite style local indie films had depicted this controversy before, either as central theme or as side vignettes. But this new one by Hollywood-based director of Indian descent, Ben Rekhi, depicts these burning socio-political issues from within, following various characters actually involved in this disturbing culture of violence that pervaded the slums of Metro Manila over the past three years.
Tricycle driver Arturo Ramon (Jess Mendoza) was shot dead by "riding in tandem" killers who cornered him in one section of the slums in Barangay 120 in Caloocan City. Ironically, Turo and his wife Maria (Alessandra de Rossi) just surrendered in the Oplan Tokhang held in their community just the day before. Desperate to fend for herself and her three children, Maria volunteered herself to become the asset of police officer Ventura (Jake Macapagal) who headed the drug investigations. On her very first assignment with her partner Alvin (Art Acuna), Maria realized she did not exactly get what she bargained for.
Alessandra de Rossi once again proved how she is one of the best actresses in her generation. She gave her character of Maria a sense of palpable realism such that we really felt like we were in her shoes as she made one terrible decision after the other as a result of her desperate sense of hopelessness. Like her style in her previous films, de Rossi was not one to showboat with hysterics. Her best work was quiet and internal, and we feel it all coming through the big screen.
Micko Laurente played Maria's 13-year old eldest son Mark with sensitivity. He is now four years older than when he debuted as a child actor in "Bambanti" (2016) (MY REVIEW), also as the son of Alessandra de Rossi's character who was also a widow. He successfully transitioned to more mature roles in this one as a vulnerable teen in a neighborhood of drug addicts. Maria's other two younger children were 9 year-old asthmatic Nina (played by Susan Coronel Malonzo) and delightful David (played by Sher Khalifa Floresta).
Everyone in the supporting cast were very well-cast, blending right into the underbelly of the slums they lived in. Jake Macapagal dripped with sinister vibes throughout as the crooked police officer Ventura. Art Acuna was so cool playing someone as insouciantly bloodthirsty as Alvin. Timothy Mabalot played the dangerously volatile character of Joel, the drug addict eldest son of Grace (Angeli Bayani), a friend of Maria's who was also a Tokhang widow. Lou Veloso was ever-dependable as Hector, a barangay official who looked out for Maria.
The cinematography was a remarkable mix of varied styles of camera work. There was one puzzling editing decision when Maria was shown to ride a motorcycle to go to a place presumably near their residence, but this was a minor quibble. You may have heard all these Tokhang stories before and seen movies depicting the same tragic events. However, director and co-writer Rekhi combined and interwove them in a most gripping and thrilling manner. That heartbreaking final scene of powerless Maria will stick with you. 8/10.
February 20, 2020
"The Call of the Wild" was a novel written by Jack London in 1903. There had been a number of movie adaptations of this book over the years, with those starring big stars of their respective eras, like Clark Gable (in 1935, and Charlton Heston (in 1972) as the more popular versions. This year, yet another movie version has been released taking full advantage of the special visual effect technology available now. Taking over the lead human role is another big name star, Harrison Ford.
Buck, a huge hyperactive dog of St. Bernard lineage, was the pet of Judge Miller (Bradley Whitford) in Sta. Clara, California. One night, he was stolen from the judge's home and sold to traders supplying dogs to the gold prospectors in the Yukon region. Buck's first master was the mail courier Perrault (Omar Sy) and his indigenous partner Francoise (Cara Gee). Buck's next master was a cruel man Hal (Dan Stevens) who worked him to the point of near death. This prompted old man John Thornton (Harrison Ford) to go to Buck's rescue.
Harrison Ford was all grizzled up here with his unkempt gray hair and beard. Nevertheless he still got to show off his skills in fighting, rifle shooting and canoe rowing. He even proudly bared his ripped 77 year-old torso in a scene where he was taking a bath in the river (he denied any digital enhancement for his physique). He is no doubt fit and ready for his upcoming 5th installment of the Indiana Jones franchise expected later this year. With all the manly roles he had taken on over his long career, this actor is really an icon of manhood.
What was clearly evident from the get-go was that "Buck" was not portrayed by a real dog. He was a computer-generated image, with portrayed in motion capture by Terry Notary (motion-capture actor in similar films like "Jungle Book," "Kong: Skull Island" and the "Planet of the Apes" series). While there admittedly were a number of touching moments of canine cuteness, the CG imagery of Buck and all the other dogs and animals sort of took away some of the impact of what were supposed to be breathtaking nature scenes.
Anyhow, it was because also because of this imprecise style of CG (not as realistic as that of the "live" version of "The Lion King" last year) that Buck and his friends were able to portray certain human-like facial expressions of concern, fear, sadness, anger, jealousy, etc, which translated into some pretty touching moments, and delightful ones as well. There are scenes of violence that require parental guidance, like those involving the alpha dog Spitz and all of those with the villain Hal. In general though, this is a solid, good, old-fashioned outdoor adventure film for kids of all ages, even if they are not familiar with the book. 7/10.
GAYUMA
PATINTERO: ANG ALAMAT NI MENG PATALO
