Vivamax: Review of DULO: Languishing in Love

December 11, 2021

Bianca (Barbie Imperial) was an architect doing freelance work. Dex (Diego Loyzaga) was a blogger and photographer. They hit it off immediately upon their first meeting in a bar. Within two months, they already decide to live together. It did not take long for their rose-colored honeymoon period to fade and for the sobering realities of adult life take over. Will the relationship of Bianca and Dex pull through the very rough patch they faced?

This relationship was so whirlwind, it only took 7 months for it to reach a crisis. Gigs were not coming in regularly for both of them so income was limited. Then, tempting offers start coming in for Bianca. First, a phone call from Bianca's mother (Mickey Ferriols) offering a sponsored Masters course in San Francisco. Second, a chance encounter from Bianca's ex-boyfriend Gab (Patrick Sugui) offering her a well-paying job in Singapore. Will she take the bait?

Diego Loyzaga had been directed to give an over-the-top style of acting as Dex. His "happy" was cloying and childish. His "angry" was explosive roaring rage. His "sad" was a slobbering mess of tears. Right off the bat, you knew this guy had serious emotional baggage behind him. There was always an unsettling atmosphere whenever the two of them were together as the unstable Dex always exuded an air of impending trouble. 

Barbie Imperial makes us want to comfort her as Bianca. She knew she was on short end of this relationship but she cannot do anything about it. She had been a victim of emotional blackmail from the very start, as she caved in whenever Dex turned on his waterworks. She seemed genuinely happy when she was with her friends Les (Jean Kiley Manguera) and Ann (Andrea Barbiera), but there was a cloud about her when she was with Dex.  

Loyzaga and Imperial are real-life sweethearts and this was their first movie together. Unfortunately, their negative screen chemistry here was uncomfortable to watch. This film went to such extremes of melodrama, especially with predictable detours like Dex's friend Soph (Meg Imperial) and Dex's father (Jojo Abellana). It felt oddly old-fashioned even with the young actors and writer/director (Fifth Solomon), who are all still in their 20s. 4/10. 

Vivamax: Review of PALITAN: Driven by Desires

December 10, 2021

Jen (Cara Gonzales) and James (Luis Hontiveros) were preparing for their wedding when they went back to Jen's hometown in Quezon province for James to meet Jen's father Nestor (Rollie Innocencio). At the same time, Jen will be the maid of honor at the wedding of her old friend Marie (Jela Cuenca) to her fiance Al (Rash Flores). However, as Jen and Marie spent more time together, their dormant Sapphic feelings for each other were revived. 

The premise of the film was actually very simple. A major part of the film felt only like filler or padding to make it feature-length. Apart from a risky quickie in a dress shop changing room at the start, the whole first hour was practically just showed Jen and James, then Marie and Al, going about their respective wedding preparations, like the wedding dress, the wedding rings, etc... It was frustrating that nothing of any true plot significance was happening.

After the uneventful first hour, Mendoza immediately upped the ante of cinematic eroticism by throwing in two all-nude menage-a-quatre sequences, one right after the other. The first was when groom, his best man and his new friend all had a go with a lone prostitute at the same time in a cramped washroom at the stag party. The second featured the four main actors going at each other side by side au naturel on a rocky shelf of a running brook. 

Among the four main actors, it was Cara Gonzales who was given the most well-developed role as Jen, and she rose to the challenge of confidently portraying this conflicted character. Gonzales actually had easy chemistry with both lusty Luis Hontiveros and sweet Jela Cuenca. Cuenca in fact had more romantic chemistry with Gonzales than she did with Rash Flores, who looked ill-at-ease and self-conscious the whole time compared to the others. 

Mendoza threw shade about the local practices of matrimony. He showed how people would rather go into debt or depend on sponsors' cash gifts just to get the wedding of their dreams. Strict and religious fathers swore by benefits of a union sanctified by the Catholic Church, yet could not keep his own marriage intact, nor keep his daughter safe from abuse.  This may be an erotic film first, but Mendoza was still able to get his social realism in. 5/10. 

Netflix: Review of ARISAKA: Maja's Mettle

December 9, 2021

A key witness was being brought to a venue where he was about to expose critical "narco-list" information to the press. Midway on his route, his car was ambushed by a group of crooked cops who shot the target and all his police escorts. Fortunately, policewoman Mariano (Maja Salvador) had survived the bloody encounter. Despite her injuries, she ran into the surrounding mountains to escape from her pursuers led by officer Sonny (Mon Confiado).

Mariano's survival ordeal in the wilderness was alleviated by the appearance of a young indigenous girl named Nawi (Shella Ann Romualdo), who nursed her back to health with the help of her family's traditional cures. Sonny and his minions remained hot at her heels,  stopping at nothing until she was exterminated. Meanwhile Mariano braced for an inevitable showdown, getting some assistance from an unexpected source.

For historical relevance, director Mikhail Red juxtaposed Mariano's struggle to survival to the Bataan Death March which transpired on the same area where the fateful ambush took place. The first scene had a cop relating the story about how his grandfather survived the Death March already foreshadowing the events to come. The Arisaka in the title referred to the Japanese military service rifle in use during World War 2. 

Star Maja Salvador rallied us to root her on -- no matter how her repeated narrow escapes from death were practically superhuman. Hit by bullets, stabbed by a knife in the abdomen, punched on the face, asphyxiated by strangling -- absolutely nothing fazed her will to survive. Salvador obviously had to go through difficult shoots for this demanding role, which required her to fall onto concrete, rough brush, rocks, and going mano-a-mano with a man. 

Just when you thought Mon Confiado could not get any more despicable as a villain, here he is again playing another devil incarnate. The big revelation here was young Shella Ann Romualdo (first seen in short film "Black Rainbow" earlier this year) as the brave Nawi, whose youthful idealism would get seriously challenged. Martin Melecia, who played Nawi's father, imparted indigenous wisdom and frustrations to his daughter and to us, as well. 

From the very first scene, you immediately know that this is not by any means a low budget film. The ethereal quality of Mycko David's cinematography was extraordinary, and that was just in the opening credits at that point. Throughout the film, we will be treated to more shots and images taken from breathtaking angles with perfect blocking of characters, working well in dim light or with flames, for best cinematic effect. 8/10. 

Review of ENCANTO: Fitting into a Family

December 8, 2021

The members of the magical Madrigal family had a special supernatural ability. The matriarch Alma (María Cecilia Botero, with Olga Merediz singing) possessed a magical candle that remained always lit, keeping their family in good fortune. Alma had three children: Julieta (who can heal with her cooking), Pepa (who can control the weather) and Bruno (John Leguizamo, who can foresee the future, and was presently estranged from his family). 

Pepa had three children with her husband Felix: Dolores (with super hearing), Camilo (a shapeshifter) and Antonio (who can talk with animals). Julieta had three daughters with her husband Agustin: Isabela (who can make flowers bloom), Luisa (with super strength) and then there's Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). While she was cheerful and well-loved, Mirabel had no special gift, a source of her lifelong insecurity.

This computer-animated film is the 60th feature film produced by Disney. Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard (the same directorial team behind "Zootopia" in 2017), this Latin-flavored fantasy family film is energized by its Latin-flavored musical soundtrack, with 8 original songs written by Lin Manuel Miranda, including my personal standout favorite song "We Don't Talk About Bruno." (His songs in Sony's "Vivo" felt more catchy though.)

The various powers of the characters make for a visual spectacle, especially the abilities of Isabela (with her colorful arrays of flowers), Camilo (when he switches identities with someone else) and Antonio (with his wonderful animal friends, including jaguar and capybara). Their beautiful house, their casita, also had its magic, with dancing floor tiles and stair steps that flow with the percussive beats. The scenes in Bruno's cave provided adventure thrills.

With so many characters and powers to keep track of, the first few parts were confusing, but you will soon get them straight. The concept of a big family and keeping it together is the main focus of this story. Of course, in true Disney formula that is bound to lead to some emotional confrontations in the middle and precious realizations in the end. The logic may be lost in the wordy explanations, but it assumes you know what it all means. 7/10. 

Review of VENOM: THERE WILL BE CARNAGE: Symbiote Showdown

December 8, 2021

Serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) sought out reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) to send a message out to his "fans" in exchange for exclusive rights to his life story.  In one encounter, Eddie's symbiote partner Venom provoked Kasady into biting Eddie's hand which caused Kasady to ingest some symbiote substance into his system. 

During Kasady's day of lethal execution, a red symbiote calling itself Carnage appeared and helped Kasady escape in the chaos it caused. Carnage proposed to help Kasady locate and free his ex-lover Frances Barrison a.k.a. Shriek (Naomie Harris) from the Ravencrow Institute. In exchange, it expected Kasady to help him get rid of Brock and Venom. 

Performance-wise, lead stars Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson both give it their over-the-top all, in darkly comical portrayals of both their human and their symbiote forms. The talkative and cantankerous Venom was of course the star of the show, with all his hilarious zingers and insults as he argued endlessly with his hapless host and other people who displeased it. That part when Venom became a sensation at the costume party he crashed was a lot of fun. 

Aside from Tom Hardy, some actors came back to reprise their roles from the 2018 film in this sequel. Michelle Williams is back as Brock's ex-fiancee Atty. Anne Weying. Her announcement that she marrying Dr. Dan Lewis (Reid Scott, also introduced in the first film) caused much annoyance for both Eddie and Venom. Sassy convenience store owner Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu) also made a comeback, even hosting Venom for a while. 

Directed by CGI and motion-capture master Andy Serkis, the symbiote visual effects were messy-looking and chaotic as expected, faithful to the comics illustrations. Naomie Harris' portrayal of Frances was intense, with her supersonic scream a most formidable weapon. There is a hint of a symbiote future for Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham), likely as Toxin.  A funny mid-credit scene brings Venom right into the MCU timeline. 7/10.

QCinema 2021: Review of HISTORYA NI HA: Ventriloquist Ventures

December 4, 2021

It was 1957, ventriloquist Hernando Alamada (John Lloyd Cruz) was performing with his dummy named Ha on the cruise ship Mayflower who sailed the East Asian route. When he came home, his plans to marry his long-time sweetheart Rosetta did not come to pass. Despondent, Hernando decided to leave his twin sister Hernanda's home in Barangay Tagsibol and wandered aimlessly with his carabao-drawn cart. 

Along the way, he met 13-year old boy Joselito (Jonathan Francisco), a middle-aged woman Dahlia (Dolly de Leon) and a Catholic nun Sister Lorenza (Mae Paner) who all wanted to go to Barrio Daang Tapak to take the boat to Isla Diwata where gold was discovered. He reluctantly helped them get there but by then, the imperious village chief Among Kuyang (Teroy Guzman) had already raised the boat fare seven-fold.

In his first full-length film in 4 years, John Lloyd Cruz totally gave his all in this dedicated performance as Hernando. If he was actually doing the ventriloquism scenes for real, Cruz had impeccable voice throwing technique and some interesting vocal variations. During that entire segment of self-exile on the road, Hernando had resolved that he would not talk to anyone else except through Ha.  It was just rather disappointing that we never saw a full version of his hit cruise ship performance that earned him his loyal fans. 

His best scenes were his introspective soliloquys which reflected his inner turmoil and struggles. In one, he debated with Ha about helping others do what he thought was not good for them. In another, he talked to his image in a mirror about the plight of the unenlightened masses and compromised artistic integrity. On top of that, there were all these physically-demanding scenes of Cruz walking on endless rough roads while guiding a carabao, or Cruz digging up a grassy field to make a toilet.

The unlikely tandem of Dolly de Leon (with her miniskirts, short shorts and high heels) and Mae Paner (with her severe black habit) were a delightful duo to watch with their contrasting fashion and personalities, and their common big appetite for free food. That scene of the two ladies wading through shin-high flood on a rocky mountain path in the pouring rain must have been so exhausting and dangerous for them to shoot. 

Ever-magnetic Teroy Guzman played Among Kuyang as Diaz' metaphor for a politician's insatiable greed from then up to now. It was notable how he would always lapse in speaking in English (purposefully?) even when he publicly preached Malay pride. His best scenes for me were his precious reaction to Dahlia's indecent proposal and how oddly he described his hot-headed sister Matilde (Hazel Orencio) with anachronistic medical terminology. 

This film was set in 1957 in the wake of Pres. Ramon Magsaysay's death in a plane crash, so his political legacy was thoroughly discussed, However despite the time setting in the past, Diaz was still able to throw shade on politicians took power two decades after, and especially the one who took power six decades after, and this was done in no uncertain terms. Through the character of Hernando, Diaz also appealed for the government not to neglect the people in remote provinces in terms of their education and social welfare. 

This 4 hour 10 minute film is relatively-short as far as Lav Diaz films go. This is already the 11th Lav Diaz film I had watched, so I am already quite familiar and comfortable with his trademark languid pace and long extended takes. A black comedy, this film actually had very steady pacing in the storytelling, engaging, not boring at all. Well, maybe except for those 20 or so interminable minutes of Hernando leading the same group of villagers to recite the full Abakada from A to Ya over and over. 8/10. 

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

PAN, GENUS (MY REVIEW)

ANG HUPA (MY REVIEW)

ANG PANAHON NG HALIMAW (MY REVIEW)

ANG BABAENG HUMAYO (MY REVIEW)

HELE SA HIWAGANG HAPIS (MY REVIEW)

MULA SA KUNG ANO ANG NOON (MY REVIEW)

NORTE: HANGGANAN NG KASAYSAYAN (MY REVIEW)

FLORENTINA HUBALDO, CTE (MY REVIEW)

MELANCHOLIA (MY REVIEW)

EVOLUTION OF A FILIPINO FAMILY (MY REVIEW)

QCinema 2021: Mini-Reviews of DRIVE MY CAR and WHEELS OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY

 December 3, 2021

DRIVE MY CAR

Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi 

Written by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe (adapted from Haruki Murakami's short story in the 2014 collection, "Men Without Women")

Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) was invited to Hiroshima to direct a unique production of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" with a very diverse cast. Aside from Japanese actors, there was a Chinese Yelena, a Filipino Serebryakov (Perry Dizon) and a mute Sonya (using Korean sign language). An impassive woman Misaki (Toko Miura) was assigned to chauffeur him to and from the house provided to him, which was an hour away from the theater. 

Eventually, Kafuku and Misaki would open up to each other and share the deepest secrets in their lives. Kafuku's wife Oto (Reika Kirishima) wrote scripts for a television series, but she had a very bizarre method of coming up with her plots. He was haunted by her sudden death two years ago from a cerebral hemorrhage. On the other hand, Masaki was haunted by the death of her mother from a landslide which destroyed their house. 

Aside from the prologue and scenes showing rehearsals and the final performance of the play, this film mostly consisted only of lengthy, sober conversations exchanged in the confines of Kafuku's old car. mesmerizing quality that kept us riveted, even when Hamaguchi never resorted to showing flashbacks of the stories being told. Nishijima, Miura, and Masaki Okada (as the young actor playing Vanya Kōji Takatsuki) all gave affecting performances. 9/10. 

WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY

Directed by: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Written by: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Episode 1: Magic (or Something Less Assuring). Tsugumi (Hyunri) was talking about the new boy she just met to her friend Meiko (Kotone Furukawa), who realized that he was Kazuaki (Ayumu Nakajima), her ex-boyfriend.

Episode 2: Door Wide Open. Sasaki (Shouma Kai) asked his "friend with benefit," a married woman Nao (Katsuki Mori) to go and seduce and scandalize Segawa (Kiyohiko Shibukawa), his French professor who failed and humiliated him.

Episode 3: Once Again. Natsuko (Fusako Urabe) and Aya (Aoba Kawai) get to talking after they randomly met on the street 20 years after high school. Soon, they realized that each was not the woman they thought she was. They role play with each other in order to get long-suppressed feelings out.

There was not much physical action here at all. The three episodes of this film consisted of just conversations of depth and intensity between imperfect characters. All the dramatic situations were all unfamiliar and uncomfortable (especially Episode 2), but you can't afford to miss a single word in any of the dialogues. Fascinating character studies all, each episode was interesting and provocative. 8/10. 

Vivamax: Review of PORNSTAR 2: Base and Bare

December 3, 2021

Alma Moreno, Rosanna Roces, Ara Mina and Maui Taylor were choosing four new "porn stars" to follow in their stellar footsteps. While their 15 candidates were engaged in a free-for-all, topless, mud-wrestling match to the tune of Fred Panopio's "Mani," Lara Morena came and drove everyone away, so her girls -- Trinidad (Ayanna Misola), Melchora (Cara Gonzales), Josefa (Stephanie Raz) and Gabriela (Sab Aggabao) -- were left to be trained for stardom. 

This sequel just followed the formula of the first movie where the veterans taught their proteges about various naughty activities like Brazilian waxing, "folkfolk" dancing and high-tech sex toys. In the latter half, the girls will interact with their "international" consorts: Isagani (Jet Delgado) from the Philippines, Park Bo-jum (Prince Salvador) from Korea and Rashad (Rash Flores) from India and Abed (Abed Green) from Africa.

The senior stars were always dressed in various outlandish Filipiniana-inspired fashion. In one particularly over-the-top scene, the skirts of their gowns had 3-D renditions of the rice terraces, Mt. Makiling, giant clams with pearls and bulgy-eyed tarsiers (for Alma!). The young girls were dressed in color-coded, flimsy, revealing versions of Filipiniana, while modeling and posing to Hagibis songs like "Nanggigigil" and "Babae". 

The four main actresses were mainly gabbing away the whole time mentoring the girls on sex topics, with Alma always quoting from her book entitled "Alma Matters." The only scene which I found remarkable was the casually-frank bull session about their real-life experiences as bold movie stars, their leading men and their directors. In contrast, the poor new girls had no dialog at all, until one melodramatic confrontation scene came from out of the blue.

Like all his previous films (this is his 10th feature film this year alone!), this one also relied on controversially-catchy teasers. This one had a viral teaser with this scene where the girls were being educated on the penis length of various nationalities with the male actors standing in front of them showing off their family jewels. Beyond that, there was nothing more but a barely-there forced "plot" to hold their silly vulgar shenanigans together. 1/10. 

Review of KATIPS: THE MOVIE: Facing Facts Frankly

November 28, 2021

In July 2016, right after the presidential elections, the Philippine Stagers Foundation, a theater group that aimed to utilize the arts as a medium for entertainment and education, came out with a brave musical called "KATIPS." It was about Martial Law, a controversial subject matter that remains to be a very touchy and sensitive issue up to this very day. Philstagers founder and creative force Atty. Vince Tanada certainly did not disappoint with "Katips," earning critical acclaim and multiple awards for himself, his musical and his company. 

Now that another election is coming up and seeing that Martial Law (and how that part of history is being distorted for the new generation) is once more in the news, Tanada aims to reach and educate a bigger audience of young people by turning his musical stage production into a movie. The stories were fictionalized versions of actual events based on Tanada's intensive research and interviews of people who were actually there during those times. He adapted the book of his musical into a screenplay that aimed just to state facts. 

A museum dedicated to the victims of Martial Law was about to be inaugurated in the present day. A young man was being toured around the place by a pretty female guide Lira (Sachzna Laparan), grand-daughter of the old gentleman who was responsible for putting the museum together. This special occasion would serve as the device that would bookend the main narrative of the film. As the old man was typing his speech to be delivered for that event, he recalled his traumatic experiences during the Martial Law days. 

His flashbacks began from 1970 in a gathering of political activists that included the main characters of this play. They were: medical student Greg (Jerome Ponce), underground news writer Panyong (Vince Tanada in rock star mode), labor leader Estong (Joshua Bulot) and 17-year old UP freshman, Art (Johnrey Rivas). Their assembly was violently dispersed by the Metrocom led by the sadistic Lt. Sales (Mon Confiado at his sinister best) and his cruel minions (Dindo Arroyo and JP Lopez), resulting in the death of a senior UP professor. 

"Katips" refers to the house of Alet (Best Actress-worthy Adelle Ibarrientos-Lim), a lady who has opened her home for student activists from UP to meet and stay over in, earning her the nickname of "Tandang Sora". Lara (Nicole Laurel Asensio in a promising film debut), a Fil-Am Broadway actress whose apathy about Philippine politics was about to get a major shakedown. Among the other women in "Katips" were Estong's outspoken Waray girlfriend Susie (a scene-stealing Vean Olmedo) and Art's reluctant girlfriend Lally (Carla Lim). 

Musical direction was by Pipo Cifra, Tanada's longtime collaborator in his shows. The best song for me was "Sa Gitna ng Gulo," with lyrics about people finding love amidst dark forces surrounding them. With impeccably arranged vocal harmonies, four pairs of lovers get to converse with each other in a witty interconnected manner as their personal love stories were interwoven into this story. This song provided a very bright spot of positivity and hope to lighten the generally serious mood. 

On the other side of the spectrum was the grim and brutal violence in intersecting scenes of bloody and torture and rape against activists who had been arrested under trumped-up charges or entrapped by despicable methods. Tanada did not hold back here, and the actors, those portraying the hapless victims and those portraying the savage policemen, went all out to push the agenda that these atrocities actually happened in reality, despite current efforts to distort and deny these tragic human rights violations during those years. 

The opening number was supposed to reenact the First Quarter Storm of 1970. However, Tanada had to set it in an unspecified remote rural location, probably because they were unable to shoot the scene on Mendiola Bridge itself. This extended number introduces the Stagers' signature youth-oriented style of song, dance and acting to people who are who have yet to see them perform onstage. This, and other musical numbers may be judged by some as over-the-top, but definitely Tanada knows how to deliver his message to his target audience.

As Tanada's own grandfather, the illustrious Senator Lorenzo Tanada, was unjustly imprisoned during Martial Law, he wants the new generation to know that Martial Law was not the peaceful and progressive time that paid trolls are making it out to be in current social media. He wants young people to realize that Martial Law should never happen again. He did that before with his stage version of "Katips," and now with his movie version, he has the potential to spread his advocacy all over the country and all over the world. 

As director, Vince Tanada had some pretty impressive shots of effigies catching fire and activists jumping in slow motion, which had some members of the audience erupting in spontaneous applause. Running for 2-1/2 hours, the film's momentum may sag at certain points. Judicious editing, perhaps shortening some song numbers not directly contributory to the main plot, could probably streamline it more. Overall, this was one auspicious feature film directorial debut for Tanada, and hopefully this is not his last. 7/10. 

Netflix: Review of THE POWER OF THE DOG: Toxic and Twisted

December 1, 2021

Set in Montana in 1925, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) Burbank were a pair of wealthy brothers who ran a sprawling cattle ranch. The two brothers were polar opposites in demeanor. While Phil was arrogant, boisterous and insensitive, his brother George was cool, refined and composed. Phil did not care about his level of education or his wealth, preferring with work with cattle than with people of his social class. 

They met the widow Mrs. Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst) and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) when they dined at her restaurant. Phil's frank teasing of Peter's effeminate nature drove both mother and son to tears. George, on the other hand, paid court to Rose, eventually getting her to marry him. When Rose and Peter moved into the Burbank mansion, they both bore witness to Phil's bizarre behavior up close and personal. 

Based on his previous films, we know that Benedict Cumberbatch had a screen presence so strong that this made any of his performances riveting. His character here, Phil Burbank, was hateful and loathesome, but you simply cannot get your eyes off him, no matter how unpleasant. His character is toxic (in personality and in odor) and he was proud of it. Cumberbatch may well be the one of the front-runners in the race for the Best Actor Oscar. 

His three supporting actors play characters who lived and squirmed under Phil's thumb. Jesse Plemons is an ace when playing mousy shy characters like George. His real-life partner Kristen Dunst was so delicate as sad and insecure Rose, especially that painful scene of her desperately trying to play the piano. There's Oscar buzz for Dunst that's fully deserved. Young Kodi-Smit McPhee stood his ground alongside his acclaimed senior co-stars as bullied teenager Peter. 

This was the first film by director Jane Campion since "Bright Star" in 2009. Like it was for her masterpiece "The Piano" (1993), the bleak mountainous landscape (New Zealand standing in for Montana) was essential to the story as it was breathtaking to see. Her slowburn pace was rife with tension, building up that all that suggestive uncertainty all the way to a powerfully compelling ending. Her victory as director in Venice portends an Oscar may follow. 8/10

Review of ETERNALS: Mindful and Meditative Marvel

November 30, 2021

In the year 5000 BC, the supreme creator Celestial Arishem sent the Eternals to Earth on their triangular spacecraft called the Domo. their mission was to fight and destroy the ferocious Deviants who were ravaging the planet. Their first encounter on the shores of Mesopotamia, and the fight will continue over the centuries all over the world.

Led by Ajak (healing), the Eternals consisted of superbeings, each with their own powers. Sersi (transform matter), Ikaris (flight and laser eyes), Kingo (energy blasts from hands), Sprite (illusions), Phastos (conjure technology), Makkari (super speed), Druig (mind control), Gilgamesh (super strength), and Thena (goddess of war). 

After the last Deviant was killed five hundred years ago, the Eternals split up and lived in different areas around the world, living their respective lives. However, when a Deviant suddenly attacked Sersi and Sprite in London, the group had to reband to resume their fight. However, a change of leadership revealed the secret of the real purpose for being.

Because the Eternals were not really a well-known group of superheroes, this film had to build its whole world and backstory, while introducing us to each one's powers and personality. The director chosen for this task is a most unlikely one -- Chloe Zhao. whose works by that time had been slow, quiet, contemplative films like "Songs My Brother Taught Me" (2015) and her multiple Oscar-winning masterpiece of Americana "Nomadland" (2020).

As writer and director, Zhao had created a totally different Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Sure, "Eternals" had its share of big battles between heroes and monsters. However, the scenes in between were steeped in spectacular vast vistas and emotional serious conversations, in signature Chloe Zhao fashion. These differences can be seen and felt from the trailers alone, and are confirmed in the final 157 minute cut. 

Superstar Angelina Jolie (as Thena) was an unexpected member of this ensemble cast, yet she did not have a central role. Instead, that honor went to Gemma Chan (as Sersi), Richard Madden (as Ikaris) and Lia McHugh (as Sprite). They were the ones who had to make the most critical decisions about their very existence as Eternals. Were they genuine heroes, or were they just preparing Earth for the birth of a new Celestial? Kit Harrington played history professor Dane Whitman, Sersi's present day love interest.

Selma Hayek played Ajak, the leader of their team, yet she surprisingly had very little screen time. Don Lee, whom we knew as Ma Dong-seok in "Train to Busan" (2016), played strong man Gilgamesh with a lot of heart. Barry Keoghan was a cold and creepy Druig. Comic relief mostly came from Nanjail Kumari as Bollywood star Kingo, and Hamish Patel, as Kingo's human valet Karun. In the spirit of inclusivity, Lauren Ridloff played the first deaf superhero Makkari, while Bryan Tyree Henry played the first openly gay superhero Phastos. 

This was a film that has to be seen in a movie theater to be best appreciated. Zhao had executed some major scenes of destruction and rebirth that were awesome to behold on as big and as wide a screen as possible. Since the Eternals have existed for the past 7000 years, there were plenty of little details in the production design to reflect various times in history. The mid-credits (with a surprising pop star cameo as Thanos's brother) and post-credits scene both show exciting directions where an "Eternals 2" would be taking us. 7/10.