Review of THE GHOST BRIDE: A Chinoy Cultural Curiosity

November 1, 2017

When it was announced that "Ghost Bride" will open on November 1, I knew I will watch it on Day 1. I have a fascination for Filipino horror films, and the Chinese theme of this one makes it an automatic must-watch for me. I admit that I was not familiar with the titular tradition, so curiosity about this ancient practice was another reason for me to go see it. Apparently, many people had the same idea as me. I got the one last available ticket of that particular afternoon screening I caught. 

Mayen (Kim Chiu) was the dutiful daughter of a cash-strapped couple Manuel (Robert Sena) and Dolores (Ina Raymundo) Lim. They made ends meet by running a mahjong joint in their house and putting on cultural shows at the temple. They lived with a couple of aunts, the eccentric Akoh (Beverly Salviejo) and the comical Jana (Cacai Bautista). Mayen was currently the girlfriend of Clinton (Matteo Guidicelli), an architect from a well-to-do traditional Chinese family. She was also being pursued by Robert (Mon Confiado), a rich but boorish business partner of her dad. 

One day, Mayen was approached by the mysterious Ms. Angie Lao (Alice Dixson), an impeccably-dressed matchmaker. She offered Mayen the opportunity of becoming a ghost bride, a woman who agrees to marry a dead bachelor for a fee from his family to assure that someone will keep his memory alive during important occasions in the future. Initially reluctant, Mayen was eventually pressured by a series of familial misfortunes requiring a considerable amount of money to accept Ms. Lao's creepy but financially-rewarding offer.

For me, the horror aspect was not really too scary as it relied mainly on jump scares with sudden loud sounds (from falling objects or thunder) or sudden flashes of ghoulish faces. Familiar scare tactics from previous films persist here with characters doing foolish things like not following strict warning instructions, not turning on the lights at night, not closing the doors behind them, going up a dark attic cluttered with old costumes alone. Kim Chiu played the role of the tormented Mayen with a convincing weak melancholic screen persona, which made her an easy target for evil forces.

Director Chito Rono previously tackled Chinese superstitions in his "Feng Shui" films in 2004 and 2014 (MY REVIEW). In this one, he frequently intercut scenes from two parallel events to heighten the suspense factor. Best sequence of this style was that one where the priestess Suan Ming (a bald Isay Alvarez) was praying over a sinister bracelet in a bowl, while Mayen's brother Victor (Victor Silayan) was going up an elevator with mortal danger impending. There were about four gory death scenes for those who like that kind of horror. However, the bloody style of death is similar for three of them, so the shock value diminishes with each repetition. We were not given any back story about our ghost bridegroom to tell us why this was his preferred way of murder.

In the final act of the film when the main action shifted to a Buddhist temple in Nepal felt long and dragged out. Lucky for Mayen, her old friend David Chou (Christian Bables) conveniently knew how to translate the Nepalese instructions of the exorcism rite to her. The film also took on an action film vibe when Mayen suddenly develops sword-fighting skills to fight the ghostly bodyguards of the boss ghost. Too bad the lighting of that scene was too dark for us to fully appreciate the spectacle of Kim Chiu fighting with the CGI warriors. 

The whole movie felt like a horror episode of the "Mano Po" film series, since it also dealt with Chinoy family dynamics. It also had Filipino actors delivering lines in thick Chinese accents or actually trying their best to say some lines in Mandarin, or the occasional Fookienese curse words, with various levels of success. The award for best affected Chinese accent would have to go to Ms. Alice Dixson for her elegant-sounding intonation for the character of Angie Lao. She also had the most number of difficult Mandarin lines, for which she deserves props for a valiant effort. Ironically, it was lead actress Kim Chiu, a real Chinese, whom I did not hear say anything in Chinese at all. 

Overall, I still appreciated the film because of its meticulous details of Chinoy culture. When "Mano Po" seemed to focus on the rich taipan families, "Ghost Bride" takes a look at the less-fortunate Chinoys in Chinatown living in desperate financial straits. Aside from the ghost bride practice, this film also showcased productions of the Kao-Ka (or Chinese opera) with its distinctive costumes, props, makeup and sound. It correctly observes that this was an old tradition which is sadly on the decline. I do wish more local actors of Chinese descent were cast in ethnically-specific films like this for a more authentic feel. 5/10. 

Review of THOR: RAGNAROK: Campy Combatants

October 31, 2017

Even when the first trailer of "Thor: Ragnarok" came out, it felt sort of off because of the very bright color palate and the campy comedic flavor it imparted as a first impression. When it finally came out, I was encouraged by the good word of mouth it is receiving, precisely because of that comedy it had. That really felt odd to hear for a Marvel superhero film, which usually fed on painful angst. I had to see it for myself to believe it, or not.

It had already been two years after the Sokovia incident depicted in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015). With Odin's death, Thor's violent elder sister Hela, the goddess of war, had taken over Asgard. Thor and Loki found each other on the planet of Sakaar controlled by the flamboyant Grandmaster. Together with the Bruce Banner and a former Valkyrie, the brothers escape and join forces to save Asgardian citizens from Hela, even if it meant reviving the giant fire demon Surtur in fulfillment of the prophesied destruction of Asgard, an event called Ragnarok. 

While the story of usurpation of power and a resulting revolution was not comic by any means, the whole script from beginning to end was peppered with zippy one-liners and slapstick routines -- mostly care of Thor and Loki themselves. Chris Hemsworth (as Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (as Loki) looked like they were having the time of their lives delivering those witty/corny lines and repeatedly executing those silly pratfalls.  

Of course, Chris Hemsworth again showed off his physique as he did before. However, he also did some pretty hilarious, un-heroic scenes here. The most un-Thor-like for me was that scene that had him shouting scared when the barber (a cameo by Stan Lee) was about to cut his long hair before his fight. My favorite Tom Hiddleston scene was that one when he stood up cheering when the Hulk flipped Thor on the floor side to side, like what he did to Loki previously. The sappy lines about brotherhood between these two were so cheesy!

Mark Ruffalo (as Bruce Banner and a Hulk who actually talked), Jeff Goldblum (as the Grandmaster), and even Benedict Cumberbatch (in his short stint as Dr. Strange) likewise played their roles with tongue-in-cheek. Other supporting characters still remained serious though, like Cate Blanchett in her deadly portrayal of Hela, as did Idris Elba as the all-seeing gatekeeper Heimdall and Karl Urban as the conflicted executioner Skourge. It seems like Tessa Thompson (as Valkyrie) is being built up as a more worthy love interest for Thor, as his former affair with Jane Foster was dismissed when Thor look a selfie with his female fans. 

Anthony Hopkins was whimsically nostalgic in his portrayal of Odin. However, he did have a comic scene as well as the Odin watching a play about Loki's heroism while eating grapes. Do watch out for the actors playing the characters in the play in cameos. The guy playing Thor was Chris' brother Luke (hence the uncanny similarity in look). The guy playing Odin was Sam Neill (of "Jurassic Park" fame). The guy playing Loki in that funny wig is none other than Matt Damon!

New Zealander director Taika Waititi makes his Hollywood debut with this and hits a home run. It is the easily most entertaining of the three Thor films because it fully embraced the cartoonish elements of the character and went to town with them full blast. The action special effects were very exciting to watch as usual, especially with the discovery of Thor's lightning bolt powers (one such electric scene set to the pounding tune of Led Zepellin's "Immigrant Song"). 

Of course, the ridiculousness of the comedy does negatively affect the dramatic elements of the story. Being a full-on comedy, we don't feel any sense of danger, already knowing ahead of time what will happen to our hero at the end. There was never a doubt about Thor's survival and victory, even if he did lose his hammer and an eye in the process. 8/10. 


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My review of THOR is posted HERE.  

My review of THOR: THE DARK WORLD is posted HERE. : 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of NEOMANILA: Hitman's Heart

October 28, 2017

Despite its seemingly futuristic title and poster, this film is very much set in the present day, in Manila with its rampant drug-related killings. Irma owned a pest control business, but she also worked an assassin for hire on the side. She worked in-tandem with her partner Raul to kill subjects as instructed by their boss, a policeman they called Sarge. Irma had taken Toto, the young boy orphaned by her close friend, under her wing as her apprentice, teaching him her violent trade.

While the subject matter of the violent subculture in the underbelly of Manila is a common subject matter in films, "Neomanila" stands out with its striking cinematography. From that first hit we witness in a busy marketplace to the killer's quick getaway via motorbike in that tunnel, we immediately see that the images of this film will be out of the ordinary. The characters were followed with constantly changing camera focus, with just the right amount of shake to evoke grit and dynamism without making the audience nauseous. 

Eula Valdez is not exactly an actress I would expect to be cast portraying a cold-blooded killer, but talented as she is, Ms. Valdez pulls it off here. With that glassy stare in her steely big eyes, we know she means business. In the same way, despite her heartless job, she was also convincing as a mother figure to Toto, so much so that an 11th hour twist would come as an absolute shock. 

I first saw Timothy Castillo on stage in a Virgin Labfest one-act play, a comedy entitled "Mula sa Kulimliman" (MY REVIEW), where i saw a natural comedian. The Timothy I saw here in "Neomanila" is dead serious, showcasing the versatility of this promising young actor. It was with his character Toto that the audience will latch on to as he is initiated into a life of crime and violence. We lose our innocence together as the film progressed.

Rocky Salumbides played Raul, Irma's partner in crime and in bed. Indie favorite Jess Mendoza takes on another look here as the ruthless gang leader Dugo. Ross Pesigan played Toto's unfortunate older brother Kiko even if they do not look a bit alike. Angeline Andoy played Toto's girlfriend Gina, with a scene of gratuitous pubescent breast exposure which felt very wrong. Indie queen Angeli Bayani had a small cameo playing Irene, a target who made it complicated for the killers because she carried a baby. Raul Morit, as the gun dealer Mackoy, had the only scene that felt warm for me because of its humor.

The pacing of the story felt all too slow, which can be frustrating because it was rather predictable. A sudden last-minute twist came out of nowhere to liven things up, but in the denouement that followed, the film went back on track to the inevitable ending already telegraphed midway through. There may have been too many obvious attempts at symbolism, so it felt redundant. Irma's pest-control business is already an easy metaphor for Irma's other job as a hitman eliminating drug fiends. 

Overall, I was never really drawn fully into the drama of their lives, unlike previous local hitman films I've seen, like "On the Job" (Matti, 2013) (MY REVIEW) or "Tandem"(Palisoc, 2016) (MY REVIEW). Despite the talents of the actors, they seem to lack chemistry with each other. Despite the remarkable cinematography by Mycko David, the stylishness of director Mikhail Red kept the events in the story, no matter how current and urgent, felt oddly cold and distant. It is entirely possible too that Red did this aloofness on purpose to reflect an assassin's point of view. 6/10. 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of MEDUSAE: Mystery, Mythology and Misery

October 27, 2017

Alfa Oryol was a 37-year old single mother to a miserable albino teen boy named Luni. She was a documentary film director who was interviewing parents from the seaside town of Villa Norte about a series of mysterious disappearances of their firstborn children. One day while Alfa was out shooting another interview, Luni himself disappeared from their cottage. Witnesses reported seeing a mysterious woman in shades with him when they last saw him.

In the TV shows I had seen her in, Desiree del Valle always played a strong fearless woman, usually a villain. In this film, she again tackles a flawed character, an imperfect mother, but nevertheless still an independent woman with strong will and determination. She may look a bit young to be a mother of a teenager, but her performance as Alfa was quite natural, never overwrought, even in those scenes when her son Luni was already missing.  Her role involved a lot of swimming so it must have been physically demanding for her.

Del Valle will also play another crucial character, named Beth. I guess you can already see the humor in the choice of names, and the writer did not deny the absurdity, as Luni pointed it out and asked if it was a joke. (The name of Alfa's sister was Charly, which also made me think of the military alphabet.) The nature of Beth's character was not well-fleshed out so I was not really satisfied with how this angle of the story ended. 

Carl Palaganas played the boy Luni. (I was surprised to learn what Luni was short for, so I will not spoil that far-out detail for you.) It was a good effort for this young man,  but admittedly, his inexperience as an actor was evident but you know he was trying his best. There were scenes when his eyes were not making contact with Desiree when they were talking which looked a bit off for me, unless the director meant it that way. 

Writer-director Pam Miras has cooked up a neat little mystery in a small beach town and the sad fates that befell its residents, apparently in exchange for another big favor they were requesting the heavens. The fabled sea serpent, the Baconaua, also the subject of another indie shown in the recent Cinemalaya (MY REVIEW), was again brought up in this one, but with a twist that needed to be explained by a sociologist that Alfa interviewed. A good part of the film's exposition relied on narrations and interviews.

The titular Medusae referred to the adult form of the jellyfish. The jellyfish was repeatedly mentioned and shown throughout the film. The fisher folk in the area ate jellyfish ceviche as a roadside snack. Luni was shown with ugly welts in his arms and body caused by jellyfish stings. We also get a lesson about the the life cycle of the jellyfish. We hear the words budding, planula, ephyra and medusa. But honestly, I did not get the connection of this creature with the story of Alfa and Luni. 

The non-linear combination of mystery, myth and misery was already good enough, but what was this scientific aspect about cnidarian reproduction really all about? I am sure that Miras had a good reason to include this, and in fact even name the entire movie with a term from it. Unfortunately, I still cannot figure out its precise significance up to now. 6/10. 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of THE CHANTERS: Salience in Simplicity

October 24, 2017

This film is set in Iloilo province, and the dialog is in lilting Ilonggo language. Sarah Mae is a typical happy-go-lucky teenager who is addicted to her cell phone and to her favorite TV romantic soap "Kiss Me Heart Heart".  Sarah lives and takes care of her grandfather while her single mother is far away working. Sarah is very excited because her favorite TV actress Danica Reyes is visiting their school in the coming week and she is determined to be in the welcoming program.

Her grandfather Ramon is no ordinary man. He is a famous chanter of the Sugidanon tribe. He actively records all the ancient Sugidanon epic chants in writing, sings the chants in special social occasions and teaches these chants to neighborhood children every Saturday. Unfortunately this year, as he was writing his final book of chants, Lolo Ramon is showing progressively worsening signs of dementia.  

Jally Nae Gilbaliga was so natural in her portrayal of Sarah Mae, so young and carefree and resilient. Romulo Caballero was even more remarkable as Lolo Ramon, with his mesmerizing chanting and evocative portrayal of dementia. There have been few films that depict the relation between grandfather and granddaughter, and for this film this relationshio takes centerstage. Fortunately, the chemistry between these two actors was perfectly pitched, never felt put on at all. They definitely feel like real people we know. 

I commend Director James Robin M. Mayo and writers Andrian Legaspi and John Bedia for effectively telling such a poignant story. It was not only a personal one between two family members, but on a bigger scale, it was about cultural pride, appreciation and preservation. The film proudly proclaimed their Sugidanon heritage in their colorful tribal attire and accessories, and especially those glorious chants like Nagbuhis, Amburokay, and Alayaw. Amazing how these chants are embraced by even the children who appreciate their value.

They used an unusually smaller of screen projection (1:1 aspect ratio) that gave the film additional character. Furthermore, if only for that final scene of Sarah Mae in her full fuchsia tribal regalia with the verdant mountains in the background, which evoked for me Vermeer's "Girl with the Pearl Earring," cinematographer Jav Velasco deserves award consideration. That beautiful parting shot communicated so much complex feeling, I (and many people in the theater with me) just burst into spontaneous applause.

Sometimes, filmmakers, especially indie ones, try so darned hard to come up with something so convoluted and complex that hardly anyone can enjoy. Occasionally though, we come across a special film so sweet and simple that is not only entertaining, but also delivers the most salient and profound of messages. "The Chanters" is such a film. 9/10. 

Review of HAPPY DEATH DAY: Cyclic Chills (with Charm)

October 24, 2017

Whenever we think of a time loop film, we will always think of "Groundhog Day" (1993). Whenever we think of a murderer with a comical mask, we will always think of "Scream" (1996). When I first saw the trailer of this film, it was clear that this Christopher B. Landon film was inspired by those two 1990s favorites, so this should be a lot of fun to watch.

It was September 18, Monday, Tree's birthday. That day, a hungover Tree woke up in the dorm room of nerdy boy Carter. Later that night, she was attacked and murdered by a killer wearing a funny mask of their college mascot. Then she woke up again in Carter's room and relived the same day over only to die again at the hands of the same masked murderer. With each loop she goes through, Tree eliminates her suspects one by one until she thought she's got it all figured out.

The likability of this whole film depended on the winsome portrayal of Tree by Jessica Rothe. There was something very charming about her mean girl whose cursed repeated reliving of her birthday (and death day) had humbled her down. Her bitchy Tree was played with tongue fully in cheek. With every day relived, she managed to project a different personality that kept the proceedings interesting. But in that sequence of her penultimate reincarnation, she was positively radiant.  

The supporting actors played basically one-dimensional caricatures of typical characters encountered in a college. They probably had a lot of fun repeating their lines over and over for each different daily scenario. Israel Broussard was the shy and helpful boy-next-door Carter Davis. Ruby Modine was the seemingly thoughtful and patient roommate and nurse Lori Spengler. Rachel Matthews was hilariously over-the-top as sorority head honcho Danielle Bouseman. Charles Aitken was Tree's professor crush Dr. Gregory Butler. Caleb Spillyards was the rejected beau Tim Bauer.

The horror situations were all familiar tropes we've seen many times in different slasher films before. Again there were crazy stupid decisions made by the characters to make themselves sitting-duck targets for the killer. The serial killer character was a bit of a stretch which probably should have been left off. In any case though, a spirit of fun pervaded the whole film despite the gory goings-on, making this a diverting horror offering friends can enjoy watching together. 7/10. 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of KULAY LILA ANG GABI NA BINUDBURAN PA NG MGA BITUIN: Inordinate Interventions

October 23, 2017

Marital discord is a very common topic in local films which had been done in all variations of melodrama over the years. For a radical change, this indie film executed by director Jobim Ballesteros from a script by Jimmy Flores proposes a futuristic science-fiction way of solving these mundane domestic problems.  

Aries and Chai are a married couple. We do not know how long they have been married, but they wanted to have a child next year. However, because of their gnawing insecurities with each other's faithfulness, they are constantly fighting with each other. In order to save their marriage, Chai decided to enroll them into a retreat program which promises to help them solve the internal strife in their troubled relationship.

I felt this was supposed to have been a short film that, like its unwieldy title, was just stretched out to feature length but with nothing much more to say. There were interminable moments of nothingness -- just some psychedelic light patterns playing on the screen with weird electronic music playing to accompany them. I simply cannot see any meaning nor art in these filler scenes except to lengthen the running time by 10 more minutes. 

The saving factor of this film was the intense antagonistic chemistry between the two daring lead actors -- Max Eigenmann (as the feisty Chai) and Jay Castillo (as the phlegmatic Aries). When the two of them are on the screen together, the film comes alive with sexual tension and suspense. The whole film climaxed when they did. The first half of the film was definitely the more vital one. I felt they should have stopped there with the reveal of the futuristic therapeutic intervention used.

Instead, the filmmakers decided to give each character their own separate spin-off episode in the second half of the film. That was when the integrity of the film broke down for me, as everything felt anti-climactic since then. I did not see the need for these individual dalliances because the point of these scenes (or what Jose Rizal was doing there) was not made clear.  What's clear is that the director expects that we should be deciding on our own endings after the final fade out, whether this couple will last or not. By then though, I did not care enough to do so. 4/10. 

QCINEMA 2017: Review of BALANGIGA: HOWLING WILDERNESS: Artistic but Appalling

October 23, 2017

Mainstream audiences like their films to tell stories to be diverting and entertaining. Indie films are a way for more adventurous filmmakers to go beyond those traditionally-desired constraints in order to explore darker stories using daring visuals which may not sit well with its audience. I have seen quite a number of local indie films already over the years, and I thought I could take anything an indie director throws at me. And then along comes a film like "Balangiga."

This film was set in the year 1901, in US-occupied Samar province. In retaliation for an armed uprising by the villagers of Balangiga, the Americans launched a merciless mass killing that reduced the whole Samar into an island of death and despair. Escaping from Balangiga after his father was killed in a massacre, 10-year old boy Kulas and his grandfather (Pio del Rio), along with their trusty carabao Melchora. 

In order to avoid Americans controlling the town of Borongan, they needed to traverse three mountains and seven rivers in order to reach Quinapundan, where Kulas' mother was staying with relatives. Along the way, they passed another massacred village and picked up a toddler, whom Kulas called Bola, who miraculously survived the carnage. When the grandfather was overcome with exhaustion, the two little boys had to fend for themselves.

This is an art-house film to the max as executed by its director Khavn (who claimed in the credits that this film was not by him) and his cinematographer Albert Banzon.  Khvan employed various innovative camera angles and image-distorting techniques to further drive the "modern art" treatment of his historical subject. He also played around a lot with bright blues and bright reds. 

It had very strange, esoteric and provocative imagery that shout "Art!" but the rationale for these scenes can be questionable. I can maybe sense that the recurring image of giant bird made of Christmas party junk which spoke a Southern drawl could be a symbol of the American Eagle. But what about that truly unsettling scene of an obscene roadside "preacher"? What about those disturbing scenes of animals being abused, like a goat being molested, or a poor piglet impaled alive, pitifully wailing and exsanguinating, or a chicken whose head was being slowly severed?

There was admittedly a certain charm about using children to drive a story across about senseless violence. The film starts with whimsical images like a flying carabao as dreamt by Kulas. However, as these dreams of Kulas become weirder the longer they are on their trek, so will the images we see become more and more bizarre as the film progressed -- from stylish midgets to flying fireballs to walking church bells. 

As Kulas, the scrappy Justin Samson (who looked younger than 10) did a lot of stuff that most adults would not have the strength or the nerve to do. He had to climb tall trees, lift heavy-looking loads, pick mint leaves out of a pot of "boiling" water, eat various seemingly dirty half-cooked rootcrops and meat, hack off animal heads and shoot a rifle at someone. His most discomfiting scene of all was when he had to go inside the disemboweled carcass of an animal, reminiscent of Leonardo deCaprio's similar scene in "The Revenant" (except that this one is probably a real carabao carcass, and not a fake prop).  

As Bola, Warren Tuano was impressively well-behaved for a child his age. He even had one particularly well-shot scene where he was crying and calling out to Kulas in full dramatic mode. Tuano must have been no older than two years old because he does not seem to talk yet. His first scene had him completely blackened up, sitting among "dead" people with fires burning around them. Then there was another dangerous-looking scene where he had to toddle down a slope to go to a pond. 

This film may receive critical acclaim for its undeniable artistic merits. However, as a parent, I found the film truly upsetting and even appalling, especially when I imagine how harrowing an experience the shooting this film may have been to those child actors. Samson and Tuano had precarious-looking scenes amidst tall grasses and trees, in the dirty pools of water, in the mud and in the rain. I only have to trust that the health (both physical and mental) and safety of these children were taken seriously into consideration by the director while shooting this film in the name of art.  4/10. 

Review of BAD GENIUS: Impugning Integrity

October 21, 2017

Cheating in school exams is an open secret. Almost everyone does it, but no one openly talks about it. Thai director Nattawut Poonpiriya came up a hip film that tackles this very sticky topic and wound up with the highest grossing film in Thailand this year, as well as the most profitable Thai film distributed worldwide of all time so far. Aside from "Shutter" (2004) and "Pee Mak" (2013), it isn't very frequent that we get a Thai movie in local cinemas, so this one promises to be a really good one.

Lynn is a brilliant math genius and scholar in a prestigious high school. Her richer (but not so academically blessed) classmates conscripted her to let them copy her answers during major exams by tempting her with a generous fee of 3K baht per exam per person. When time came for the international-based STIC exams, Lynn called in her fellow genius scholar and competitor Bank for his incredible memory as the stakes of their massive cheating operation were raised to reach millions of baht for both of them.

Lynn was played by Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, a fashion model who debuts as an actress in this film, and what an impressive debut it was. A lot of excitement and drama also hinged on the charismatic performance of Chanon Santinatornkul as Bank. They did not have typical teen-idol looks, but there was an unspoken chemistry between them which was quite thrilling, especially on that scene on the pedestrian bridge. 

The millionaire classmate Pat and his pretty popular girlfriend Grace were played by Teeradon Supapunpinyo and Eisaya Hosuwan, respectively. They play typical rich brats who think money can buy their way out of any situation. Thaneth Warakulnukroh played Lynn's father, a humble schoolteacher Vit, in a most realistic and sympathetic way. I totally identified with his painful frustration and unwavering support of his daughter. 

The story was told and edited in a very exciting way, like a heist caper. The elaborate plans even involve Lynn and Bank flying to Sydney, Australia in order to get a four-hour headstart on the exam answers to transmit to Pat and Grace. I don't know if this is based on a true incident in the past but that final sequence alternating between events in Sydney and Bangkok was very suspenseful. All possible thrill gimmicks were used to enhance the tension during that climactic series of events. 

Overall the movie is a cautionary tale against dishonesty. At my age, it was uncomfortable watching cheating shenanigans in school unfold on a big screen, but I am sure high school students will find it very funny and entertaining, but I hope not educational in terms of techniques. A twist before the ending came gave me a big jolt because of a shift in character which I did not expect and I did not like, but I admit that this change was not completely implausible. Lessons about academic integrity will be taught here in this film, and I hope the target audience learns it. 8/10. 

Review of THE FOREIGNER: Avenging Atrocity

October 19, 2017

Even if he gets older and older, a Jackie Chan always promises to be a great action film. The premise of this film is quite clear from the trailer alone. It is basically Jackie's character exacting revenge on the people responsible for the death of his daughter. The story is not exactly new, yes. However, the promise of seeing more signature Jackie Chan actions scenes still make this latest project a must-see for his local fans.

Within the first five minutes of this film, Quan Ngoc Minh's daughter Fan (Katie Leung) was one of the victims killed by a deadly bomb explosion in London, an act of terrorism for which an Irish group called UDI had claimed responsibility. However, the police counter-terror command led by Richard Bromley (Ray Fearon) could not tell the distraught Quan who was responsible for his daughter's death.

A stubborn Quan then sought out Irish deputy minister Liam Hennessy, an ex-UDI member turned politician who now served as liaison between the N. Irish and the British government. When Hennessy was giving him the runaround on the phone, Quan actually went to Belfast to confront Hennessy in his office. Quan, using his background as a Special Ops solider during the Vietnam War, made the next days precarious for Hennessy to force him to spill out the names of the terrorists. 

Unlike what the title suggests, Jackie Chan's Quan Ngoc Minh is not exactly a "Foreigner". Quan was born in China, but he had migrated to the UK thirty years or so ago and is already a British citizen. I guess the title is just a more political correct term than "The Chinaman", a 1992 novel by Stephen Leather upon which this film was based. However, we still hear the word "Chinaman" in a couple of scenes as uttered by Irish thugs.

As expected, Jackie Chan delivers on the promise of amazing martial arts fight scenes. This guy lost nothing to age it seems, as the fights, be they bare-handed or with big knives and various household items,  were still as bone-crushingly realistic as ever. Being that Quan was Jackie Chan, we had no doubt whatsoever that he can take on multiple opponents or be hurt very badly, yet still come out victorious. Being Special Ops, he can do anything single-handedly!

As this story was about terrorists, it was inevitable that there would be big explosions. Aside from the department store explosion in the beginning that took the life of Fan, there was that one big chilling explosion on one of those iconic red double-decker buses in the middle of a bridge over the Thames, which must have been quite a challenge to film. Quan also got to set off his own little explosions from grocery items, smaller in scale but no less destructive.

One big difference of this film from the typical Jackie Chan film is the complete lack of slapstick comedy. Chan was dead serious here. That one tearful scene where he was first interviewed by police after the bombing was very moving. I thought they did not really have to make him trudge around like a very old man when he was obviously still very spry and capable to walk up straight. 

Pierce Brosnan was also looking older and grizzled here as Liam Hennessy, but he was still no less a lady-killer. While Hennessy has his hands full toeing the line between his rebellious past and his diplomatic present, he also has to balance two women in his life. Actually without the interesting twists and turns in Hennessy's side of the story about his wife Mary (Orla Brady), his nephew Sean (Rory Fleck-Byrne) and his mistress Maggie (Charlie Murphy), this could have just another typical generic revenge film. 

This nuanced portrayal of a complex conflicted character was a nice return to form for Mr. Brosnan, who had been in forgettable projects in the last few years. Pierce Brosnan had worked with director Martin Campbell before in his first outing as James Bond "GoldenEye" (1995) and the two will work together again in a film version of Ernest Hemingway's "Across the River and Into the Trees."

I think you can never really miss with a Jackie Chan film. I had seen Chan in a straight drama before, "Police Story 2013" (MY REVIEW) where he also played a distressed father, and it was good to see him here is another variation of that theme.  He knows what his audience wants and he delivers. Seeing Chan and Pierce Brosnan together playing roles they are not usually known for, spiced with director Martin Campbell's style of raw brutal action, made formulaic "The Foreigner" still compelling to watch. 7/10.

Review of SEVEN SUNDAYS: Richly Rewarding Reconnections

October 15, 2017

When news about this film first came out on social media, my attention was immediately grabbed with the stellar combination of actors that were assembled for this project. Now that I had actually seen the movie, all the more I am commending the casting director for this unprecedented, brilliantly inspired casting decisions that really made this film even more special than it already was on paper.

69 year old Manuel Bonifacio learned bad news from his doctor that he had only barely two months to live because of terminal cancer. His last wish was for his four busy children to spend these last seven Sundays of his life together with him in their family home. 

At first, all four siblings A, B, C and D were saddled with personal baggage and past issues with each other that made these reunions painful instead of happy. With each passing Sunday though, these lost familial bonds were slowly being mended. Suddenly, Manuel receives another piece of news which threatened to break these bonds all over again.

A is eldest brother Allan, played by a comebacking Aga Muhlach. Muhlach can still use his big puppy-dog eyes to great use in those emotional scenes to make us all care about his familial and financial predicaments. The more mature Muhlach may have gained some heft physically, but this actor still had his dramatic chops intact, which was especially seen in those moving scenes with his son Marc (Kyle Echarri). 

B is second son Bryan, played by Dingdong Dantes. He is the one sibling who was able to succeed financially, and therefore tended to be bossy and had to deal with different issues as to what he needed to do for his family. Bryan had so many chips on his shoulder, which gave Dantes several potent dramatic confrontation scenes, all of which he delivered with elegant dignity. These scenes affirm that he is one of, if not the best actor of his generation. 

C is the only daughter Cha, played by Cristine Reyes. It could have been the story of just three brothers and the story probably still would have worked, but having a daughter in there provided a showcase of how Filipino brothers are very protective of their sisters. Cha's husband Jerry (Kean Cipriano) may be a good father to their kids, but he was also an incurable philanderer. Reyes was so raw and vulnerable in portraying the hurtful pain in this martyr wife character, which made us all want to reach out through the screen to help her.

D is youngest son Dexter, played by Enrique Gil. He grew up basically alone, since their mom died early, their dad was usually abroad working and his siblings were already in college, and this estrangement due to the significant age gap was sensitively portrayed by Gil. As an actor, Gil tended to give way to his more senior co-stars as his character was really meant to be distant, but when it came for his moment to shine in the climactic confrontation scene, he did. 

As the patriarch Manuel, Ronaldo Valdez was in the center of everyone's story and he was able to hold the whole film together with his geniality and genuineness, like how most of us regard our own fathers. Unlike most movies about senior citizens, Valdez' Manuel here is still sound of mind and active of body and he had a healthy sense of humor and joie de vivre, so the dramatic aspects of the story never slid down to melodrama. Honestly, at no point did he look like a man with terminal cancer.

Ketchup Eusebio was Manuel's loyal companion and confidante, his nephew Jun. I thought that Cacai Bautista was hilarious as Bryan's homely executive assistant who had a huge crush on her boss. April Matienzo was sprightly and cute as Dex's neighborhood friend Camille. Donita Rose was underused as Bechay, Allan's very pregnant wife. Iza Calzado and Edward Barber have cameos in surprise roles -- no spoken lines but still poignant.

Jeffrey Tam was appropriately annoying as Mr. Kim, a Korean businessman who wanted to buy the ABC's Family Store out so to have a parking lot for his mall across the street. Ryan Bang suddenly showed up at the end to play another Mr. Kim, the previous Mr. Kim's brother. This final over-optimistic scene, complete with a clunky dance showdown, felt awkward given the intensity of drama preceding it, but I guess it is there to end the hopeful film on a high note.

There were moments in "Seven Sundays" that reminded of another cherished family film "Tanging Yaman" (Laurice Guillen, 2000). The long-strained relations between the rich second son and the humbled eldest son was the most obvious similarity. 

The various stories may all sound familiar and the ending may have been predictable, however director Cathy Garcia-Molina and her talented cast told the Bonifacio family's journey in a warm and relatable way that all Filipinos can identify with. (With the English subtitles in the print I saw, I'm sure foreigners can relate as well.) 8/10.