Reviews

I particularly like this entry. It's a slow burn; I say, as slow as the generations you see on the screen. There's also something quite magical in its performances. See, Perla Bautista starts off quite dreamy in her first scenes with Menggie Cobarrubias - subtle and controlled, yet rather colorless and unbalanced. And Dante Rivero, too. He begins as this unexciting character, in need of a push.

But in the second act, when Bautista and Rivero share the screen, there's this bewitching chemistry we just can't deny. Probably, it's brought about by the lack of conflict on the first act, but Bautista shines more when with Rivero.

And it tells so much about first loves, too. That undeniable sense of familiarity and history. I clung in their scenes, wishing for more, but that will never come, and it's what makes this film alluring and sensual in its own way.

PS. Romnick Sarmienta still makes me swoon with how he handles his characters on screen. His silent and subdued control makes seeing this film all the more worth the while.

HUSTISYA (2014) has all the necessary ingredients to be great. It comes with good story, complex characterizations, a familiar milieu, well developed plot lines, and a really good actress for its central role. Put them all together, and you get a really good film. Consequently, Director Joel Lamangan holds the frying pan and it somehow pulls the taste scale down.

Biring (Nora Aunor) is the right hand woman of a human trafficking syndicate led by Vivian (Rossana Roces). She pays the right people and ensures that everything runs smoothly, until one night, when Vivian kills her lover Gardo (Gardo Versoza), she sets up Biring in the processes. While in prison, Biring slowly impresses the leaders of the syndicate, and without her knowing, she gets groomed for a role that will challenge her faith and identity.

HUSTISYA is a crime-drama that plays on the central issue of morality versus survival. To kill or to be killed? To fight or to die alone? It is a theme worth discussing, and Ricky Lee's presentation through its central character effectively delivers a well crafted argument that hits the mark. Biring, as an unconventional character, wonderfully represents our own dilemmas in a society where corruption and faith always go to war. It is a film reminiscent of the Manila-themed films that we used to have in the 80s – those that depicts the struggle of the ordinary Filipino, and how he gets slowly eaten up by the cruelty of man and of himself.

Aunor as Biring is at her finest. As the film's central character, she pulls off an excellent representation of who we are and how we continuously fight what we think is wrong, but eventually gets eaten up in the process. Here is a Nora Aunor I can recommend to my non- Noranian friends. As Biring, she talks a lot, moves a lot, and she even wears a gown! Also worthy of note are the performances by Roces and Rocco Nacino. Roces as Vivian delivers the deadly side of hypocrisy, while Nacino pulls through one of his most challenging portrayal as the deceitful representation of our law.

However, if there's a tragedy in the entire film, I'd say it is in its direction. Lamangan's baton swings quite dumbly throughout the film. Like in his other films, HUSTISYA tends to be too obvious, detectable, contrived and at some point, absurd. Common Lamangan scenes, like an activist demonstration, is not spared in its background. It is unnecessary, overly stated and a waste of production cost. It is still worthy to note, however, that here, Lamangan is tamed at his best. Despite the stagy scenes here and there, he is still able to pull through a justifiable execution of a Ricardo Lee story.

Despite this, HUSTISYA still comes with a story worth listening to. In our generation where corruption tends to be the norm, it quietly tells us that our fight should still continue. In Biring, we see that an invisible Upper Hand is still at work (be it Nature, the Universe, Karma or God), and that though the movie ends with a laugh, we are sure that tragedy is just beyond the bend.

#Y begins when Miles (Elmo Magalona) is about to jump off the roof of a building in Makati. He then recalls a month and a half ago when he first decided that he wanted to die. Miles is carefree, fun loving, and faithful, yet he can also be solitary, introspective and suspicious. He reviews his understanding of death, and how adventurous and heroic it might be. The film follows him in his nightly parties with his friends, and the drugs that make him a part of their group.

I myself was surprised to have enjoyed #Y (2014). Though its thesis covers a generation that I now see only from afar, its presentation of a world of the rich and the young is captured effectively through Director Gino Santos' lens. It explores a much ignored issue of teenage suicides and creates an argument that even in their boundless lives, they are chained in their own social limits. Santos does not explain why Miles wants to kill himself. Though some may say that this is a major miss, I say otherwise. #Y ventures into the lives of our young, as it tries to explain that even in their most stupid of decisions there is still depth in their impassive existence.

For more than a decade, the emergence of LGBTQIA-themed films in our independent cinema have flocked our home video collections, and even Robinson Cinemas. It began with all the good intentions, but when producers saw this as an opportunity for revenue, it snowballed like hell. Like or not: sex sells. Much more if two or more men are in the same bed. This sad cycle in the history of our local cinema ultimately produced some of the most inferior, self-oppressive and tasteless works for the sake of getting favorable production returns. These, so-called (H)Indie Film have dug a deeper margin for the LGBTQIA, and has misled a public on the what our advocacies really are. That is why when Director Joselito Altarejos brings in KASAL (2014) in Cinemalaya, one can't help but sit with justifiable qualms, and nervous reservations. In an era where we normally see LGBTQIA-themed movies in an exclusive sections in our Astrovisions and Odysseys, having another entry of its kind is something we just don't need.

But Altarejos proves them wrong. KASAL is a film that explores back door issues surrounding our cries for equality. It is not a total flesh feast, nor an array of intolerable acting, but a presentation of silent oppression. It carefully presents a strong argument on why we have been fighting for the basic right to marriage. Note worthy are the performances of its two leads. Arnold Cruz Reyes and new comer Oliver Aquino, both gave strong portrayals of two lovers who are trapping themselves in a circumstance they can't escape from.

There were unnecessary scenes, and a prolonged soft-porn moment (uuuuy, manonood na yan!), but it argues an issue that has been around these past years. It successfully depicts how cultural and religious oppressions bring forth our personal and emotional struggles. As a whole, KASAL somehow ties a justifiable knot.

S6PARADOS (2014) opens at a wedding using great shots and full brilliant colors. It ironically establishes what is otherwise known as a happy ending in failed marriages. It is promising and well-thought of. After that, all else go downhill with great speed.

Director GB Sampedro's ambitious enough to tackle a much ignored issue. S6EPARADOS challenges the stereotype that man is the metaphor to broken relationships. The intentions are noble, but because of its story's structure, stupid plot points, vague character motivations, predictable resolutions, and abrupt transitions the presentation of this multi- charactered film fails.

Six men lead six different lives, each going through their own unique issue. Their lived interconnect, but each has to make a decision for his own life and future.

Had it not been for Victor Neri , Eric Santos, and Joel Lamangan (who has a show stopping cameo scene), this film wouldn't even get a single star. Neri is at his best in his silent scenes, and manages a fairly good depiction of a husband in despair. Indeed, talent never dies. Santos is a surprise as a battered young husband and wonderfully executes a miserable man in need of a wife's trust.

S6EPARADOS takes form in a story of a flashback within a flashback, then a flash forward, a super flash forward, and then a flashback again. I wouldn't blame you if you get lost in the process. It's a dumb structure that makes you feel dumber because you choose to sit down and finish the work. Its scenes are jam packed, obvious, and overrated, you can close your eyes and still get everything. With all the screaming and over the top melodrama, its like watching a radio drama on screen. Intriguing as it may sound, spare yourselves from watching this tragedy that severely "separates" itself from the rest of last year's Cinemalaya entries.

To review and explain DAGITAB (2014), is like to give meaning to a poem. Director Giancarlo Abrahan V pulls together a lyrical, silent, and melancholic story of two academicians, married for years, and have viewed life as a road of passing phases. It is artsy, deep, and uncomprehending at some point, but it is good! Very good indeed.

Issey (Eula Valdez) and Jimmy (Nonie Buencamino) have been married for years. As the story begins, their relationship is already on the verge of falling apart. Jimmy takes flight in search of a relic for his work that involves a long lost love. Issey, on the other hand, gets involved in a scandal with a young student (who is also her godson) in the university where she and Jimmy work.

It's a simple plot, with simple scenes. But one can argue if they really are. DAGITAB makes use of long undramatic scenes that will still leave you breathless and wondering. The film presents two opposing symbols (fire and water), without shoving it down your throat. These symbols represent two opposing emotions: fire for passion and water for loss, and imagination. You see, it's just there: conveniently hidden for the idle, but still beautifully planted for the searching.

DAGITAB creates a wonderful example of poetry in film. Abrahan meticulously directs with utmost care to deliver a Cinemalaya entry that silently speaks a loud undertone.

Like the rhythmic form, it's brilliance is hidden in its silences, and its magnificence in its performances.

Just as I said: It's like poetry.

One can say that CHILDREN'S SHOW's (2014) story does not go too far; unless you say otherwise. It tends to be predictable, but as the film progresses, it takes you to a surprising quick turn and an unexpected denouement. It comes with intelligent screen writing, brilliant cinematography, amazing young actors and excellent direction.

Al (Miggs Cuaderno) and Jun (Buboy Villar) are two brothers who work as pedicab drivers. Occasionally, they join street fights to earn additional income. They live with their grandmother (Gloria Sevilla), who manages the household by the meagre earnings her grandchildren gives, and contends to her son, Mario (Allen Dizon) who has abandoned them, but is always hitting them up for support.

Director Derick Cabrido transforms poverty porn into something worth seeing. With excellent cinematography, the CHILDREN'S SHOW manages to depict this kind of "pornography" into something relevant and sensible. Good camera work plays a stunning part in its entirety. I particularly like the scene where Al, Jun and Kara are in the shadows overlooking the yellow light of Manila's Port Area. Despite the darkness, one can still feel their faces, and hear their emotions. Also, Cabrido strategically makes use of extreme close-ups to silently close some heavy scenes, banking on the actor's emotions in the most subtle way.

Cuaderno as Al is wonderful. He punches spontaneous jokes that make the audiences cheer and love the crook-in-the-making in his character. But it's Villar as Jun who is wonderfully exceptional. As the central character, one cannot help but empathise with him and unfeelingly comprehend his chosen climax.

The fight scenes, however, are somewhat misrepresented. I'm not sure if Cabrido wishes to celebrate its violence or condone its effects on the young. Well, it feels like the latter. Its discomforting, brutal, yet carefully shot and artistically lighted. This somehow presents a misaligned aspect in the film's theme.

As a whole, CHILDREN'S SHOW is one decent entry this year. It explores the struggles of our young in a class where violence is the norm and where elders teach them how to fight back or die. Though gruesome and tragic, its delivery and performances are something to watch out for.

Chazelle delicately directs the film to have that sense of crisp and sound – one that's quite hard to find nowadays. He magically transforms violent and abusive scenes into something extremely watchable without dismissing pity. There is never a camera angle that is out of place, no wasted detail in its frames. This is one film that can teach LES MISERABLES (2012) Director, Tom Hooper, how to effectively use extreme close ups, without having to waste pure emotions and sheer talent.

WHIPLASH presents a decent, yet violent argument that exalts the student and polarizes the discipline. This is a story where the teacher simply becomes the tool to the artist's journey to becoming what he really is. Or may be not. At some point, the teacher becomes a separate entity in the learning experience. At some point, the teacher has ambitions of his own, far detached from what his own learners think and dream. At some point, the teacher finds his learners as his competitors in the race to greatness.

It's an absurd tragedy, though still arguably triumphant on its own.

What WHIPLASH argues is that beyond learning lies a greater and more painful path to ambition, and to get there, one does not need anyone but himself. It is a story that challenges the collaborative norm in education. It is an anti-social thesis on refinement and discipline, yet it is still something worth looking into. It does not give you that moral lesson that you are waiting for. Amidst the loud, energetic sounds of Andrew's sweaty, bloody, jazz drum set, it whispers to you that the road to glory is made of brimstones from hell.

Every once in a while Director David Fincher resurrects and creates an instant classic that's quite hard to pass by. This year, he reawakens to adapt a bestselling thriller that made it in the charts in 2012 and delivers a film that drives home a point.

Based on Gillian Flynn's thriller novel, GONE GIRL (2014) unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick's portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?

The circumstances were convenient, absurd, and arguably stupid, that at some point you scratch your head and think differently. But knowing that Fincher is behind all these, we faithfully submit to such irrationality and let ourselves get swayed, believing that we are in good hands. With a perfect cast and intelligent direction, GONE explores the duality in all of us and wonderfully presents the argument: that even in the most absurd of things, our willing suspension of disbelief is slowly killing our most prized common sense. That in our generation of uncensored social media, sensationalized programming, down to the smallest of gossips, we all embrace and fight for a truth as fabricated by just one.

It is a film worth seeing. With a villain, soooo evil, I doubt if you'd be able to sleep at night without thinking how we can be so cruel.

Director Kim Ji-woon's I SAW THE DEVIL (2011) is a psychological thriller that weaves a disturbing theme on violence and revenge, that it eventually passes as a horror film. Using vengeance as it's core, its characters go beyond the limit of imaginable violence, and presents a dreadful realisation that getting one's payback is already a tragedy in itself. Ji- woon carefully handles each scene, however violent, and masterfully executes his characters' emotions for the screen. Byung-hyun as the vengeful Dae-hoon, depicts a strong character of subtle violence overpowered by his hunger for payback. Min-sik's psychotic Kyung-chul, on the other, with his unapologetic, killer-mania stance, tops our ranks of villains in the serial killer genre.

At face value, I SAW THE DEVIL is gory, unthinkable, and extremely violent, but at the heart of its core is a much horrifying form of revenge. You may want to think of your worst enemy, while journeying with Dae-hoon as he goes on a cat-and-mouse chase, and silently swear and feel his remorse, and eventual regret.

This horror film presents a separatist's perspective to the horror that we know. I SAW THE DEVIL doesn't need white ghosts and long black hairs to give us that run-of-the-mill cinema thrills. It's demons are in the heart of its characters, horrifyingly devouring their souls and transforming their spirits. It's the kind of horror that can believably happen, even to us. Reminiscent of OLDBOY (2003), I SAW THE DEVIL argues that retribution is a fulfilling, yet dangerously self-destructing, cycle; an inevitable price at the end of the journey we wouldn't want to have.

Director Antoinette Jadaone's (SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM LILIA CUNTAPAY: 2011) latest film is a satire on a society blinded by its superficial standards on Beauty. It is an entertaining, yet a critical look at how we crucify ourselves, for a sip from the fountain of eternal youth. Though at some point the film diverts to a familiar formula from Star Cinema Hell, the film delivers quite a remarkable feat in our local comedies. It is crisp, side-splitting, and undeniably memorable.

BEAUTY IN A BOTTLE is a satire that digs deep into an ugly norm that the society has horrifyingly imposed on itself. Our trivial standards on Beauty has already gone a long way, that even our own minds have substantially embraced a disgusting pretence. It is a film that openly disillusions our self-imposed standards, and presents an inevitable tragedy that awaits us, unless we find our way out while there is time.

When Elton John re-created Billy's story to a musical in 2005, it garnered countless awards and recognition in the world of stage. The adaptation continued to run in London, the US, and Canada to universal acclaim. In 2010, it even had its first non-English language production which premiered in Seoul, with a young Korean playing the coveted role of Billy.

Much can be said of the talent of its lead. Elliot Hanna as the central character is a total performer. He re-creates Billy on stage and gives the character a new face and a new form. In him, we see a more passionate Billy. He dances like a professional, and executes almost- perfect pirouettes. He has the soul of an actor worthy of an Olivier, a protégé ready to face bigger audiences and bow at their applause. But Hanna is at his best in the more sentimental scenes. I particularly like the part when he lets Mrs. Wilkinson (Ruthie Henshall) read her mother's letter (Mum's Letter) in preparation for a dance routine. In the scene, Billy's mom enters the stage to sing with him and Mrs. Wilkinson. Here, Hanna poignantly shows Billy's deep longing for a mother. His misty-eyed nuances crawl over the screen and onto the stage, overpowering the lyrics and Elton John's music. Here is a Billy who exhibits a complex core we hadn't seen before. It's a phenomenon on stage that is worth more than a second look.

The supporting actors are scary, yet colorful. Henshall as Sandra Wilkinson is unexpectedly jolly, connected and engaged. At some point, one may think that she may pass as Billy's second mum. I just get a bit worried whenever she puffs half a cigarette after a total cardio-vascular performance. No wonder she gets tired that easily. But that's her lungs. Deka Walmsley as Jackie Elliot is superb. He is the same Daddy Elliot that we know, and he enchants the audience the same way Gary Lewis enthralls us in his performance of the original role. Like Lewis in the film, Walmsley's best scenes are those that examine his emotional dilemmas; how his heart chooses his love for his sons over everything else. Chris Grahamson is the love-you-hate-you Tony Elliot. His presence fills the stage, and his looks are undeniably priceless. He slowly matures on stage, and the audience loves him for that. Worthy to mention is Ann Emery's performance of Grandma. Her energy covers most of her scenes with gusto. Hall, who also wrote the story for the stage adaptation, gives the role a deeper back story, bringing Billy's Grandma somehow closer to the audience.

The problem lies, however, in its execution. It exaggerates a simple plot and borders to almost being contrived. The music, though done with good intentions, stretches the plot to an unbearable pace, making one wonder if it is all worth it. Most of the dialogues maintain the same feel of the movie. The swearing and shouting never seem to stop. Though it's understandable that the excessive use of swear words throughout the story establishes a carefree culture of the working class, the stage adaptation fails miserably in justifying such conviction. It was all an empty-headed quack; a frail attempt to fill between the lines.

Musical-Michael (Zach Atkinson), Billy's best friend and confidant, is much more flamboyant. While on the other hand, the film-Michael has a deeper back story and a more complicated personal dilemma. Much can even be said about his quiet love. His final shot in the film, after Billy kisses him goodbye, is a cinematic moment where, at one point or the other, we see ourselves. This shift from the original character, for the purposes of can-can entertainment, dismisses the beauty of his graceful silence in the film.

Further, the Revolution in the film is just a background juxtaposed to Billy's ballet dreams. It intensifies his passion and clearly presents an ironic stance on civility and disorder. However, the adaptation tries to balance Billy's journey and the Miner's Strike. Though noble, it demagnifies the score of its central character. It lessens Billy's goal as it levels with the unclear stance on a revolution that is already too passionate to a fault. As a result, its original simplicity turns bitterly over-complicated, confused and clouded.

Billy Elliot the Musical Live! revolves around the same familiar plot. It attempts to forge the same deep emotional journey of the film that made millions cry. It's triumphant at times. Somewhat memorable, even. But at some point, it gives off a shallower exposition. It may have big production numbers, well executed pirouettes, and dazzling choreographies, but it misses the heart of the original. Had it not been for the cast's breathtaking talent and Director Stephen Daldry's ambitious attempt to re-create a feel-good classic, this stage adaptation would have been amiss.

The film develops slowly, while quietly pursuing a rising action. Kent delivers a film that resists the run-of-the-mill horror pace by moving her plot to a staggering rhythm. Despite this, it holds the audience on its grip. It builds on its characters instead of banking on cheap horror thrills and CGI-crap. Its monster, on the other hand, doesn't need a justifiable cause to defend its terrifying presence. It doesn't come with a backstory. The central characters' history is already enough to juice the plot. Unlike Sadako and Kobayashi (or Lotus Feet for that matter), whose backstories stretch to almost epic proportions, the Babadook is just how it is: it's just there, and the characters will just have live with it or fight it. And although it doesn't show itself much, its horror still lingers like an ellipsis.

THE BABADOOK presents a nightmare both real and unreal. Its creature doesn't just jumps on beds and opens doors, it also symbolizes the dark alleys of consciousness. It has a character who is doomed with a remembrance of a tragic memory, and letting go of such past could also be a terrifying process in itself. In one way or another, we create our own monsters. Through careful direction, it is a movie that delicately shows a truth about who we are and how we embrace our pains. And that despite the victories, there still would be lingering, disturbing denouements.

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