Sa rebyu’ng ito ni Engelbert Rafferty, kaniya’ng sinuri ang pagka-hango ng pelikula ni Lav Diaz sa ekstra-hudisyal na pagpatay noong pamumuno ng dating presidente na si Rodrigo Duterte, at sa mga naiwang ala-ala ng pamilya ng mga biktima. Umiikot ang mga kamay ng oras sa bawat segundong tumatakbo. Sa loob
Author: Engelbert Rafferty
Hungry for food and films, Engelbert sees cinema as a basic need, consumed daily to fuel his love for art and life.
‘City of Wind’ Unravels Mongolian Mysticism | QCinema review
Engelbert Rafferty reviews Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir’s debut film ‘City of Wind’. It premiered in this year’s QCinema as part of the ‘New Horizons’ section. Spoilers are present in this review. In the last day of February 2006, renowned Mongolian shamanism figure Sarangerel Odigon passed away at age 43, which we can
Tiger Stripes review: Malaysian body-horror succeeds in its depiction of growing up
This is Engelbert Rafferty’s return to Film Police Reviews! He writes about Amanda Nell Eu’s directorial debut, ‘Tiger Stripes’. The film is also the recipient of the Pylon Award for Asian Next Wave Best Picture and Best Director in this year’s QCinema International Film Festival. The Philippines and Malaysia are
Film Review: EMA
Pablo Larraín has been out and about for quite some time now, yet he became a household name in 2016 after the creation of two films–Jackie and Neruda, both of which are biopics that have been deconstructed into audiovisual poetry, made even more introspective by its elements of fiction that
SOFI (State of the Film Industry): “The New Normal”
Day x of quarantine. The outside world is not safe. Every space that can be stepped foot on is a death march waiting to happen, a genocide at the hands of the assassins lurking in the streets, one tangible and another the exact opposite. People are inside their houses, looking
Filipino Films You Can Watch on YouTube for Free While “Social Distancing”
Are you at the comforts of your humble abode, distancing yourself from people in order to avoid getting infected by the coronavirus pandemic? How do you spend your time all by your lonesome? With the nation now being placed under enhanced community quarantine, all of your most anticipated events, like
QCinema Best Picture “Cleaners” to have UP screenings
Fresh from its win at last year’s QCinema International Film Festival, Cleaners is set to be shown on March at two campuses of the University of the Philippines. The debut film from director Glenn Barit, who has been known in the local film scene for making cinematic works that play with form
Film Review: 1917
History repeats itself. Everyone must have been made aware of this idea at least once in their entire lifetime. And it’s true. Historic recurrence is a common ideology that happens in every single part of the world not because we have not learned our lessons in history classes, but because
Film Review: ON VODKA, BEERS, AND REGRETS
“Tara, shot tayo.” “Pre, gusto kong mag-inom.” “Let’s drink till we drop.” Have you ever been asked by your peer, co-worker or even your best friend to join them in drinking alcohol? It doesn’t matter if it’s for a single bottle of San Miguel Pale Pilsen or a couple of Emperador Light brandy bottles,
Film Review: BLOCK Z
At 28, Mikhail Red is at the height of his career. Imagine, he showed off his directing chops to the whole nation when he became a part of the 9th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival at age 21, releasing his debut film under the “New Breed” category called Rekorder — a voyeuristic
Film Review: BOMBSHELL
The #MeToo movement started blowing up sometime 3 years ago, when executive producer Harvey Weinstein received backlash from many women in the film industry who had been sexually abused and raped by the man. The allegations against Weinstein were so strong it created an epidemic (or better yet, a trend) so
Film Review: JUST MERCY
A filmmaker’s debut comes with a hefty price, especially when you make something that would later on be heralded as “a classic” or “a revelation” or whatever clichéd tag you can think of. After all, the biggest tendency that people do is to compare every other follow-up of the director
Film Review: JOJO RABBIT
If you’re a fan of Taika Waititi pre-Thor: Ragnarok, then you know very well how the New Zealander’s film-making style works, how he plays with the genre of comedy by adding layers of originality to them and turning them into a pleasurable watch. He makes satires for a living and
The Best Filipino Films of 2019 (Part 3)
5. Edward Director: Thop Nazareno A good Bildungsroman knows the importance of change and discovery. As we reach certain milestones in our lives, we grow and realize, we understand and act, we create and break. But most of all, we become. Thop Nazareno held a post-screening Q&A of his Special Jury
The Best Filipino Films of 2019 (Part 2)
11. Sila-Sila (The Same People) Director: Giancarlo Abrahan There’s something beyond the intimacy and truthfulness of Giancarlo Abrahan’s films that you just can’t quite put a finger on. Maybe it’s the frankness of the characters that pull us into their small universes. Maybe it’s the created conflicts that feel natural
Film Review: RICHARD JEWELL
We’ve all seen Lady Justice have her eyes covered with blindfold while carrying the scale of fairness and the sword of truth. The biggest question that can be asked there is “why does she have a blindfold on?” Some would say that it’s to eliminate all forms of bias that
The Best Filipino Films of 2019 (Part 1)
What has our national cinema achieved in the past decade? It’s 2020 now. This means that everything new is coming our way. This also means that expectations continue to be set at a high bar, as Philippine cinema continues to push the envelope and explore the many realms of our
Film Review: CATS
I’ve grown accustomed to iconic songs being played on repeat every single time either on the radio or in your neighborhood, sometimes even when people would belt their lungs out at a karaoke. Once a song reaches a point wherein people regardless of race, gender or social status sings your
Film Review: JESUS IS KING
Kanye Omari West is a walking paradox, a living proof of how a man who has been at the forefront of controversy and backlash still manages to dominate the charts and the hearts of many. He’s the face of the music industry for a reason and that is because of
Cinema One Originals 2019 Review: Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis review: Engelbert Rafferty dissects J.E. Tiglao’s debut film, nearly an out-of-body experience as it is. Another very effective treatment for erectile dysfunction but it is not considered as a cure. viagra without side effects Today, almost 58% ED patients in the UK prefer to buy kamagra online. online ordering
Cinema One Originals 2019 Review: Bulaklak sa City Jail (Restored Version)
Mario O’ Hara is a prolific character in the foundation of our nation’s own cinematic identity. His prominence goes without question as his oeuvre gave birth to some of the best films of the 70’s and the 80’s, all of which lay bare the harrowing truths of the everyday Filipino
Cinema One Originals 2019 Review: Lucid
Two years ago, Apichatpong Weerasethakul sojourned to the Philippines for almost a month and held his traveling art installation called Serenity of Madness at the Museum of Contemporary Arts and Design in De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde. Known for digging into the subconscious of the Thai people through dreams
Cinema One Originals 2019 Review: Misteryo sa Tuwa (Restored Version)
What happens when a plane crashes in a peaceful barrio, and a band of unknowing accomplices find a suitcase filled with money? This conundrum bewilders a group of men in Abbo dela Cruz’s “Misteryo sa Tuwa”, dutifully restored by the ABS-CBN Film Restoration team. Read more of our review here:
