Hollywood biographical war pictures are used as devices to mark significant events of terrorism, a form through which we comprehend accounts of reality and glimpse on the American psyche. Over the last few years we have Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Lone Survivor (2013), and American Sniper (2014), to name only
Category: Reviews
Lakbay2Love
Recent calamities that wreaked havoc to the Philippines have inspired many a movie in the indie scene. Just last year alone, there were Brillante Ma. Mendoza’s Taklub, Pepe Diokno’s Above the Clouds, and Chuck Gutierrez’s Iisa. By setting these films in typhoon-stricken areas, the directors were able to use disaster
The Danish Girl
2015 is a triumphant year for the L.G.B.T.Q. community. The legalization of same-sex marriage in several countries, including the United States of America, is a showcase of the world’s newly founded open-mindedness. It’s a big leap in pursuit of equality, a battle that has been going on for years now. Some, however,
Everything About Her
Women” and “power” rarely form a sentence that doesn’t draw prejudice. Yet, in Joyce Bernal’s latest Everything About Her, these two words become the foundation of a rather unconventional statement. The film opens with a montage of Vilma Santos’ magnate delivering a speech that’s stereotypical of women in power—irascible, frigid,
The Boy
It is curious how the creepy-doll-story has become a sub-genre of horror films. We have Chucky from Child’s Play, Billy from Dead Silence, or the more recent (but disdainful) Annabelle, to only name a few. Either from the frozen smile or the piercing stare, the fear from these inanimate marionettes has sparked
Macbeth
Macbeth, the timeless play by William Shakespeare, is retold once more in film, this time in the hands of director Justin Kurzel. The “laws” of cinema establish that such classic pieces get new adaptations every five years or so, inevitably subjecting these rehashes to the “make-or-break” category. The film opens
Criminal Activities
There’s enough pomp, violence, and foul-mouthed thugs in Jackie Earle Healey’s Criminal Activities to do some classic Tarantino good. The film however views like a mere Pulp Fiction pastiche, doggedly dropping f-bombs and delivering obnoxiously acerbic lectures to its in the throes protagonists. But irreverence is what’s most characteristic about
The Big Short
Adam McKay, best known for his absurdist comedies like Anchorman, The Other Guys, and Talladega Nights, puts aside the usual screwball tactic and directs the living daylights out of this black comedy with a rather depressing undertone about the 2007 sub-prime mortgage meltdown that also led to the global economic
Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin
The definition of the word ‘satire’ has evolved from being a legitimate genre of literature to a now undervalued niche category in our Thought Catalog-driven world. At one point, the word meant “calling somebody an asshole.” That is, if Urban Dictionary is to be trusted. Bob Ong is a good
All You Need Is Pag-Ibig
There’s no point saying otherwise: All You Need Is Pag-Ibig is an attempt to make a Pinoy Love Actually. Written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone, AYNIP is an assortment of interconnected love stories among tangentially related individuals who believe that their pursuing of romantic love would lead them to their
#WalangForever
There’s a line in Dan Villegas‘ new film, Walang Forever (often stylized as #WalangForever) which I like and perhaps may complement the film as a whole. It is when Cai Cortes‘ character quips to Jericho Rosales‘ Ethan, “Isn’t that what they say about artists? They get immortalized through their works—may it be
Haunted Mansion
Betrayal underlies the conflict in most of Jun Lana’s films. Whether it’s prejudice or acts of sheer deceit—one woman is berated by her own people, another shred into halves by her own nation—the hurt of betrayal in his films rams the atmosphere. Perci Intalan’s debut feature Dementia, whose screenplay is co-written by
Beauty and the Bestie
In one scene in Josh Radnor’s Liberal Arts, a character, frustrated over the success of a certain sparkling vampire book, asks, “So when millions of people like something, that means it’s good?” To which the other character wittily replies, “No, it means millions of people like it. These books make
My Bebe Love #KiligPaMore
Perhaps the best way to sit through Jose Javier Reyes’ My Bebe Love #Kiligpamore is putting down your cynical glasses and throwing your entire expectations out of the window. But a bitter taste is stronger than its tolerable bland-ness, and there is no turning back because, you know, the ticket
Honor Thy Father
When I think about Christmas, the first memories that surge through me are that of family, simbang gabi, warm bonds, and that of all things good and right in the world —even just for one day. Well Honor Thy Father, which opened Christmas Day as part of the Metro Manila Film Fest 2015,
Toto
Persistence is the main takeaway in John Paul Su’s Toto, which means you’re expected to forgive its inevitable Wizard Of Oz reference. Attuned to its hero’s spirits, the film is relentless at satirizing the notion of the American Dream, by way and form of its jocularly naive Filipino with an
Turo-Turo
Why do bad things happen to good people? This might be the central thesis of Turo-Turo, a tale of a persevering father and his struggle to uplift the standard of living of his family of five drenched in the familiar facade of urban poverty. A number of important themes are
Ari: My Life with a King
Geography and culture are largely intertwined. This is the thesis being put forward by Ari: My Life with a King, directed by Carlo Enciso Catu and written by Robby Tantingco. The film’s first shot is of Mt. Pinatubo, now quiet and majestic but had once wreaked havoc and forever transformed
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
NOTE: In my best effort, this review is spoiler-free. Want your viewing experience untainted? This is not the review you’re looking for. *Jedi wisik ng kamay* For geeks who are feeling a bit anxious about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, let’s set things straight, the movie is not disappointing (not
Kakabakaba Ka Ba?
This film could not have been made today, at least not without public backlash and definitely not by a major studio. This was my immediate reaction right after I saw the restored and remastered version of Mike De Leon’s Kakabakaba Ka Ba?, which was, in 1980, a last-ditch attempt at
Dahling Nick
The extraordinary brilliance of Dahling Nick is fully realized in its interviews with figures in Nick Joaquin’s life such as: National Artists for Literature Bienvinido Lumbera and F. Sionil Jose; Nick’s niece Charo Joaquin Villegas, his ultimate companion, Elena Roco; and even Communist Party of the Philippines founder, Jose Ma.
Manang Biring
Manang Biring takes off her robe, uninhibited by the darkness of her home (which apparently has not had electricity for a long time) and caresses her right breast, cleaning a wound that has made its way to the lower part of her bosom. The actress, Erlinda Villalobos, plays out this scene with exuberance
Sicario
After seeing Sicario, I had a few questions running through my head: Is it really that bad in Juarez? Should Emily Blunt play Captain Marvel? When did Benicio Del Toro transform into Mexican Brad Pitt? How can we live in a world where Roger Deakins hasn’t won an Academy Award
Miss Bulalacao
Miss Bulalacao narrates how an entire barrio is sent into a frenzy by the news that a gay boy has suddenly become pregnant. It opens with a small-town drag pageant, during which Dodong (sensitively played by Russ Ligtas) is asked what the essence of being a woman is. His reply:
Dayang Asu
Much has been said about the pacing issues of Bor Ocampo’s Dayang Asu (Eng title: Dognation), and I think that is what makes this film really interesting; it is a nihilistic slow-burner, but it’s more than just a slow-burner. Set in a town of Pampanga, it focuses on a father
