"WALANG FOREVER" pulls off a heartfelt screenplay and a genuine portrayal from its actors.

Walang Forever” pulls off a heartfelt screenplay and a genuine portrayal from its actors.

Quantum Films's 2015 MMFF entry “Walang Forever“ is a romantic-comedy  which depicts the love story of Mia ( Jennylyn Mercado),a popular screen writer and Ethan ( Jericho Rosales), a CEO of an app developer company.  Mia and Ethan were ex-lovers. After several years from their break up, they met again to find closure from their failed relationship.  It was not an easy reconciliation though as sudden twist of fate tested their love anew.

The film also showed the journey of Mia from being a sought after script writer to the time she experienced lull in her career. Mia needed that “inspiration” back for her to come up with a perfect script and bounce back. Reconnecting with Ethan was one of the ways to address this dilemma. Through the film’s narrative, Walang Forever tried to answer the question if "forever” really exist in the core of human relationship.

Although this movie overtly used the typical Pinoy plot and subplots of romcoms (which include but not limited to breaking up, misunderstanding, pride, reconciliation etc.), director Dan Villegas provided a unique flavor by creating a “movie within a movie”. Walang Forever showed clips of the films which Mia wrote to illustrate how she used her own personal experiences with Ethan and featured it in some of the sequences of her scripts. In addition, I find the narrative of the film atypical as it started very light and romantic but finished it quite dramatic yet realistic. I will not reveal the major twist in the story as I would not want to spoil the excitement of the movie going public.

One of the strengths of this movie was the genuine portrayal of most (if not all) of the actors. Jennylyn Mercado again proved her worth as a brilliant actress. She’s a rare find in this generation because she can shift effectively from a dramatic lead to a romantic protagonist. Jericho Rosales was a revelation. I didn’t expect him to be comfortable doing romantic-comedy movie. He exhibited a very striking charisma on screen while doing his pa-cute moments with Jenn. For his dramatic highlights, Jericho was undeniably impeccable in delineating his character. Tears were coming from the eyes of the people inside the movie house as he delivered his dialogues. Those scenes were definitely heartfelt and impactful.  The on-screen chemistry of the two lead actors was undoubtedly appealing. Honestly, it was unexpected. As a viewer, I can feel the saccharine moments they had as ex and reunited lovers. Jen and Echo registered beautifully on the big screen. They make a lovely pair and can give KathNiel or AlDub a run for their money. On a side note, Jen and Echo for me are strong contenders of Best Actress and Best Actors for MMFF Awards.

The supporting cast members gave ace performances too. It really helped that most these actors came from either theater or indie films.

For the film’s weak points, I just felt that some of scenes were a bit stretched. These were the scenes where Jen’s or Echo’s closest friends hang out with them just so Jen or Echo can confide their problems etc. Also, it could have added more “kilig” in some scenes if the musical director used a more popular love theme-song to have a better recall. I still commend the musical director for featuring an original composition as one of its theme songs.    

Overall, Walang Forever is worthy of one’s time and money in this year’s MMFF. Most of the film components were copacetic. Did the film answer the question if there’s forever? I would say yes, to a certain extent and an interesting way of addressing it.   

mMy rating: 8/10

"HONOR THY FATHER" is brutally frank, dark, bold but honest.

 "HONOR THY FATHER" is brutally frank, dark, bold but honest.

I had a very high expectation with Erik Matti’s newest opus prior to seeing the movie. This film is one of the most talked about entries in this year MMFF and my curiosity has to be fed with substantial confirmation. True to its hype and reviews, it did not disappoint me.
The theme is atypical, not the usual comedy, fantasy, horror, love story genre lording the box office during Christmas season. The social realism was highlighted in its full essence. Central characters were pernicious and hypocritical. They defied values and resorted to cruelty to get to the end. There is not much of redeeming value in finality.

Edgar (John Lloyd Cruz) is the miner husband of Kaye (Meryl Soriano) who is the daughter of a pyramiding business head. Edgar is a dutiful father to their only daughter and a very supportive husband. Conflict arises when the father-in-law’s business is revealed to be a scam. The couple is left answerable to all the investors whose money were swindled by Kaye’s father. Edgar is driven to do everything to ensure that his wife and child are alive and safe.
The storyline is very simple. Ace film maker Erik Matti and award winning screen writer Michiko Yamamoto manage to effectively expound on the complexities of the situations the central characters have to deal with. The circumstances are driven for the lead characters to either go astray for survival or do the noble thing but die.

The movie also defines social classes in addressing deceit, greed and pretense. The religious sect leader (played by Tirso Cruz III) in the film is one best example of this state. This is in contrast of Edgar’s motivations and ways in getting things done. The less fortunate are dealt unfairly while the upper class people can act in subtlety to achieve money and power.
Cinematography is at its finest. I like the texture and color. Both match the theme of the film. Baguio as the main location is a perfect choice for the movie backdrop. Production design is commendable as it gives the movie goers the feel of each scene capacity. Screen play wise, I can say it’s very fluid and real. The dialogues are crisp, frank and genuine.

This vehicle is an acting showcase for its lead actors. Tours de force performances go to John Lloyd Cruz, Meryl Soriano and Tirso Cruz III. John Lloyd starts inferior to the dominant character of Meryl. He’s just in the shadow of his wife, attending prayer group sessions in the religious sect that his wife got into. But towards the middle of the story, his transformation to a “husband gone bad” (to save his family) is intense. Meryl and Tirso deliver equally bravura performances as well.
Honor Thy Father mirrors the current state in our society. There’s a world out there where one is willing to sacrifice to save his family. It shows how one’s love can lead him to do whatever it takes to defend his family.

This movie is worth your time and money. Go see it while it’s still in the movie houses. Quoting Erik Matti, Filipino audience deserves quality movies.

My rating: 10/10.