Ang LARAWAN is the atypical film in MMFF but definitely worth seeing.  It’s a cinematic gem that traces back our heritage and culture.

Ang Larawan (2017) is director’s Loy Arcenas latest musical/film adaptation of  Nick Joaquin's classic  “A Portrait of the artist as Filipino”.   This opus tells the story of Marasigan sisters Candida (Joanna Ampil) and Paula (Rachel Alejandro) during the pre-Second World War era. Set in Intramuros, Candida and Paula take care of their aging father, the highly acclaimed artist Don Lorenzo and try their very best to make ends meet. Don Lorenzo (Leo Rialp) gives them a beautiful painting which will eventually cause turmoil in the family.  While their siblings Manolo (Nonie Buencamino) and Pepang ( Menchu Lauchengco) provide financial assistance to them, these two elders have scheming motives in selling their ancestral home and the famous art piece. Similarly, Tony Javier (Paulo Avelino ), their sole tenant lures Paula to sell the artwork for his own gain.

STRENGTHS:

ACTORS: Ang Larawan boasts a great ensemble of thespians and singers. West End actress Joana Ampil and 90s pop singer Rachel Alejandro fit their roles to a T. Supporting cast members Sandino Martin (Bitoy Camacho), Robert Arevalo ( Senator Petico ), Celeste Legaspi, Cris Villonco, Aicelle Santos, Noni Buencamino and Menchu Lauchengco have shown bravura performances. Paolo Avelino in his first major musical film was passable.  This is Ampil’s cinematic debut and yet she acted her part with much aplomb! Her Best Actress win at the recent MMFF Awards is well-deserving.  Even the cameo appearances of ZsaZsa Padilla, Rayver Cruz, Ogie Alcasid, Jojit Lorenzo were noteworthy.

SCREENPLAY and DIRECTION: If I am not mistaken, this is the second time that a movie adaptation of Larawan was made. The 2017 version made a conscientious effort to stick to the literary magnificence of Nick Joaquin.  I can say that its attempt was victorious. The movie was confined to Marasigan’s house 90% of the entire film (interior shots) (only 10% footage of the old Intramuros) and yet audience feels the movie did not short-change.  

CINEMATOGRAPHY and PRODUCTION DESIGN: Sharp, detailed and consistent. The cinematography and production design captured the exact look and feel of the pre-WW2 era in Intramuros. Even the La Naval procession scene, ah! Amazingly executed. Thumbs up to Gino Gonzales (production designer) and Boy Yniguez (cinematographer). Truly, Ang Larawan is a visual feast.

MUSIC: How can you go wrong with the music of Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and libretto of the late national artist Rolando Tinio? Since the music/lyrics was updated in 1997 from the same musical, some of the lyrics were very contemporary. I thought that all throughout, it’s going to be a “makatang” Filipino.   

OPPORTUNITIES:

Since the writer/director wanted to preserve and stick to its literary origin, there are scenes that I feel a bit dragging and very “monologuish”. In addition,  Avelino’s portrayal in some parts were a bit awkward for me and needed polishing.  And lastly, could have been better if the producer and director of Ang Larawan interjected a more updated cinematic approach so as to be appreciated more by millennial moviegoers?

My rating: 9/10

photo credits : Culturtain productions

DEDMA WALKING is an MMFF entry that is hard to ignore (or “dedmahin”). It’s witty, out, loud but heartwarming.

It’s not just an ordinary gay-thematic film. It depicts the value of sincere friendship and death of a loved one.  

Dedma Walking is a Palanca award-winning opus by Eric Cabahug.  Directed by Julius Alfonso, the movie revolves around the story of two gay men John (played by Joross Gamboa) and Mark (played by Edgar Allan Guzman). John recently learned that he has stage four cancer and convinced his best friend Mark to stage his fake death and wake for him to witness the eulogies.

Strengths:

ACTORS: Anybody who has seen the film will agree that the biggest asset of the film is its actors. EDGAR ALLAN GUZMAN was consistently brilliant in portraying a gay character. His nuances were impeccably acted out. One would really believe that EA is gay in real life.  JOROSS GAMBOA for his part has maintained his characterization as a more finesse and subtle-acting gay man. There’s never a dull moment in the film’s entirety with JOHN and MARK in the scenes.  You can feel the sincerity of their portrayal. You will laugh with them whenever they are outrageous. You will cry with them whenever they’re in grief or sorrow. There were three scenes that stood out and showed the acting caliber of EA and Joross- 1) Spa scene where John revealed to Mark that he has cancer 2) The stairway scene where Mark found out the connection of John and an ex-beau 3) The death of a major character on the film’s  third act.  Edgar Allan Guzman recent accolade as Best Supporting Actor in MMFF was expected! 

PRODUCTION DESIGN - Each scene perfectly matched the theme of the movie. Pastel colors were evident. The whites and blacks were seen also to show the element of contrast.

MUSIC/MUSICAL SCORE – I love the music and the songs sung by the Crying Divas on stage! Kudos to Von De Guzman for coming up with catchy lyrics and choreography.

SCREENPLAY- The dialogues/lines were witty, funny and realistic. There’s no pretense or masking.  It’s very relatable and if you have gay friends or family members, one can easily relate to several scenes and share the same experience at a very least.   I also like how the real-life scenarios of John and Mark were intertwined with French Art Film and Musical stage play. The screenwriter offered variations within the movie and worked to its advantage by increasing the fun and humor of Dedma Walking.

Opportunities:

CINEMATOGRAPHY- Not consistent enough in several scenes. Some scenes had poor lighting and appeared a bit dark and unpolished.

JOHN as YOLLY – This part is a bit cinematic. John came out as YOLLY so as not to be known as JOHN but he still looked like JOHN and his family members did not really notice it.

If last year’s MMFF, moviegoers fell in love with the tandem or TRISHA and BARBS, this year you will definitely enjoy the tandem of “migs” JOHN and MARK. 

DEADMA WALKING is not just an ordinary gay film. It shows the value of sincere friendship. As Mark said in his eulogy, it's possible to find a soulmate in a friend. After watching the film, I definitely agree with him.

My rating: 9/10 

(photo credit to TREX Entertainment and OctoArts Films)

SIARGAO is more than just a feature film of the picturesque destination. It explores human emotion complexities and frailties. You will see the sunsets and sunrises. It's an honest to goodness take of human lives. 

Whenever I search for promo airfare rates online, SIARGAO is one of the few destinations I check for a possible trip.  I have always been enamored with the grandeur of the place but has not been able to successfully booked a flight to be on this island. So when I read the MMFF 2017 movie line up on social media and saw SIARGAO as one of the eight movies to be shown, I told myself that I need to watch this film at the very least to see how it's like to be in Siargao.

SIARGAO island serves as a backdrop of this new Paul Soriano masterpiece. Jericho Rosales plays Jigs/Diego, a member of The Diego Project who decides to go back to his hometown and take a break from the recent controversy he got involved with. Erich Gonzales is Laura, a vlogger who goes out of her comfort zone to travel alone and tries to mend a broken heart. Jasmine Curtis is Abi, the ex-beau of Jigs who has not moved on yet with her feelings for Jigs.

STRENGTHS:

ACTORS- The three lead actors have portrayed their roles effortlessly.  Jericho has effectively shown the nuances of a band member, a local of Siargao,   emotionally repressed and yet care-free!  Erich improved dramatically as she tackled her role as the free-spirited fashion vlogger, experimental young lady finding her true self after she broke up with her boyfriend. Jasmine Curtis aced her portrayal as Abi. She’s very subdued but was very consistent in showing the depth of her character towards Jigs.  Supporting cast members are also convincing and natural.

CINEMATOGRAPHY – No one can argue that the island was beautifully captured by HD cameras. The underwater and surf scenes were amazingly taken. The waves were of perfect rhythm as it depicted the characters emotions and challenges.

MUSIC/MUSICAL SCORE- I like how the film used non-pop music. Except for the Eraserheads classic “Fine Time” (given an acoustic feel) and the club music during the party scenes, the rest of the songs were indie compositions.

SCREENPLAY: Screenwriter  Anj Pessumal used a lot of parallelism in the film.  The lead characters’ lives versus the waves. The human emotions and the sunrises and sunsets.  The script also provided the advocacy message on how to take care of SIARGAO, the eco-tourism and the nature in its entirety.

OPPORTUNITIES:

The movie is quite dialogue-ish most of the time. It has a tendency to be so descriptive by means of dialogue.  The love triangle of the three lead characters was a bit hazy. I am unsure if it was intentionally executed or the screenwriter and the director were really confused about the message they want to convey.  

SIARGAO movie is more than just a feature of the picturesque destination. It explored emotion complexities and human frailties. It showed struggles and challenges but sometimes serenity and placid. You witnessed the sunsets and the sunrises. It’s an honest to goodness take of life! One of the lines in the movie said " You can not fall in love in Siargao but you will definitely fall in love with Siargao" and I think that's very true after watching this film. 

Go and watch this movie before it's pulled out in some theaters.

My rating: 8/10

*Photo Credit to TEN17 Productions.

Kita Kita: Surprisingly endearing and heartwarming !

Nowadays, very seldom that Pinoy movies get produced and shown in cinemas.  More often than not, big budgeted Hollywood movies lord over the box-office races week after week.  This is one of the reasons why, I take time to see local movies. Movies which I feel and think worthy of my time and money.

When Spring Films released the teaser of its 2017 maiden offering “Kita Kita” months ago, right off the bat, it captured my interest and senses. Back then I really felt that I have to put the movie in my “To watch” list. And true to my promise, I spent time seeing this film over the weekend to cap my Saturday night.

One of the blurbs of Kita Kita based on its press releases, the movie is said to be the atypical kind of romantic comedy. The team-up of its lead actors (coined as “AlEmpoy” ) is said to be the  “Ang tambalang hindi mo inakala” and yes true to its sense, their on-screen chemistry and rapport is a revelation.

Kita Kita begins with the story of LEA (Alessandra De Rossi), an OFW tourist guide in Sapporo, Japan.  She's already engaged to her Japanese boyfriend. When Lea finds out that her boyfriend cheats on her, she goes temporarily blind. Enter frame, TONYO ( Empoy Marquez) a comical and not so handsome “kabayan” of  Lea. A very persistent lad visiting Lea, bringing her food every morning. Tonyo makes an effort to make Lea’s situation’s  lighter by his natural sweetness and whimsical actions. As days go by, Lea finds herself enjoying the company of Tonyo and considers him her buddy and confidante.  Until one day, Lea regains her sight, sees Tonyo but unexpected twist of fate changes their happy state.

It’s my first time to see a Sigrid  Bernardo’s (writer/director) film and I must say, she’s showing a great promise as a film director. Her style of narrative is very straight forward, realistic and compact. She doesn’t want much complexities in its plot and subplot.  I also commend how the sequence of the story was contrived. The flashback scenes were effective and cohesive. I so love Lea’s 10 reasons to think first before bursting to anger (when she found out that her boyfriend flirts with her friend). It makes the viewers understand her love-story more. Parallel to this, we see in the third part of the film that Tonyo has his own version of 10 things about his fondness of Lea! Those scenes were creatively written I must say! The cinematography is a delight! As a viewer, I was brought to see the beauty of Sapporo. Very clean, pristine! A sight to behold!  It makes me want to book a flight to Japan and see the beauty of Sapporo right at that moment! The musical score is on-point! Air Supply’s classic hit “Two Less Lonely People” as movie theme and soulfully  sang by KZ Tandingan!  Who would not feel the love of Lea’s and Tonyo’s characters with that theme song.

The actors- Alessandra and Empoy- their screen chemistry is so refreshing and genuine! Who would have thought that they can make the viewers feel “kilig”!  Alessandra’s characterization of  Lea is consistent! Very rare that an actress make its audience feel the antithesis of emotions- her vulnerability and strength!  But she does it with much aplomb! Empoy Marquez comic antics is delightful!  But during dramatic parts, he can effectively express his depth in these scenes too. The revelation in the third act is undeniably heart-felt.  I won’t spill it in my review and will not pre-empt those who have not seen the movie yet but I must say that only adamant people will not be moved seeing the last scenes.

Kita Kita is a surprise hit in the box-office. It’s a living testimony that word of mouth advertising still works. In a generation where there’s scarcity of quality/entertaining Pinoy movies. I encourage everyone to see this film to push Joyce Bernal and Piolo Pascual and team (Spring Films producers) to  produce more movies like Kita Kita.

My rating: 10 

CCTO of movie poster-Spring Films

 

SEKLUSYON: A rare find in Philippine cinema!

Ace film director Erik Matti never fails to impress me every Metro Manila Film Festival.  Since 2012, I have always been amazed with his creativity and brilliance as a film director.  This year’s film fest is no exemption. Matti again proves his excellence as film maker.

Set in 1947, the movie begins with Padre Ricardo (Neil Ryan Sese) investigating the miraculous healing power of Anghela Sta. Ana (Rhed Bustamante). Padre Ricardo is a bit suspicious about Anghela  and Sister Cecilia (Phoebe Walker).  Meanwhile, Miguel (Ronnie Alonte) arrives at the secluded church and meets Sandoval (Lou Veloso), a former priest who has been excommunicated by the bishop. Miguel is there for a week- long seclusion where deacons are sent in a secluded area before they will be ordained as priests. Miguel meets fellow deacons, Carlo (JR Versales), Fabian (Dominic Roque) and Marco (John Vic De Guzman) who are on the same objective as Miguel.  While the four deacons are struggling to tussle their own personal demons in the secluded place, Anghela and Sister Cecilia were sent by the bishop to the same area after Anghela’s parents were massacred.  As days go by, abominable truths are unmasked.

The story itself is risqué! Screen writer Anton Santamaria has the audacity to depict the shady system in Catholic church, the belief on faith healing and false prophet and the deception of humans from evil. It’s also commendable on how he uses the back stories of the deacons to establish the frailties of each.   

The technical aspect of the film is unmatched. Cinematographer Neil Bion effectively plays with light and shadow to set the tone and mood in each scene. It heightens the horror. Musical scoring is forceful to intensify the dread. Production design is successful in setting up a look of a post World War II era in the Philippines as the movie's backdrop.

Direk Matti is a genius in gradually creating the phase to shock the audience in the climax.The film's visuals are crisp and polished.

If the film aesthetics is first-rate, the acting of the lead actor (Ronnie Alonte) is a mediocre. I know for a fact that Alonte is a nouveau in the industry but the actor did not deliver as expected to  portray the role of an integral character in the movie. This is stark contrast to child actress Bustamante’s delineation of the cunning              Anghela.  Bustamante is very raw and honest.

In its entirety, I can say that SEKLUSYON is a rare find in Philippine cinema’s horror genre. It’s a finish product that definitely be considered a classic in the years to come.

My rating: 9/10

photo credits to Reality Entertainment.