NORBYGRAM

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-03-13T17:55:00.000+08:00

The title of this film is weird enough since it's too long and it'd be both so hard and funny if this is to be guessed in a game of charade. One would think the title is chosen because the writer is too lazy to pick something else. Or the title itself may not be as inviting to make audience want to watch. But it'd be such a loss not to watch Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. There's so much reality and foolishness in this film that'd make you want to suggest it to your friends so they'd understand the feeling.

Away from the poetry of Call Me By Your Name, the grandeur of The Shape of Water and the settings of the other Best Picture Nominees I haven't watched yet, I am betting that due to the setup and the timeliness of Three Billboards, this is perhaps the most unsophisticated movie in the Oscars 2018 lineup but is also the most generally relatable.

Three Billboards is unabashed by its plot that centers on the rage of a grieving mother who goes as far as renting three billboards close to each other just outside their town and write on them phrases that are meant to evoke the lack of action of the police force to find the culprit in the murder of her daughter who wasn't just raped but was also burned. Setting up the billboards was a bold move but the town, the way the movie presents it with subtle but relevant social issues that strike a cord especially today, is bolder. There are themes of silence, injustice, prejudice and apathy in almost every scene of this movie. The plot is straight-forward but it's so engaging that viewers would make up stories in their head about what the people of the town of Ebbing are thinking and talking about since not a lot of them are shown in the 2-hour runtime.

While it's been mentioned that the plot is one-dimensional, and platonic most of the time (except for moments with Peter Dinklage [Yep, Tyrion Lannister is here]), it makes sense that the acting here in Three Billboards is probably what drove this film to bag awards left and right. There are three performances from three amazing actors in this movie that are impossible not to discuss.

If Frances McDormand, the main protagonist of this movie, is going to get banned from getting Best Actress Awards from here on, I wouldn't be surprised. She is just unbelievable in all levels. In this film, it's been 7 months or so that justice hasn't been found for the death of her daughter and from the opening scene of the film, you'll see those 7 months on her face. She just brings it scene by scene. In each word she says and doesn't say.

Woody Harrelson, who plays Chief Willoughby, performed here better than he did on The Hunger Games trilogy or Now You See Me. As the chief of the police who has been singled out by the billboards and who has health issues that made the whole town sympathize with him, Harrelson definitely neutralizes everyone inside the film and probably on set. I didn't know Haymitch's voice could be sober and heartwarming at the same until I watched this.

Then we have Sam Rockwell, the one who plays Jason Dixon, the alcoholic, racist and most unstable character in this film, didn't win a Golden Globe, a SAG and an Oscars as Best Supporting Actor for nothing. He is the character in this film that will make you question your judgments about a person who has been problematic all their lives but at times attempt to redeem themselves. Whether he redeems himself or not in this film is subject to a wild discussion but one thing is for sure, he's the biggest reason why Three Billboards becomes cringe-worthy, hilariously funny, irritating and satisfying all at the same time. Yet you wouldn't want to be complaining.

There have been so many things about this movie that were glorified by critics but there are a few things that did not sit well with some viewers. All these, together with the impact that Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has made on protests worldwide (read the news about billboard protests similar to the film), sure indicate that this is a movie we all need today. This movie may not provide resolutions but it sure does provide reasons.#

xxx

@callmenorby

THE SHAPE OF WATER (2017): A MOVIE REVIEW

2018-03-04T16:14:00.001+08:00

There is nothing ground-breaking about the plot of The Shape of Water since the story almost feels like it references several literary pieces from previous decades. However, the way the story is told, the visual grandeur of its cinematography, the superb performances of its actors, the flawless scoring, and its powerful conviction of a weird but not unheard love story are the recipes that make it an absolutely outstanding film. The Shape of Water is labelled by its director as both a fairy tale and a monster movie. But everyone who watches it soon figures out it's more than each of the two. It may not be perfect but it's hard to deny that it's already an instant classic.

The Shape of Water feels like a childhood story book everybody grew up with andthrough the visionary talent of its director Guillermo Del Toro, it became a film everyone is required to delight with, regardless of age. Set in the 1960s Cold War in the US, the cinematography and the production design stand out. Especially for those who love films with dark tones. From the drops of water on the window glass the main character stares for too long when she is inside a crowdless bus, to the dark streets at night she walks going to work, to the design of the top-of-the-line cars we now consider vintage and to the corporate fashion the characters wear, it is hard to miss how transcendent this film is when it comes to making the audience experience the era. The scoring is very fluid, one would almost wonder if the movie was adjusted for the score and not vice versa. Having two main characters who can't speak, the emotions they convey through their actions are amplified by the score.

Without its actors, obviously, this film would have suffered from gaps it couldn't fill. Octavia Spencer, who plays Zelda, perfectly complements the dynamics she has with Elisa (Sally Hawkins), the main female character, as her only friend at work. Richard Jenkins, who plays Giles, an artistic, jobless gay man in his 50's, who has a father-daughter relationship with Sally who just lives next door, surely feels like a character many viewers would root for because of those who he represents even today. Michael Stuhlbarg, the Soviet Spy who plays Doctor Hoffstetler is also a valuable addition to the ensemble since he seems to neutralize the plot and the characters. Michael Shannon, the guy who plays Colonel Strickland, is the constant strong force in terms of performance with spoken script in this movie. His character, troubled and flawed at many points, has a depth the movie subtly exhibits. And finally, the two main characters, Elisa and the Amphibian Man (The Asset), who are incapable of speaking because the former is mute and the latter is not human, prove that words aren't always necessary to convey emotions.

An issue I have with Shape of Water is that the development of the love story of the two main characters seems rushed since the scenes transition too quickly from them being strangers to close friends. Yet this is something that could be filled in by the viewers' imagination and is easily forgivable considering what comes next in their story, after they form a bond.

It is true that this film is not free from tropes - there are scenes most people would perhaps predict since the story is straight-forward. But this doesn't take away a large portion of the entertainment value the film provides, not even slight. The beautiful ending everyone has been talking (and arguing) about clearly upended the tropes in this film.

The Shape of Water breaks the boundaries of genres and refuses to be more than just a fairy tale or a monster movie. It is a prime example of magical realism, where the settings are highly realistic but are infused with a certain character or matter that may or not be a product of fantasy. Guillermo del Toro seems to have found a formula to make movies like this a film-making masterpiece. He did it with The Shape of Water.#

xxx

@callmenorby

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-03-01T19:26:00.000+08:00

The circles I'm in and my pop culture leanings drove this movie up the leaderboard of not just my list of to-watch films but in my list of most-badly-needed-to-watch masterpieces according to many sources. The wild word of mouth about this movie made me very restrictive. I refused to watch the DVD Screener Copy. They said not to watch it when I had a lot going on inside my mind. And to an almost ridiculous extent, I've been told not to start watching it if I reckon that I'm not ready. But with Call Me By Your Name, I think no one is ever ready. No one is ready for the amount of magic and mystery this film has been bringing to its viewers.

It's not just a movie.

It's an experience. An unforgettably beautiful one.

I felt the disadvantage of having expectations that were through the roof for a film like this. Call Me By Your Name is a 2-hour movie. I spent watching the first hour wanting to see things move. I wished things to rush. I wanted to see action in the plot right away. I wanted emotional confrontations. I immediately wanted twists that I expected to blow my mind. But none of those happens in its first half. That fact honestly made me question all the hype that accompanied the movie. I wondered why for a film so critically acclaimed, Call Me By Your Name seemed dragging to me during its first half. I got the answer to this later on.

The feeling that the movie seems tedious for the first hour is brought about by the fact that nothing pivotal occurs onscreen. We see early 1983 Northern Italian rural lifestyle filled with laid-back moments of bathing in the sun at every possible time in daylight, music sheets getting written or crumpled, nostalgic bicycles passing through old streets, afternoon volleyball games, piano pieces randomly played, dated books with folded pages as bookmarks, soft-boiled eggs and apricots, improvised swimming pools, discussions on Greek antiquity and other art periods, evocative 80's pop music and hints of sexual tensions in subtle moments, among so many other details this film exquisitely infuses as it transitions from one frame to another. I realized that I wasn't really supposed to look for triggering events in the first hour of this movie because the first 60 minutes is spent on transporting the viewers to this era. I would say I somehow got bored by the first hour because I focused on the plot, waiting for things to get complicated. But Call Me By Your Name's first half isn't about what happens. It's about where the characters are, how they live, what they do and how the days go by. It made me feel as though I were in Lombardy in 1983, living, eating, partying, reading and interacting with them.

Not a lot of movies draw you in the very exact settings without much going on in the plot. This film is one of the few.

Now here comes the other half of the movie. This part ignites the tension among characters. It finally reveals so much about what has been left unsaid in the first 60 minutes. The other half then unfolds like a book that slowly grows on you and makes you afraid about it coming to an end. This is where Call Me By Your Name offers a platter full of varying emotions to the viewers. The film delights. It pains. It provokes. It provides promises. It gives hope. Then it betrays or settles, depending on which emotion you'd like to hold on to. And you would wish you could watch it all over again. Experience it all over again. Hoping maybe you'd realize things that didn't hit your mind in your first viewing. Its mystery lies in the fact that the movie gives you so much to feel or think about but after it ends, it keeps you even wanting for more.

Rare is a film like Call Me By Your Name where everything seems to fall into place. If given the chance to change something in the film, it would take some time for me to choose a particular one because I feel like every detail is perfect. You have a pair of breakout leads in Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet whose chemistry onscreen is probably beyond the imagination of those who read the book, anxious to see Oliver and Elio come to life. Timothée, especially. Maybe 80% of all the feels this film gives - Elio, thanks to Timothée, both exhibits and hides it in behalf of all of us.

Timothée is brilliant in such a way that we feel so much from him when he even doesn't say a thing. When he holds back his emotions, audiences stop breathing. There are so many moments in this film that take people's breath away. So many moments of passion, of love, and of sincerity imbued in this film that are all too raw and too powerful to witness. I think of all those scenes in the movie as I write this and I can't decide if I was more affected by those scene that made me flattered or by those that broke my heart.

After watching Call Me By Your Name, I don't tell people anymore that it's just a gay film. This theatrical work of art is more than that. It's a coming-of-age story. It's a story about acceptance. It's a story of a rare kind of love that exists only once or twice to a very few people at very unexpected times. Some people don't even get the chance to experience it. Call Me By Your Name is a reminder that this kind of love exists. It may or may not end the way it should. But that doesn't really matter when it's all about how we lose so much in life because we want to "feel nothing so as not to feel anything." And that we forget that being able to feel may be something. Yet for others, it means everything.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-02-08T21:05:00.002+08:00

The Greatest Showman is the musical film we never knew we needed. The negative reviews it has had from critics can't make it any less than the one-of-a-kind spectacle that it already is and will always be. It has everything that seemed lacking from relevant, comparable musicals in recent memory – the relatability that La La Land restricts because of its characters, the originality that Pitch Perfect deprives us because of its covers, or the musicality that Hamilton limits because of its genre. No other musical film in the last few years has been as viral than The Greatest Showman. And it is spreading like a wildfire through word of mouth with all the best reasons.

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING

There are two major things that top critics are complaining about The Greatest Showman, thereby causing its Rotten Tomatoes score to fall to 55% as of writing.

Their first issue is the artistic license that led to historical revisionism. Accordingly, P.T. Barnum, the character Hugh Jackman plays, was not as honorable as the man the movie portrays him to be. He made his way to the top and was called The Greatest Showman by means of fraud and allowing cruelty to animals while his shows were staged.

This backlash could have been significantly prevented had The Greatest Showman used a fictional character instead of Barnum. It must have been a hard choice for Fox to consider since going with a character who actually existed in history would make the film more appealing but I think critics are seriously ignoring the fact that this is a musical INSPIRED by the imagination and ambition of P.T. Barnum. I refuse to align the comparison of a film inspired by someone with a film about the actual life of that person. The artistic license argument would really have heavier weight if The Greatest Showman is a biographical drama. Thank God it isn't.

The second issue critics are raising about the film is the depth of its plot. This is something you may also have heard from a friend who already watched it. They say the plot is one-dimensional, that the series of events are predictable and that the character development seems rushed. Some people say that apart from the grand musical numbers, nothing is really happening in the story of The Greatest Showman.

Somehow there is some truth to these observations but I also believe that people who watch this film and come out of the cinema talking more about what they feel the movie failed to deliver are missing the point of what The Greatest Showman is about.

The weaknesses in the plot are effortlessly forgivable for the very reason that for a musical film with a 2-hour run time and songs that exceed 40 minutes in total, people should not expect characters to solve their conflicts by 30-minute conversations or confrontations. Musicals don’t work like that, I think. Characters sing songs and those should already tell stories. The Greatest Showman is special in this sense. Its songs express more depth than what the characters say. If that isn't magical, I don't know what is.

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE MISSING

I somehow feel sad for those who did not like The Greatest Showman after watching it. The sound of the buildup on that opening scene featuring Jackman's silhouette gave me the first of the many goosebumps I had all throughout the movie. The transition from "The Greatest Show" to "A Million Dreams" feels like a dream (for lack of a better, more contemplated description). The sequences are flawless and from the minute Hugh Jackman appears and starts singing, you'll remember less of Wolverine and more of him as an artist.

Even the most orchestrated numbers of all the musical numbers in this film, such as "Come Alive" when the special people were recruited and "The Other Side" at the bar with Jackman and Zac Efron outperforming each other, are going to make your head pop to the beat, regardless if you are a kid or someone who considers yourself too old to dance. It's one of the great things about the consistency of using pop music in The Greatest Showman. It appeals to more people than perhaps any other genre of music does.

My personal favorite moments on the film however are those that focus more on the lyrics instead of the movements.

"Tightrope", from a perspective of a woman who misses her husband but believes that timing is everything, surely feels like a movie within a movie. You may watch only this portion of the film and you'd be able to re-echo the stories behind the lyrics and emotions conveyed by Michelle William’s character.

All star-crossed love stories we've heard before, defying the universe and all it refuses to offer, can be reimagined during "Rewrite The Stars", an epic rendition from Zac Efron and Zendaya who couldn't be more stellar than each of their movements in this 3-minute iconic moment.

Forgiveness, acceptance and courage intertwine during "From Now On", the last number of the film. This is when Hugh Jackman's acting and musical talents shine the most. And by the time he sings the first line of this song in the movie, the lyrics already mean the world to everyone – to the characters and even to the movie-goers.

"This Is Me", the most famous song off the soundtrack, proves why it deserves that Golden Globe Best Original Song award as you feel the power by watching many of the society's underdogs finally say that they won't be broken down to dust. That diversity is glorious.

But perhaps the most powerful performance from The Greatest Showman is the divine solo performance by the character Jenny Lind with the song "Never Enough".

There is so much power brought about by Rebecca Ferguson's acting while she sings this song for the first time in the film. She might not have recorded the song personally since a 'The Voice' finalist, Loren Allred, actually provided the singing vocals for this character but Rebecca Ferguson was a tour de force, all viewers inside the cinema I was in all held our breaths from her first note to the last. The song sounds like a piece many people would use as an audition song to singing contests. That's probably why the song impacts audiences that way.

If you are the type of movie-goer who is greatly affected by the critical reviews of a film when you decide whether you’d watch or not, consider that despite average reviews from critics, the audience score of The Greatest Showman on Rotten Tomatoes is at 90% with more than 17,000 users rating it. This translates to the fact that despite negative reviews from some top critics, majority of people who watched, re-watched and are still planning to watch again can't get enough of The Greatest Showman.

This movie is a coming together of social empowerment, elegance of dreams and transcendence of music. It may just be your favorite movie of all time, you just haven't watched it yet.

RATING: 10/10

xxx

@callmenorby

'MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (2018)' A FILM REVIEW

2018-02-02T20:57:00.000+08:00

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

(Which are dangerous to the health of those who have not watched yet AND are planning to.)

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (2018)

If I were a movie-goer who only watched the third (and hopefully final) installment of The Maze Runner film series, I would be confused about some details of the movie and would be bothered about them even after watching. To a point where the impact of the number of times I was on the edge of my seat, my heart racing while watching the action sequences, would be abated by the plot confusions.

As an avid fan who has read the three books and watched the first two films prior to this, Death Cure seemed to be a one-quarter cheesy, one-quarter funny and one-half satisfying finale to a series that has meant so much to me.

It definitely wasn't perfect which is a bit saddening, considering the team must have heard all of the other half of the reviews of Scorch Trials - the negative things people did not like about the movie. But Death Cure, despite all its tropes and imperfections, still managed to give the finale justice. It's everything the book readers and long-time fans could ever wish for.

Here's a run-down of the parts of Maze Runner: The Death Cure that made me uncomfortable:

*Incredibly & unbelievably inefficient WCKD Army

This has long been pointed out since the second film came out. These gunmen of WCKD are ridiculous. They won't shoot when they have the chance and when they do, they always miss. When you watch them point their guns, your mind would scream "why the hell aren't you firing?" They would. But then it's too late. What on scorched earth.

*Cheesy scenes

There are just scenes in the movie that we have seen in so many other films and TV shows in the past and I can't believe Death Cure resorted to them. Talking with a pointed gun but walks slowly even in a small room and the other character is wounded. Standing behind a character waiting for them to turn their back before attempting to kill them. The list is overwhelming but this is just me being picky.

*Someone is always unharmed or someone always comes to the rescue.

This is one of the funniest things in most movies but I guess this is inevitable for a chase-and-run film like Maze Runner. We see all the bullets and bombs being fired but no one actually gets hurt. If someone gets hurt, it always comes as a surprise, audiences do not see it coming. And when protagonists are cornered, someone always comes to the rescue. Still breath-taking admittedly, but sometimes it comes off too predictable.

These should all be off-putting for first-time Maze Runner film series viewers. That list may as well be a universal list.

But for huge fans, there are redeeming factors.

The best things I love about Death Cure are probably things most viewers fail to realize or don't give much credit:

CINEMATOGRAPHY

That opening scene will go down in history of Dystopian Young Adult Films. It was made possible by a wickedly good cinematography that doesn't just keep viewers at the edge of their seats but provide a feeling as if they were a part of a heist and holding their breath for a long time is all they are assigned to do. The rest of the movie is beautifully shot too.

SCORING

Maze Runner's score was made spectacular by John Paesano. This guy's a genius because the scoring of Maze Runner probably is 50% of the reason why the audiences' heart beats skip during both action sequences and conversational confrontations. His talent in composing all the musical score of the film series is so underrated.

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS WITH A SMALL BUDGET

The average film budget for both Divergent series and The Hunger Games trilogies is twice as much as the budget for Death Cure. You read that right. Twice as much. The smallest budget for Divergent was at $85 Million and for Hunger Games was at $78 Million. The Death Cure's budget (highest for this film series) was only at $62 Million. But the effects (especially the ones used for and during scenes at the Last City) are mind-blowing considering the budget involved. Nothing but respect for the visual effects team.

DEATHS

I won't say who died on this film because I'd assume you already know that while reading this or that you still don't know so I wouldn't wanna spoil this special part for you. But some deaths in this film are emotional and poetic. Some characters were redeemed and some were just too close to readers' and viewers' hearts that it was very heavy in the chest to see them die. Definitely the most memorable moments in Death Cure.

THE ENDING

The movie ending is not practically the same with the book's. The concept is there but the circumstances are changed. A significant item held by Thomas at the end of the film while he stares at the ocean isn't in the books. And that item means so much should there be a fourth film or a prequel. The ending is soulful. A metaphor for everything that has been lost and everything that is yet to be achieved in their post-apocalyptic world. But if the series is indeed put to an end, then that ending is for everyone's imagination. We're not complaining at all.

UNBREAKABLE GLADER BOND

This is hands-down the best part of the movie. Or the entire series, if you think deeper. If Hunger Games was about peace or freedom and Divergent was about self-love, the Maze Runner is about friendship that closely resembles family. The Death Cure emphasized that more than ever.

It's me being totally honest if I admit that the Maze Runner trilogy lost the drive in terms of continuity. From both the book and film series, it was the same path - the plot weakened after the first installment. I'd like to believe the writers who made the movie move from the Maze to the Safe Haven were left with no choice but to make the entire series as relatable, logical and believable as possible. James Dashner is a brilliant writer, there's no denying that. But I just wonder how it all could have been had some links in this series been significantly changed.

But if there's one thing that did not get lost in the conversion from the books to the movies, it is the bond shared by the main characters and how they fight for it from start to finish. One could summarize The Maze Runner's plot as "a struggle of random strangers who bond, become brothers and refuse to be torn apart when whole world crumbles" and it wouldn't be far from what we read or watch.

As a matter of fact, it hits close to home. And that's probably why despite not liking some parts of the plot, for me, The Maze Runner franchise would still always be the best dystopian young adult film and book series.

RATING: 8/10

xxx

@callmenorby

ALL OF YOU (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T14:37:00.001+08:00

Imagine the pressure for both Jennylyn Mercado and Direk Dan Villegas to outperform their two previous collaborations 'English Only, Please' and 'Walang Forever' which definitely brought their names to new heights. I thought their 2017 offering, 'All Of You' was meant to join this parade. It turns out, however, that it can't be compared directly with the other two films because 'All Of You' is not a rom-com flick. It's a rom-dram, a romantic drama. There's nothing comedic about it - no funny punchlines, no comic reliefs, no ticklish scenes. And that's exactly why I think you need to watch this film. While others say that this us generic, dare I say this just levelled the playing field of Filipino romantic drama films.

The tested chemistry of Jennylyn Mercado and Derek Ramsay was first proven in their 2014 MMFF breakout hit 'English Only, Please'. I know people who have not watched 'All Of You' or its trailer may fear that the tandem will only give the same feels the way they did in EOP, I feared this too. But I'm so glad that All Of You was too far from what I expected.

Don't expect to giggle the way we all did when we saw Jennylyn acting quirky in her previous roles. Don't also expect to laugh the way we did when Derek's character made funny mistakes in EOP. 'All Of You' is a serious film. It is uncomplicated. It has no twists and turns. It feels like the story in this movie is also the story of someone you know. This is probably why some people say 'All of You' is generic or boring. It does not try to stand out by infusing plot elements that people will be talking about. But just because the story is safe doesn't mean it is unwatchable. Sometimes I guess we need to see an everyday story echoed on the big screen without imaginative complications. All Of You is one of those films - raw but enjoyable.

Jennylyn just doesn't get it wrong when it comes to her characters especially those conceived by Dan Villegas. Her portrayal of Gabbi here sure feels like something we have seen before (especially if you notice that she is left-handed lol) in her previous movies when she gets serious or troubled. In All of You, you'll see her as more mature, more effortless. Derek on the other hand is given all the spotlight to shine as Gab in this movie. It's funny how we all might have stereotyped him as the macho actor whose swagger precedes his character on films but in All Of You, he shows more emotions than what we have seen of him. It surprised me that Derek could make me feel his anger that way. This film definitely has Derek-centered scenes of authenticity that are Best Actor-worthy.

I still believe however that if this film cast another set of leads, the formula would not have worked. I know Jericho Rosales was intended to play the male lead but I'm betting that this wouldn't have been as effective if it were him. The formula worked because our expectations of fun and lightness for both actors were countered by an unsolicited sober tone and issues of millennial couple life we already know about.

We finally have a romantic drama film that involves characters that don't conform to usual Filipino cinematic romance conflicts - no third parties, no infidelities, no imminent deaths. All of You is perhaps the realest, most honest and to some extent, the most relatable MMFF entry this year.

It may be easy to forget the plot of All Of You after you watch it but it's going to be hard to forget that this film did it first.

RATING: 8/10

xxx

@callmenorby

ANG LARAWAN (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T14:35:00.000+08:00

'Ang Larawan' is such a beautiful mystery. It's like a house made of several select bricks that are the best among the bests. But the thing is, everything that builds it up may be perfect but the house itself isn't. It's missing something - a layer or a depth no one may be brave enough to point out.

Of course, technicalities were used in choosing the Best Picture for this year's Metro Manila Film Fest and that's how things should be. Ang Larawan won Best Picture because it has everything that award should be looking for - the most powerful ensemble cast we might not be able to see again for a long time in a Filipino musical on the big screen, a production design that feels so carefully and patiently crafted it takes us back to the glory of pre-World War II Manila and to some extent, a ground-breaking impact since it made the whole country realize that Filipinos still have the capabilities to make movies of this caliber and artistic dedication. However, on a personal note, I wish Ang Larawan wasn't all-focused on its grandeur because I feel like the narrative was compromised when the opportunity was given. It lacked spontaneity. That may be forgiven if it was staged on a theater but it was on the big screen.

Every performance in Ang Larawan will be iconic in terms of its probable impact to contemporary Filipino Film, Art and Literature. It's not going to be surprising if people will continue to rave about the performance of each of the cast of the ensemble. The only debatable performance perhaps is that of Paulo Avelino but I could say he did a pretty good job in the movie. There's Rachel Alejandro who couldn't be more perfect for her role. And there's Joana Ampil. This girl is a force of nature. She's Ang Larawan's biggest and brightest star whose voice, facial expressions and presence are hard to forget. Everyone who finishes watching the film would hand her the Best Actress award even without watching the other entries. The rest of the cast deserve all the recognition for their talent. They were all probably handpicked and their art has bloomed in full in this film.

On top of the magnificent performances, it's hard not to mention how Ang Larawan turned out as grand as it is because of the ingenuity of the Libretto and Screenplay of Rolando Tinio and a legendary musical scoring of not less than The Ryan Cayabyab himself. A combination of the arts of these two allows Ang Larawan to build up the viewers emotions and play with them through every single line spoken or note sung by each of the characters. One doesn't even need to be patient, I guess, to revel in the singing in each scene. The production design is complimented by an outstanding cinematography. It's an amazing feeling to be transported back to Intramuros circa 1940s. And Ang Larawan does that effectively.

It's sad though that even if I clapped after the movie ended, something inside me demanded more. Not more songs, not more lines. But probably more layer in the narrative that I feel was too respectful of its original source material. Ang Larawan is an extravaganza but I personally feel like the storytelling could have been better by adding some scenes perhaps or more confrontations. I keep on thinking that the original material may have struggled with this too. Because it was staged and musical plays are meant to be delighted as a stage, a whole package, a large picture. But for a movie, the director has an opportunity to add layer by zooming into faces, and transition through images and emotions for more depth. Yet I feel like Ang Larawan did not grab the opportunity to do that.

My issue is with the resolutions and conflicts in the plot. There are many lovely themes - women empowerment, art versus commerce, fight between being idealistic and being pragmatic, family values and even national identity struggles. But it seems Ang Larawan, at least the film, doesn't weave tightly each conflict to its resolutions. You may be delighted with everything it offers but it makes you ask questions the film does not have strength to answer.

Nonetheless, my personal issues on the storytelling of Ang Larawan shouldn't be a reason for me to say not to watch this film. This film is a national pride inspired, made, composed and finished by national prides.

Please go and watch Ang Larawan. it's going to give you another pleasure of being a Filipino. It's hard to find that in MMFF films nowadays.

RATING: 8.5/10

xxx

@callmenorby

DEADMA WALKING (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T14:32:00.001+08:00

The only reason I could think of if you don't compare Deadma Walking with Die Beautiful is that either you haven't seen Die Beautiful or the trailer of Deadma Walking skipped your 2017. It could also be both (that's just so sad) if no one has been brave enough around you to tell you that there is a need to watch these two films. In terms of overall quality, Deadma Walking doesn't beat the package of Die Beautiful. Let's have that established. But if you single out a criterion in which you judge these films based on how they affect you emotionally, it's probable that you'll remember Deadma Walking more as the one which made you teary-eyed without expecting it to.

We've heard about the overall plot. Two gay best friends tackle deaths and funerals and how to make them fabulous. This feels so 2016 all over again, that Paolo Ballesteros and Christian Bables tandem on the big screen. This is the same thought I had when I first watched the trailer of Deadma Walking. I was afraid people would expect it to be better than its fresh predecessor but only to end up underwhelming. It indeed did not shine critically the way Die Beautiful did last year. But while Deadma walking struggled to tie all its pieces to be an excellent cinematic effort, it proved to be more emotionally connecting. We love Die Beautiful because it greatly pays tribute to how we should better appreciate a gay person who struggles in our society. That however isn't what Deadma Walking's approach. You will love it because it will focus on things you should always take care of - family, friends and YOURSELF.

There are imperfections in Deadma Walking that are blatant enough you probably would point them out every now and then as the movie progresses. There are absurd plot elements that you'd definitely think unnecessary for the film - the inclusion of that sometimes-alienating Eugene Domingo cameo, flashbacks that try too hard to be humorous, punch lines which viewers are forced to laugh at, and a heavy drama scene premised on something that would only work with children, among other things.

But all these may be forgiven when the film starts bringing not just one but two plot twists then end up spraying some why-is-this-suddenly-so-heavy feels.

There are no other acting performances that are relevant enough to be discussed apart from those of the two lead roles. I have heard people say that Joross' performance here was weak, overshadowed by Edgar Allan's (EA) despite the latter only playing a supporting role. I think Joross Gamboa's character John couldn't be the Paolo Ballesteros' Trish to Christian Bables' Barbs because the character itself couldn't be any gayer than what could be comedically allowed. Joross plays a gay guy here who is successful, well-off and somewhat conservative. His character is restricting, sometimes one would feel like Joross is the one that prohibits the film to be fully vibrant. He plays someone with a serious-leaning personality in this film. That changes the overall tone significantly.

But the darkness that consumes Joross' character is offset by the vibrance that Edgar Allan Guzman's character Mark exudes. You can't help but notice how remarkable EA's performance in this film. People adore Christian Bables' performance in Die Beautiful because it was his first relevant performance as a gay man that we'd seen. He was new then and that unfamiliarity worked well with audiences. On the other hand, we have seen EA before in roles on TV and some movies. But in Deadma Walking, he appears on-screen like he has been doing gay roles since day 1. His natural and effective acting would make people want to see him on future roles as a gay person. And his last night's acting award nod was a respect to his stellar performance.

Deadma Walking's screenplay won 2nd prize in Palanca Awards for Dulang Pampelikula in 2016 so I was expecting it would get the Best screenplay but it didn't. I'd like to think that it is a reminder that there are flaws in Deadma Walking.

But these flaws, as I have said, don't materially abate the impact the film would have on the viewers as the credits start rolling.

Deadma Walking is one of the better films in this year's MMFF. Why choose purely comedy without an impact when you can have a comedy full of heart?

RATING: 8/10

xxx

@callmenorby

SIARGAO (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T14:30:00.001+08:00

Have you noticed how travel videos have become extra popular these days that people refuse to go to islands without their drones and the self-imposed need to upload a same-day edit? This is probably the bandwagon that Direk Paul Soriano had intentions of jumping on when he made the film 'Siargao'. So I understand why others complain that 'Siargao' feels more like a travelogue than a narrative film. But let's face it too, not every movie is for everybody. 'Siargao' is not for everybody, I must say.

I feel like it was not the best idea for Siargao to come out this Christmas and be in the MMFF lineup because I don't think it's the kind of movie that people will be talking about unless the subject matter of the discussions is limited to cinematography. I've watched many recent Filipino films that promote tourism of various places but I must say Siargao's cinematography is EXPENSIVE. The cinematography is so elegant that those who have not been to Siargao will elevate the island in their bucket list and those who have been there would think about going back. Sadly, apart from the cinematography and its OPM Indie Band-friendly soundtrack, nothing else seems outstanding in 'Siargao'. I'd be surprised if it wins awards outside the cinematography department.

I personally disagree with people who say that Siargao is a bad movie because the conflict in the plot is not heavy enough for a theatrical output. I wouldn't say it's a bad movie. But I could say that if I were to compare it to similar Filipino movies I have watched, the others are better. If we were to tag this as a surfing movie, 'Apocalypse Child' is so much better because the stakes are heavier and the audience is taken deeper emotionally. If we were to tag this as a travel-to-fix-or-mend-broken-hearts-in-couple-of-days film, 'I'm Drunk I Love You' is so much better because the characters let their souls out for the viewers to get a tighter grasp on the dialogues. Siargao on the other hand may seem conservative in terms of how the characters reveal their thoughts and emotions based on the screenplay. For others, it may be alienating but a part of me acknowledges that there's something poetic about this film's inhibition to share direct emotional connection. Perhaps it's the plot's basic liability. But it could be a subtle strength if you ponder on it differently.

As I think about how some people complain about the plot, it goes without saying that the actors couldn't show more than what they were required to. The musical Jericho in this film is better than the musical Paulo Avelino in I'm Drunk but the emotional Jericho is miles behind Paulo's Dio. His character in the movie has this hesitant vibe which he probably never fights off fully, not until the ending. Erich is too perfect for her role as Laura in this film. It's funny that people would see so much resemblance with her role and her real life, one would say "Effortless talaga sa kanya dapat 'to." And she proved here why she is Tanduay's 2018 Calendar girl (lol).

While Enchong Dee is a valuable addition to the film, let us all give the highest acting accolades to Jasmine Curtis-Smith. This woman has been unbelievably suited for every role she is getting in her films. Even in Siargao where she is on a supporting role, she steals the spotlight. If I were to make a movie, I wouldn't be certain who to cast as leads but I'm pretty sure I want Jasmine on it.

It'd be fine if people don't watch Siargao anymore due to time or budget constraints this MMFF (pare-pareho lang tayong di afford lahat mga bes) or because it's been pulled out. But if you'd feel extra poetic and would wanna go into a thematic debate over the decision made by Jericho's character at the end of the movie, watch it when it's available. And come back here for a lengthy discussion.

Rating: 7.5/10

xxx

@callmenorby

#Siargao #SiargaoMovie #SiargaoMMFF #MMFF2017AwardsNight

BAD GENIUS (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T14:28:00.001+08:00

If there is one thing I am quite certain of when it comes to Bad Genius, it is the fact that no matter what type of student you have been (academic, non-academic, straight A's or asa-sa-katabi-during exams, name it all), this is probably the first film in modern pop culture that will make you enjoy watching people take exams. Read that again. Lol.

If exams stop your brain, this film is gonna stop your heart.

Bad Genius is a breath of fresh in so many levels. For starters, let us recognize the fact that it's probably a rarity because it's a talked-about film from Thailand but it isn't a love story or a horror. It's a heist thriller about students cheating on exams! If that doesn't sound interesting enough for you as a premise, then it's probably why people are highly entertained - they did not expect it to come out that way.

I couldn't find a part of the movie that I would consider unbelievable, which makes things both funny and low-key mind-blowing. Humor is placed all throughout the movie. There are very relatable characters which people who despise social inequalities may find inspiring. It's basically a movie about what's wrong in common societies, especially education systems, as viewed through the eyes of high schoolers whose sense of morality and conduct is what the movie-goers would be either comfortable or uncomfortable with depending on their personal values.

Acting is outstanding especially the female lead who, by the way, is a model and Bad Genius is her feature film debut (petmalu si Ate Girl in the movie and as a person basically. Haha). Cinematography is above average and it's the scoring that's definitely gonna control your heartbeats when you watch on the big screen.

Here's to wishing Philippines also produce a film with quality production and wider audience reach! Our 'high cinema' indie films have quality production but suntok-sa-buwan it seems for our Indie's to appeal to audiences as young as 13 years old. Let us delight with Bad Genius and learn many things. Thailand is a neighbor after all.

Go na to your nearest cinemas. Even if we all know that "scholarship students are the bomb", you don't have to be a genius to enjoy Bad Genius.

Xoxo,

@callmenorby

P.S.

May student discount yung film. 150 lang ata pag studyante. A concept! Haha

#BadGenius

LOVE YOU TO THE STARS AND BACK (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T14:12:00.001+08:00

Had this film been written and directed by another person as well as starred by a different set of leads, there's a pretty good chance that I wouldn't have forgiven its premise. But since I understand that it's crafted by Antoinette Jadaone and it features Joshua and Julia, everything just fits perfectly the way it should be.

If you think about it, "Love You To The Stars and Back" bears the same signatures Jadaone wrote all over "That Thing Called Tadhana" - narratives whose majority of events falls inside a 24 to 48-hour time frame, a guy and a girl meeting at a chance encounter, and conversations to convince audience that it is possible for love to spring in this short amount of time. But this is the same premise that could alienate viewers. Gaano nga ba ka-posible na ang dalawang taong bago lang nagkakilala ay mahuhulog nang bonggang bongga sa isa't isa?

For Love You To The Stars and Back, the answer which even the most critical of audiences have relied on, is 'Minsan, kailangan mo lang maniwala.'

Fans of JaDine, KathNiel, LizQuen and other love teams (if there are others that are relevant, lol) may be angered by this statement but JoshLia is the most talented pair in this generation in terms of acting. I never watched a scene with Julia Barretto in it and told myself that she wasn't giving it justice. Girl always delivers. She is a brilliant actress who surprisingly adapts perfectly to roles given to her. Joshua, on the other hand, deserves Best Actor awards as early as now. What I think works perfectly well for him is that people who give him roles know that he could pull it off and he studies his characters in great depths so he plays them as if he isn't acting just to act. He's just on another level. Not cringe-worthy, not rehearsed, not forced.

Make no mistake about this movie because while its trailer seems to be a feel-good kind of experience, the full-length one is gonna make your heart heavy before it attempts to rip it out of your chest. (Oo, natraydor ako sa bigat ng pelikula. Kahit yung katabi ko nafeel kong sobrang na-stress din dahil sa bigat ng pinagdadaanan ng mga character.) HAHAHA. It's gonna make you giggle, laugh, cloud your eyes and let you hagulgol if you allow yourself to. LoL.

Some movies are praised because they depict encounters and events that are very close to real life. This movie is not one of those.

But there are movies about special chances and events that may occur rarely to special people with complicated lives that they want to make simple. This is one of those.

And it's an excellent one.

Xoxo,

@callmenorby

Photo courtesy by: Star Cinema

BIRDSHOT (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T14:09:00.002+08:00

When you put class, relevance and imagination together to create a Indie film, you would come up with something like Birdshot. A film that leaves you pondering for days. A masterpiece.

This is my favorite kind of Indie so I understand why even until today, I am still birdshookt (lol). Birdshot challenged my imagination. A film that challenges the viewers' imaginative limits may not really be a good selling point for commercial success in the country. But for a film like this, it goes without saying that critical success matters more.

There was no wasted scene in Birdshot. 1 Hour and 56 minute runtime at that. From the scarecrow and the bus ride at night in the opening scene, to the juxtaposition of innocence and immorality in the main characters, and to the symbolisms of the shots that we probably have never seen before. There are two crimes in this movie's plot. The audience will invest in the bigger one but it is the smaller crime that the movie focused on which will make everything a bit anti-climactic but heavily ecstatic.

The character of 'Domingo', played by Arnold Reyes, had some scenes where his acting could have been better. But Mary Joy Apostol, the girl who played 'Maya' (look at that witty character naming, Birdshot = Maya), was spectacular. One could easily forget this is her first formal feature film debut. And there's Heneral Luna himself, John Arcilla, who is probably incapable of bad acting. Somebody give this man 3 movies a year, please.

Hands-down and easily the best cinematography I have seen this year for a local film. It's a letdown if the shots, angles, grading and mood of the scenes in Birdshot don't make it to discussions in film classes in the country.

We are probably full of local indie films that mirror the injustice or brutality in today's society (Hello, EJKs!). But Birdshot deserves a full commercial run. Many Filipinos need to watch it.

Xoxo,

@callmenorby

100 TULA PARA KAY STELLA (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T14:05:00.001+08:00

Some people online are condemning the director of 100 Tula Para Kay Stella, Jason Paul Laxamana, because of his staunch and relentless support for this admin's War On Drugs. People say his movie should be boycotted. While it's undisputable that Laxamana's Indie works have been extremely brilliant, unfortunately the boycott isn't necessary. People will realize 100 Tula Para Kay Stella isn't outstanding. You may love the main characters but apart from them, nothing else in the movie is redeeming.

This is the first Bella Padilla film I watched so I don't have a baseline (lol). But she was natural and amazing in this film. She embodied a tired female lead effortlessly. Kitang kita mo sa kanya na pagod na pagod na sya sa life and that's what her character was all about. JC Santos on the other hand is a hard-working actor. I think he's brilliant. I can feel how he prepared for the role and his character, Fidel, is probably the most valuable asset for this movie. He is convincing and his tears (especially at the final scene) gave off too many rushing emotions.

You can't help but compare how a film about a "feels" love story should fare when you have 'I'm Drunk, I Love You' and 'Kita Kita' coming before this. Add to that pressure the fact that 'Mercury Is Mine', '2 Cool 2 Be 4Gotten', & 'Babagwa' - all critics' Indie faves are under Laxamana's belt. These films have remarkable storytelling and weren't convoluted. I'd like to believe that 100 Tula Para Kay Stella had technical or timing problems when they filmed it but there's a part of me that also thinks the plot wasn't stable enough for a full-length movie. Many movies go on a roller-coaster ride and are still enjoyable but for 100 Tula's case, only the beginning and end were entertaining.

The rest of the movie was either cringe-worthy (push nyo pa singing career ni Fidel, ugh haha), too rehearsed (e.g. Yung Ulan scene nina Von and Stella) or unnecessary. I know I should feel bad because there was a point in the movie just before the end that I wanted to go out of the cinema and just go home. HAHAHAHA. It was that bad. Good thing, the ending came to redeem the whole mess. Still it wasn't enough.

If you guys are running out of time to watch #PistaNgPelikulangPilipino2017, I suggest not to prioritize this. I've seen better. We've seen better.

Xoxo,

@callmenorby

KITA KITA (2017): A FILM REVIEW

2018-01-04T13:55:00.001+08:00

I don't think I'm already over Cielo (Alessandra de Rossi) in 'Sakaling Hindi Makarating' riding a motorcycle at the end of the movie, promising to come home, so when I saw Lea (still Alessandra de Rossi) riding a bike on her way to work at the opening scene of 'Kita Kita', a part of me was already won over by the mere sight of the female lead. And as the movie ended, 'Kita Kita' did not just win my heart, it also captured my occasionally-poetic soul, definitely not something a rom-com normally does to me. Or does a rom-com even do that? Capture souls?

Meron akong isang libo't isang comments about Kita Kita, to the point na di ko na alam ano ang pinaka-importante. Haha.

Si Empoy, he's a revelation! I can't get enough of the fact that he has somehow shattered our male lead stereotype. Jericho, John Lloyd, Piolo, James Reid, who? Hindi naman si Empoy matangkad, ma-appeal, yung buhok nga nya naka-pomade pa, tapos the bigote. Sinong male lead ba nakabigote in his optimal state sa isang Pinoy rom-com flick? Pero si Empoy, being the comedian we all know he is, kuminang, effective, and at a surprising extent, nagpakilig effortlessly. All the million Filipino jaws dropped collectively. Boom! Pwede pala ganun.

Yung story. Di naman ground-breaking yung story, if you dig deeper into the plot. We have seen many of the plot's elements from various Korean, Japanese, American films and Young Adult romance novels. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a Wattpad story that is largely similar to the film's plot. Personally, I would recognize the fact that there are parts of the movie that aren't perfect, could have been replaced or could have been better. But all this almost didn't matter at all. Forgivable given that rom-coms are made with escapist intentions. Even before 'Kita Kita' asked for an apology (because of the somewhat creepy STALKER element of the plot? Lol), we have already forgiven it.

Si Alex, the Alessandra de Rossi. The underrated Alessandra de Rossi, whose previous roles in the entertainment industry were all either dark or troubled, was cast as a light-hearted female lead who is expected to smile, laugh, giggle and act lovable as Lea in the film. Another revelation. Boom, si Alex, pwede pala. Kathryn, Nadine, Liza, Sarah G, who? Lol. But seriously, if I liked Alessandra de Rossi before for her film efforts, call me obsessed right now. She is too real on-cam and off-cam that I don't think she is capable of a bad angle or a bad take while filming. All emotions people feel after watching Kita Kita, remember, the film is centered on her point of view.

You will never hear 'Two Less Lonely People In The World' the same way again after watching the movie. Even if you hear the original version by Air Supply, you'll always look for KZ Tandingan's and you'll always remember Lea and Tonyo. The moment the whole song started playing and it showed a slideshow of different nostalgic places in Sapporo with Lea blindfolding herself, I had two things:

1. Goosebumps all over my body as I found that extremely, extremely poetic (I mean, come on, isn't that what they call Panata? Sobrang malalim yung gesture my head exploded into a hundred IG caption materials.)

2. Immediate want to travel to Sapporo, Japan (films like this always tend to promote places for Tourism effectively).

I know showing na ngayon yung movie nina Sarah at John Lloyd but if you haven't watched Kita Kita yet, unahin niyo na. If you won't enjoy it, then you don't deserve watching rom-coms at all. Lol

XOXO,

@callmenorby

SAKALING HINDI MAKARATING: A FILM REVIEW

2017-02-01T20:02:00.001+08:00

Photo courtesy of cinemabravo.com

Sakaling Hindi Makarating is a film that transports you to different parts of the Philippines in search of something you think is missing in your life - your dreams, your soul or yourself, only to figure out that what you think you need to find has always been there. It was never lost.

This is another take on the heavily abused premise of I-am-broken-so-I-need-to-wander-and-search-for-my-soul references in modern lifestyle (travel hugots, hanapin ang sarili moments, etc). It's funny that movie-goers already expect too much from these movies because of the very concept of travelling itself. But 'Sakaling' delivers more than that.

Photo courtesy of cinemabravo.com

It's hard to hold your 'That Thing Called Tadhana' standards at bay when you watch this movie. I know. Maybe you'll expect a heavier tragedy, more complicated emotions and lip-biting plot twists. Nah, go to the cinema with a different set of shoes. Empty your mind and watch it without benchmarking. Only then will you realize how effortlessly the film narrated the effect of an innocent aspiration from the Northernmost part of the Philippines to a broken and lost girl who travelled from Zamboanga to Batanes in search of a random reason to move on.

I could watch Cielo (Alessandra de Rossi) go to places and write letters all day after I watched the movie. This girl is so pro when it comes to roles like this. It doesn't even look like she's trying to act at all! She's that good that it comes out naturally.

Most importantly, the audience could go on an insanely amazing cinematographic trip in the eyes of Cielo but the storytelling is undeniably stronger in the perspective of the people she meets along the way. It is like experiencing the lead's journey and seeing yourself in the process at the same time. Yes, subtle and vivid at the time.

Photo courtesy of cinemabravo.com

If you wanna watch a movie that doesn't even try to be good but it is actually a remarkable package, catch it tonight or tomorrow night on its last day of showing.

Or pray that they commercially distribute it across the country so you could watch it on the big screen.

Don't ruin the chance by just waiting for the pirated copy online and watch it on a small netbook screen.

It's a heartwarming cinematic experience.

It deserves more than that.

xxx

NORBY

MMFF 2016 REVIEW PART 2

2017-01-03T21:32:00.000+08:00

Anent to the first part of the review of the MMFF 2016 which I wrote here, this is how I would rate the other four movies.

KABISERA

The acting is probably the only strong suit of Kabisera but even that is shaky on some parts of the film. When you have an ensemble that includes JC De Vera, Jason Abalos, Victor Neri, Ces Quesada, RJ Agustin, Ricky Davao and the one and only Nora Aunor, greatness is what you would expect from a flick. Sadly, the promise of greatness from that ensemble falls short as Kabisera ends up being a troubled narrative that struggles in almost every frame.

The screenplay is very weak. You get to a point where you probably would already know what the next lines are based on the tired look and tone of the characters on-screen. The cinematography is not that outstanding (there are some parts where even in the dining table, only one angle is used though other characters are on the other side.) Kabisera’s editing and music scoring are also not that remarkable. There are instances where emotions are held back due to lack of scoring (e.g. death scenes of characters). Some parts of the films (like JC de Vera’s character’s demise) would look so staged that you’d cringe. At the cinema where I watched the film, the English subtitle was also a mess (especially in terms of Grammar) you’d wonder if it was really the final edited version of the movie you’re watching.

Kabisera may have succeeded in presenting a pressing sociopolitical issue (extra-judicial killings) to the theaters but it left me feeling like viewers deserve a better execution of that cinematic attempt.

RATING: 5.1/10

SUNDAY BEAUTY QUEEN

If we talk about the most-heartwarming MMFF entry this year, it’d be a no-brainer to pick Sunday Beauty Queen. Being the first film included in the festival and bagging the Best Picture award, this Hong Kong and Macau-filmed documentary is Filipino in its very core. It appeals to almost all ages and demographics of viewers in the country but without a doubt, it would move most those who personally know an OFW or a loved one who is overseas for work.

The documentary, however, left me wanting to know more about the stories and listen to the interviews of the OFWs or their employers. But I understand why it had to be that0 way. I think Sunday Beauty Queen carefully took into consideration the proportion of the backstories of the people documented and the time they spend to join the pageants during their rest day. If they delved further into the day-to-day lives of the OFWs or their beginnings, it would be a sadder documentary full of painful stories rather than an empowering one viewed through the glowing eyes of those ladies as they walk the pageant stage.

Despite occasional dead air (very common to documentaries that do not have a narrator), I also commended how they edited Sunday Beauty Queen. The short frames from various people, places and movements on the screen must have been very difficult to combine into something that speaks and at the same time, bearable to watch.

I have a feeling that if I let my mother watch this, she would burst into her rural, sentimental tears and it would take a week before she stops talking about it with our neighbors.

RATING: 8.1/10

VINCE and KATH and JAMES

It would not be an easy task to rate Vince and Kath and James. Perhaps you’d start with comparing it to the other movies in this year’s MMFF. Saving Sally is the closest one you can pick for comparison and that is still a difficult task. Then you’d want to compare it to previous romantic films Star Cinema has done. But then you’ll also realize that the plot is based on a viral online “text” series so there may have to be some allowance.

From a 25-year old guy’s point of view, I think Vince and Kath and James is a success but only to its target audience. It may cause young girls to scream out of kilig but older people may feel indifferent especially if they think they’ve seen a lot of these.

It is a film for teens so I would not want to explain how the plot is, at least for me, not complicated or special. The plot is what I can only talk about because everything else in this has the touch of a typical Star Cinema romantic film.

However, I have to express my awe and approval of Joshua Garcia’s performance. His Best Actor nod at the MMFF’s Gabi ng Parangal did not come as a surprise as he was stellar all throughout. As his first lead role, this must have validated his potentials to star in many more film projects.

Ronnie Alonte, on the other hand, still looks awkward on-screen. Though he’s more effective in Vince and Kath and James than he is in Seklusyon, there were still scenes of him in this film that did not convince me and made me want the frames to move forward.

And as for Julia Barretto, she has always been that good actually. She has not just been seen much recently but I think people should not be surprised by her performance. Her acting skills have always been on point, no one was just paying attention.

RATING: 7.3/10

ORO

Linda (Mercedes Cabral) who was teaching kids in her elementary school room rushed to the steep hill, the heat of the sun scorching and the seas at the background extending far, just so she could talk to Elmer (Joem Bascon) who was one of the locals detained by an armed group. During this scene, I already knew Oro would be my favorite MMFF 2016 entry. After watching the two others which I had not yet finished by then, Oro was unbothered on my list. It still remained on top.

Inasmuch as I would like to discuss what I think about the dog slaughter issue, which as of the moment is an issue that is still evolving and causing commotion online, I want to take that out of the context for now and judge the film for all its other aspects. (There may be a different time to discuss that.)

If you still don’t know, Oro is based on real-life events. It tells the story of the “Gata 4 Massacre” where four miners in Barangay Gata in Caramoan, Camarines Sur were killed by an armed group in 2014. There were however fictionalized parts of the movies which were intended so that the film avoids becoming a re-enactment of the said massacre.

The film is an excellent masterpiece especially in telling the story of the victims, of the town and of the oppression itself. As a socio-political film based on true events, it is an outstanding narrative made for the big screen. Tension, chaos and uneasiness were slowly built until they all exploded right on the very eyes of the viewers.

Oro is everything Kabisera should have been. A cast that actually complement each other and make it very convincing that they lived in a community for a very long time. Wise use of lighting for both day and night scenes that helped the narration become more effective for an island barangay setup. A screenplay that is effortless because of the superb acting and good scene directions. Though I believe it would have been strongest if the accent or dialect (if there is any in the area) was used. But that would have been impossible given who the actors they chose and the length of time they had for filming.

Despite the issue the film is facing as of writing, and no matter how much some people are already hating the movie because of it, it would be such a blunder not to agree that if this year’s MMFF is an awakening, Oro has the most powerful one.

RATING: 9.6/10

MMFF 2016 REVIEW PART 1

2016-12-29T17:06:00.000+08:00

Even if the discussion on the type of movies that got into the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival somewhat divided the country (again), I still find it empowering that this year, we are given the opportunity to watch films that, in recent years, we would only normally see during indie film fests.

I get the argument of those who were not happy that formula and expected blockbuster films e.g. those from Vice, Ai-Ai, Vic Sotto, etc. did not make it this year. Christmas season is for families spending quality time at the cinemas for family films.

I do believe however that it wasn’t always this way. We have just been fed with this type of MMFF entries because these are the ones that bring out the most money. In order to earn, substance was compromised. But this is also very debatable as the definition of “substance” can go a very long way when discussed with people we don’t usually spend time with.

This year, an array of films made this MMFF one of the best film fests we’ve had in recent memory. And this is because of the following:

SAVING SALLY

That viral comment where someone criticised the animation of Saving Sally is probably the most wrong review about this film. The movie may have a very few cinematic elements that are not in the outstanding department but the animation, yes dear, the animation, is definitely not one of those.

This film is a cinematic evolution every Filipino must be proud. Even if personally I always prefer movies that make me think, wonder and challenge my insights, I enjoyed Saving Sally nonetheless. It took me to a ride with a light-hearted plot, witty references, cute leads and relatable progress.

At first I thought it was a story of romantic love. But then I realized that this movie is really a film about friendship. Infused with animations that perfectly fit the millennial taste (given the fact that the team behind the movie did not have the luxury of resources to create the movie in a span of a decade), one could only praise everyone who is a part of this film.

I could easily say that Saving Sally will be a timeless reference for the crossover of visual arts and film-making.

RATING:7.8/10

DIE BEAUTIFUL

By now, it’s pretty needless to talk about the awards this film has gotten or how many internal film fests this has been invited to. I don’t even think this film still needs domestic validation from Filipinos. From the buzz it is making online, Director Jun Lana and Paolo Ballesteros definitely could not ask for more.

Honestly, I was expecting that this movie would reveal some jaw-dropping twist, a “whoah!” bomb that would surprise audiences while watching. I thought that this twist would be about how Tricia (Paolo) died.

But that didn’t happen. Yet, it wasn’t really a disappointment. It’s because I find the movie’s narrative as a beautiful irony to my expectation. I was waiting for the story to elaborate on the specific details of his death because he wanted to “Die Beautiful”. But if you were captivated by the 2-hour run of the movie, you must have realized by now that instead of dealing on how he died, the film is centered on how he lived.

The movie’s relatability, along with its social commentary on Philippines’ still-uncomfortable acceptance of the LGBT community, is its best asset. The living proof of that is Barbs (we need a Barbs in our lives!), the character played by the newcomer Christian Bables. This guy, I believe, equally deserves best supporting actor accolades from everywhere. Tricia and Barbs’ chemistry, carrying the language and behaviour we have all grown to love in recent times, is definitely why this is one of this year’s easy favorites.

RATING: 8.9/10

SEKLUSYON

You shut down your hesitations when you hear Erik Matti’s name associated with a film, let alone when you know he’s the one directing it. After last year’s critical acclaim for Honor Thy Father, my expectations were too high for Seklusyon. Now it’s probably why I feel somewhat disappointed that it did not deliver as well as I thought it would.

Don’t get me wrong though. I am only talking about the plot of the movie here. It’s maybe the conflict (or lack of) or the resolution (or lack of) that did not come quite substantial for me.

Everything else is outstanding. Hands-down, one of top 3 best cinematography of all Filipino films I have seen in 2016. Horror films heavily rely on sound engineering to reach audiences but Seklusyon’s cinematography is as amazing as its audio counterpart. Good (but not really stellar) acting from the male lead roles helped make Rhed Bustamante (the little girl who plays Anghela) the gem of the movie. She is that character in the film that makes it most convincing. You get goosebumps even by seeing her stare at the other characters. An effortless acting prowess, no doubt.

But going back to the plot, I felt however that the build-up of the characters went to waste because movie wasn’t really about them at the end of the last scene. It felt like the narrative made the viewers invested on the characters on the story but it never should have done that in the first place if nothing significant in the climax would be revealed by, on, from or through a single character.

Or it’s just me that wanted more from the narrative side of Seklusyon. Well, it’s still a 1,000 times step-up from the out of synch screams we see and hear from the lackluster Filipino horror films in the past that had us reacting “seriously?” with our heads shaking.

RATING: 8.3/10

ANG BABAE SA SEPTIC TANK 2: #FOREVERISNOTENOUGH

Some of us may not want anymore a sequel to Enteng Kabisote, Ang Tanging Ina, Mano Po, Panday and many other stretched Pinoy film franchises so we were given a sequel for Ang Babae sa Septic Tank. Did we ask for it? You can say we didn't. But are we glad they did a followup? Everyone who watched the film would say yes.

I find the sequel insanely entertaining. While using the same plot of discussing with Eugene how a potential indie film would be made (it's a movie inside a movie, you should know that by now), the part 2 has also become more commercial than its predecessor. I find that coincidence very sweet. We see Eugene Domingo now parodying herself again, getting more prima donna than before. We are given a very edge-of-the-seat moment of laughter as Eugene and Jericho Rosales explain and give their renditions of something we can't get decide if we hate or we love - hugot. As immortal as the act of coming up with hugots may become, the "3 levels of Hugot" in Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 2 will go down the history of Pinoy Cinematic Comedy.

But what makes this film closer to me personally is the infusion of the struggles of the character of 'Direk' played by Kean Cipriano. His character is, for me, a multi-dimensional metaphor the movie conveys both intentionally and unintentionally. There's the metaphor for picking indie films over commercial ones because of substance. There's that symbol for artistic oppression because some artists feel obliged to be bound by popular demands. And there's the aspect of fighting or succumbing to escapism because one's reality is in a bad shape.

Or really, the movie is plain and simple but I just liked it so it made me think this way.

Nevertheless, like I said, I'm all for movies that make me ask, wonder and question my insights. In a very entertaining way, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2 made me do that.

RATING: 9.2/10

#IAmUrbanBrave

2016-12-12T23:40:00.003+08:00

Just January of this year, I remember braving the noisy streets of Cubao at 4 AM with some of my friends as my half-hazy head couldn't believe that I finally decided to try escaping the crowds of Manila and climb my first mountain. Weeks and days before that however, it was already undeniable - staying in the metro for a prolonged period of time is toxic and yuppies posting breath-taking views of mountain ranges on Instagram wasn’t helping in letting the stress be. That’s probably why millennials, especially young professionals, have never travelled before as frequent as they in 2016.

And in my case, each of the seven mountains I trekked this year convinced me that I became a jetsetter and as an urban dweller, I definitely became braver.

WHY THE MOUNTAINS

First Summit: Mt. Balagbag, Rizal

I grew up a few steps away from the sea and in a way, it made the deep waters to be my home. So I really think that this urge to conquer hills is just the other half of my soul wanting to heed the call of the mountains. It started through the images I channeled inside my head, how would it feel to be under the scorching heat of the sun? What would it be like for the breeze of the winds to blow my face? And how far would the fields stretch across horizons? I wanted answers to my questions.

And there was no stopping me.

Mt. Gulugod-Baboy Batangas, February 2016

As someone new to trekking, I did not know what to expect. I even hesitated if I was fit enough to climb mountains. There’s always that beginner’s doubt. It may include the appropriateness of the trekking attire (I once brought a denim jacket that’s heavier than my shoes and pants combined), the sufficiency of water (1 liter is always never enough for a single peak), the difficulty level of trail (because 2/9 may already be 10/9 for others.) and many other petty issues along the climb.

The only constant thing however, at least for me, is that it is always fun.

Mt. Maynuba, Rizal, June 2016

It’s funny how it was really triggered by Instagram. I joined the platform way back in October of 2015 and luckily, I stumbled upon amazing hubs that feature “travelgrammers”, a term coined to pertain to users who post on Instagram their escapades on beaches, on seas, waterfalls, road trips and many other adventures.

Yet it was the mountains that got me most fired up.

Mt. Batulao, Batangas, March 2016

There’s an inexplicable thing about mountains that makes me want to go back each time.

Mount Batolusong, Rizal, May 2016

At one point, I got so captivated with sea of clouds even if I couldn’t really understand at first why people were obsessed with them at a time when they became a frequent subject on photos online.

Mount Batolusong, Rizal, May 2016

And I saw it myself – the poetry that the creeping of the mountains spoke aloud.

I knew that I wanted to see the photographs come to life. And it was very satisfying to see them unfold in a beautiful way that they did right before my eyes.

Later on, I figured out that trekking mountains also had other aspects that people who haven’t tried mountaineering for a couple of times may not realize just yet.

A JOURNEY WITH OTHERS

Osmeña Peak, Highest peak in Cebu

By climbing mountains and taking as many good photos of them could attract people to do the same thing. This is obviously how I got into the loop, by getting amazed at people who are unknowingly promoting Philippine tourism. It brings people from the metro to provinces. It makes people recognize more places in the country they didn’t know were must-see.

A picture of our tour-guide in Mt. Maynuba, Rizal leading the way

An increase in the number of tourist-climbers also creates opportunity for locals to earn money on top of the little income they have. This trend has seen natives of a certain barangay to be tour guides, sellers of food and beverages and experts on environmental management.

Our tour-guide in Mt. Maynuba, Rizal leading the way

This is why it has also become a habit for me to add a little amount to the rates the local tour guides impose. I feel like going to their mountain and paying them for their service is a big help already to them and their families.

A HOMAGE TO ONE'S SELF

A hill in Calaguas Islands, Camarines Norte

While I trek mountains, a part of me is always thankful that I enjoy the chance to be with the people I treasure since I climb with friends and colleagues. I am also grateful that there are times when I meet strangers during a climb and they share parts of them through short conversations and giving of directions. Sometimes, they also become friends who eventually turn into trekking buddies.

Mt. Batulao, Batangas, March 2016, 7 AM

All these I still believe is a homage that I pay to myself. That in every scattered horizon of mountain ranges, I recognize myself a little. That in every slope I climb, I enjoy a day of my existence. And that in each sweat rolling down my face, somewhere deep inside, my soul is fed.

There is so much more in climbing mountains than the idea of reaching the summit.

BRAVING THE URBAN LIFE

With every travelling millennial, there will always be a bag that will determine the comfort and ease of backpacking. And lucky for travelers, Urbanize has revolutionized our array of backpack choices.

Evolving customer preferences demand not just functionality but also fashionability. This is why for urban jetsetters, Urbanize has made some of these products available:

Urbanize East Street backpack that would look very photogenic with the mountains.

Fjallraven Kanken Graphite backpack for conquering adventures.

Urbanize Packit Bag that can be brought anywhere in different occasions.

Sherpani Olive Ash Backpack that looks classy and always ready to go

Urbanize PH Store

Urbanize stores are located at Gateway Mall, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, UP Town Ayala Mall, Glorietta 3, Uptown BGC, Venice Grand Canal, Alabang Town Center, The District in Imus, Serin in Tagaytay, Solenad 3 in Nuvali, Kiss and Fly NAIA T3 Departure level.

For sales and promo updates, find then at www.facebook.com/urbanizeph.

Bringing some coffee and book on trekking (not the best combo though)

Most people are not lucky enough to be doing what they love most each day. And it is definitely not every day that we are given the opportunity to be where we want to be. So when we get the chance, it’s when we should be better than our old selves.

xxxx

NORBY

ANG KWENTO NATING DALAWA: A FILM REVIEW

2016-11-11T19:13:00.001+08:00

Even from the title of the film itself, there is already a promise that it will be a love story like no other. Or at the very least, it will be a breakaway from the ones that saturate the stream of Filipino love stories on the big screen. While it is definitely a breath of fresh air and a new offering to those who are sick of cliche romantic films we are often given, Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa fails in its attempt to be an Indie Film to remember. It is special. But not to the point that you'd want to watch it again.

STRONG POINTS:

Lead Characters - Emmanuelle Vera (Isa) and Nicco Manalo (Sam) are both brilliant in this movie. I had doubts over their chemistry based on the teaser images and the music video of a one soundtrack for the film. But after watching, I could say they acted effortlessly that it would make viewers would conclude that they have known each other for a long time in real life.

Cinematography - A shaky camera makes Indie films inexplicably more relatable. This film also tries to prove that. With some exceptions of scenes where cinematography has gotten somewhat cheesy, scattered all throughout this film are splendid framing and shots that are full of emotions. If someone wants to see a melodramatic journey in LRTs of Metro Manila, they may want to see this movie so they could get all the feels they deserve.

Soundtrack – The movie already has a strong link to music even if the characters in the story are venturing on literature and film-making. Isa writes songs in between her fictions and Sam is referenced for his John Mayer addiction. On top of these, the soundtrack is really something that a viewer would love about the film. Thanks to Bryan Dumaguina, Gabe Piolo, QUEST and others who contributed to it.

WEAK POINTS:

Screenplay – This is probably the only one thing which I’d consider as a struggle for the movie but unfortunately, it affected every single other thing. I have recently learned that the movie was originally intended to be a 20-minute short film that was a requirement for Director Nestor Abrogena Jr.’s Master’s Degree in DLSU. He realized later on that a day’s shoot already produced film-worthy scenes longer than that. he decided then for the finished product to be a full feature film.

I’d say it was not the best decision because the film could already tell the story of Isa and Sam in 30 minutes. Viewers may be deprived of digging more into their relationship because the main characters have been together for six months in the story but the timeframe of the film only captures two days in their relationship. This is the gap that the film should have bridged through the script.

The screenplay turns out dull because unlike other Indie films whose staring and script-less scenes told countless stories, I feel like this movie’s story is best told through the main characters’ conversations. Not in the prolonged minutes of seeing them walk, contemplate, listen to music using their earphones or stare at nothingness. Less is more they say for Indie Films. Unfortunately, this did not apply well with this one.

Photo from: http://www.artisteconnect.com/projects/ang-kwento-nating-dalawa

There is only one big plot twist in the movie. If you have not watched it yet and is planning to, don’t let others spoil it for you. It may just be the best redeeming quality for Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa. Because when emotions are over and the brain starts to put logic back in place, you’ll be needing it for the film’s appreciation.#

- @callmenorby

APOCALYPSE CHILD: A FILM REVIEW

2016-10-29T23:10:00.001+08:00

If 'Apocalypse Child' were a novel, you would want to read and unread it over and over again for your pleasure. But since it's a movie, you'd probably want to watch and unwatch it over and over again not just for pleasure but also for your soul.

The main premise of the film is centered on a guy named Ford (Sid Lucero) who is famous in his town in Baler because his mother says that when the 1979 classic movie 'Apocalypse Now' filmed in their location, she was sired and eventually got pregnant by no other than the director Francis Ford Coppola himself. (Guess how Ford got his name.) Ford didn't finish his education. He became a surfing legend in his town and ended up as a surfing instructor for a living.

He is the character that becomes a common pole for the intertwining of the fates of the other main characters in the movie.

There is his mother Chona (Ana Abad Santos) who got pregnant with him when she was 14 so she isn't that much older to be a regular parent. Apart from parenting issues, she must also be conscious of what the town has been talking about her all these years.

There is Ford's childhood Stanford Law-educated best friend, Rich (RK Bagatsing) who became their Congressman. As a child, he has been abused by his late father and he has hearing impairment.

There is Rich's trophy wife-to-be Serena (Gwen Zamora) who came to town with her fiance as they are getting married soon. She lost a child after giving birth when she was 14 as well. She takes surfing lessons from Ford.

And there is Fiona (Annicka Dolonious), a 19-year old girl who is visiting the town because of her sick grandma. She ended up falling in love with Ford. Her youth, with her naivete, is her main issue.

It is beautiful, really, seeing how the ordinary lives begin and end everyday for these characters. You hear them talk to each other clearly but there are other elements in the film that also strike sometimes loud, sometimes subtle conversations - the crashing of the waves, the slide of the surfing boards, the effortless noon rays beaming to the ocean, the rustling of the trees as people walk on the pavements, the prints people leave on the sand just before the waves erase them, and the dreamy silhouette of the characters' bodies and faces when the sun embraces them on several frames.

If you want a film with a sophisticated plot that becomes complicated in the middle and gets fixed or solved in any justifiable manner at the end, then this might not be the film for you. This movie is not about a general story that needs a resolution. This is more about the people in the story whose lives are intertwined by the secrets they keep, the mistakes they chose to make, the regrets they want to run away from and the flaws they are unaware of. You see them laugh, make jokes, cry, beg, surf, run, walk, drown and rise up. Each action is a narration to think about. The story is not written on a paper of greater scheme but in each moment the characters find themselves and let go of everything altogether.

'Apocalypse Child' is a film that's supposed to make moviegoers feel bad but we end up feeling good instead. You don't leave questions about the movie even if it clearly does not resolve everything. You create answers to your questions because the film is not strict. It lets viewers make their own perspective.

This is what makes this film a work of art.

#BI9DO: A WWIM 14 BLOG DIARY

2016-10-12T15:41:00.002+08:00

A worldwide Instameet (WWIM), as the name suggests, is a bi-annual event where Instagrammers around the world gather to celebrate their love for photography. I only learned about this last year October 2015, back when I was starting to notice that there was something about Instagram that I couldn't wrap my head around. After last year's October Instameet produced cool images from their photowalk, I was convinced that I needed to do Instagram in my life. And that's where my hype for photowalks (and Instameets) started.

These two annual Instameets usually occur in each semester of a year. 2016’s Instameets were held in April and September. For these Instameets, the first one (WWIM 13) was held on April 23-24 and the last one was on September 17-18.

The cute thing about the WWIM 14 was that it had a worldwide theme: FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY.

So where else would you have an amazing array of food that got potentials for good photos?

There we went - Binondo.

Sadly, not everyone got skills with flatlays. And along with that is food photography. This is why we only took a few shots of our lunch. We had to pay respect to the worldwide theme in some way.

The real fun, however, at least for me, began when we went out to the streets of Binondo, readying our cameras, cleaning our lenses, checking sites and estimating possible frames. An Instameet is not an Instameet when there is no photowalk.

Fun commences when shooting begins. Basically, a street photowalk usually consists of random shots:

of people;

of streets;

of things in the streets not taken seriously;

of structures;

of the back of your photowalk-mates (yep, I just coined that!) walking in front of you;

of a friend you asked to stride by a saradong tindahan;

of a companion who got no choice but to be a model;

of little details we ignore;

and of everything in between.

But these are just my shots!

You have not even seen the ones from my unbelievable Instagram friends and default Photowalk group who were with me.

How about these?

1. Shots by @nikkoracela

rock in shoes.

Binondo Church

Here's how his feed looks like:

2. Shots by @ohcoolbryan

Take a peek at his feed:

3. Shots by @patttymarie

Here's her feed:

If you need some IG inspiration, here are accounts from the rest of the 9 people from Binondo (thus the hashtag #Bi9do) that you might want to follow:

4. @i_am_a_lost_soul (Chua Sister 1)

5. @shinechua (Chua Sister 2)

6. @just_chuchuables (Chua Sister 3)

7. @themarcandres

8. @aen.thentic

9. (ehem!) @callmenorby

I used to think then, back when I only had a low-end phone as a gadget for taking photos, that photowalks are not meant for me. The thought of attending an event or joining Instameets with people whose feeds I worship made me scared. That's pretty normal when you're just starting or when you think you're not good enough.

But when I tried once to join a photowalk even if I didn't have a camera, it definitely changed my perspective on photography and meeting people. I learned that a photowalk is more than what people bring to capture images. It is more on how people share what type of photography they want to be great at, how they see the world before they capture them and what motivates them to keep shooting.

That's what Instagram was created for - sharing.

I find that really beautiful.#

CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE LOVE

2016-08-27T00:22:00.000+08:00

I always wonder what goes inside the mind of the people I share seats with inside the bus each night as Makati repeatedly proves that it never sleeps. The cold air somehow makes it easy to breathe but the competition of people rushing, cars and vehicles honking, and city lights illuminating on all sides sometimes becomes unsettling. I assume that some of these people complain about the traffic because their usual 1 to 2 hours of travel gets extended before they reach home.

Sometimes, I badly wish my travel every night is like theirs. No matter how long it takes, I’d go through it, every night. If it means I can be home with my family.

And sleep knowing that I am with them. For me, that’s priceless.

Before I came to Manila in 2014 to take the CPA Board Exam and even before I studied college in Marawi City, I spent my earliest years growing up in a small town in Surigao del Norte. It’s the typical rural setting where people’s main livelihood is based on the sea or the field. Each one almost knows everyone else in town. People are very religious. And despite going through hardships to make ends meet, family ties are very close. Family always comes first, in one way or another.

I moved in Makati City for work and have stayed here since then. I am just one of the thousands of many professionals and workers here in Metro Manila whose true home lacks skyscrapers, underpasses and wide roads. Many are from the provinces in North and South of Luzon. These are those who ride the bus on a Friday night to spend weekends in their respective home provinces. However, there are also those who are from Visayas and Mindanao. These are those who could only see their families on video calls since no matter how much they want to go home everyday or every week, it’s just not wise and feasible.

I am one of them – those people who are jealous of others who can spend quality time with their family on a regular and consistent basis.

But I have a bigger reason why I want to go home as often as possible – my sister, Niña Marie.

My mother who wasn’t expecting anymore to bear a child since she was already 44 at the time found herself in a crossroad of fear and excitement for my sister. Excitement because as she would tell us, our youngest sister is a “gift from heaven”. And fear, of course, because getting pregnant at that age may cause some complications to the child. In January 2015, Niña Marie was born. Prematurely.

Inside the hospital room on the day she was born, the doctor said my sister Niña showed symptoms for an Infant jaundice. Everyone was already crying and panicking. I was in the office that day, anxiously waiting for news on my mother’s delivery. The only thing I heard from them was that my mother was physically fine but emotionally, she felt sorry for the baby. My heart skipped a beat.

When they explained it further to me and it started sinking in, I went somewhere private and stopped holding back my tears. I thought of my mother and her fears. I thought of my father and his self-pity. And I thought of my sisters and their restlessness. At that point, I realized how much strength our family needs for the next years to come.

And despite the complication, I knew my mother has always been right. Niña Marie is indeed a gift from heaven.

The doctors found out that Niña Marie has Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). It is a condition in which the ductus arteriosus, a blood vessel that allows blood to go around the baby's lungs before birth, does not close. This condition leads to abnormal blood flow between the 2 major blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs and to the rest of the body. And as my cousin doctor put it, her motor development, or physical development in general, may be delayed due to the abnormal blood flow, especially to the brain.

Things were hard for me understanding all this. As the eldest among 6 of us, this was too much to think about. I could only imagine the pain my parents have been feeling.

I get the chance to go home once or twice a year for family occasions and each time I do, my mom’s list of “should-have-been’s” for my little sister gets longer.

She would mention how other kids in the Church who are of Niña's age run back and forth to their parents after the Mass. Niña couldn’t do that because her body can’t even manage for her to sit let alone stand on her feet. Her head is too heavy for her body to move. My mom would sometimes jokingly ask Niña to cry out loud when she needs something and no one watches her. This is because the little baby creates very minimal sound that you wouldn’t know she is already heavily crying unless you look at her.

And my mother would also say that Niña must have been embracing all of us every day if only she didn’t have complications.

My mom says these things with a smile on her face but I know that something behind her eyes drags her down. No one just talks about it at home - our struggle. Because as a family, we need to be stronger for our little fighter.

A part of me hurts sometimes thinking about the earliest years of my sister where everything feels and seems late for her. It sometimes crosses my mind that all this could impact the rest of her life – her not being able to learn how to interact normally, how to speak words and how to move around like every other normal child.

There’s also a part of me that feels guilty for being far away from home – for not being there when she shows some improvements, for not taking care of her when my parents and sisters weren’t available and in some way, for not being a brother who could be there for her and hold her.

But I am doing everything I can, miles away from her, so that she’d be better in the days, months and years to come.

I could say that my little sister definitely changed the way I see love. I had always defined love as an isolated product of joy. But when Niña was born, I realized that even if the foundation is pain, love can still rise. She made me realize that even in difficulties, love for the most important people in your life can be a source of great strength - that strength we need to go on and move further. Her existence, instead of causing me grief, is making me appreciate more things and more people around me.

She has become a constant reminder of how I should never complain about doing things for myself and for others even if sometimes it’s hard for me to do so. She has become my symbol of strength.

Each time I come home, I spend the first 10 minutes kissing my little sister and the rest of my days are spent taking photos of her 24/7.

Niña may not be able to speak yet but when I look in her eyes, I can tell that the love I have for her and the rest of my family will always be powerful. Her eyes tell us that love transcends and no matter how hard things may be, we are always going to make it through.

xxx

@callmenorby

SHORT FILM REVIEW: MERCURY IS MINE

2016-08-25T20:02:00.002+08:00

This is the first Jason Paul Laxamana movie I've watched. But based on how witty the lines were and the fact that he won Best Screenplay in Cinemalaya, I guess it's worth the time to dig up his other works.

The film's cinematography is familiar. The hues and mood of framing feels like I've seen them in "Sakaling Hindi Makarating" so I also guess it's becoming a trend. The thing about this type of cinematography is that viewers are reminded that there's a big screen (good or not, it depends if the movie is engaging enough.)

As for the performances, there's probably no better choice, for an almost-deranged, 50-year old Kapampangan woman with a broken English, other than Pokwang.

And for Bret Jackson who plays an unpredictable American teenager who is supposed both charm and contain darkness for his character, anyone could say that he could have done better. Personally, I wished he didn't execute some lines that way.

"Mercury Is Mine" is on another level of crazy, satirical Philippine comedy that starts dark, builds up with humor, delivers with societal truths, tumbles down with foolish story inclusions and ends in a clever way. It would make you laugh all throughout. But it also occasionally becomes unsettling that as the movie blacks out at the end, you're gonna wonder what genre of film you would assign it to.

Reminding us in an unsolicited way that we Filipinos are obsessed with Western culture, this film will always be remembered as a cute tale of everything our society wants to be and everything our society shouldn't be.

xxx

[SPOILERS]

P.S. I really find the inclusion of that scene where Mercury finally came back home after he found the centuries-old, hidden gold treasure in Mt. Arayat. That's pretty lame. But the way they revealed that Carmen actually hid it, that was genius.

xxx

@callmenorby

HEARTBREAKS ARE OVERRATED

2016-08-13T01:11:00.001+08:00

There was a point in time when my life revolved around someone I used to hold very dear. I never really thought that I’d fall prey to that collection of emotions. I refused to call it love then. All I know is that at that time, I felt happier than I had always been. It was like that person came into my life to give me one missing piece even though I didn’t know I was incomplete to begin with.

So there I was, giving it my all – time, commitment and honesty. I unknowingly built my life around someone who I thought would be with me for a long time, to share random laughter, to go to places I have always dreamt of travelling and to achieve things together no matter how small they were.

But our story is not like the movies where they eventually stick together at the end. One of us had to leave and the other one had to wonder why. I wish I were the one who left so I wouldn’t be writing this.

But I wasn’t.

I often thought before that heartbreaks are overrated. But weeks after I lost someone who I already considered a part of me, I started understanding why people act that way.

That heartbreak made me think and do things that I would call silly or stupid had I not gone through that phase. I got stuck with our favorite song, playing it all night as if the lyrics would change into words that could answer all my questions. I feared going to places that reminded me of where we used to be but I still ended up going there all by myself, hoping to find clues along the way. And only then did I start to appreciate how much I changed because of every little thing that we did and made together.

Love is indeed powerful, no matter where in the spectrum of happiness it lies. This is what I have noticed when I translated my heartbreak into the things that I hoped would drive me away from it. I started writing about emotions but my sentences usually breathed either grief or regret. Writing about loss has then become a half-full, half-empty triumph that I got addicted to.

I tried to write about moving on and being happy all by myself but I just couldn’t find the right words and make sense out of them. Something always brought me back to the dark side of love in writing. It may sound odd but I think I found my sanctuary when I wrote about leaving and being lonely.

I noticed the same thing when I ventured on photography. I took random shots at first so that I could determine the type of photography that would suit me best. For quite a time, I enjoyed taking photos with bright backgrounds and objects. They lifted up my mood. But I felt like I was not getting the images that I had truly wanted to capture.

With the right equipment and some experiments, I finally found what I was looking for – low-light, subject-intensive photography. I added many of them on my portfolio, photos that are mostly dark as though they were all taken at the break of dawn. They are almost light-deprived and are usually with subjects of people conveying emotions that were never expressed.

When I look at these photos, I get transported to that point in my life where pain has morphed into something I can’t live without. That point, of course, dates back to that morning I woke up and realized that I’d be lonely for a long time.

Even though I focused on other things but I was somewhat just converting my heartache into each medium, I still reached a point where I started smiling genuinely. I must say that there is no one-stop formula in getting over pain and moving on.

All we need to do is to open up ourselves for greater possibilities in life, accept things both the good and the bad, and start appreciating people around us who have always been there for us.

We should change the way we see love. Not that kind of love that pains us. Not that love that makes us grieve. Not that love that makes us lose sleep. Not that love that destroys us. A tragic love is indeed something that will always be remembered but loving does not end there.

We should keep our hearts closer instead to the kind of love that we can give to people in our lives who actually matter - our family, our friends, and ourselves. We could give love to those who don’t even ask for them.

We should always keep on loving as many things as possible. It may just be the best thing we can do while we live.

xxx

NORBY

SULAT MO, SULAT KO

2016-08-10T14:22:00.000+08:00

Sulat ko:

Minsan talaga napapaisip ako. San tayo nagkamali? Kung nagkulang man ako, bakit di mo agad sinabi sa akin? Kung nawawalan ka na ng gana, kung di ka na masaya, kung pakiramdam mo ay wala na akong kwenta, sana man lang nagsabi ka.

Kahit konti. Kahit konting paliwanag. Sana di ba nabago ko naman sarili ko. Sana nagkaroon pa ako ng pagkakataong gawing isa ulit mga pahina natin.

Ansaya naman natin dati. Hatid-sundo. Away-bati. Pero bumabalik parin tayo. Hinihila tayo ng nararamdaman natin.

Kasi nga di ba mahal natin ang isa't isa? Minsan masakit pero lagi tayong nagpapatawad.

Anong nangyari? Bat di mo masabi?

Sulat mo:

Minsan din, naiisip ko dati, bakit di ko agad nasabi sayo nang maaga? Di mo naman kasalanan lahat. Di lang naman ikaw ang may mali. Siguro ako rin. Pero di ko maamin.

Yun na nga ang masakit at mahirap dun eh. Naghahanap ako ng matino at mabuting paliwanag. Yung klase ng paliwanag na maiintindihan mo nang buo at taus-puso. Yung paliwang na kapag narinig mo, alam kong iiyak ka pero matatanggap mo. Kasi naiintindihan mo.

Masaya naman ako. Masaya naman tayo. Ginawa ko rin naman lahat dati. Mahal na mahal naman kita. Oo, dati. Alam kong alam mo ang nangyari. Alam kong alam mo pero ayaw mo ring sabihin.

Sana di ka galit sa akin.

Sulat ko:

Naiisip ko lagi kong paano ko pinilit ang sarili ko. Yung tipong paulit-ulit kong sinasabi sa isip ko na naguguluhan ka lang. Na kailangan mo lang ng panahon. Na babalik ka lang din sa akin. Kaya dapat akong lumaban.

Kaya sinubukan kong lumaban. Ang higpit nga ng kapit ko sa mga alaalang meron tayo. Biruin mo yun? Naka isang dekada din tayong sumakay sa roldilyo na relasyon natin. Siguro di mo rin naman mawawala sa aking umasa. Ikaw nga kasi ang panay kong sinasandalan. Ang pinakauna kong sinasabihan. Sayo ako lagi humuhugot ng lakas. Na kapag may problema ako, kaya ko kasi anjan ka.

Pero natauhan na rin ako sa pagiging tanga at hibang.

Handa nakong gumawa ng bagong hakbang.

Sulat mo:

Nasasaktan din naman ako kakaisip na nasasaktan mo na rin sarili mo kakahintay sa akin. Nalito din ako sa sarili ko. Siguro oo, naguluhan, kinailangan ko ng panahon. Yung lagi nilang sinasabing hanapin ang sarili? Parang ganun nga.

Mas nasasaktan ako kasi alam kong pilit mo pa rin akong ipinaglalaban. Habang ako, gusto kitang tulungan. Pero wala rin akong magawa. Kasi isip at kaluluwa ko, nawawala.

Sa isang dekada natin, palagay ko, mas marami akong natutunan.

At ikaw, isa ka sa mga pinakamagandang bagay na nangyari sa magulo kong buhay.

Wala akong masabi sayo. Lahat ng mga pagkukulang ko, inintindi mo. Lahat ng mga kasalanan ko, pinatawad mo. Lahat ng di ko kaya, pinatunayan mong pwede kong gawin sa tamang panahon.

Oo. Sa tamang panahon.
Di man kita masabayang bumangon, alam kong kayang kaya mong umahon.

Sulat ko:

Antagal ko tong hinintay sobra.

Ayan. Nag-umaga na.

Wag kang mag-alala, mukha lang akong marupok at madaling matibag pero pagsusumikapan kong maging malakas at matatag sa pagkakataong 'to.

Alam kong ilang taon ding umikot sayo ang mundo ko. Ang mga buwan ko ay ginugol ko upang samahan ka. Ang mga linggo ko ay napunta sa pagpapaligaya sayo. Ang mga araw ko ay nagdaan para alagaan ka. Ang mga oras ko ay nabuhos para ipadama sayong mahal kita. At mga segundo, ang mga segundong yun ay nilaan ko para manatili ka.

Ngayon, magsisimula ako ulit.

Lalong matututo. Lalong iintindi. Lalong mamahalin ang mga taong nakapaligid at nagmamahal din sa akin. Antagal kong hinintay ang umagang to.

Hanggang dito na lang tayo. Salamat sa mga naituro mo saking mga aral.Kung sino man ang susunod, sana di tayong magsawang magmahal.

Sulat mo:

Antagal ko rin tong hinintay. Na mag-umaga. Na magsimula nang bago.

Wag na wag mong isiping marupok ka, o mahina, o walang lakas. Isa ka sa pinakamatatag na taong nakilala ko. Kaya nga minahal kita. Kasi alam kong di ka matitinag. Nadadala ka lang ng mga damdamin mo. Pero laging kaya mo.

Mawala man ako, di titigil sa pag-ikot ang mundo mo. Marami kang taon na iikot sa taong mas nararapat mong makasama. May mga buwan kang gugugulin upang libutin ang mundo o pumunta sa mga lugar na pangarap mo kasama siya. May mga linggo kang mapupunta siguro sa pagkilala mo pa sa kanya at pagkilala niya sayo. May mga araw na dadaan para maipakita niya sayo ang pag-aarugang di ko na maibibigay. Ang mga oras mo siguro ay mabubuhos sa paminsan-minsang bangayan at tampuhan niyo. Pero lagi mo siyang iintindihin. Alam kong ganun din siya. At ang bawat segundo mo, wag na wag kang tumigil na mahalin ang sarili mo.

Ngayon, magsisimula ka ulit. Walang kasing ganda ang umagang paparating.

Marami pa sana akong bagay na ihihiling.

Pero hanggang dito na lang talaga.

Sana.

Tayong dalawa'y lumigaya.