Charlie Koon's Film Review

An Open Letter to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board

2010-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Dear MTRCB,

I would like to file a complain regarding the film Paano na Kaya. This is about the classification of the film which is rated General Patronage (GP). I remember three scenes (very emotional scenes), when Kim Chiu’s character uttered swear words. After writing a mixed review of the film posted on this blog, an anonymous reader called me “Gago!”. I felt insulted and I personally realized that it is not just a mild curse, but more of an insult. In the film, the word “Gago” was said thrice by Kim’s character Mae. I'm concerned what might happen to all those young people who might have picked up the curse. So I checked your guidelines and it seems that the rating you have given is not appropriate for the film. Based on your guidelines, A GP classified film must meet this certain qualification:

A. GENERAL AUDIENCE (“G”) – All ages admitted. “G” materials should, in the judgment of the BOARD, be suitable for all audiences.

LANGUAGE – Obscene, profane, blasphemous and sexually suggestive language shall not be allowed. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but should be common everyday expressions.

I am assuming that the word they used is disrespectful so I compared it with the other definitions for the next classifications just as below:

B. PARENTAL GUIDANCE 13 – Viewers below 13 years old must be accompanied by a parent or an adult. The movie must, in the judgment of the BOARD, meet the following criteria.

LANGUAGE – Very mild and mild SWEAR words only. Use of a strong expletive in a sexual context and successive use of such expletives will not be allowed.

C. RESTRICTED – 13 (“R-13”) – Only those who are 13 and above may view an “R-13” film. The movie must, in the judgment of the BOARD, meet the following criteria:

LANGUAGE – Strong, sexually derived and vulgar use of swear words or those referring to the genitalia are prohibited. Moderate swear words may be used. Use of stronger words is allowed provided it is INFREQUENT.

I presume any parent will be offended once they bring their daughters or let’s say a group of students without guardians and later discover that it is okay to say the word “Gago” frequently. Please don’t be offended as I am just making a point.

I look forward to the strict implementations of your Rules and Regulations or revisions must be done.

A film lover and a concerned Filipino Citizen,
Charlie

Note: I tried to send this to MTRCB's website and their feedback link is not working. No emails available to send this complaint as well.

Best Filipino Films of 2008 and 2009

2010-01-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here are the rankings of the Best Filipino Films from 2008 up to 2009. Based on my reviews, we could at least produce five to six quality films a year - not bad at all.

10. Ala Pobre, Ala Suerte (Briccio Santos) 2008

Irony plays a big element in these hapless yet quite hopeful social beings which originated from the tenants of the railways. It is a mixture of hysteria, paranoia that has outwardly corrupted the ethics of the known squalors of Philippine Society. I have great admiration with how Santos has drawn a society with a great appeal of sordidness without loosening its artistic panache. Ala Pobre, Ala Suerte has delivered a just rendition of a society that has tarnished. It has not yet escaped its past’s bigotry. But it tries to move along and survive.

Carlo Aquino

9. Carnivore (Ato Bautista) 2008

Carnivore certainly gives the audience a taste of life and how vicious it could become. It is the story of Lino Lucero played with angst and vigor by Carlo Aquino. The film successfully penetrates the human mind. This is Bautista’s third film feature and I have to say that he is perceivably way better in creating psychological fears. Carnivore achieves its goal, but definitely not in a disgusting way.

Maricel Soriano and Joey Paras

8. Last Supper No. 3 (Veronica Velasco) 2009 and Kimmy Dora (Joyce Bernal) 2009

Joey Paras plays Wilson Nañawa, an assistant production designer. He is tasked to look for a last supper that will be used as a prop. They got three last suppers but on the day of the shooting, the third one has gone missing. Then the riotous adventures of Wilson begin after the owner files a case. It is a comedy about our judicial system, a flawed one as a matter of fact. Classic lines are installed in court cases with numerous references to audacious lawyers, dramatic testimonies and even common jargons that could also be a form of parody. Velasco’s Last Supper No. 3 could be an eye-opener with some tummy-tickling on the side.

Dingdong Dantes and Eugene Domingo

Eugene Domingo stars as the twin sisters in the comedy film Kimmy Dora. These twins are rivals. No one will dare tie them back again with their own umbilical cords. Bernal’s Kimmy Dora have expressed mightily a great form of absurdity and passed it over as a great entertaining film with her heavy command in slapstick and parody. As a result, it is miraculously compelling and mind enthralling. This film is a proof that laughing first before you think is the best approach to evaluate the good values of a comedy film.

7. Jay (Francis Xavier Pasion) 2008

Jay is about two people both named Jay. One is dead and the other is living. Baron Geisler stars as the living Jay, a TV producer who manufactures reality stories that tackle justice to families who have been victimized by cruel slayings. In here, we get to view the documentary at the start and later get a big juicy scoop as to how it was made. Pasion’s Jay is funny, intriguing and unique.

6. 100 (Chris Martinez) 2008

Mylene Dizon plays Joyce, a single, career-obsessed woman. Suddenly, she resigns to her work at the brink of her achievements. She has acquired the terminal type of cancer. She is given three months to live. Martinez’ 100 is witty, clever and sensitive in tackling the theme of death. Tessie Tomas and Eugene Domingo have the ability to make a discourse and switch the drama into something humorous. After all, laughter is as natural as death.

Anita Linda

5. Adela (Adolfo Alix Jr.) 2008

Anita Linda stars as Adela who turns eighty years old. Alix’s Adela is shot in real-time essence, which transpires in a day. It is a simple film with no dramatizations, no histrionics, just the stark goings-on of an ordinary woman’s life. Watching a screen legend like Anita Linda will certainly make the simple into something magnificent. Why I admire Adela, brevity.

Sid Lucero

4. Independencia (Raya Martin) 2009

Independencia is about the freed Filipino people after the Spanish colonization. Confronted by the encroaching realities of war, a mother and her son are forced by their own volition to live in the forest portrayed by Tetchi Agbayani and Sid Lucero. The claustrophobic forest with its synthetic weather and painted backdrop are innocuously attractive. Shot in black and white, Martin's Independencia is stylistic, nostalgic and the music of Labad is eerily gorgeous.

3. Engkwentro (Pepe Diokno) 2009

Engkwentro is about two brothers who are stuck in a city where death happens everyday. Felix Roco plays Richard, a young man being chased by the death squad in the city of Davao. His younger brother Raymond played by Daniel Medrana joins the rival gang and his initiation was to kill his own brother. Diokno’s Engkwentro is a film that most people should see - if they are daring enough to have a glimpse of Hell.

Che Ramos

2. Mangatyanan (Jerrold Tarog) 2009

Laya Marquez played by Che Ramos has the bravura in extending certain aspects of humanity that is too soaring to be synthesized. It is hard to understand the courage of the principles she has acquired, but that is the blood of the film. This is the life that should flow into our own existence. Tarog’s Mangatyanan is the second film of the Camera Trilogy. It is a mixture of our dying culture and the human condition. Once it is combined, it exteriorizes the frailties of our existence and penetrates the harshness of our own beliefs.

Mark Gil, Eula Valdez and Charee Pineda

1. Alon (Ron Bryant) 2008

Alon is about a young girl’s relationship with a man and his ailing wife. The film is presented in layers, a complex study in melodrama and marital sacrifice. What comes out is an emotional ménage-a-trois that leaves the audience guessing at the characters’ intrinsic turbulence, best illustrated by Mark Gil’s character Fiel in perhaps his most subtle role to date. Bryant’s Alon has a strong narrative, cautious in its progression but still with eventual flashes of silent intensity. It is a refreshing tale of unconditional love.

(Note: The star rating with four stars and above are the basis to be included. Rankings are based on my own instinct. For me it really helps to have a rating system for consistency purposes.)

Bitter Sour

2010-01-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

Ooops... Time to Shine!

Paano na Kaya is about young love. It is dumb, immature and forgettable. If their objective is to candidly portray the romantic miseries of today’s younger generation, then I have to say that without any doubt the film nailed it. Their struggles towards love are futile. The characters speak in an awkward manner. What a dreadful way to see the end of mankind for their annoying hyper-realistic love excrements. It is cute at first with their nose-to-nose affections. But along the way, there is a case of the missing heart. I nearly lost mine.

The cute and lovely pair is played by Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson as Mae and Bogs. They are best friends. I thought man’s best friend is a dog. But in the film it was Mae who acts as a dog-substitute for Bogs. They are also business partners, very lucky to be born with a silver spoon in their mouths. To cut it short, Mae has a secret fondness for Bogs. She might have realized it at some point even there’s a big hurdle at her sight. Her fancy eyeglasses made the trick to dissolve her pretty face. So Bogs sees other girls instead. Bogs is the typical jock who always goes for the pretty girl next door - just like her recent girlfriend Anna. But Bogs is also a boob, double-crossed by another guy, so he was dumped by his flirtatious girlfriend. So Bogs gets depressed, becomes an adrenaline junkie, stubbornly resisting recovery.

The start of the film seems to be enthusing and so we get to like what is going on even how stupid it can get. Mae is likeable to an extent and seems focused despite having a scrambled lifestyle as a second-rate daughter, boutique owner, restaurant manager, firefighter volunteer and of course as Bogs’ substitute dog. How overwhelming it can get to be at her situation. But things changed after she declares her mighty love to Bogs. Although Bogs is quite detached for the possibility of love between the two of them, he realized that she might be the perfect one.

Finally, the magic of love gradually dissolves. Mae flaunts her allure and without her hideous eyeglasses; she has an aura of a woman’s grace. It has now become an easy task for Bogs to be captivated. But Bogs remains static just like a blind man. His good looks could be quite handy, masking his dreariness and shallow responses. Bogs feels the love as well and the rest of it is pure torture. Fanatics will surely forgive the blunders it has. Success is now in two-folds. But I am certain that Paano na Kaya is not a great film entertainment. Star Cinema has produced romantic comedies in the past that I did praise and I mean it. For now, there are only pretty faces.

Paano na Kaya is a formula film that has gone sour. Perhaps the film cautions the jaded romantics so they don’t have to drown themselves in this terrible ordeal. It is a mock love of some sort; hopefully all the living organisms with brain function should realize without any provocation. The entertainment it offers is only a quarter and the remaining three-fourths is the leftover. The feast usually occurs in the bits and pieces of the film for a satisfaction guaranteed. It is a love sensation indeed. A dirty mannerism that lives on its own that becomes an apparent choice as a role model to articulate love. I hope they could have explored the fun side of love more fervently without loosing its strips of suitable conflicts. Dipping into a pool of lollipops and candy bars might be an act of stupidity but at least you will taste its sweetness before drowning.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Cracked Spines

2010-01-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

Ageing Beauty

Brillante Mendoza’s Lola suddenly deviates from its two prologuishly structured films. It could be a shift from the omnipresent theory of Armando Lao in Serbis headed for the hybridized rendition of Kinatay. For now, it is Mendoza’s own predilection that pervades Lola. His prevailing love towards irony is quite evident even in his first feature film Masahista. Combining it with hardcore realism and synthetic thrills of the neo-noir genre, we have an incongruent truth that might seep into our own perceptions. Perhaps it is an intensifier, an exotic hors d'oeuvre that amuses the outsider, enough reason to be taken into custody.

The film starts with the camera stalking Aling Sepa (Anita Linda) along the dingy and nebulous streets of Manila. La Mancha has been ill-displaced in the area, known for its terrible gush of winds. Behold, Aling Sepa together with his grandson still attempts to light a candle. But what is it for? Why is she so eager to have it lighted with that kind of blustery weather? It was evident that after such a time of bonding with the old lady (she grows in me, the temporary stalker) that she is lamenting over the death of her other grandchild. Afterward we follow through where the wobbly old Sepa lives. She resides in a second-rate Venice, a surreal dead place that adds up to the unfathomable grief of their condition. It is possibly a metaphor, a slough of murky tears with sympathies that has been drowned and forgotten. And so they continue to live their stagnated lives in the new 'Smokey Mountain'.

Then we are introduced to another old lady named Aling Puring (Dr. Rustica Carpio), the grandmother of the robber who is now behind bars. Her instincts say that she will do everything and anything just to get her puerile grandson Mateo (Ketchup Eusebio) out of prison. An irrevocable love could explain it, keeping the family ties unscathed despite severe offense. A case settlement with the family of Aling Sepa is the only solution she sees and so she will shake heaven and earth just to achieve that.

I wish the actresses have switched roles and it could have been more challenging. It is hard to like Puring, a character that badly needs charisma for us to forgive her unconditional love. But despite the character flaws, we seem to be more concerned with how these two people deal with the reality based on Mendoza’s own perception. It could be the anatomical exploration of Lino Brocka’s core principles - a few might rebel. But the film in its basic essence is still amusing. You might be throwing it with mild accusations of exploitation which is in essence the type that sells on foreign shores. Lola has the qualities of a film that is better discussed by intellectuals than viewed by actual organisms.

Lola exhibits an expansion of what films are made on. It is really hard to believe a single truth as I always believe that we see through a glass darkly. They see and hear but still contradict the single truth offered to them. And in the end, no matter how foolish it becomes, there is still the truth of being a man. We suffer, cry, laugh and love but believing the truth will always be denied.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Tasteless Revival

2010-01-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

Eyebags

Wanted: Border is about the convoluted idiosyncrasies of a pathetic cannibal which also happens to be the exotic excesses of film experimentation. Engrossing oneself to sheer lunacy and the use of distorted irony could be a magnet for the die-hard art film enthusiasts. Ray Gibraltar’s experimental feature as I see it is sheer redundancy of the merits of earlier experimentations which is quite insipid. When we deal with experimentations, it must offer something new to our eyes. I would say that Wanted: Border is more likely a bluff.

Actually, the initial ten seconds had me hooked for its tempting simmery vibe that it dissipates from a pot of bizarre ideas. But before the aroma sets into my nostrils, the promise it has evaporates rapidly. The theater started to be enshrouded by the unwanted pollution caused by the film. I seem to feel that the film has a mask or a veil that conceals whatever they wanted to say. Nonetheless, it will be favored by those whose tongues are pierced with ecstatic fondness for more jadedness.

The film is about Sepang (Rosanna Roces) a religious old lady running a kansi eatery in a little town in Ilo-ilo. The moment she shows up on screen, I could sense something is wrong with her. She speaks in outright blasphemy, uttering one by one the seven last words of Christ. Along the course of the story, the film tries to patchily weave in her past. Townsfolk believe and affiliate her to a family of ghouls. And so she made their belief come to life.

In no order, we get to be involved with other characters in the film, much likely stereotypes. There is this fat lady who eats like there is no tomorrow but runs every now and then in the course of the film – it’s the twist of the story. The other two are the sexually abused girl by her bastard step-father and a guy who excuses himself in being called a drug addict because it’s an artist way of life. You will also see a bunch of feline friends of Sepang lingering in the dirty pantry of the cafeteria. Once you have seen that dreadful kitchen, your way of eating might transgress to the ilk of bulimic sufferers. So the bored cats are her only known companions. Making a flute out of cat’s souls could be more fascinating just like in the novel Kafka on the Shore. But the soulless Sepang obliquely kills humans instead not the cats - barbarian style. Perhaps the film might get a nod from the uncircumcised and vegetarians.

Other films of the same flock have a similar technique. It tries to jumble the scenes necessitating itself as the new benchmark in filmmaking. At least they have Roces who stars as the disastrous and unpredictable Sepang. Medea could get pissed-off as her reign as the sole queen of danger is at stake. The concern I have with independent films is to progress the craft. A good experiment needs neither tricks nor embellishments. They have a discerning view of our society so why not employ it as well in making a film that is worthy of our applause. Film simply needs to move on from the mistakes of the past.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Mundane Magic

2010-01-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hide and Seek

Bala bala: Maniwala ka is about the mysteries happening in the province. of Batangas. It soon happens upon the arrival of a city veterinarian named Frederick (Micah Munoz). He was summoned by the village officials in order to cure the disease of their livestock. He is befriended by a mute albeit adorable boy named Amiel (Rold Marn Salamat). Soon enough, Frederick is asked to cure a sick child without him knowing that Amiel is the one who performs the miraculous healing. The panicky Frederick decides to leave the place but is thwarted by Amiel who starts to reveal a plan that will soon take place.

After watching Bala bala: Maniwala ka, Jao Mapa has now a collection of performances that adds damage to his skill as an actor. He plays as a supporting character in the film as a vagrant, combining it with his annoying effeminate character in Dreamguyz plus his role as an anti-porn delusional politician in 69 ½ (although the film as a whole is much better than his actual efforts) and we will have the incineration of mankind. Anyway, the film itself is not the worse that Philippine Cinema has produced. Melvin Brito’s debut semi-soft porn film Sumpa might be the one in the lead on that regard. It is the only one that has made its way to be shown in the sacrosanct theaters of our country. Holy water might help cleanse the SM management’s overall lackluster taste and inconsistencies.

So after watching the film, what did it make me feel? Not to know what to do about it? Magic realism is a literary genre that has been here for years thanks to Saramago and Murakami to name a few that lifted its status and made its way to be accessible. Michel Gondry (The Science of Sleep), Spike Jonze (Adaptation) and Fernando Meirelles (Blindness) are a few in the film arena who have explored the genre and their local counterparts like Paolo Herras (Ang Manghuhula) and Alvin Yapan (Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe) to cite a few. I think the problem with the film was its adaptation. You will notice the ambiguities it has that are mostly present in novels, a solid proof that it is better written. Visually it could entice but what is the point of roaming for its peculiar propositions? Soon enough, it will take its toll in the end.

I did not expect the film to be somewhat Disney-like having all those fireworks and transformations. But it did, prompting me to construe what magic realism bestowed to us. Haven’t they forgotten to make an elegant horse-carriage out of pumpkin? I may be hypothecating but I think it is more of a puff out of fantasy. Even Frederick seems to have a Jiminy Cricket by his side, tattling without anyone on sight. But at least he did not toss himself during his stay in the hut. It would be creepy having a mass gathering of fireflies in his pecker. Remedy might come from Amiel who was also the saving grace of the film.

Even if it is not true, the point of it is to be more open to what they have offered. It is the downside of magic realism so if it is not written, they have to be extra cautious for people not to be baffled. Nonetheless, Brito has constrained his self indulgences and obliterates from his patchy soft-porn earlier flick. It is indeed a process. A realistic process and you cannot be jaded even for a minute to make it look credible for its magic and cohesive for its story.
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Charlie Koon's Rating:

Filthy Man-whores

2009-11-21T12:24:00.001-08:00

Innocent stare

Dolores is a careless tale of a young girl’s loss of innocence. Even with the character’s fragile moment, the film has already shattered. Not only is it broken into pieces but pulverized to an imperceptible form. Reservations may be raised since the acts within the film are immoral. But that could also be a remarkable advantage of showing the ugly facet of carnal pleasures since it successfully disgusts the spectator. Sad to say, that is not the case. Dolores is a failure. It is in crude state when it is made and so it crumbles without notice.

Actually, Dolores starts with a good performance from Mailes Kanapi, the mother of Dolores, and then deteriorates pathetically into a Z-movie. Dolores (Lara Buenaventura) is a young lass that lives with an almost portrait-like semblance of a Filipino family in rural areas. She lives with her parents with two brothers around and her grandfather. One day, her mother Maila (Mailes Kanapi) decides to go abroad. But Maila has sharp eyes and senses that Dolores’ grandfather has a licentious liking with her daughter but just like a true Filipino, she does nothing. She is not at ease in leaving but is left no choice as she dreams to have a better life. She reminds her husband to be watchful of Dolores during her breast-baring souvenir-like coitus. After she leaves, his brother (Dido dela Paz) pays a visit and decides to stay as his devilish tiger eyes are already laid to Dolores.

Noel Casaje writes and directs this ubiquitous tale with the help of Jerry Garcia (screenplay). The idea is simple actually since it just explores innocence amongst the youth. But it has gone on the wrong side of the fence when it accentuated the lust aspect of the filthy men. It does not really hurt to polish the story. Surely no blood will burst out while ejaculating. Roughly and blatant like the idea of Casaje, that is how the film goes. Sometimes, it looks like a lampoon, and in a millisecond it appears to adapt a Z-movie kind of attitude. If that is their demonstration of our wildest desires, then it could have pushed the envelopes further. But it doesn’t as it still has a formless grip. The shape of the film is difficult to imagine more so comprehend it.

I am sure Dolores has good intentions to fully express the freedom filmmakers ought to have. But they should also be mindful that we are not in a Battle Royale arena. There is already no harmony in our local films so fusing in a little integrity might not hurt their ego. It exudes more of the selfish proclivities of the filmmaker in seeing the final product. How did he care for the characters? Was it superficial or over-the-top? Is it one-dimensional? Did the characters have true emotions? Or does it lack consistency? This could have been pondered over and over.

Dolores is the weakest and messiest film I have seen in the Cinemanila Digital Local Competition. The film’s effect is like speaking without any consonants. And the worst part is I have to make a review and extend the unspeakable qualities of the film. It could really make my review the worst I could possibly write. How I wish all films are good. Sometimes, laughing through could make the trick. Voila, Dolores is an enjoyable, funny and ‘wacky eerily crazy amorphous dark comedy – a new genre to behold. Not!

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Listen to me

2009-11-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Bleeding Ears

It is now true that we could make a Hollywood kind of film not that that is a meritorious feat. Yam Laranas remakes his own film Sigaw (Shout) and advance it further for the world to see. The Echo (Alingawngaw) is the result. Although it is not even near its translation, I think it is more appropriate to the feel of the film. The film’s subtle vibrations is spot-on at the start and progresses to a coherent and rip-roaring highlight of our very own Iza Calzado. The Echo is a mood-bestowed horror thriller that begins with a sigh and ends speed high.

Bobby (Jesse Bradford) is an ex-convict who moves to an apartment building where his mother resides when she was alive. The death is quite mysterious and little by little, Bobby notices weird stuff in the apartment. Later on, he meets Carly (Jamie Bloch), his previous girlfriend. Carly is hesitant to rekindle the past affair but changes her mind after a while. While fixing the relationship he have with Carly, he starts to hear noises from the apartment. Strangely, it is a voice of a woman who is getting beaten by her husband. As the story dwells unto the mysteries deeper, not only the echo becomes clear; violent revelations will be witnessed if you choose not to listen.

The pivotal role Iza Calzado plays is Gina, a battered wife that asks for Bobby’s help. There is something weird in her manifestations. This is same with her daughter who plays her fancy piano along the corridor of the building. Although it is not implied, Gina could be a Filipina; well she is played by one, obviously. She is helpless and lonely. But in her eyes, we could see her lovely stares that evanesce within the begrimed walls and her sullen appearance. Calzado reprises her role with radiance, caught unaware that a battered look could still be damn gorgeous. It is my pleasure to help her out in that situation. But no single soul cares for the weeping beauty and the trouble slowly rises.

Eric Burnt and Shintaro Shimosawa supervises the screenplay Yam Laranas made together with Roy Iglesias. The improvements are more likely an expected result since it ought to be credulous even for remakes. And I think it is the best way to showcase the great aspects of the original idea. It really is a great accomplishment for Yam Laranas to bring to light how The Echo should be made into a film. Just like an echo, it is hard to capture where it comes and he wants the film to linger in our senses from all directions. And we have to recall and be mindful that Laranas excels in the cinematography department. It really is a showcase of his talent. If he gets to be subtle and could get the most out of the use of all the senses, he will achieve a symphony of scares. Even though the traditional horror stories are a healthy exercise of connecting with an audience, he could still squeeze more ideas that no one has possibly gripped – it is for him to discover. With that, he will be a true master of Horror. The Echo is one of those credible horror films but to us Filipinos, it is a triumph.

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Charlie Koon's Rating:

Z for Zloppy

2009-11-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

Fabulouzzz

I too could emphasize my dizappointment with how Joel Lamangan could actually make a film that is roughly run-of-the-mill. It amazes me how his mediocrity can still surprise people. I Love Dreamguyz has queasy visualz to begin with, followed through with a grubby story progression. The film is like choking during orgazm ‘in reverse’ while in a coma. Someone should wake them up az they are likely having a dizorder called sleep apnea. They might drown in their own saliva. If this is what the audience might have dreamed for, then so be it. And if you snooze midway, there is still the Z factor offered as a bargain.

I Love Dreamguyz is about a group of young guys who aspires to be dancers in Japan. The group is composed of five cheeky gym buff guys, having different life stories to tell - in snippets. The group leader is Rico (Marco Morales) which I could remember has no character backbone. His presence only intensifies when Jake (Jay-L Dizon) becomes close to him. Jake has a live-in partner Jenny (Niña Jose). Alvin (Sherwin Ordonez) is the beloved of the flamboyant gay talent manager Didi (Jao Mapa). Even if the story segues to Didi’s intolerable gayness and networking scam sub-conflicts, Jake is the heart of the story. He is likened by Rico who has no story to tell but has a wang to show. The other two guys are like opposing magnets. Benjo (Miggy Valdez) is the battered son while Michael (Mhyco Aquino) is the hotheaded gigolo.

I could not question the lust factor between Rico and Jake after the premise has been laid (no pun intended). Just like the concept in the product life cycle, Lamangan is quite deliberate in hauling out all possible carnality without further notice. It has been a franchise all along and the two young guys having sex with each other, not once but a couple times do matter for his vision. The sequence is not anymore relevant and substantial. The insistence might be somewhere in the decline point and so Lamangan might be avoiding any possible risk. Its shoddy production is the unyielding proof that it is near to extinction and for now, he could only milk the cow.

If this could be a trend, then what could have I Love Dreamguyz instilled in the present state of Philippine Cinema? The truth is that, a prolific director like Joel Lamangan will always embark on catering the sweet hot-dogged spaghetti the majority would delightfully consume. Would anyone have a problem with that? There will be hecklers for that matter and I assume it is no two-way channel. Lamangan has static visions and it appears in the film. But at least the film has someone who could still be honed in the dramatic genre. She could fake decency and might as well get well-rounded roles if the franchise turns obsolete. She is none other than Niña Jose.

I Love Dreamguyz could be the expected downfall of a mainstream veteran director. The film appears to be an extremely poor mise-en-scene home-made video like production. Despite the negativity, Joel Lamangan still makes films and makes even more. He might have an easy rapport with the majority perceived in the commercial success of Walang Kawala and Heavenly Touch. But for people having exotic tastes and bigotry, he will always be a failure. But he has strengths which I could affirm; he is an actor’s director. But I have issues with the tawdriness and smudgy qualities he has for now. He is expected to come up with a better output. I hope a good sleep could do the fixing – no nightmares, hopefully.

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Charlie Koon's Rating:

Spoiled Humor

2009-11-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

I'll kell you Yaya!

Yaya and Angelina: The Spoiled Brat Movie is like a pacifier to appease avid followers who just can’t get enough of this duo. It was originally made for a television sitcom which explores the relationship of a brat and her nanny that becomes her eager prey. Well at least the amusement is already built in place. It could easily infect laughter for their antics which also brought them to fame and become household personalities. But let us be a little shrewd as the margin of merits in the silver screen is categorically above the mark of lame topical gags from the television.

Well, the film is like backtracking the event before the rich family of Angelina got her affable and martyrish nanny. Angelina (Ogie Alcasid) is this eight years old girl, not a bubbily-baby but a pygmy sized bratling who drives her nannies mad with her extreme frolics. She may perhaps believe that a nanny must endure all the throbbing dilemmas since she knows she could get away with it. One day, there is a big explosion in their mansion and causes her ‘back then’ nanny (Regine Velasquez) to be hospitalized – she never comes back. Then, a new nanny walks in their home showing glee in her face and her name is Rosalinda.

Rosalinda (Michael V.) plays the next in line to be beatified for exemplary nanny-endurance in taking care of the rascal. The next thing she might not be aware of is that, does she have what it takes to pass death-defying exploits that Angelina is craving? Well, at least we could see in her eyebrows that she has still some time-off to pluck it out and stay in style. The key element of this comedy is to be a willing victim. And the audience itself is an extension to that.

The comedy devices they are using in the film are quite sufficient. It has a mixture of parody and heavy use of slapstick. Although the execution of the entire gag is deplorable since the film is only making reference to its television sitcom counterpart typical. It took the adventure literally and sometimes if it gets executed by the actors, the creasing moments look intentionally made for television but not for a film. I think the action sequences have its stall since it involves cues that should look hilarious and yet it looks sloppy and superfluous. The improvements could have been more with its overall aesthetics of comedy such as its treatment. I’m laughing in slow motion and that is quite phony if you will ask me. Laughing backwards could be more fun.

I might not be the right person to be asked if the film as it is could be an enjoyable treat when it is available in DVD. But mind you, television shows could be really enjoyable that is why Yaya and Angelina has the edge if it is done with caution. I have always enjoyed slapstickish comedy films which may not necessarily imply that their dumb. There is no excuse for dumb so I am no member of the Intelligentsia Club and be bigoted towards the film – no hard feelings. It’s just not the cream of the crop.

If you are a fanatic, no one can prohibit you from watching the film. People can easily admire Ogie Alcasid and Michael V. for their persistence to create characters that could be best exaggerated and charming – you bet. Alcasid has been playing opposite sex roles like Luga Luda in Desperadas 2 and Frida Akikla in Oh My Girl!. Gender switching could easily smash in instant laughter. Alcasid has created a better character now than the previous two.

Yaya and Angelina: The Spoiled Brat Movie could be a deadlock sign for an enjoyable treat in films. There might be a couple of laughing moments but its stay only at that point and they have to reassess that farcical comedies should have tight gears. It should deviate from the lackluster style of television as film appreciation could be astute. Yaya and Angelina might be the Starsky and Hutch of local films and we might expect more shenanigans from these two determined comedians.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Cinema One Originals 2009

2009-11-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

Cinema One continues with the highly anticipated 2009 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival as it kicks off on November 13 to 17 at the Gateway Cineplex Cinema at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City with its five finalists : Si Baning Si Maymay at ang Asong Si Bobo, Bala Bala, Paano Ko Sasabihin, Wanted:Border and Maximus & Minimus.

Please click here for the schedule.

Other films will also be shown like Yanggaw, Kinatay, Dose, Confessional, Serbis, Lola, Tirador, Altar, Masahista, Himpapawid.

Movie Ticket Price: P120.00
For block screenings and discounts, please contact Jeng Encabo at jeng.encabo@gmail.com.

Dark Fruits

2009-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Who are you?

It is fairly meritorious what Alvin Yapan has done, he took the elements of common Filipino fear and infused it into his current Cinemalaya offering, Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe, under the banner of pontifical local feminism no less. As with small-town frights, the bucolic atmosphere is first scratched by a gossip, seemingly innocuous whispers, a small bird disemboweled on the clean grass. Then it begins, under the picnic cloth of hardworking rural artisans and artificial marital civility lie a darkness that if viewed closely, is scarcely different from the desire that created it.

And how cleverly the disconcerting insinuations have been woven, which along with a few stylistic flourishes, effectively comprise the better half of the film. It almost has that Blair-Witchian factor, I never took a second thought on how disturbing a patchily woven basket of mangosteens could be. Along with some sibilant window calls stitched on a quiveringly restrained but brilliant musical score, the production has achieved a contextually nuanced film that burrows itself into a reluctantly curious consciousness. Yapan is truly a director of his time, technically proficient and with a flair for emotional urgency. Yet the film is not entirely preachy, not exactly what I would expect from something endorsed by the Women’s Crisis Center. Still it is a cautionary tale, shattering the stereotype that all abused women are bleating weaklings. Irma Adlawan’s Fe is no wilted lamb, but her helplessness provides another crude specter of societal inequity, just the type of message the foundations are gunning for. Hence it is unclear if the movie’s core lies in eliciting fear or social outrage. If you wish to scare, suck blood, if you want a rally, paint with it. One must not push to do both. The ambivalence could certainly be off-putting to the pedestrian gatherer, but what do you expect from an indie film?
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Another aspect of Panggagahasa that fulfilled expectations was the title character. Rapture, rape, and the ravenous were all portrayed with an unyielding constancy that only Adlawan could deliver, the male characters only served as rocks on the opposite sides of the fulcrum. Ever since Pusang Gala, Adlawan has already exhibited a noteworthy thespian range that could approximate the breath of the modern Filipina’s psyche. In this movie that frail and elusive landscape is accentuated more with excruciating quietude than screams of pain, truly a Filipina proclivity. Black-eyes veiled under stupid excuses, ignorance mistaken for womanly trust, so silent the usages of that unfunny wound. The pleasure is portrayed similarly, but the fact that it was portrayed at all is reason enough for celebration. True to his artistic predilections, Yapan is tastefully fearless in his endeavors. The rape scene was graciously no Irreversible and the longer take of Fe burying the black fruits of her trepidation yielded so much more of the intrinsic state-of-affairs of an abused individual.

Mainstream horror films could certainly learn from this movie. Presently there is a cavity that is clawing to be filled. The franchise should start realizing that in fear, less is more. Directors from Thailand understand this, so why is the catching up so belated. This is what Yapan employed which made his work quite effective that is until the ending, definitely risky and perhaps potentially disastrous almost to the point of negating the effect that the entire movie has accumulated. But the risk is a product of his generation. Weaned with magical realism his was an expected seduction, ultimately to show the object of dread only for it to share an almost avuncular caveat to the furniture-making enemy lover. It could have been worst. I thought Fe was going to get banged on the newly carved Sala piece. In the end, post-modern directors cannot help but to be ironic, whether they decry postmodernism or not. It’s charming though. Why choose your carabao-oriented husband Dante (Nonie Buencamino), or Arturo (TJ Trinidad) for that matter when you can have a real man, one who’s not really a man, who lives in a tree of undying love. Who says there’s no romance in fear?
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Written by: Alex Milla (Guest Critic)
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* Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe (The Rapture of Fe) will be shown in Robinsons Indiesine from November 11-17, 2009 (Official Website)

11th Cinemanila Digital Lokal 2009 Pre-review

2009-10-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

I have already seen five out of six films for the Digital Lokal Category. I will post the reviews soon.

Charlie Koon's Ratings:

Dolores by Lito Casije

Anacbanua by Christopher Gozum
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Iliw by Bona Fajardo

Ang Beerhouse by Jon Red
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69 1/2 by Ted Manotoc

Just a comment, what's with the strictly invitational screening for Biyaheng Lupa? I know its their premiere night but come on, I have seen four out of the five films during its premiere. They should have made a note in their brochure or even post it somewhere prior to its screening day. This kind of film should not be supported for its lack of consideration to people who go all the way to Market Market. They would not even gain profit from it as audience like me are the ones they need. We could pay whatever price they want.

The head organizer said in one of his interviews that he hopes audience will embrace what Filipino filmmakers have to offer. I hope its not for the marginal few. Its not even open to the public.

Sorry I'm just pissed.

Anyway, I do recommend Anacbanua to hardcore art-film lovers out there. The cinematography is superb. It has similarities with the poetic films made by the Russian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov and even our very own John Torres. Also 69 1/2 which is a musical comedy film. It has lots of film references that could excite most film junkies. Its a mixture of Rocky Horror Picture Show by Sharman, with a slice of Godard style and a pinch of John Waters' crass yet lovable and culty. It is very French in so many ways. If you are too hesitant to try this artsy stuff, try Iliw, a romantic period film during the Japanese Occupation about a girl who fell in love with a Japanese Captain. Vigan is used as a backdrop for the film - promotes tourism I guess. The other two are not worth recommending but if you still insist to choose, try Ang Beerhouse than Dolores.

Charlie's Picks:

Best Director: Christopher Gozum for Anacbanua

Best Film: 69 1/2 by Ted Manotoc

Fast-food Love

2009-10-13T01:33:00.000-07:00

Take a bow

I think the point of the film Nandito Ako... Nagmamahal Sa’yo is that if two people look good together, it is ridiculous not to end it that way. I know that in romance, there is love. And possibly, the two will unite in the end no matter how ridiculous the conflicts arise within the story. Although in William Wyler’s Roman Holiday, it is an open ending. It is Audrey Hepburn’s first film that widely establishes her as an actress. It seems that the material they have used to amplify the increasing popularity of this love pair is risky but its risks made its story’s heart beat palpitate irregularly. I think the screenplay needs a doctor.

I seldom watch television so I only know the actors through films that are being shown. At least I had been familiar with the two leads for their first film appearance is last year’s Loving You. It is a four-segment kind of romantic tale that gives focus to call center agents. I remember praising Kris Bernal for her role in the film saying – She is bubbly, witty, charming and consistent. But I questioned Aljur Abrenica’s supposedly strength to be recognized as a dramatic actor. He is common in my eyes and actors sometimes need to be distinctive. Nevertheless, Aljur Abrenica is taking the lead of this film which is quite alien if you will surrender to my candid opinion that romantic films are more fervently focused with women.

Abrenica plays the role of Tata, a young teenage boy who grows only with his mother in the frenzied streets of Quiapo Manila. He wants to finish his studies as a seaman but his mother Aida (Ana Capri) deals with a sickness that hampers his yearning to study once more. Aida makes a hasty decision to go back to Tagbilaran Bohol with Tata. One day, they visited a residence and a secret was revealed with the identity of Tata’s real father.

Conflicts make the story more credulous with its substance as well as the believability of the love that is tested by different factors. But if these are not mounted well, the coherence or the flow of the story is now being undervalued. Why do we need to hurry with the love aspect if there is the intention to make blocks in between? It is time to have a progressive love story that gives values to the devices being used. Hopefully, they have disregarded the holes in between. It only makes the fantasy aspect of love they wanted to share as a convoluted pseudo-reality. Or maybe that’s the thing with love, the more real it is, the less pleasant it is to watch. A love story that is real (relatable) and beautiful is a true masterpiece.

To continue further with my discussion of the film, Tata was introduced to his father (Lloyd Samartino) and half-brother Prince (Baron Geisler) who easily accepted this supposedly odious discovery. To be honest, in real-life this is highly unlikely to happen. I could have been fossilized right at that moment. And Tata too have accepted it without any resentment. And then, a light shines in with the introduction of Stephanie, the fiancée of Prince who he had just met with her two-week stay in the United States. So we ended up with the building up of the instant liking of Tata to Stephanie and presto a multi-layered alarming conflict arises. I could have accepted the pairing of the two since its just magic that could explain everything. But the consistency it is supposed to strive for has been neglected resulting in a scrawny romantic film.

The pairing of the two is a viable love pair based on what, attractiveness is less than basic, it’s base. So when it happens, they just ignore it since they have no source of intricate emotions. And when reality sinks in, it is too late to have pondered on such sentiments. I don’t really mind if love stories are fabricated as long as the story development is cohesive. But on this one, it is one of those greasy potato fries you could buy from the fast-food chains. We eat it fast until we realize, it is not real potato. And we cry like a baby.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Carnival Fun

2009-10-13T00:55:00.002-07:00

I know you will lurve it

Eugene Domingo stars as the twin sisters in the comedy film Kimmy Dora. These twins are rivals. No one will dare tie them back again with their own umbilical cords. Kimmy and Dora are the daughters of Luisito Go Dong Hae, a tycoon who is estimably one of the most influential settlers of our country. I am not sure whether they are made out of dumplings or kimchi as their surname implies so, but this comedy film will not hasten to use most of your brain for further analysis of its lampoon. To simplify things up, as long as a comedy film makes you laugh, the film itself is already vindicated and could be praised for its worth.

Kimmy is the smart, career-obsessed and devilish head honcho of the company. She is moody to her staff and sadistic to her assistant Gertrude (Miriam Quiambao). But her heart softens when Johnson (Dingdong Dantes) is around despite their differences in ideas when it comes to managing business prospects. Unfortunately, Johnson is more amiable to Dora, the super-special twin sister of Kimmy who is the opposite of her radical behavior. This made Kimmy be upset even more and sibling rivalry in the past has been dug. With the tension on the loose again, the petty fights has led to the heart attack of their father Luisito (Ariel Ureta). While recovering from her father’s ailment, Kimmy finds out that the will and testament favors more to her sister Dora.

Kimmy Dora will be the newest addition in our recent comedies that are exceptional and charming like Ded na si Lolo and Last Supper No. 3. But those two have a different switch, using social satire as a way to provoke laughter. Ang Tanging Ina could be a grand similarity due to its heavy usage of farce and the slapstick. I think these four films combined define what comedy in our times works. We make films for us to laugh but at the same time, it has the aroma of being our own, something that is not time-bounded.

I have said this before and I will repeat it further even if I sound obnoxious. Yes, I am a fan of comedy films. I have high expectations from our filmmakers when these films show up in our theaters and most especially if it’s the slapstick kind of comedy. I do want to progress with my own taste for comedies even if I have sung praises for the works of Charlie Chaplin and Leonid Gaidai. I am not really fond of Woody Allen films but I do regard his works as universal. Why am I saying this? I think most of our writers have this notion that even comedies should be intelligent with its rendering. And most of them dismiss slapstick as a flawed type of comedy. I will definitely disagree and this film Kimmy Dora will prove them wrong without me saying any further. I could have slapped their coconut brains with my IPOD and entrenched them with my Chaplin Collection. That scene for sure will be hilarious. But they could use wit as their defense tactic for this is the only kind that should progress in the comedy arena. And they could mistake slapstick for being offensive and mindless.

But true to the word, slapstick is not really the type of fresh corals that will sway your brains constantly. It is more of the mechanical type, perfunctory with its domain to produce laughter. Kimmy Dora does most of its pleasing moments on this approach. I will not be surprised with its great deal of slaptickness since it’s the territory of the director Joyce Bernal, who have expressed mightily a great form of absurdity and passed it over as a great entertaining film. Chris Martinez as the sole writer has the upper hand in layering its story with humor for its script with a classifiable ordeal of figures of speech. Kimmy mostly utters her lines in hyperbole while her sister Dora is more ‘intelligent’ and discreet for her one-time use of a palindrome, naming her adopted stray dog ‘Mickey’. Kimmy could have thrust her stilettos for its obvious slur. But she is at home with word exaggeration and slang offenses. Kimmy Dora is a great blend of different comedy types and as an outcome, it is miraculously compelling and mind enthralling.

I am more optimistic that our audience will be guided better so that they will eradicate some of its wrong notions towards film appreciation. Slapstick will always be a great form of comedy - if used judiciously. I am really saddened that most of the times, the audience has lots of pretensions that comedies are garbled as a serious matter and should be viewed with all our brain cells moving towards Level Ten – Einstein brainpower. I may be misconstrued for being narrow-minded, boxing the appreciation only to a certain type of comedy. But my point of view is just simply bending the values of a good comedy. The values of our times have changed. Blame consumerism for the abhorrent proclivities towards any form of appreciation. But I don’t mind the trends. I only believe in good films. Whether it is Chaplin or Allen, as long as it makes you laugh, then it proves that the film that you are watching is a good comedy. But always remember, laugh first before you think.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Glamour Card

2009-10-13T00:55:00.001-07:00

Bi-U-tiful!

Jun Lana’s first attempt in the mainstream arena in the horror film Mag-ingat ka sa... Kulam has been derided in my review. In his new film Tarot, I could now feel that he has now returned in his better form. Not as a faerie that would cast magical spells that play with our senses on the supernatural aspects of our society but as a real fabulist. After all, it is his passion and the typewriter back then could be his supernatural tool into the invention of his stories. Tarot could be a little tricky with its plot and stiff twists; yet it still deserves to be seen.

The lady Gambit of the hour is played by a reel and real enchantress, Marian Rivera. She plays the dazzling Cara who has a tragic and mystifying past. The film starts with a flashback when Mount Pinatubo erupted and the young and naïve Cara has foreseen this in the tarot cards of her grandmother played by the legendary Gloria Romero. On New Year’s Eve, Cara feels she is being called by the whispery cards. As she lays it down, she manifests the knowledge that tragic events will happen.

The film is about fortunetelling. Ironically, the film cancels out the word fortune, and speaks. A few months back, I had my first tarot card reading session given by a lady who looks quite typical for her eerie profession. She introduces her craft more as psychotherapy. She prohibits questions that will be regarding health and death. I think it’s quite disreputable for her to tackle those things so it is really something to avoid. I am astounded that two films I have recently seen have tackled the misfortune. The other film is Ang Manghuhula by Paolo Herras. I could have bashed both films for their irregularities and being quite negligent with the repercussions it could get across to the viewers. But I assure you, both films have squeezed in other elements to make them realistic, imaginative and entertaining.

Years have passed; Cara decides to climb a mountain with his fiancé Miguel played by Dennis Trillo. They are lost in the forest side of the mountain and decide to stay in a cave for the night. When Cara wakes up, Miguel is nowhere to be found. Weeks have passed; there is no news of Miguel. Cara decides to get hold of the tarot cards of her grandmother to know where he is.

Cara seems to be highly intuitive with the things around her and this could be a great benefit on her part. I think, even without the tarot cards, you could see in her dazzling eyes the wisdom she has manifested. I think she might do a better acting foray in the horror genre like the role as Nieves in the Shake Rattle and Roll X than flaunting her comedic prowess in Desperadas 2 and even a hysterical drama stint in One True Love. But in Tarot, she has proven again that she shines. This could be a genre she is at home with and has saturated all the excesses of the melodramatic acting.

Tarot could be your next DVD purchase and could be relished for its worth especially if you crave for audience-oriented horror thrills. This film has been sprinkled with conflicts and twists, similiar to your well-liked flavored popcorn. But sometimes flavored writing needs some buffing up and polishing despite a contentment whether between the filmmaker and the studio or with the filmmaker himself. Still, it is every man to his taste. But my intuition says, Jun Lana’s writing is in best form in Sa Pusod ng Dagat by Marilou Diaz-Abaya.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Pink Power Puff Army

2009-10-13T00:54:00.001-07:00

Taplod

I thought Harry Potter suddenly laid the “Stupefy” spell on me. I was like in a cataleptic condition at some point in watching 1017: Sa Paglaya ng Aking Salita. The film is like making a film about a Mongoloid – I know it is politically incorrect to use such a word. Aiming to make it a bona fide, they look for another Mongoloid, an actor perhaps, to act like the other. This is totally unacceptable. Suspicions will soon arise with its concealed expositions; they should not be shocked if the authorities are disgusted.

The story revolves on the lives of two friends. Jojo (Kahlel Urdaneta) meets his long lost friend Manuel (Kristofer King) during a rally demonstration somewhere along the metropolis. And then, there is an insinuation that Jojo is secretly in love with his friend. He joins his friend in the NPA probably for his undying love that is revolting for so many years. He could only express his love through poems and suspending his promise to declare what he really wants to convey from his heart. And so the film goes like a road trip with an instrumental song from Joey Ayala’s Walang Hanggang Paalam (Never Ending Goodbye) on cue.

It seems that something should be stopped. Or else, they will certainly be mocked. We may not be in the position to tell the what’s and the not’s in filmmaking else, we could have made our own film, right? But there is a collision in the story with its backdrop. It tends to dissipate principles with a resemblance of anarchism and clog it through our throats. Films are not the proper medium to beseech a millenarian way of thinking. And besides, the entire concept of the New People’s Army will not be tackled in its entirety. Is this their way of advertising their cause to the people of our country? They want to save us from oppression, repression cruelty, corruption and the unjust? How come I was not informed? Or is it more of a propaganda to put their organization in the pedestal of merits without actually considering their liabilities.

The backdrop of the film is the NPA movement. Their causes can be traced way back to the Japan Occupation. They are called the Hukbalahap. Their way of thinking is very Maoist in nature and their founder is Jose Maria Sison. They are the left-wing communist. I still wonder why up to now they have been fighting for something that is so overdue. Obviously, they have such high regard of themselves and they think they are destined to wear the crown. I can’t help criticize this aspect in the film as they only offer a one-sided view of our society. Aren’t we in the same country who strives for the betterment of all the people? So where are they heading? There is censorship from the filmmakers themselves hiding their intent with a use of a mawkish love angle between two guys. Why can’t they use a different medium and be straightforward? Why hide in films which are used to educate and retain the values that every one of us should transmit into our souls. I am doubtful of their intentions and sorrowful that film history could explain better what I am really trying to point at.

There’s an underlying proposition that minorities are being hauled to the revolution. Like the gay marriage that is being discussed in the film. They could easily lure the idiotic students who are supposedly true believers of a purified world or to that extent. They are powerful with the use of verbal wit; you could be convinced even how irrational their definition of politics is. As long as they are not yet in command, they will maneuver the development of society to something very awful since they have lost in touch of the essence of revolution. Revolution should have a cause which should not be just a petty constitutional amendment or proclamation concerning freedom of speech. It is as if they have been contented with any administration seated in the government.

Well, the film’s message is quite metaphoric in a way not because they are hiding something. They are using the film medium as a way of indoctrinating our fellow Filipinos with something that is already tainted. But the film made a clear indication of a love story in the making between two guys which could create curiosity with its peers. But does the leftist party really want to indoctrinate gays, are they that desperate? I think filmmakers must avoid using this medium to provide their political stance. A film is a medium that should have a single voice for all of us, not one that creates fragmentation. But I am not prohibiting them as I did like some films with political undertones like Bertolucci’s The Dreamers wherein it explores free love and sexuality during a student protest in France. Even the classic film Arsenal directed by Alexander Dovzhenko is a direct representation of the political era in Uzbekistan and Russia. It is an assessment of a 1928 film with a 2003 film in terms of being political in films. Anyway, I am just taking this seriously as films will also be for the edification of the society and not just an insurrection in the community.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Boy

2009-10-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Boy is a film directed by Aureaus Solito starring Aeious Asin, Noni Buencamino, Madeleine Nicolas, Aries Pena and Danton Remoto.

It will be shown in Robinsons Indiesine from October 7-13, 2009.

Astig (Mga Batang Kalye)

2009-09-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

Astig (Click on the title for my review) is a film directed by GB Sampedro. It stars Dennis Trillo, Edgar Allan Guzman, Arnold Reyes and Sid Lucero. This is one of the films in competition in the recently concluded Cinemalaya 2009 Film Festival. GB Sampedro won as Best Director for this film.

It will be shown in Robinsons Indiesine from September 23-29, 2009.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Yaya & Angelina: The Spoiled Brat Movie

2009-09-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

Yaya & Angelina: The Spoiled Brat Movie is a comedy film directed by Mike Tuviera. It stars Ogie Alcasid and Michael V.It will be shown in theaters nationwide starting September 23, 2009.

Bayaw

2009-09-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

Bayaw (Brothers-in-law) is a film directed by Monti Parungao. It stars Janvier Daily and Paolo Rivero.

It will be shown in selected theaters starting September 23, 2009.

Mangatyanan

2009-09-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

Mangatyanan (Click on the title for my review) is a film directed by Jerrold Tarog. It stars Che Ramos, Irma Adlawan, Pen Medina, Neil Ryan Sese and Publio Briones III. I do recommend this film to be seen by everyone. It is one of the films in competition in the recently concluded Cinemalaya 2009 Film Festival.This will be exclusively shown in Robinsons Indiesine from September 16-22, 2009.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

In My Life

2009-09-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

In My Life is a film directed by Olivia Lamasan written by Senedy Que and Raymond Lee. It stars John Lloyd Cruz, Luis Manzano and Vilma Santos.It will be shown in theaters nationwide starting September 16, 2009.

Ang Manghuhula

2009-09-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ang Manghuhula (Click on the title for my review) is a film written and directed by Paolo Herras. It is about an outcast and failed fortuneteller who returns home to save her daughter from a fate she herself escaped--the town's next fortuneteller; a fate handed down from mother to daughter. It stars Eula Valdez, Glaiza de Castro, Chanda Romero, Pinky Amador, Emilio Garcia and with the special participation of Bella Flores.It will be shown in selected theaters nationwide starting September 9, 2009.

Charlie Koon's Rating:

Lamb Chops

2009-09-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

Christmas Lights

Kinatay’s (The Execution of P) exclusive Greenbelt screening was organized by a company which I thought is a punch line for the event. Never served as an appetizer, Adobo is the leader publication for the advertising and marketing community who is now the bearer of the Cannes Film Fest 2009 Best Director Brillante Mendoza win for Kinatay. That night was a nearly classy event for an independent film that shoots garbage bins, mutilated panties and a moribund illustration of diabolism with artistic allusion. They served wine and cocktails in the lobby and adjacent to that is the mini-museum/altar of Mendoza’s trophy collection. I thought they would also give litter bags as an understated precaution for what we are going to witness. Kitty litters are nowhere to be found in the alleys, if ever there were grossed-out socialites would dare come out from their seats. So you are obliged to politely swallow your own vomit or anything you wish to take out of your system for that matter. But even then, your imagination functions beyond thought.

Since most of the audiences are from the AB crowd, the reactions are more subdued. Or else, a castration will be the retribution for being unsophisticated towards gruesome themes. We are the elitists so the expectations from us, the audience, are also far above the ground. And the reactions are overwhelmingly soundless; as if Mendoza can shoot right there for an upcoming film. And anyone who will react with a slight shock in their face will receive a standing ovation as an indication of being over-the-top. In a way, the surrounding in the theater is quite the unadulterated imitation of what real-time is all about. For about one and a half hours screening the film will defy any real-time purist filmmakers. Agnes Varda tried to make one in her 1962 film Cleo from 5 to 7. But she exceeded thirty minutes with the ninety minute running time of the film. Mendoza’s film principles could also be his own worst enemy. With the aid of the pen and philosophies of Armando Lao, who also preaches real-time as the “New Bible” to our evolving filmmakers, Mendoza has made another film with the same theory. But the difference is that, Serbis is just about there in getting the core of the supposed strength, as they enslave themselves to the theory of real-time. But in Kinatay, they certainly fail.

Mendoza’s Kinatay is a well-orchestrated slice of life occurrence to the life of a soon-to-be police cop, who will witness another slice which is not the former, rather a slice of human brutality with the use of an old machete. Gingerbread men are fortunate enough to be molded from cookie cutters. Peping (Coco Martin) is a Criminology student who just got married to Connie (Mercedes Cabral). We follow Peping that day in these semi-voyeuristic slash rickety documentaryish camera techniques for the reality to sink into us. But despite the fact we are near the equator, our vision has no earthquake of its own. For once, I could now put forward my complaint, since the concept is all about hardcore reality. Anyway, the shots during the day are still clear; film celluloid really serve as an achievement in cinematography. As the night sets in, the inflexible obsessions of Mendoza seems to be the entirety of it – could be the reason why he have won. It does not only scratch all our senses, but also weakens his fervor towards real-time filmmaking. So there goes the re-assessment of the material. It seems that they are fifteen and a quarter steps in the wrong direction. I am certain that Kinatay disappoints on the leverage of its purpose. The purpose of which is found in the previous film Serbis. He could have setup a camera in front of us, real-time is within the screening of the film, on a purist standpoint. The impotent film Next Attraction made this statement but not in a positive and relevant motion. But it made me reassess the film and could possibly hail it as a great art trash. Its trash but a great one – it utterly deserves two and a half stars. I have never been in a formal film school but I am getting the offset concept with the rapid sprouting of extremism. It’s the opposing poles they want to achieve. So therefore, within the two films, which is more ‘a day in the life’? To whom should we give our tireless applause for conferring rapture? If it made you feel something, then it’s definitely a yarn from a basket of ribbons – colorful ones to be literal.

Kinatay might elicit a few more years of debate for its overly sensational and gritty material. And they could be praised for it. It has filled in the gaps to the scenes not explored during the Massacre Era of the nineties. Kinatay could be at par in terms of technicalities but nothing more than that. I prefer Serbis in Mendoza’s clump of films. It could make you think it is insignificant but that film could be more accurate without being too artistic or literary with its reflection. It is a slice of life that they preach and yet they are now afraid to incite boredom but opted to show a murderous night, from all of the days of our subsistence. But if you get bored stiff and jaded with nothing, it is easier to bow down to good old storytelling. Mendoza almost made a nearly insightful story and that is not what real-time had in mind. He will either chop it off, a conformist act, or do nothing.

Charlie Koon's Rating: