The Sri Lankan independent film Motor Bicycle is a story of class struggle, where one's hopes and dreams for a better future are dashed by harsh social realities that make it exceedingly difficult to move up in the world.
Rangana has these hopes and dreams: as a singer performing to unappreciative crowds in dingy restaurants, he dreams of stardom and a stable life with his girlfriend. He manages to get a hold of a motorbike (more like a scooter) that he can use to go around. He invites his girlfriend on a date and it turns out to be the worst date ever, in more ways than one.
The motorbike becomes a taste of that dream, a small piece of the life of the 'better off.' Such dreams are intoxicating, and they come with a price. As the movie goes on, our characters realize that the way the system is rigged now, the difference between classes is far harder to surmount; instead of open paths, class becomes cage. While it takes place in a country hundreds of miles away, these concepts are universal in the third world. The events taking place in the background - casual corruption, random extrajudicial killings, rampant drug use, gross social inequality - are all too familiar in the Philippines.
While not an out and out musical, the film is steeped in music both energetic and morose. It's probably one of the standout features of the film. Sri Lankan independent cinema is a unique voice, even compared to its cousins from India (especially in the Marathi film industry). I look forward to seeing more films from this place.
Flotsam is as laid back as the surf town it takes place in; it's basically a series of parties and having fun and surfing. I'm not really a party kind of guy so I knew from the start but this isn't going to be my movie, but it does have some good qualities to it.
There are a number of romantic arcs in
the film involving a woman having second thoughts about her impending
wedding, a photographer with a heart of gold and a recluse, a surfer
babe who can't seem to sit still both through the waves and in other
things, and in young love. They all come and go like the ocean waves,
but there's nothing in them that gives the movie any sort of dramatic
tension. If you're content with just going along with the flow then this
won't be a problem. But if you need something deeper, then this just
adds to the film's problems.
There are some nice payoffs at the end so if this film piqued your interest from the start, it's worth the 100 minute ride. But once the waves subside, there's not a lot left to make it memorable.
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The Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video just finished, and I was able to catch one of their screening slates. These were all experimental short films, so proper reviews don't really apply in this case. Here's what I thought of this batch:
Lansangan has some nice photos for its visual essay, but I wish the photos didn't move around so much so I could focus on them. Dylan Talon had two shorts in this set: Prayers of the Prey had something good behind it but the chipmunky sped up voices and the general silliness made it hard to take seriously. The Inner Workings of the Untroubled Mind fared a bit better with its stream of consciousness thing. Sins Senses Saints' too close for comfort approach worked for me, plus it had a bunch of nice images. The Consequence of Sound has porn in it (unfortunately there was a kid inside the screening venue!) but its exploration of lust + imagination was kinda interesting. The Filipino Dream is my favorite out of the bunch, as its three simultaneous narratives, visual and auditory, tell a story of history itself. To the Next Millennia feels more like a legit youtube/student film than something experimental. Yapak felt gave me visions of shattered dreams and menstrual blood. Whatever that means. And finally, I've seen Rosa before, and its treatment of the feminine struggle is still real as fuck.
I'll be seeing the last full length hopefully tonight, so I'll see you guys next time.
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