If you're going into the cinema expecting something deeply profound from a movie like John Wick, you're barking up the wrong tree. That doesn't make it a bad watch, however. This is one of the most entertaining actioners I've seen in a long time. It features Keanu Reeves finding his groove as a retired assassin who gets screwed over by some people. These people realize that Keanu is the absolute last person anyone should screw over. It has slick choreography, an interesting use of subtitles that ranges from comic-book like to outright cartoony and one of the most adorable performances by a dog in recent memory. I'd like to see more of the criminal underworld featured in this film as all of the mysterious goings-on in this world are a treat to watch, a rare case of worldbuilding in a mainstream action film.
The Trial may be a bit hokey for some people, but the concept is pretty unique given contemporary local mainstream cinema. It's about this person, played by John Lloyd Cruz who is mentally slow. He is accused of rape and to make matters worse there's a tape of him having sex with his teacher (Jessy Mendiola). It seems like an open and shut case but there's always more than meets the eye. It's up to Richard Gomez to defend him and get to the truth of the mattter. At times the script dives into melodramatic territory which drags down the film. In other places, the story is engaging enough. Props have to go to the persons portraying John Lloyd's parents, who turn out to be the most interesting characters in the movie. (The opposite of props) have to go to the person playing the lawyer representing the other side, whose theater-style acting does not serve the film well at all. And here, Gretchen Barretto gives us a performance that tells us she still has it in her. While at turns the plot becomes predictable, 'legal' movies like this have rarely been done in our setting. If anything, it's a breath of fresh air to watch for me.
If you've watched Star Mandarin or are familiar with Hong Kong cinema in its heyday, you might be familiar with the Mr. Vampire film series. Rigor Mortis is a tribute of sorts to that film series, but while Mr. Vampire was a lighthearted comedy, Rigor Mortis is anything but. The film stars the original actor from the Mr. Vampire series playing a washed up actor (a distorted version of himself?) He goes to live in an apartment complex where there are a bunch of weird and creepy personalities. It turns out he's gotten into deep supernatural crap, and it's going to take a lot of effort to get out. The film is a visual feast, with great visual effects and some creepy looking monsters and ghosts. That, unfortunately, is all the film has going for it. The rest of the film is a weirdly plotted mess that only starts to make sense 3/4 of the way in. The ending makes up for it a bit as it leaves itself open to a wide range of interpretations, but the overall effect is, personally, disappointing.
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