The Lease tries too hard to be scary and forgets everything else (a non experimental experimental film review)

whoooo are you who who who who

I promised myself I wouldn't do experimental film reviews too often, so this junk will suffice. It's not as insane as your normal experimental film review, so it will not be identified as such. But believe me, I seriously thought of making another one.

So, by the time this comes out, Paolo Bertola's The Lease will probably be no longer in cinemas. That's not a big problem, because you didn't miss anything substantial. The Lease is a derivative, barely cohesive mess that tries too hard to be scary.

The Lease draws from several other (better) horror films such as The Shining (1980), Poltergeist (1982), The Others (2001), It (2017) and your local school play (yearly.) Any creepiness the film has is overshadowed by the overall weirdness of everything else. The acting is generally horrendous, the special effects are middling at best (ironic, considering that this film's director works as a VFX guy) and the plot reads like bad fanfiction.

Don't take it from me, though, let's take a look at this lollercoaster of a movie in depth. 

1. English Only, Please.

The film is about this family of four. There's Italian guy (Ruben Soriquez, who directed and starred in the equally horrendous Of Sinners and Saints), Garie Concepcion, young Boy and and young Girl. Like many horror movie protagonists, they are completely oblivious to how horror movie tropes work. They also always speak English for some reason. Considering that they've lived in Italy for many years, I assumed the family would be speaking Italian instead, but I guess it's 1) for the sake of convenience and 2) so that they could accommodate the director and Ruben Soriquez instead of the other way around.

(by the way Ruben Soriquez kinda looks like that guy from vsauce for some reason I dunno)

The thing is, all of the English lines are really awkward. Get ready for some gems like "oh girls, all this weird stuff all day." Especially notorious are the kids, who sound like almost lifelike androids instead of actual living children. Some would say it makes the movie creepier, I say it makes it more hilarious.

2. Send in the Clowns

Said English speaking Italian family of four settles into a villa, apparently to spend a little R and R. Immediately after settling in, weird shit starts to happen. Young girl finds a creepy doll named Jennifer. Did she name it herself? Nope, the doll named itself. Now any normal sane person would think that if a doll shows up out of the blue like that, talking in creepy whispers, it goes straight to the trash bin. BUT NO, not only does the girl think it's normal, so does everyone else in the family. They even get concerned when the doll goes missing. 

Meanwhile, the young boy (who is saddled with the most awkward, robotic lines in the film) starts seeing strange clown pictures in his room. And the pictures are quite detailed; there's clearly some effort here. This is oil painting level shit. The mother sees the pictures in the boys room and is triggered by these pictures. Not because it's scary that the pictures appeared out of nowhere or anything, but because she's scarred of clowns.

think something like this level of quality.

Italian guy then walks into the son's room and he immediately berates the son for, in his (paraphrased) words, "why the hell is [son] drawing more clown pictures, knowing that his mom is scared of them?"

...

...

I HAVE SO MANY FUCKING QUESTIONS

1. So the Italian dad just assumed that the son drew (or should I say, painted) all of these pictures in a short span of time, without ANY art supplies in sight, instead of believing the kid?

2. Apparently, the son has painted creepy clown pictures to scare his mother before? Have they considered therapy or something for the poor kid?

3. WHY ARE THEY STILL SPEAKING AWKWARD ENGLISH

4. why did I waste 200 pesos on this film... oh wait that's right because I hate myself

Basically, everyone in this family is an idiot.

3. Stereotypes

Now here at Present Confusion, we try to avoid stereotyping people based on their race as part of our attempts to be more socially conscious. I feel that many local films try to do the same thing. But sometimes, you watch things like this.

Italian family is eating food. They need the nutrition, badly. Maid asks Italian guy if he wants some traditional Filipino food. Italian guy retorts, and I'm not shitting you guys here, with this gem:

"Oh thank you, all I ever eat in Italy are-a Pizza and-a Pasta."

my work is done here lol

4. if you rip off from many sources its an homage.jpg

A little later, the young girl hears something going on downstairs. She goes down and sees that the TV is on. Ring any bells?

so, pretty much this.

But surprise surprise, there's actually something on the TV instead of just static. In thee middle of the screen is a creepy clown. On the left is a sad cartoon character that looks old timey, perhaps a character from a game like Cuphead. On the right is obviously a gif of a character from the videogame Five Nights at Freddy's. I don't know if they secured any copyrights for these images, but I doubt it.

I have tried to recreate that image as best as I can. It kinda looks like this: (I made this in 5 minutes with Photoshop)

Creepy Clown at the middle moves, and tries to suck in the small girl into the TV, complete with a creepy message on his balloon saying "I LOVE TO KILL YOU." The scary impact of the image is offset by the fact that it's written in the same grammatically awkward English that we've seen so far in this film.

I SPOOKY CLOWN! I WANT TO MAKE SCARY! OOOOOOOOO

Thankfully, Italian dad manages to go down just in time to prevent anything bad from happening. The scary picture's text changes into "I Love You," but with the same creepy ass font, the same (ish) clown, and the fact that it appeared out of nowhere from a TV that opened BY ITSELF. These people should have died a long time ago IMO.

HOW IS THIS ANY LESS CREEPY!?

5. Once upon a time in a villa far far away

More strange things start to happen.The pool starts to fill with food coloring blood for some reason. Creepy doll-related shit also happens in increasing amounts. Italian guy starts to see bloody footprints and ghostly images. For some reason, the ghostly images are colored a shade of blue and are staticky, almost like the holograms from Star Wars. Ruben Soriquez takes a shower, which is probably one of the last items in a list called "things I want to see".

The gang finally decide to see a spiritualist to find out what the fuck is going on. They go and have a little seance, and young girl decides to bring along Jennifer, the creepy doll from before. The doll wakes up and walks by itself (in reality, people are making the doll walk by moving its feet in the most low budget way possible) scaring the hell out  of the spiritualist. She tells the family that she cannot do anything; the entity possessing the family is too powerful.

a powerful entity. Probably someone this guy would approve of

Oh by the way, THE FAMILY STILL DOESN'T GET RID OF THE SCARY DOLL.

7. "I skipped six because I want to SUBVERT EXPECTATIONS" - R*** J*******

After more creepy occurrences (and after a couple of Google searches that go nowhere,) Italian guy  and one of the caretakers decide to visit an old family friend. The old friend explains a couple of things: that 1) the doll is evil and must be destroyed, 2) the doll is evil because many decades ago it was involved in evil shenanigans and 3) the truth lies in the identity of the original owners of the house. After a lengthy, animated presentation, caretaker asks Italian guy: "naintindihan mo ba yung sinasabi niya?" (Did you understand what he just said?) And Italian guy responds with an emphatic no.

Well I guess we're done here lol

8. Exorcism via kung fu

While all of that is happening, the family STILL hasn't thrown away the doll because they are all idiots. Eventually, the doll actually possesses one of the housemaids. She starts to threaten the other people in the family with a knife, talking in that distinct distorted voice we usually hear in local cinema when someone is possessed.

Thankfully, Italian guy and caretaker dude sneak behind the girl and one of them karate chops the possessed girl in the back of the neck! The girl loses consciousness, which gives Italian guy enough time to get the cursed doll and throw it in a (poorly done CGI) fire. The ghosts seem to be exorcised, everyone's happy, movie over. Right?

NOPE.

9. why my brain hurt after watching this film

Italian guy tries to shake off the fact that something is wrong, but he can't, and he doesn't know why. Eventually he goes to the attic of the villa and finds the deed to the house. And brace yourselves, folks, because this is a giant infodump of a spoiler.

...

...

...

As it turns out, Italian guy and his family were the original owners of the house all along!

I can hear you saying "what the actual fuck" right about now, so let me explain.

Apparently the villa was owned by Italian guy's mom. She has two kids: Italian guy, and his half brother Ernesto. Ernesto wants the villa because he just wants it (and because he thinks Italian guy is an illegitimate child). But mom gives it to Italian guy, perhaps to be a dick to her other son (and because Italian guy is nicer I guess).

Ernesto hires two goons to go into the house and steal the deed (which would still not make him the owner of the house, because it's in Italian guy's name, but whatever). These two goons wear clown masks (explaining the killer clowns), kill both Italian guy and his wife (explaining the Star Wars Hologram flashbacks) and inadvertently lock the two kids inside a closet. Said closet is not airtight, and the two kids could probably get out if they had a piece of paper or something to jimmy the latch loose, but since these kids are stupid they die of starvation (in the space of, like, a day.)

Ernesto finds all the carnage and berates his goons, shooting them. Their bodies fall into the pool (which explains the food coloring blood in the pool). He later finds the corpses of the dead stupid kids and in his guilt, commits sudoku via pistol.

So how has this ghost family interacted with people in the real world so far, you may ask? The film has an explanation for that, too:

There really was an actual family heading towards the villa - a family of exactly four people. While they were travelling on the road to the villa, their car crashes. Serendipitously, Italian guy and his ghost family were riding in a ghost car right behind them! The ghost car crashes into the real car, and the real family members were inadvertently possessed by Italian guy's ghost family. This real family is the family we've been seeing so far.

Makes perfect sense.

haha not really

1. So what does that make the long story about the doll that family friend told Italian guy? The one about the doll being haunted a long, long time ago? So that was just one giant red herring and the old friend was bullshitting them all?

2. Italian guy's family was from Italy, but not the real family. So why did the househelp not react to everyone speaking in weird English, or the fact that the dad kept talking about living in Italy for a long time? Did they not just know? Or didn't they ask questions because they were idiots?

3. Ghost families get ghost cars for free!? Why is there a ghost car in the first place? Why was there this whole setup of the ghost car crashing into the real car when Italian guy's family could have possessed the living family normally like normal ghosts?

4. Why is the film titled "The Lease" when the end credits say its title is "The Lease Bisperas?"

5. Why is "Silent Night" playing as the souls of Italian guy and co. asscend into heaven? Is this a Christmas film?

6. Why is The Lease an incoherent, shitty film?

... or is it?

hey vsauce Italian dad from The Lease here. HEYYYYY A PIZZA AND A PASTA

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | Sine Kabataan Shorts

Accompanying each of the official entries of this year's PPP are various short films, one short per full length feature. You may not have caught them in cinemas because the cinema operators don't really promote them, and I actually missed watching some of them because the cinema's screening sched was a a bit wonky.

In any case, here are some short thoughts.

Accompanying Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi is Anonymous Student Vlog. It starts off as your usual amateur student vlog, until things get hairy and eventually surreal. In a world prone to misinformation and developing a culture of shame, this short is quite relevant.

Alas Nuebe ng Tanghali precedes Bakwit Boys. It looks like a cutesy film about three kids having whatever they want (it's not much, but kids will be kids) and then reality sets in. It's probably one of the shortest films of the bunch, but it makes its point.

The companion to Madilim ang Gabi is Runner, my favorite Sine Kabataan Short of the lot. It's about a student who shows amazing promise in track and field, but is forced to use his talents as a drug runner instead. At some parts I felt it did a better job than the film that it accompanies in terms of pacing.

The reverse OFW film Signal Rock is accompanied by another reverse OFW film, Isang Tula Para sa Nawawala, about a young man searching for his OFW mother who has gone missing in Hong Kong. It's short and poetic, and filled with regret and uncertainty.

Koleksiyong Pamalo accompanies The Day After Valentine's. It's cute, though the implications behind the story are emotionally heavy. It reminds me of an old psychological experiment where children still seek the love of their parents even when they are neglected or hurt.

Unli Life talks about a major life change, and so does the film it is paired with:  Bahay Bahayan, a tale about two girls who find a baby abandoned in front of their house. They both explore the possibilities of motherhood and wonder how they would fare as mothers. Well, they have some OJT right here, right now..It's light and relatively entertaining.

And finally, We Will Not Die Tonight and Masaya Ako both deal with people struggling against life, but while the former fights back using fists and guns, the latter uses a smile - and sometimes a smile is simply not enough.  It's funny until things get dead serious, and it's a nice way to spread awareness.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | We Will Not Die Tonight and the resurgence of Pinoy Action

Kray (Erich Gonzales) is a badass stuntwoman whose life is in the doldrums. She works hard to make a living for herself and her dad, but nothing ever seems to click. One day, her old friend Ramil (Alex Medina) brings Kray's old crew back together for a special task that sounds super seedy. The crew rolls with it and surprise surprise, finds themselves on the run from a violent gang of organ harvesters... until Kray decides enough is enough.

There's a fantastic action sequence in We Will Not Die Tonight that takes place in a stairwell. Thanks to clever camerawork and editing, there's an idea of space and there's an order to all the chaos that's going on.

Unfortunately in this film these sequences prove to be the exception rather than the rule. Though well-choreographed, some sequences in We Will Not Die Tonight are difficult to parse, with no establishing shots to convey the space the film desperately needs. There are many schools of thought with regards to shooting action, and this fast-edit shaky-cam extreme closeup style is  frankly getting out of hand.

That said, when one can comprehend what is going on at any one time, the action is quite brutal and entertaining. It's interesting to note that this latest resurgence of Pinoy Action movies are led by women, and one can only hope for more films like this down the road. Erich Gonzales looks like she busted her ass off for this role and it shows.

For all its faults, I enjoyed We Will Not Die Tonight. It starts a bit shakily, but it takes off once fists start to fly. it's flawed but fun.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | Madilim ang Gabi's night is pitch black

As we enter the second year of President Duterte's drug war, several works of media have surfaced to document the lives of the people living under this deadly war. Some are obviously skewed propaganda, others are more nuanced and truthful. Adolf Alix's Madilim ang Gabi takes us deep into the darkness of this war, whether we are prepared for it or not.

The film begins inconspicuously with a birthday celebration. A local small time drug dealer, Lando (Philip Salvador) celebrates along with his wife Sara (Gina Alajar) and adult son Alan (Felix Roco). The festivities are broken with the sound of gunfire and a freshly minted corpse. This occurrence is now commonplace, close yet emotionally distant to the couple. Alajar's character even wears a Duterte/Cayetano wristband, the cognitive dissonance in full force. The couple decide to quit the trade as things are getting hairy, but that is interrupted when Alan disappears, and the couple is left to search for their missing son.

As it turns out, Sara and Lando have a dark past, and the events surrounding Alan force them to go back to those dark roots. This is a world devoid of justice, where no one is morally in the right, and people are forced to do bad things because of survival, or necessity, or orders from above. Yet this also begs asking for an answer to the paradox of how we can elicit change through showing social realities. The facts in Madilim ang Gabi are well known to the Filipino people. Are we that dense? In fact, a few scenes seem a bit too much; a scene at the local morgue piles on one grieving family member after another that it threatens to cross into silliness. Is it defeatist to not offer hope, or merely realistic?

Any resolution to that question is up to the individual viewer. In the meantime, Madilim ang Gabi gives us something to chew on. It's a lot more objective than the dreck that other people have offered to local audiences, but one may question its utility. At times it feels like a film geared more for the foreign festival circuit than for people like us, as a tool for creating awareness rather than a tool for  effecting change.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-fi is a winsome, if a bit conventional, romantic comedy

Aries (Jameson Blake) is smitten with his classmate Norma  (Sue Ramirez.) This would be a good thing, but there's a catch: Norma is already taken... by Aries' own jock brother Leo (Markus Paterson.) And there's more: one day Norma finds out that she is allergic to electromagnetic radiation, the kind that's literally everywhere. As she escapes to her grandmother's house in the province, both Aries and Leo vie for her feelings.

Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-fi is nothing like its trailer suggests it is. It's not exactly a comedy, but a drama about the interconnected relationships  between Aries, Leo and Norma. It tries to say something about how people communicate with each other, the pros and cons of social media and its role in preserving memories. In fact, the externalization of memory (whether through letters, a recorded message on tape, or on a social media forum) plays a huge role in this film.

The film makes a case for our tendency to keep precious memories, given the capricious nature of fate. But while these forms of communication can bring comfort to those hurting, it can also bring pain and heartbreak. The characters feel the most pain when true feelings are not shared, so the film also tells us to be true to ourselves.

The film does have its share of faults. The film addresses social media bullying when one of Norma's former friends, Margaux (Adrianna So) begins to spread falsehoods at school when Norma is at her grandmother's recuperating. Unfortunately, the fallout from these events isn't delved into too deeply, and the actions of our protagonists in retaliation are quickly swept under the rug for the sake of the main plot.

Despite all this, the plot, while being very conventional in structure, ends up having a nice moment near the end that elicited some tears, thanks to some nice performances by the entire cast. Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-fi, while flawed, ended up being a completely different beast than what I was prepared for. Regardless, it's charming enough that the end experience is relatively rewarding.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | Unli Life is wacky and fun entertainment

Benedict (Vhong Navarro) is an internet DJ who specializes in love advice, but he can't get his own love life together. It all comes to a head when his girlfriend Vicky (Winwyn Marquez) breaks up with him, leaving him distraught. Bene then comes across a mysterious tavern that can grant him the power to travel to different eras.

Unli Life is a wonderfully funny film, the funniest local film I've seen in 2018 so far. Bene begins to travel through time, and his adventures could be described as a wacky cross between Airplane! and Quantum Leap. The gags are relatively well thought out, and consist not only of physical humor, but visual humor as well - it's a blast looking at the background and searching for visual gags like "Air Juan Heusaff" and the like. There is clearly effort put into the film's comedy, and it shows.

A sequence near the middle of the film is a tribute to a Filipino comedy legend, and that one is equally heartfelt. I leave it to you to discover, but it ended up being quite emotionally affecting, especially in the face of some recent films I've watched.

I've often seen local comedy films that eschew effort for and have the jokes speak for themselves, but sometimes that's not enough. Whenever I see legit technical expertise and heart put into the filmmaking as well, it elevates the material into something more, and I think nothing in this film is a better example than a lengthy sequence during the 1940's where Bene and a past version of Victoria trot through colorful vistas.

In addition to that, the film doesn't only consist of sabaw, it delivers its own important message: that help comes from within, and that we may not be able to change the past, but we can do something about the here and now. It's a surprisingly introspective note in an otherwise wacky film. They say Filipino romance films are evolving. I say, with this film (and others too), so have Filipino comedies.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | Returning to Balangiga: Howling Wilderness

In the wake of the nationwide release of Khavn's Balangiga Howling Wilderness, it is a source of added resonance that only recently the United States Government has decided to return the Bells of Balangiga to the Philippines. When we last saw this film in QCinema, the credits stated that it was a work in progress. Though this current version of the film screening in cinemas says the same thing during the credits, Balangiga fared much better on second viewing. It's a deeply emotional film, a children's film on crazy juice, Grave of the Fireflies on psychedelic mushrooms.

The film elects not to show the Balangiga massacre itself, or the series of retaliations that followed. It instead shows us the aftermath, a place I described in my earlier review as an apocalyptic "hellscape littered with dead bodies and devastation."

We view the film through Kulas (Justine Samson) who represents not only us, but the Filipino people as a whole. He is draped in the colors of the Filipino flag, taking off one color at a time until only red remains. His interaction with an American soldier later in the film alludes to our colonial past, where Americans, Spaniards and Japanese alike used us and our skills for their own benefit, only to be repulsed by fighting back.

It's a film filled with strange dreams, about walking bells and flying carabaos. The violence wrought by the American forces spared no one - livestock, women, children all. It can be hard to watch for some, but it serves as a chronicle; art as testimony. Though strange and at times seemingly impenetrable, the interludes also say something about religion as colonial legacy.

And Kulas survives the strife through his wits and the skills he has learned from his grandfather. The film is a roadtrip to Biringan, a city existing on a plane unseen, a name that means "hanapan ng nawawala," a city of lost souls. It does not come without cost, as Kulas gives up almost everything for this journey. But the ending also betrays a sense of hope, in that the Filipino spirit will carry on. How strange and wonderful for a film with a man dry humping a goat.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino | Signal Rock interrogates the Filipino diaspora

It's fitting to think of Signal Rock as a companion piece to Chito Roño's Badil (2013,) as they both deal with the rhythms of small town life. But while Badil is a thriller with sinister overtones, Signal Rock is a drama that ends up being more uplifting than expected.

Set in the 1990s, Intoy (Christian Bables) lives a humdrum life in a small island town. He works many jobs as a sort of impromptu fixer: he's an emcee, speechwriter, errand boy, even small town political mover and shaker. He receives calls from his OFW sister Vicky at Signal Rock, the only place in the town that can receive a cellphone signal. Vicky is one of the town's success stories: the most successful endpoint is having the town's women marrying foreigner husbands and moving abroad. When Vicky asks her brother for help sorting out a domestic dispute, Intoy takes up the challenge and rallies the whole town to help his sister, creating an elaborate facade so that Vicky can gain custody of her daughter.

Many OFW films focus on the plight of the worker or emigrant as they live in a completely different culture. In Signal Rock, that dynamic is turned around, focusing on the people left behind. Some of these people are not left behind by choice, and that frustration is echoed throughout the film, especially the ending. There are few (if any) local films that perfectly capture the nuances of small town living, and this one nails it. Here, favors become currency, and there is a spirit of community in a place where everyone knows everyone else. Rumors and hearsay add to a sort of local mythology, helping build a self contained, living ecosystem. And (this is something I've personally experienced) people tend to be more willing to forgive and forget. The film becomes genuinely exciting once Intoy sets out on his quest, even though all he essentially does is fill up some paperwork.

The end of the film becomes an ode to the small town, championing the simple lives Intoy and co. lead, showing that there is little compare to life's simple joys. Signal Rock is a well-acted, fascinating film that I fear will fall under the radar. It needs some love in cinemas, and it comes highly recommended.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | Bakwit Boys is a charming musical about living dreams and the cost of privilege

When a typhoon ravages the home of four brothers, they have to spend their days in their grandfather's house while the family tries to pick up the pieces. While there, they mostly just hang around the house. But opportunity knocks when they are tapped to sing in a local talent contest, and their performance catches the eye of Rose (Devon Seron), who sees the talent in them and decides to help them record their own songs.

There's a lot to like about Jason Laxamana's Bakwit Boys: it's a musical, featuring songs sung by Devon Seron and the titular boys. And its also a bit of a romance: younger brother Phillip (Nikko Natividad) falls for Rose, putting him at odds with the eldest brother Elias (Vance Larena), who may have feelings for Rose as well. There's a nice clash between the older, more responsible brother, and the younger brother with his head in the clouds. The film is much lighter than Laxamana's usual fare, and things don't take a dark turn near the end of that film.

That said, the film tackles a lot more than just music. Rose is very well off financially, but when we find out the source of her funds, the film then addresses the responsibility of people in positions of privilege and power, and the effects that power can have on others, effects that seem inconsequential but trickle down into something more profound. The film also espouses the value of the ends justifying the means, which is something that could apply to the case in the film, but probably shouldn't apply to all cases, and is something I found a bit problematic.

The musical numbers are outstanding; the film takes full advantage of the cast's talent and it shows.  Devon Seron, Mackie Empuerto (from Tawag ng Tanghalan) and Vance Larena in particular all shine. However, I wish the film could have done more imaginative things with its musical numbers. There's one particular song where I thought the visuals kept up with the song being sung, but in others, all we see are people reacting to the song being sung, and nothing much else.

Bakwit Boys is a lighthearted and charming film, though with another layer of meaning added to it. It's not a perfect film by any means, but a worthy addition to this year's festival nevertheless.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | The Day After Valentines - broken people and the language of love

At first glance, it looks like The Day After Valentine's is an attempt by director Jason Paul Laxamana to replicate the success of last year's PPP hit 100 Tula Para Kay Stella, but the ever prolific Laxamana is far more clever than some people give him credit for. This film is a complex creature, far more than a simple hugot love story. It's about the little mistranslations inherent in relationships and also an ode to emotional healing.

Kai (JC Santos) and Lani (Bela Padilla) are first seen calling each other. Kai's standing outside the bar; Lani is standing across the road. Kai asks Lani when she will be coming; Lani answers, in fifteen minutes, even though she could be there immediately. There's something in this interplay of words, in this moment of hesitation, that communicates a lot about how people act when they are in an uncertain place in a relationship: that place where everything seems risky and people are tentative and cautious.

The film then explores Kai and Lani's relationship and its ups and downs, something that seems to follow the usual romantic movie conventions. But then things head towards a different direction entirely, and the film we get in the end becomes something beyond expectations.

The opening credits juxtapose reality with a perfect idealization: a drunken, messy dance and a perfectly choreographed sequence, much like how people idealize other people who are just as messed up and imperfect as they are. Tying into this is the importance of language in the film: Hawaiian and Baybayin frequently finds its way into the movie. While some of it is explained, a lot (especially the Baybayin words) is left untranslated. And that notion becomes a problem for both Lani and Kai, both possessing these feelings but unable to translate those feelings into actions. The film then takes us through this process, leaving us to wonder whether Kai (Sea) and Lani (Sky) will gain an understanding, or like their names' meanings, be cursed to never meet.

And the film deals a lot with pain - emotional and physical, but mostly the former - and the process of healing that pain. It makes a case about how true healing starts from one's self, and how relying on others (or an idealized version of someone else) isn't exactly the best course of action.

The film ends when both Kai and Lani have sorted out the mistranslations of their relationship - not completely, but it's a start - and it ends with a moment that proves to be emotionally profound. While it's not the film you may be expecting, The Day After Valentine's is a fascinating exploration of how we communicate with each other, and how it affects our relationships with others.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 | Pinay Beauty is pretty-ish on the inside, messy on the outside

The history of Pinay Beauty is an interesting one. First slated for a spot in Cinemalaya 2018, the film's synopsis had Lovi Poe be one of the central characters. It was later pulled out from that fest and subsequently offered as an entry to the PPP. One wonders what would have happened had it stayed in Cinemalaya.

The film centers on Annie (Chai Fonacier), who dreams of becoming Snow White - that is, the Snow White at a foreign Disneyland. However, she's been rejected time and again because she really doesn't look the part. Thanks to her boyfriend (Edgar Allan Guzman,) she manages to get the money to have an operation done so she can make herself look beautiful.  The problem is, he had to take out a huge loan to get the money. Now the loan sharks are after his scalp, and he either has to get the money in a few days, or else. But there's an alternative. He can also postpone the debt if he can get popular actress and model Lovely G (Maxine Medina) to have a date with the big loan shark boss. He rounds up his friends and they set off on a quest to reach out to Lovely G, or raise a ton of money.

It's appropriate that the filmmakers got Chai Fonacier to take on the role of Annie, as she has long been an advocate for self love and body positivity. Through her videos, she has championed the natural brown complexion of many Filipinas, aand railed against the perception that white is always beautiful. The movie does extol these virtues in spades; as it finds Annie's mantra - "I'm happy if I'm beautiful" - and turns it around.

That said, the film suffers from a number of problems. The movie feels unfocused shifting from one narrative to another, the film neglecting an exploration of Annie's desire to become beautiful. Annie comes off as a little too self absorbed as her friends try to scrounge up money to pay her debt, and we don't really get an idea why they would do so much for their friend.

While it's a promising concept, Pinay Beauty doesn't manage to execute it as well as it could have. It's worth the entertainment, sure, and its message is solid, but there are too many things that negatively affect the final product.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018: Introduction and Special Features Section

Hello, fellow Filipino moviegoer. Perhaps you've noticed that the lineup of films in your local cinema has changed. No longer are cinemas filled with Nostalgia-Inducing Corporate Product (TM) or Direct-To-Video Repackaged Horror Movie (TM)... at least for one week. You may ask yourself, "is this the MMFF?" and the answer is yes, kinda. In theory, at least, a better version of it.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino's second edition runs from August 15-21 in all Philippine cinemas. Eight  homegrown films vie to compete for your hard earned cash, and the pickings are anything but slim.

But before we head on to reviews of the main official entries, let's look at six additional films that made it into the festival under the Special Feature Films category. These are festival films that have screened over the past year and have received acclaim for their general excellence. They will be screening in a limited capacity, but I think they are worth tracking down. I've done reviews for all of them, so let me just enumerate them all here now for you:

Balangiga: Howling Wilderness was part of last year's QCinema. I liked the film, though I had my reservations. It went on to win both the FAMAS (yes, they have credibility now) and Gawad Urian awards for best picture at the same time, a rare feat in Philippine Cinema. The version screening in this year's festival is apparently a director's cut of the film, so we may have to revisit this movie soon.

Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus was part of the recently concluded Cinefilipino. Though I already had a high opinion of it from the start, it's the kind of film that tends to linger, and it's now one of my favorite films of the year. 

High Tide was part of last year's ToFarm Film Festival, winning best picture for that particular festival edition. It takes a while to get off the ground, but I liked the way it eventually went with its themes of environmentalism.

Kiko Boksingero was part of Cinemalaya 2017, one of two films from that year's lineup that I highly recommend. It's a lean, simple film that is full of heart, and the ending laid me to waste.

Paki, part of last year's Cinema One Originals, is my third most favorite film last year. Your personal experience may vary but this film made me ugly cry in the theater, I wholeheartedly admit.

And finally, Tu Pug Imatuy was one of the best films of last year's Sinag Maynila film festival. Its tale of a lumad community under siege by elements from the military is something people need to see.

So show these films a little love and catch them while you can before they disappear from cinemas. And now, reviews for the official entries.

Siomai Love For You, Hopia Love Me Too - Doomed Love at the Blade branch in Timog: a Dito Lang Ako review

Obligatory poster. Yep.

I arrive at SM Manila and it's already 6pm. Slivers of sunlight still try to inch their way out from the horizon, but night's too powerful to fight alone, kids. That's how it goes in Manila. SM Manila is usually a celluloid purgatory, a place where tired old films, unwatched and unloved, go to die and be reborn for a 50 peso ticket. Mang Kepweng is showing at Cinema 10. The cycle of life and death continues.

The ground's barely wet from yesterday's deluge, even though it rained cats and dogs yesterday.

Things change.

I'm here to watch Dito Lang Ako, a film by Roderick Lindayag. Lindayag's the kind of guy who directs TV instead of film, and that's what the IMDB says about him, anyways. He also had cameo roles in several films, most recently in the late Wenn Deramas' Who's That Girl? (2011). Life is capricious like that. In my mind's eye, I'm sipping a whiskey in a dingy moviehouse somewhere in New York, cigarette smoke rising slowly to the roof, killing me one cell at a time. But of course, this is SM, you can't smoke or drink, and I'm buying two Shawarma for 89 pesos instead. What a  goddam deal.

"Do you want extra cheese, sir?" the lady at the counter asks me.

"Yeah." I like me some cheese. Pile it on, why don't ya.

"And make it spicy."

Just how I like my films, too.

***

The film begins with an old woman (Boots Anson-Roa) sitting beside a Blade center somewhere in Timog. Blade's an auto accessories shop, and let's face it, the movie is a 90 minute commercial for Blade. But I still wonder why this movie exists. My family buys from Blade. Hell, I buy from Blade whenever the old Tawasilmobile needs some orangey air freshener. A movie isn't going to change my goddam mind. But it's their money, so it's not like I have a say.

The old woman's name is Nelia, and she's waiting for a man named Delfin. Her mind is failing her, and she seems like she has advanced dementia. She's there with her son and grandson, so you have to feel for old grandpa, you know, the man Nelia married and had children with. I guess first love never dies. Or first sex, like that time you slept with that prostitute in a dingy apartment complex in a foreign land and you don't know if you got an STD or not. It lingers. You wait for the burning sensation in your penis, a sensation that never really comes.

The film flashes back to the 1970's. I know this, because the plate numbers on the cars say '77, so the film takes place at least in 1977. Back then, there was also a Blade store in Timog - I'm assuming it's the same store. I don't know how long Blade has existed as a company, so OK I guess. Turns out Nelia used to be an employee at Blade. Looking inside the store, the products look distinctly 2018. My suspicions start to take shape. One of the products on the shelves, a bottle of what looks like motor oil or lubricant, has a price of Php 159.75, and the label looks like it was printed on a computer. In 1977 money 160 pesos can buy you several bags of groceries or a full tank of gas. I know this, because I asked my mother, and she sent me a 30 text-long lecture about how life was in the seventies, a lecture that lasted long after the movie had finished. She has unlimited texts, I don't mind. In any case, that's one fucking expensive luxury-ass bottle of motor oil. That's the kind of motor oil rich Arabian sheiks pour on themselves if they have such a fetish. Real top dollar shit.

I can only form one conclusion from this: this Blade branch is travelling through time. It traveled from 2018 to the 1970's, selling cheap (or at least reasonably priced in 2018 prices) but technologically advanced auto accessories to 1970's Filipinos as luxury items, so that they can gain millions of pesos in profit. Well played, time travelling Blade of the future.

Also, one more thing.

Thanks to the activities of the time travelling Blade branch, this movie takes place in an alternate version of 1970's Philippines, where technological advancement has occurred due to scientists reverse engineering the products that Blade is selling. Hell, maybe in this timeline thanks to the butterfly effect Marcos never became president or something. This will become clear later. In any case, wrapping my head around this felt like snorting tawas off a hooker's back in a black market casino. The best tawas has to be pure, goddamit.

((Past)) Nelia is played by Michelle Vito, and she's quite the looker. The best aspect of the film is the hair, makeup and costuming, and Michelle Vito looks like the kind of pretty, respectable gal you would encounter... in the fifties or sixties.

Like I said, alternate history.

"Jesus Christ on a Swizzle stick," I say to myself, "this girl is beautiful." And the film agrees. ((Past)) Delfin (Jon Lucas) is smitten, though he has a penchant for disappearing on Nelia and that pisses her off. He makes amends through Hopia, which is Delfin's personal cinematic motif. Nelia also has another suitor, Victor (Akihiro Blanco,) who happens to be the boss' son. Victor's cinematic motif is Siopao. I'd like to be a suitor too, if I had the chance. But I'm just a dude eating spicy shawarma for 89 pesos in a dimly lit cinema. Like, who the fuck am I?

***

Hopia vs. Siopao: Dawn of Justice continues with the two suitors vying for Nelia's attention. Nelia, Delfin and Victor talk to each other and to others in a very old fashioned way. It's probably like how people would talk in the seventies. The 1870's, that is. This is dialogue that wouldn't feel out of place in a movie like Heneral Luna, or Goyo.

Alternate history, folks.

Delfin ups the ante by singing a harana to Nelia in front of the time travelling Blade branch. We don't really hear him singing anyway; the film overlays the film's theme song over Delfin's singing. Blade employees abandon their jobs to run outside and form a circle around the two lovers, because why not. Neila and Delfin begin to dance. Somewhere in the periphery, Victor is distraught, probably stacking car freshener or something. I feel you, mate.

I finish my first shawarma.

***

Mid-dance, Delfin faints. There seems to be a problem. In the hospital, we learn that he's rich and he has leukemia. Let me put my doctor glasses on and tell you that in the 1970's, people were just getting started with using multiple agent chemotherapies and survival rates were down in the doldrums, like a drunk, homeless man swimming with mermaids at the bottom of a well. People could relapse after a number of years. Things are not looking good for Delfin.

Nelia convinces Delfin to seek treatment in America, where the quality of treatment is (probably) better than in the Philippines.There's a sound of a ventilator, even though there's no ventilator in the room. There's also the sound of a heart monitor, even though there's no heart monitor in the room either. Apparently the time travelling Blade's time excursion has advanced medical technology to the point where medical equipment can enter stealth mode.

Delfin agrees, and leaves her for the long haul. Before he leaves, he sings he a song during their last picnic. We don't hear him sing here, either - another song is overlaid over his voice.

The filmmakers really don't want to hear him sing, do they?

Years pass, and Nelia pines for her lost love. Sometimes she gets a letter from Delfin. In one of them, Delfin talks about having an operation. For leukemia. Operations aren't usually done for leukemia patients, but what do I know - I'm just a doctor who works with tumors and cancer. 

As a form of remembrance, Nelia looks longingly at a pair of hopia whenever she wants to remember Delfin. She doesn't eat them or anything, she just looks at them. I'm assuming these are the same two hopia that Delfin gave her years ago. They look like they're in good shape. So even food preservation technology was vastly improved by the time travelling Blade branch. Amazing.

***

Nelia is visited by Delfin's mom. It's not good news. Nelia's beloved hopia has kicked the bucket into the eternal void. He has become an un-person. I guess at this point technology hasn't caught up fast enough. "That's how things go," I say, as I take a drag out of my imaginary cigarette, "one day you're dancing, the next day, things go to shit."

An elderly person from the back tries to shush me.

***

Back to the present, and old Nelia is tired of waiting at this futuristic Blade branch with TARDIS like powers. She leaves with her grandson on a jeep, leaving her hopia behind. No, this is not the same hopia that Delfin left for her forty years ago - her grandson bought her the pair. Or so he says. Who knows what alternate 2018 technology is capable of doing.

Just as she leaves, a car arrives and it's old Delfin (Freddie Webb.) So medical technology has advanced after all, thanks to Blade's time travelling shenanigans. He purposely lied to Nelia so that she could let him go, a notion that reeks of thoughtcatalogue-y feelings, of estrogen and broken promises.

They meet in the end, because Nelia wants to get back the hopia that she lost. And she does, literally and figuratively. Her dementia miraculously begins to subside. A crowd begins to form. In order to see what all the fuss is about, one employee abandons her customer, who happens to be James Deakin, blogger of all things cars, shotgun-rider with wannabe dictators. No doubt he will make a note of this customer dissatisfaction on his blog.

The film ends just as I finish my second shawarma. Its beefy, spicy goodness fills my stomach - for now, at least. The film's credits start to play over a music video, and I get to stare at Michelle Vito one more time, for the road.

I enjoyed this film. I wouldn't say it was good, or that it justified its existence, but the science fiction  time travelling alternate history aspect really got me by the balls. Also, Michelle Vito is worth the price of admission. I guess I have a crush now. I know I will find myself once again in SM Manila whenever a film like this decides to make itself known. "All these things have happened, and probably they will happen again."

Indeed, words to live by, Hunter.

Cinemalaya 2018 Quickies: Cinemalaya Institute Shorts, The Taste of Rice Flower (Closing Film) and Closing Thoughts

The Cinemalaya Institute is back again with films from both established directors, people from the television industry, and newcomers. Their final exercise was to create a narrative short film without any dialogue. From this year's program, notable entries include:

Samantala, which tackles karma, domestic violence and EJK,

The riotously funny and cartoony For Sale, about a child stealing a dildo as a birthday present for his single mom,

Parfum, about evoking memories and feelings of love through scents,

Anamnesis, about virtual reality and obsession,

Poly by John Lapus, a darkly ironic tale about a polyamorous relationship and an urn of cremated ashes,

Urong-sulong, a film about trauma and the fear of reliving it,

Sundowning, a clever film about a woman with a balloon with a mysterious purpose,

and Pam Miras' To Remain is to Have Been Left, whose time paradox can also be interpreted as a plea to support those with mental illness or suicidal thoughts.

There are more entries other than the ones listed, such as Succulents Forever, the photo roman 2:59 am and Bah-Di, which even managed to feature ethnic costumes. I look forward to the institute batch's future work.

Near the end of The Taste of Rice Flower, a troop of villagers go to pay their respects to a stone Buddha, but upon arriving, they find that the cave leading to it has been closed. The old gods have gone away, and it's unclear if there are new gods to replace them. This idea forms the basis for Pengfei's The Taste of Rice Flower, a chronicle of change slowly creeping its way into rural China. In it, a mother (Ying Ze) who has worked in Shanghai for some years, tries to reconnect with her mischievous daughter Nan Hang (Ye Bule).

The setting of the film - a small village that is home to members of the Dai ethnic minority - shows this change in small, intimate moments. There are scenes of children left behind while their parents live in Shanghai, a generation left to fend for themselves in the face of rapid industrialization. There are little things that pop up in the film - wi-fi in a temple, or a discarded can lying on a stone floor, water tapping on its metal surface like a makeshift drum. The villagers struggle with reconciling their traditional beliefs with more modern ideas - a struggle that will prove tragic once the film reaches its conclusion.

And ultimately The Taste of Rice Flower is about a growing sense of disconnect between the people who go to the city and the people left behind. "Hungry pigs need to be fed," one character exclaims, perhaps dejectedly. But if there is any indication at the end, there is a spot of hope, a chance for generations to understand each other and prepare for the procession of new gods to come.

***

That ends this year's coverage of Cinemalaya. This year's competition section was quite good, better than last year's lineup. I was happy to see people championing a film that they loved, and it warmed my heart to see sold out screenings across the board. Each film had something to offer, and the filmmakers did their best given the budget and time they had to work with. Thank you all for reading, and see you all at the movies next week. I'm not going to regale you with a long speech about the state of the industry (and how it STILL needs to improve many things) and how I'm getting older and more tired, and how watching movies is more draining than before blah blah blah, so I will leave you with a picture, which says a thousand words:

Tawasil, John. The portrait of the film reviewer after viewing Cinemalaya and the state of the film industry. 2018. Photograph. Present Confusion, Manila Philippines

Cinemalaya 2018 Quickies: Yield, Of Love & Law

Winner of this year's Gawad Urian for best documentary, Yield explores the lives of children living in the third world, children whose status in life prevents them from advancing further, stunting them literally and figuratively. Their struggle is reflected in the film's opening frames: small, frail figures chipping away at an immovable mountain, one rock at a time.

The film does not offer narration or much context, content to show the lives of these children as candidly and as unfiltered as possible through visuals and editing. This experimental approach allows the film to avoid casting judgement on these children; in the filmmakers' own words, to avoid the pitfalls of exploitation. This is something that is levied against many films that depict the poor, and the film manages to succeed.

Instead of just misery, Yield also offers glimpses of life, of hope - and at the end, a darker means of escape.

***

From the third world, we move on to the first. Despite being one of the most advanced nations of the planet, Japan still has a long way to go in terms of accepting diversity. It stems from many factors: the Japanese population is almost overwhelmingly homogenous, and Japanese society is designed against dissent in favor of the greater good. Hikaru Toda's Of Love & Law follows two lawyers in Osaka as they strive to defend Japan's marginalized and unregistered, as they themselves strive to live their lives as an openly gay couple.

The film isn't solely about LGBT rights, as it paints a broader picture with the cases it presents. There is the artist whose vagina - inspired artwork drew criticism for being obscene, the teacher who was fired for refusing to stand up for the national anthem, there are people whose unregistered status denies them the chance at obtaining a passport or a professional license, and there are people among the marginalized, struggling to live a normal life.

There is a concept in Japanese society called 空気を読む (Kuuki wo yomu, 'reading the air') that encapsulates the Japanese need for conformity, using social cues to avoid speaking up, or conforming for harmony's sake. But to dissent is critically important to democracy, and Japan is facing that idea little by little as paradigms around the world begin to shift. 

Cinemalaya 2018 Quickies: Life is What You Make It, A Piece of Paradise and a preview of Signal Rock

Today's post is a relatively lean post since I was darting all over the place. Sadly, not a lot of pickings this year other than the main competition stuff, but here are some pearls:

I managed to catch the second half of Jhett Tolentino's autobiographical Life is What You Make It. Tolentino is a Tony and Grammy award winning producer who grew up in the slums of Iloilo City. After getting his accountancy diploma, he moved to New York, where he worked in the finance and healthcare industries, eventually ending up producing shows for Broadway. The film (or at least, what I managed to watch) is Tolentino going back to his roots as a way of thanks: back to see his old friends from school, to the foundation that funded his education, and so on.

It's an inspirational tale, and a nice piece of advice for people wishing to follow their dreams.

A Piece of Paradise follows the lives of three women who are part of the sizable Aklanon community in Toronto, Canada. This is a personal story to me, since I have relatives who live in Toronto, and I spent a small chunk of my childhood there while on vacation. There are a number of notable observations, such as how the Filipino community tries to keep their traditions alive even in a culturally different landscape, or how religion plays a large part in keeping communities together. There are also scenes that any person with an OFW relative can relate to: the overstuffing of bags, the seemingly endless stream of gift giving during holidays, and so on.

The film could have expanded more to fit in the perspectives of the children, including how they view their parents and how they reconcile two completely different cultures and viewpoints, but I understand the need to keep it focused (and perhaps what I described could take up the space of its own documentary.)

***

And finally, on a non Cinemalaya note, I managed to catch a preview screening of Chito Roño's Signal Rock, on its way to Philippine screens next week as part of the second edition of the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. I didn't manage to catch the first fifteen minutes or so of the film, so I can't talk too much about it for the sake of fairness, but I did enjoy what I saw. Coming in with no idea what the film is about, it ended up being a pleasant surprise. It's an interesting film that subverts the relationship between OFWs and the people they leave behind. For some reason I felt that watching Nunal sa Tubig before this film ultimately influenced my interpretation of the film, since they both take place in relatively isolated communities and they depict the rhythms of small town life in a fairly intimate manner. Also in that respect, it can be considered as a companion piece to Roño's 2013 film Badil, in that it deals with middlemen, though here the treatment is different. I cannot wait to see this film again, in its entirety, in cinemas.

Cinemalaya 2018 Quickies: Manggagarab, Journeyman Finds Home, Nunal sa Tubig (restored version)

There's an impressive level of ambition behind Kyle Fermindoza's Manggagarab, part of the Cinekasimanwa film festival, a showcase of filmmaking talent from Western Visayas. The film has impressive visual ideas (considering its low budget), interesting action and choreography and even worldbuilding. One wonders what the result would have been if the filmmakers' lofty ideas had the resources and facilities to match. For now, the film exists as a promise for better things, and a testament to the depths of creativity we possess in the regions.

***

Journeyman Finds Home plays itself out like your usual sports documentary in its first half, as it tries to chronicle the life journey of Simone Rota, a Filipino orphan who gets adopted by an Italian couple. He grows up in Italy, where he becomes a professional soccer player, and thanks to a twist in fate, he gets recruited to play in a football club here in the Philippines, eventually gaining a position in the Philippine National Team, the Azkals.

Things switch gears during the second half, when Rota begins a search for his biological mother. Then the film becomes something else; it shows us the strength of the bonds that complete strangers can form, bonds that are sometimes stronger than blood, bonds that can come from the most unlikely of places.

***

And finally, ABS CBN film restoration premiered the restored version of Ishmael Bernal's Nunal sa Tubig. It's a strange and haunting film that was misunderstood during its time, a restrained look at the lives of an island fishing community and the quiet devastation wrought upon it by unrelenting change.

The sea is depicted as a conduit, giving life and taking it away. When a fish kill threatens the collective livelihoods of the fishermen living on the island, it is a portentous event; the villagers face exploitation and further hardship brought on by outsiders trying to have a say in their affairs.

The film also possesses interesting touches, visual or otherwise: Maria (Elizabeth Oropesa) embroidering a scarlet letter, for example, or the outsiders slipping as they enter the island, or the daily rhythms and cycles of life, scenes of fertility, birth, circumcision and death.

There is also Ella Luansing's character, a woman driven to madness, but not to the histrionic extent we see in other films of this time period, and we find parallels with her character and the events of the film's ending, where we get hints that the intrusion  into this oasis has happened before, and will happen again.