Present Confusion 2018 Rundown Part 3 - A (Limited) Look at World Cinema

Xi30 2019

Admittedly, I haven't seen a lot of non-Filipino movies in 2018. To be fair, I try yearly to make an effort to change that, but it doesn't always work out. That is life. I haven't seen a lot of "buzz" films too. That said, I did see a couple of interesting films from around the world this year, and I'd like to talk about 15 of them.

In no particular order:

John Tawasil's

Films From Around The World That I Liked in 2018*

*not necessarily 2018 movies, as long as it was not initially released more than a year before 2018

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1987: When the Day Comes (Jang, 2017)

1987 is a riveting historical drama that shows how revolutions start - as the cumulative effect of many small things happening at the same time, catalyzed by one or two pivotal events. The day does eventually come at the very end of this film, but even that is the beginning of something even greater.

A Taxi Driver (Jang Hoon, 2017)

While 1987 paints revolutions in broad, at times fragmented strokes, A Taxi Driver approaches revolution in a different way: through a small-scale, personal story. That doesn't mean there aren't any stakes involved, and the film also doubles as a testament to the power of journalism and the collective actions of people in general.

Ash is Purest White (Jia Zhangke, 2018)

The next two entries will be about doomed romances amidst large scale political and social change. The first one is Ash is Purest White, yet another movie by director Jia Zhangke about people lost in a sea of change and alienated by a world that has no need for them.

Cold War (Pawel Pawlikowski, 2018)

Another film about doomed love in the midst of social upheaval, Cold War is emotionally distant, unrelentingly bleak, but utterly fascinating at the same time. The filmmaking behind it is fantastic and shows a director at full control of his craft.

Foxtrot (Samuel Maoz, 2017)

Humans have a need to rationalize and make sense of the world around them, even though they are responsible for the most irrational, senseless things. Foxtrot looks at inherent human absurdities inherited from generation to generation, darkness trickling down from father to son.

Roma (Alfonso Cuaron, 2018)

Human society can sometimes be paradoxical, thanks to humanity's penchant for absurdity. But people somehow manage to find love in this chaos. Alfonso Cuaron's Roma finds empathy and humanity in situations and structures where one does not expect it, when societal structures favor one group of people over another. As we are brought down by our pettiness and irrationality, we are elevated by our compassion.

Survival Family (Shinobu Yaguchi, 2017)

Through the literal apocalypse, Shinobu Yaguchi pulls the carpet out from under a conventional Japanese family, revealing their dysfunctions and insecurities. It's a testament to simpler living, sure, but also to family and things that we tend to forget as the world gets ever more convenient.

Last Child (Shin Dong-seok, 2018)

Family remains at the center of Shin Dong-seok's Last Child, in the sense that family is what is missing from the characters in this film. A couple has lost a child, and a child, his parents. Both find each other, but guilt and sin tears their fragile relationship apart. It's slow paced but riveting cinema.

Hereditary (Aster, 2018)

The concept of family is warped in one of the two horror films of this list. It's unfair to call this a spiritual successor to any other film, as it is unique enough to stand on its own. It's a film full of exceptional performances and a wonderfully sinister atmosphere - and its final moments will leave a mark on you.

Suspiria (Guadagnino, 2018)

The second horror film on this list expands upon Argento's 1977 film and creates something utterly wonderful. It's garnered a mixed reception, but I personally believe it's just as lush and rich in meaning as Argento's original. It even adds to the lore and talks about society, guilt and women's issues as well.

This is America (Hiro Murai, 2018)

Speaking of art that stimulates discussion, the best American movie of 2018 is actually a music video. Beyond its commentary on race and how black entertainment is used as distraction in American society, it has managed to live a second life as a meme. It's gotten so popular that it's been picked up and remade by people in different countries as well, becoming a minor cross-cultural phenomenon.

Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse (various, 2018) 

My favorite superhero film of the year is Into the Spider-Verse, a film that combines an overwhelming love of the source material with a smart, snappy script and a wonderful visual style that is meaningful and crowd-pleasing. It's also a superhero film that says that everyone can be a superhero, given the right circumstances, and that heroism is not tied to monoliths.

Kaala (P.A. Ranjith, 2018)

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the same message exists in the form of Kaala, the latest collaboration between P.A. Ranjith and Superstar Rajinikanth. It cleverly uses the tropes inherent in Rajinikanth's mass entertainers, while advocating for something seemingly antithetical to the idea of the singular, larger than life hero role that Rajinikanth is known for: that we can all be heroes, and the world can change through the collective action of the masses through revolution and social change. Kaala is a tribute to the people neglected and unseen for far too long; it is a film  that gives them the dignity they deserve.

Burning (Lee Chang-dong, 2018)

2018 seems to be the year of the invisible person, as its best films are all about them and their struggle. Lee Chang-dong's newest film is about two such people, but it manages to extend that into a commentary on class, internalized rage and frustration in Korean society. It's also a loving tribute to the works of Haruki Murakami, while also serving as a critique of those same works. Burning is a marvelous mystery in a box that feels unsolvable, but a mystery worth poring into nevertheless.

Shoplifters (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2018)

And my favorite film of 2018 is a culmination of everything I've talked about before, the combination of all the themes that made 2018 such a memorable year in film. Shoplifters is first and foremost a movie about the kind of family that finds itself through mutual hardship and trauma instead of by blood. It's a film about class divides, and how compassion and empathy can be extracted from places and societal structures where such things feel alien. It's a film about people living in the fringes of society, whose invisibility only wears off during times of tragedy or for the sake of sensationalism. 

And that's my year in film for 2018. Thanks as always for reading this blog, and I will still remain in low power mode for a couple more months, I won't stop doing what I love to do. So until next time, see you all at the movies in 2019.

Present Confusion 2018 Rundown Part 2 - Philippine Cinema Odds, Ends and Unfavorites

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Present Confusion 2018 Rundown Part 1 - Philippine Cinema Favorites

a better love story than Twilight

Hi everyone. 2018 is coming to a close, and it's time to look back at the year that was. Sure, 2017 was a great year for Filipino movies, but 2018 came along and said, "hold my beer." This was an amazing year for Philippine cinema in terms of quality and quantity. While last year's best of list had 15 entries, this had room for 25, and I even had to trim it down a bit to a solid 20 entries. It's a good time to be a Filipino moviegoer.

Though I missed a few films from early 2018, as of this writing I've managed to see 121 out of 130 commercially released local feature films, and I plan to watch at least six more before the end of the year. Again, kudos to the poor soul with the time and money to watch every single local film this year; it's not easy.

Almost every month in 2018 had a film festival taking place. It's a risky proposition, and in the worst case scenario, the film market runs the risk of getting swamped by the sheer number of new films. In some cases, two film festivals took place back to back, limiting the ability of viewers to watch given restricted budgets. My favorite film festivals of the year include Cinemalaya, which managed to garner a number of wonderful films in its roster, as well as QCinema, whose lineup of films was nothing short of impressive.

Smaller film festivals also stepped up to the challenge: this year's editions of Cinefilipino and Sinag Maynila were marked improvements over previous years. But few film festivals had a lineup as strong and as improved as the ToFarm film festival, which even managed to include two science fiction films in its competition section.

This experimentation with genre is not limited to smaller, independent productions; even larger studios have begun tweaking with formula to serve us something different.

Films from respected directors young and old made their way into local cinemas this year: it's a rare occurrence to have films by Lav Diaz, Mike de Leon, Jerrold Tarog and Erik Matti show up in the same year. Yet, the films that made the most waves this year were directed by women: the highest grossing film of the year was directed by a woman, and directors like Irene Villamor and Dwein Baltazar received critical acclaim for their films this year.

Meanwhile, the second edition of the PPP, touted as an alternative to the MMFF, was not as successful as last year's edition, and the MMFF itself gave us one of its weakest lineups in more than a decade. I've run out of patience with the MMFF, and I hope it runs itself into the ground. Maybe not today, maybe not next year or the year after that, but someday.

The rise of microcinemas* has led to the development of a new audience, watching films that had their time in the sun with their regular runs and giving these films a second life.  Perhaps the audience was always there from the start, and these venues catered to the niche. It's an interesting development, and one that I hope will grow a sizeable audience in the future. Aside from that, streaming is quickly becoming a viable option, though the large number of competitors and decentralization of content is worrying.

Is this major resurgence in Philippine film the peak of a wave about to crash down, or just the tip of a larger iceberg? Only time will tell.

*there are now four in the greater Manila area, plus the FDCP Cinematheque

***

Like last year's rundown, this will be split into three parts: my favorite local films of 2018, honorable mentions and my least favorite films of 2018, and my favorite international films of the year. Rules are: must be a commercially released local film this year, re-edits and re-releases are accepted, favorites, not necessarily best. Strap yourselves in and let's get ready to rumble.

***

John Tawasil's 

20 FAVORITE LOCAL FILMS OF 2018

20. The Eternity Between Seconds (dir. Alec Figuracion) - I'm aware of the fact that not a lot of people liked this film, perhaps because it's been done before with films like Sleepless (2015) or Lost in Translation (2001), or because of some other element of the movie. This film really worked for me aesthetically. It's a nice little story about people lost in stillness, accidentally or not. I guess I'm a sucker for formula.

19. Billie and Emma (dir. Samantha Lee) - Samantha Lee's sophomore effort is simple, lighthearted and feel-good, but also, in the words of a colleague, quietly provocative. It's defined by powerful emotional moments about identity, gender, and the universality of love. It's a marked improvement over her first effort, Baka Bukas.

18. Ang Panahon ng Halimaw (dir. Lav Diaz) - with this film, Lav Diaz has thrown down the gauntlet. He breathes life into the discontent and rage some of us are feeling today, by telling a story set in one of our nation's darkest periods. Diaz isn't being subtle about it: this is a film with a message. And it's an acapella rock opera. I never thought I'd say that about a Lav Diaz film, but here we are.

17. Delia and Sammy (dir. Therese Cayaba) - Some critics interpreted this film negatively as a horrible tale about two insufferable protagonists, but to me that's actually the point: this is a story about a couple of villains, now retired and washed up, left to face the consequences of their horrible actions. This is sympathy for the devil in cinematic form, and it's a fascinating variation on local depictions of senior citizens in cinema.

16. Paglisan (dir. Carl Joseph Papa) - As you, dear reader, will come to see as you read this list, this is one of a number of local films dealing with the end of love. It's a really quirkily made film, enhanced by its animation, shown as if it were a fading memory remembered once more. It's also a musical, and it features one of the most heartbreaking songs I've heard this year.

15. Distance (dir. Perci Intalan) - this is an expertly made family drama that is technically adept, with fantastic performances from a solid ensemble cast. This is noteworthy in this case for its final  climactic sequence, which remains one of my favorite sequences in local film this year.

14. Buybust (dir. Erik Matti) - even though I'm not completely on board with how the action in this film was shot, Buybust is an amazing spectacle, full of great setpieces, memorable characters and nail biting tension. It's also a great turn for Anne Curtis, who proves she isn't only made for romcoms and comedies. After a few false starts, the Filipino action film is finally getting the adrenaline shot it deserves.

13. Meet Me in St. Gallen (dir. Irene Villamor) - never judge a movie by its trailer. I was ready to skip watching this film, but I noticed it had lasted in cinemas for weeks, an unusual thing. I decided to give it a try, and that was one of the best decisions I ever made. Meet Me in St. Gallen ended up being one of the best surprises of 2018, establishing Irene Villamor (at least in my mind) as a director to watch out for.

12. Yield (dir. Victor Tagaro, Toshihiko Uryu) - I can say with confidence that all of the local documentaries I've seen this year are good (two of them belong in #20-25 had I extended the list that long.) Yield is my favorite local documentary of the year; as an ethnographic film, it shows us the lives of its subjects frankly and without judgement. It's an intimate window into hopes and dreams, some of which will never be realized. It chronicles both happiness and pain while avoiding the pitfalls of exploitation and poverty porn.

11. Balangiga: Howling Wilderness (dir. Khavn) - the new PPP cut of Balangiga is the latest version of the film, and I'm not sure if the film will be reworked further or if it will ever reach the director's true vision. But revisiting the film made me appreciate it much more compared to my first watch. In addition, the fact that the Balangiga bells have finally returned to their hometown makes this film all the more bittersweet.

10. Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (dir. Jerrold Tarog) - Jerrold Tarog sure likes deconstructing stuff. He did it with Sana Dati and romantic films, Bliss and the showbiz industry, and now this film with he very notion of heroism (and the concepts raised by the first film in this trilogy.) It's a very bleak film if interpreted in a certain way, in that it seems to say that heroes are people just like us, and that we should look inside ourselves and not others if we want definite change.

9. Never Not Love You (dir. Antoinette Jadaone) - There are three big loveteams that have defined mid 2010's Philippine cinema, and for the longest time I've wanted to see a film with said loveteams that wasn't shallow pandering or cookie cutter formula. For JaDine, the time has arrived. Never Not Love You represents the latest evolutionary step in the progression of romantic cinema, a mature and subdued love story where economic and class differences intersect with other millennial concerns.

8. Kuya Wes (dir. James Mayo) - it's perhaps ironic that like the main character of this film, Kuya Wes went under the radar, coming off as underappreciated compared to its Cinemalaya 2018 brethren. But it's actually quite a marvelous achievement - a character study disguised under a hugot film - that sheds light on the lives of invisible people, a theme that has found resonance not only in the Philippine setting, but around the world with films like Shoplifters and Burning.

7. Kung Paano Siya Nawala (dir. Joel Ruiz) - this entry is very much a personal choice compared to other entries in the top 10, as objectively there are some films that are better. Then again, it's my list, so that's the end of that. It's a wonderfully made film about how lonely people find each other and ultimately screw everything up through their own self destructiveness. Along with the other romantic films in this list, it represents a shift in storytelling from something childish and formulaic into something grounded and mature. Am I a cynic? I guess so.

6. Oda sa Wala (dir. Dwein Baltazar) - Dwein Baltazar's second directorial effort for this year is unlike anything we've ever seen. It's melancholic, yet funny; patently absurd, yet subdued and realistic. On paper this film should not work, but it does, and it does so beautifully. The fact that this was a backup entry for QCinema makes it all the more amazing.

5. Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon (dir. Carlo Enciso Catu) - Cinemalaya 2018's best film is the epitome of the anti-meet cute - where instead of seeing our protagonists meet and fall in love for the first time, we see them say their goodbyes during the twilight of their lives. It's tender, touching and heartbreaking too, and that final shot is one of the best shots of 2018.

4. Signal Rock (dir. Chito Rono) - It's a shame not a lot of people managed to see this film. I came into it with no idea what it was supposed to be about, and I came out of the experience satisfied and entertained. A companion piece to Rono's Badil (2013), it offers yet another picture of small town living. Even though it is set in the nineties, its commentary on the Filipino diaspora rings true even today. It's carried by Christian Bables' performance, perhaps his career best.

3. Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus (dir. Dwein Baltazar) - part love letter to Manila, part exploration of male desire, this film initially did not make a large impression on me on first watch, but it eventually grew on me as time went on, and I think that's the best kind of film. It's lush and full of meaning, worth multiple watches. It's the film that made me notice Dwein Baltazar as a creative force to be reckoned with.

2. Tanabata's Wife (dir. Lito Casaje, Charlson Ong, et. al.) - as the credits of this film rolled, I let out a deep sigh and I said to myself, "that was a fucking beautiful film." It helps that I'm a fan of classic Japanese cinematic aesthetic, from which this film heavily borrows. On the other hand, it also manages to inject a very Filipino sensibility that embodies the synergy of two cultures meeting together and becoming more than the sum of its parts.

1. Sid & Aya (Not a Love Story) (dir. Irene Villamor) - my favorite local film of 2018 is my favorite romantic film of 2018 as well, as it perfectly encapsulates the folly of trying to love under a  cold, capitalist system, where filial and financial responsibility supercedes any idealistic notions of love. I loved the way it unfolded, and how it played with the structure of the usual Filipino romantic film. I told you I was a cynic.

***

Up next: favorite independent filmmaking outfit? Best song? Honorable mentions? Worst films of the year? That's all in Part 2 of this 3 part special. Stay tuned.