Filipino Short Film Short Review Long Compilation (Part 2)

Time for Part 2. Here's where the customary warning goes in that this post is going to be quite long.

We Want Short Shorts Filipino Short Film Short Review Compilation Galaxy SIII 6S MMXV Part 2

Ang Maangas, ang Marikit, at ang Makata

We’ll be seeing a lot of Jose Ibarra Gualla in this lineup. If you read the link I showed in the last post, his films have this interesting, surreal sense of humor that is compatible with my sensibilities. In this case, it’s a period film, but that doesn’t even come close to accurately describing this comedy. 3.75/5

Redlights

The story, that of predators and prey in an unforgiving urban jungle, is relatively simple, but the filmmakers give the back alleys of Cebu a dark, menacing feel that feels novel. 3.5/5

Sukat

The film’s title, Sukat, could refer to the short stature of this documentary’s subject, a woman who struggles for acceptance. Yet it could refer to the amount of determination to make it in the world despite her disability, as well as her robust support system in friends and family. 3.25/5

Umuuga ang Ngipin ni Clarissa

Another film by Jose Ibarra Gualla, and this one, about a woman pursued by a gang of tooth thieves, is my favourite of the lot. It’s surreal, almost self-aware, and hilariously funny to boot, especially in the film’s climax when the titular main character is overwhelmed by the sheer weirdness of it all. 4.25/5

Sa Ngalan ng Kaunlaran

This insightful documentary tackles a land dispute over in the Visayas, where farmers are being stripped of their land to fund a huge white elephant project that does nothing but suck up taxpayer money. What makes it even more impressive is that it is a student work and still ends up being as well made as it is, which is better by leaps and bounds compared to some other local and foreign documentaries. 3.5/5

Alingawngaw sa Panahon ng Pagpapasya

Shot in stark black and white, this short is about a family going through the Martial Law era. The mother has ties to anti-Marcos forces. It paces us through as the thorns of the regime scar the family with wounds that run deep. 3.25/5

Unfocused

A simple animated film with an even simpler Aesop (which I am ironically not heeding at this moment, it's 3:30 in the morning goddamnit). The animation was a bit choppy but the character designs and the rest of the backgrounds were good. 3/5

Achup Boulevard

After viewing the shorts lineup from Davao, I’ve high hopes for the Davao filmmaking community, as their output is really interesting and diverse. For this film, a horror film about a slasher cutting up women in the darkness of the night, it possesses a twist ending that felt really satisfying (and was well done too.) 3.25/5

Happy Fiesta

In terms of narrative, this film (told in reverse order!) was a delight to watch, as each plot revelation told in reverse unravelled some very interesting (and unexpected) surprises. Had it been shown normally, it probably would have worked nevertheless, but its reversed story concept works, and exposes circles within bloody circles. 4/5

Madonna

There’s a lot of overt symbolism in the film, and much of the film is well shot, not to mention a few creepy moments here and there. The pacing was slightly off, though. 3/5

Pakbet

It’s full of horror clichés, including a scene stolen right out of Ju-on. The jump cuts, the clever blocking, we’re seeing these conventions in mainstream horror films nowadays. It's no longer fresh. In the end, the film ends up not being that scary. 2.75/5

Malikmata

169 was

169 WAS

169 WAS

Eherm, anyway, the plot of this one kinda meandered for a good ten minutes before it came to a rather plain conclusion. 3/5

Lucid

I really didn’t feel this one. There’s some weird acting, and there’s something about some relationship stuff that I didn’t care about. The dreams of others are often not that interesting (unless they are exceptionally weird.) This one was not an exception. 2/5

The Man in the Cinemahouse

What a lovely mixture of performance art and film! It would probably deserve more points had I seen it in the theatre instead. This film breaks the fourth wall in creative and refreshing ways. It’s funny at points too. 3.75/5

Ang Nanay ni Justin Barber

Giselle Sanchez nailed it. Those last frames with her looking worriedly at her son really nails what this film is about – a woman projecting her aspirations onto her son, to relieve her own inadequacies and fill the gaps in her life. 3.5/5

Pagtunod it Adlaw

This one had a simple premise, although my general disbelief was stretched kinda thin, given the two main characters talk only once and the guy’s hooked. I’m not wholly convinced. Like the film I saw after this one, It really concentrated more on how awesome the places in Region VI are (no surprise, since it’s sponsored by the Region VI tourist board or something.) I want to go to those places someday. I guess in that sense the film was successful. 2.5/5

Ang Panglakaton

A guy tries to get over his ex. The solution? Go around really cool places in Guimaras OMG!!! Kidding aside, while I prefer the plot of the previous film, this one has some really good aerial shots of the places our protagonist and his friends traverse. 2.5/5

Kaon Durian

This film was short and humorous, yet REALLY creepy. Also, I had the second weirdest boner of the day, which immediately disappeared thanks to the creepy part. 3.5/5

Merry Joy Show

I love it for its cynicism (and its in your face attitude, exemplified by its theme song that titters every so often.) As for the ending, well, a, uh, “friend” of mine who is totally not me thinks that it may a good idea to do "that" from time to time. It’s backed with scientific evidence. 3.25/5

Magsalig

I like it for the fact that it subverts gender roles, even though its supernatural elements are antithetical to what I stand for professionally. 3/5

Tami-aw

It’s gorgeously shot at times, and it shows the life of these people in far flung, hard to reach places. It does segue into an explanation/endorsement of the present administration’s Conditional Cash Transfer program. Thankfully, it doesn’t shill that subject too much, and it shows how it can be beneficial to these people. I wonder about that gratuity paid to the mayor, though. 3.25/5

Ma/n/chine

You know, this one had a nice concept ala Ghost in the Shell, but the limitations of budget make this look like what it is: A guy with a tube up his back floating in a pool. For what it’s worth, some of the underwater shots worked nicely. 2.75/5

In the end close of a long day when she said to herself time she stopped

Indeed. 2.75/5

Walay Naa Diri

This experimental short is a search for identity, when, paraphrased from the directors own words, a concrete identity may never be truly found. Maybe. It’s a dilemma that people of two or more cultures have been searching for ever since the mixing of cultures became a thing. But, as the film posits in its last act, as we search for a national identity in a country that has become a potpourri of conquerors and colonizers, maybe uncertainty is the key. Perhaps we should be content… with our present confusion.

Did I just namedrop my blog? I just namedropped my blog, holy shit. 3/5

The End of War

Depictions of the conflict in Mindanao are sprouting up as our filmmaking brothers and sisters in the south flourish. This particular short frames the story not on one definite side of the conflict, as many are wary to do, but in the context of a family trapped in the middle of the conflict, between a rock and a hard place. 3.5/5

25 more shorts to go. Last part coming soon.

Filipino Short Film Short Review Long Compilation (Part 1)

Before we start, take a look here, where I (and many other bloggers, film writers and critics) vote on the top Filipino short films of 2015. More categories for that poll are coming up, so keep tuned in to that blog for more.

In judging short films for this best short of 2015 poll I posted earlier, I watched/rewatched the following short films over the past week and a half. Since I kept a list of what I watched, and a good number of the films I watched/rewatched don't have reviews on this blog, I might as well do the ultimate Short Short Shorts* Review Compilation for all these 2014/2015 short films and give a few short sentences on how I felt about them.

*Okay, some were not that short.

WARNING: THIS WILL BE A REALLY LONG POST.

We Want Short Shorts Filipino Short Film Short Review Compilation of the Universe 2015

Ang Lihim Ni Natividad

This film is a relatively simple tale about a girl trying to break out of cultural and (especially) religious norms. Overall it’s average. Also, keeping super secret notes under your bed (and sloppily at that) practically invites a look see. 2.75/5

Ano ang Halaga ng Pangalan

This experimental short examines the evolution (or devolution) of our (perhaps cultural) identity in the midst of industrialization/modernization. Anyone who reads this blog knows that experimental is not my cup of tea but this one belongs in the upper half of the experimental lot.  2.75/5

Cold Sand

As a letter from a daughter to her father, it’s narratively simple, but the filmmaking at play really makes the final product extremely effective. It’s also unique in that there are no visible Filipino actors in this film. 4/5

Huling Pagninilay

What outlines the creative process? If this film is any indication, it’s the creation of frames within frames and typewriters (or whatever modern equivalent) clack-a-lacking all night long. ART/5

Maestro Basurero

The first documentary on the list. Although in watching the film you really feel for the guy, the filmmakers treat the film’s subject with dignity. It’s a sad but strangely inspiring story. 3.5/5

Dead Stars

The original short story is a classic and required reading in my college class (so long ago…) This loose adaptation of the source material holds up, but the deep bittersweet sense of nostalgia in the original story just doesn’t click as well here. 3.25/5

Run Manila Run

It’s really funky. I dig it. 3/5

Tao Po

What seems like a straightforward story ends with a nice twist that is darkly comical, the kind of punchline that is part fremdschämen, half laughtrip. Other than that I like the visual style of the advertisements for the lottery. 3.75/5

***

The next few films were made for Cebu’s Sinulog Festival, so expect the Santo Nino as a theme.

Dare to Live

Wow. Did an atheist write this? Because while the first part of the documentary was depressing enough, the end narration felt like a punchline to a sad joke. What I got from this depressing documentary is that God will screw up your life, destroy your house, and then kill you with cancer.  Yay God! I guess I'm not part of the intended audience. That said, the film was relatively well made. 3/5

Operation Prutas

I had seen Operation Prutas on Viddsee last year. It’s still pretty awesome. It’s short, it has the theme of Santo Nino without being overly zealous, and it’s also real funny at times. 4/5

Sangpit

A collection of inspirational stories from devotees to the Santo Nino. It’s at least way less depressing than Dare to Live. 3.25/5

Pahiyom Alang Kay Evelyn

There were a lot of invisible ninjas cutting onions when I watched this film. The film touches on a lot of subjects (even Martial Law!) but its main plot is about a girl who loves taking pictures with her dad. It’s also about someone from a dying profession struggling against the current of modernity and technological change. Sure, the movie gets a bit too dramatic at parts but overall (thanks to the actresses playing the main character,) I loved it. 4.25/5

***

#justlanded

This decently shot  film tells us that it really is more fun in the Philippines. The foreign actor was ok. Also, really getting to know a place intimately instead of superficial tourism is far more rewarding in the end. And as a final Aesop, as my girlfriend said, “Don’t bring out your cellphone in Carbon.” 3.25/5

Himig Ayala

This is a very informative documentary, if only because we see what’s going on inside Joey Ayala’s head when he’s making these great songs. 3.75/5

Gulong

This documentary is about a community of skateboarders, and how one of them wants to pursue a career as a librarian. His dreams and aspirations show us that these skateboarders aren’t just a group of people aimlessly drifting through life, and their interactions together show that these are a group of folks that just want to find a place to belong to. 3/5

Imahe

Soliman Cruz showcases his immense talent with his turn as a husband trying to give his all for his family in the wake of the death of his wife. There’s an alternate interpretation of the film, where the family may or may not be real, which makes the film far darker than it already is. But even shown as is, it’s pretty great. 4/5

What is a Day

The film’s showcase of grisly scenes set in a slaughterhouse juxtaposed with poetry may seem strange at first, but it starts to make sense as the film goes on, and you make the thematic connections between image, verse, and film in such a way that it feels rewarding. 2.5/5

Iris

It is obsession, pain and pleasure in silence and madness. I have the weirdest boner. 3.25/5

My Revolutionary Mother

Another really good documentary. It’s a very personal story between mother and son, and it’s not only about her revolutionary past, but also how the times have changed her, and how her determination to give her children a good life means everything. 3.75/5

 Gloria

And shortly after My Revolutionary Mother we have this. Its treatment of its subject, an elderly lady suffering from dementia, is done with respect, and it explores not only the patient, but also the effect of her illness on the family she is leaving behind, one forgotten memory at a time. 4/5

Fib

For some reason, the girl never turned the other direction for me. Anyway, its message is pretty clear once the primary question of the film is asked, and it lingers as we scan the picture for invisible thieves. 3/5

Takay

This short, about a mysterious disappearance, has a few good moments but didn’t really leave that much of an impression on me. 3/5

Halimaw

The CGI is okay for its level, and the message is fun, but compared to other local animated shorts I’ve seen throughout the year, it ends up merely being okay. 2.75/5

Gravity

Visually, one of the most gorgeous experimental shorts in this lineup. But the words that accompanied the images sounded too edgy for my taste. 3/5

Ang Kapitbahay Ko sa 2014

It’s a relatively lighthearted short compared to many others in this group, but it succeeds in creating a very rich, funny and poignant story without saying anything at all (at least until the very end.) 4/5

This is way too long for just one blog post. Expect around 2-3 parts total for this one. Till next time!

RED Quickie: Say I Love You

I've often made the case that when adapting an anime or manga into a live action series, you can't include everything into two hours of film. On the other hand, with 2014's Say I Love You (Sukitte Ii na yo) they try to include several plotlines into 100 minutes of film. The result is something akin to speed dating: after establishing the two leads (your typical popular boy and shy but pretty girl) the film goes on to introduce one plotline and secondary character every 10 or so minutes. By the end of these ten minutes, the plotline is resolved and we move on to the next one.

Another casualty of this accelerated pace is that the relationship doesn't seem as natural as it was in the anime/manga. In fact, a lot of the scenes look really creepy without the proper context. The film trusts that the audience has at least some background knowledge of the source material, but to complete newbies to the series, the effect is jarring to say the least. My sole consolation is the fact that Sota Fukushi and Rika Adachi are in this film (both are from Kamen Rider Fourze, with Fukushi as the title character).

Oh, and happy new year :)

MMFF 2015: All You Need Is Pag-ibig, Beauty and the Bestie

Time for me to end my short journey into MMFF. I really wanted to back away from seeing this film because I'm not a fan of Kris Aquino. But I braved the storm because I genuinely appreciate the films of Antoinette Jadaone.

All You Need Is Pag-ibig is composed of several interconnected stories about falling in love, falling back in love, falling out of love and everything in between. On the whole, the stories mostly work together. Individually, some stories work well even as standalone shorts; the rest seem peripheral or underdeveloped.

The Kris subplot, about a person hosting a love advice program, is the weakest of all the subplots. It mostly serves as a bridge to the rest of the stories. Thankfully, her screen time in the film is limited. A short scene with Derek is all that exists of their short interaction, which by the end of their arc feels incomplete.

Pokwang's segment, about a housewife seeking to reconnect with her estranged husband, has the most interesting concept, if only because it's not the usual rom com situation. Its core message is that love for the lovelorn exists in corners we often overlook, and it exists to contrast the rest of the lighter love stories in the film.

Ian Veneracion and Jodi Sta. Maria's segment, a light romantic story about an office worker who falls in love with her boss, can exist as a standalone feature. It was kind of surprising seeing Sta. Maria in an older role but it works.

Xian Lim and Kim Chiu are the major loveteam in this movie, and as such they have a lot of screen time together. Their segment is partly love story, part millennial rumination on failed dreams and aspirations. The segment is not as solid as the previous one, despite some decent chemistry between the two.

Nova Villa and Ronaldo Valdez's segment, about an elderly couple that is slowly getting out of touch, is one of my favorites, if only because I am ridiculously biased towards old love. It's an aspect of love that has been discussed sparingly but has been gaining ground in local cinema with features like 1st Ko Si 3rd, (which also stars Villa, and is ostensibly the better, more realized film) Lorna and certain segments of Anatomiya ng Pag-ibig. It's still the movie that packs the most emotional heft, and ends up being one of the best of the segments on display.

Overall the film is beautifully shot. Of particular note are the drone shots taken outside high rise buildings. Despite its multiple stories, they are successfully intertwined, and I feel it is more cohesive and aware of its identity compared to its romcom counterpart Walang Forever. Even if the film is unabashedly tailored for the MMFF, Jadaone utilizes her creative talents to make the film an enjoyable exploration of love. It's evidence that you can make a smart yet lighthearted commercial film without compromising quality. Of course it's suited for those seeking lighter fare; people who want heavier stuff might want to find their kicks elsewhere.

Beauty in the Bestie's concept is absurd from the getgo, involving secret agents, dopplegangers and (of course) a beauty pageant. It parodies everything mercilessly, and it repeatedly breaks the fourth wall without prejudice. From the concept alone, it's the epitome of brainless fun. And, to people who like Vice Ganda's particular brand of insult comedy, they will most likely find themselves enjoying it.

The most surprising thing about the movie is the fact that it boasts a solid array of action sequences. One particular sequence felt reminiscent of similar scenes in Hindi action mass entertainer Singham (also known as the manliest movie of 2011) and RED, where Singham likely got the inspiration. Coco Martin's secret agent character and Vice Ganda's unlikely heroine drift in cars, have shootouts with Asian gangsters, and commit death defying stunts in helicopters. Middling to awful CGI notwithstanding, this film probably has the best action scenes in the festival.

It's all silliness, and not to be taken seriously. Wenn Deramas reminds me of Hong Kong Director Wong Jing, whose equally silly (if not sillier) films are tailored to Hong Kong audiences. Their collective filmographies are mostly shallow (but fun) fluff that people seem to want. It's not my cup of tea, but my philosophy is mainly walang basagan ng trip so watch what you want to watch. There's also some blatant commercialism in the form of product placement, but it's not as gratituous, and I could really only cite two blatant instances.

Of course there's the requisite love team in the form of James Reid and Nadine Lustre (Lord knows what happened to the sequel to Talk Back and You're Dead). I was not too keen on Nadine previously but she's great in this movie. James Reid is of course James Reid, although a few of his courtship tactics would be kind of creepy had someone else been in his shoes. Their presence in the film is far more peripheral than other MMFF offerings with loveteams.

Beauty and the Bestie is inconsequential fluff. People who like this kind of thing will be entertained, while other moviegoers (such as myself) will find it more of an acquired taste.

MMFF 2015: My Bebe Love #KiligPaMore

I had nothing to do, and I guess it would be unfair to ignore the highest grossing movie in the festival so far, so I watched My Bebe Love today. While I'm not a fan of the Aldub loveteam, I'm amazed at the extent and speed of its popularity throughout many sectors of Philippine society.

As far as the movie goes, it's a finely honed product designed to rein in as many fans and moviegoers as possible during the holiday season, and optimize profits. The way it caters to its target audience is an art all unto itself, and to be honest the only relevant comparison I can make with this film is to the latest Star Wars flick. While the new Star Wars banked on nostalgia, this movie banks on the capacity of their stars to elicit humor and that warm and fuzzy feeling called kilig. It targets families out on vacation during the holiday season, who will undoubtedly bring their kids. And family snacks are made even better by going on a short trip to Goldilocks! Grab one of their packs of fun sized Polvoron in Classic and Chocolate flavors. Share with your parents and siblings! Besides, even if you're not a polvoron kinda guy you can't go wrong, Liza Soberano likes 'em, and anyone who dislikes Liza is most probably a sad, lonely dickface.

The Kalyeserye featuring Aldub makes heavy usage of the split screen. In the kalyeserye, split screens were used to keep them apart not only physically but in the sense of framing. Even without the splitscreen, the people who made the kalyeserye framed Alden and Maine in such a way that they were separate from each other, like in that Kalyeserye episode where they were supposed to meet but were separated by a wall. It increases the tension, (in fact, weeks passed before the two even got to meet face to face) and it makes the payoff all the more rewarding. Joey Reyes uses the split screen in this movie to similar effect at the start, with a few interesting uses, such as Vic Sotto seemingly talking to Ai Ai via split screen, when he is actually talking to Maine hidden by the split screen effect. Unfortunately the split screen is eventually abandoned save for a few scenes where it is necessary, such as in phone conversations that are made even lengthier using the Talk N' Text Alden and Maine Loads Promo. 30 Pesos will give you free texts to all networks for five days, while 15 Pesos will give you unlimited calls for one day ! Amazing value! Text either MAINE30 to 3545 or ALDEN15 to 4547! Avail now!

That said, Aldub's exposure is limited, and we get to see less of them during the film's second half, where the film's focus shifts to Vic and AiAi instead. To be honest, these two have more chemistry in this film than our loveteam, if only because Alden and Maine were given limited material for this movie in the first place, and Vic/AiAi are seasoned actors and know their stuff. It's more adult comedy than the Aldub part, which is as white as a dirty sheet cleaned with NEW AND IMPROVED Tide, which is now 5 pesos per sachet. Can you effing believe it!? 5 pesos for cleanliness!? Some of the jokes are obviously adult jokes that are aimed for the elderly audience members (senior citizens comprising a large chunk of the Aldub fanbase) and will most likely fly over the heads of the children who will wonder what Vic and AiAi did in that resort inn in Zambales one drunken night. And what better way to enjoy and get wasted than a cold refreshing case of San Miguel Beer! Just buy 3 bottles of San Miguel Pale Pilsen & qualify to play the Pilsen Time Pachinco where you can get the chance to win the limited edition San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Mug! Holy fucking shit that's an awesome mug.

The film's main strength is also its biggest weakness: in playing it safe, it ends up just being okay at best. It's lighthearted and will not offend, but I don't know if I can remember the film six months down the line. Out of any of the scenes in this film, nothing really sticks to me as memorable. It's okayness is more refined than 2013's My Little Bossings, and My Bebe Love is a far better film than that one. In being a safe, relatively wholesome film (disregarding the whole drunken sex thing) it sets out and does EXACTLY what it set out to do. And in that sense, the film is a success. The only casualty, unfortunately, is ambition. But at least after the film you can watch something else, or maybe go home and surf the internet using PLDT MyDSL, where you can watch whatever you want at the click of a mouse. They're coming up with faster internet speeds, so you can (legally) stream films with ease.

Some highlights include a surprise appearance by the rest of the Dabarkads, a sudden appearance by Aegis (who makes everything better by default) and a cameo appearance by Lilia Cuntapay, whose character could have stronger bones if she drank more Bear Brand Adult Plus, with extra calcium to help slow down osteoporosis. Believe me, I'm kinda a legit doctor, osteoporosis sucks.

I don't hate My Bebe Love. I don't think it's bad - it's at best harmless fluff for me. It's very safe, and very much a movie equivalent of a trip to your local McDonalds, where you can eat their new Chicken Fillet Ala King for 59 pesos! That's practically a steal. Or maybe avail of a Happy Meal and score some cool toys. I bought some Happy Meals for Mario toys once. Those were fun times.

That's the thing, I guess. I want a better star vehicle for Aldub where they can show their talents properly. I want a smarter, funnier comedy with clever situational comedic moments (and looking at my favorite film list for the year, there IS such a movie.) I want to laugh, be entertained AND think (sometimes at the same time.) I don't want to be complacent with the same kinds of movies I see every year, I don't want to be safe with my movies all the time, and I don't want to be treated as a target consumer, but as a partner, sharing the art that is cinema with my fellow moviegoers.

There's something else about the film that I could talk about, but I kinda forgot about it. It's probably in this review somewhere. I guess I could eat some Brand's Essence of Chicken (with Cordyceps!) to enhance my memory. Maybe someday I can remember.

Just buy 3 bottles of San Miguel Pale Pilsen & qualify to play the Pilsen Time Pachinco where you can get the chance to win the limited edition San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Mug! - See more at: http://sanmiguelpalepilsen.com.ph/san-miguel-pale-pilsen-beer-mug-promo/#sthash.AwwU9VbU.dpuf

Just buy 3 bottles of San Miguel Pale Pilsen & qualify to play the Pilsen Time Pachinco where you can get the chance to win the limited edition San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Mug! - See more at: http://sanmiguelpalepilsen.com.ph/san-miguel-pale-pilsen-beer-mug-promo/#sthash.AwwU9VbU.dpuf

Just buy 3 bottles of San Miguel Pale Pilsen & qualify to play the Pilsen Time Pachinco where you can get the chance to win the limited edition San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Mug! - See more at: http://sanmiguelpalepilsen.com.ph/san-miguel-pale-pilsen-beer-mug-promo/#sthash.AwwU9VbU.dpuf

Present Confusion Awards 2015

It's the end of the yeaaaaaar! 2015 was a very interesting time for movies, with strong offerings from world cinema. Hollywood continued its trend of releasing franchise films that earned them decent bucks, but the industry overall in a slump. It took freaking Star Wars, the first new movie from the franchise in 10 years, to pull them out of that slump.

As for local cinema, well. This was certainly an interesting year. One notable absence from this year was the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, whose full length section took a 1 year hiatus to focus on developing the feature film participants for the festival's 2016 edition. The festival seems to have learned some lessons from the problems of previous editions. We'll see how this plays out.

In its place, the two most high profile film fests to take its place were the Cinema One Originals film festival and the QCinema International Film Festival. Both had really strong lineups for their competition films, and festival programmers brought over some of the best in world cinema, including a 3D screening of Gaspar Noe's Love(!) Joining them were the first edition of Sinag Maynila, the World Premieres Film Festival and the New Wave section of the MMFF, which was the little mini-festival that could.

There were some landmark moments this year that stood out for me: A large number of local releases inundated our theaters during the months of September and October, including religious biopic Felix Manalo, Nora Aunor starrer Taklub, and runaway box office phenomenon Heneral Luna, whose streak at the box office and positive response from both critics and audiences alike hints that sometimes a film really needs time to find its audience. At its peak, there was a time at my local cinema where all the films that were showing were local films. I haven't seen that kind of lineup in a long time.

Mainstream commercial films were also hugely successful in 2015, including Etiquette for Mistresses, Ex With Benefits and the massively successful A Second Chance, which may be the largest grossing Filipino film of all time. The recent controversial events with the MMFF, however, put a bit of a damper on what was a very positive year. The story is still developing. My thoughts on that are in the previous post.

With that said, here are my completely subjective, somewhat arbitrary  

Present Confusion Awards 2015.

Top Ten Favorite Filipino Films in 2015 (in no particular order)

1. Imbisibol (dir. Lawrence Fajardo) - this strongly acted drama about a group of illegal immigrants in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture got me with its dark atmosphere and tone, as well as its amazing final few frames.

2. That Thing Called Tadhana (dir. Antoinette Jadaone) - I didn't manage to see this film during its initial run in the 2014 edition of the Cinema One Originals Film Festival, so I watched it during its very successful commercial run this year. While probably one of the lightest films in this list, it oozes with charm, and it did help pioneer kilig's emo twin brother, hugot.

3. Manang Biring (dir. Carl Joseph Papa) - a triumph of storytelling complemented with animation, this film treads new ground (at least locally) in creating a unique narrative. Its depiction of a woman's fight against cancer is dealt with dignity (despite being a black comedy in many parts.)

4. Bambanti (dir. Zig Dulay) - This social realist drama is a telling look into our society and the hypocrisies that are closely tied into it. Alessandra de Rossi's performance makes the film work well.

5. Heneral Luna (dir. Jerrold Tarog) - a historical biopic unlike any other, fictionalized in some places but done to serve a greater message. If not for its quality, it's important in the sense that it helped start a conversation about ourselves, our past, present and future history, and our local film industry in general.

6. Baka Siguro Yata (dir. Joel Ferrer) - a Filipino comedy I genuinely like. I honestly enjoyed this almost as much as Star Wars. No kidding. It's thanks to good comedic timing from the lead actor, a witty script and a decent story (that shares similarities with Knocked Up, but with a very Filipino flavor to it.)

7. Apocalypse Child (dir. Mario Cornejo) - Immediately after I saw this film, I knew I had to process it a bit first. In hindsight, I think that this solidly directed character study is one of the best things to come out of QCinema.

8. Patintero: Ang Alamat ni Meng Patalo (dir. Mihk Vergara) - somehow I felt that the director/screenwriter and I had similar vibes, since the references and the way the film was made really resonates with me. It's nostalgic, dynamic and fun at the same time.

9. Ari: My Life With A King (dir. Carlo Encisco Catu) - if it were up to me, I would give this film MMFF's special Cultural Award. It is poetic, elegiac in a sense, lamenting the slow death of our regional languages and culture.

10. Honor Thy Father (dir. Erik Matti) - I have seen this film three times now, and while I admit it does have flaws, to me it is remarkable simply because it doesn't fuck around. A solidly directed story filled with tension and anger, multifaceted characters, amazing acting performances and a relevant message are more than enough to merit its inclusion in this list.

Alternate/Runner-up Films

1. Water Lemon (dir. Lem Lorca) - Deeply affecting character study. Lorca's best so far.

2. Miss Bulalacao (dir. Ara Chawdhury) - Storytelling and ideas with panache. Brave and bold regional cinema.

3. Sleepless (dir. Prime Cruz) - In some aspects, superior to its predecessor That Thing Called Tadhana, but flawed in other aspects. Still very good.

4. Tandem (dir. King Palisoc) - Noir in a quickly developing noir genre established by films like On The Job. One of Nico Antonio's best performances.

5. Anino Sa Likod Ng Buwan (dir. Jun Lana) - While I think it is not as strong as his previous two films Bwakaw and Barber's Tales, this is still a capable film that will keep you guessing until its final gunshot.

Films that I Didn't Completely Watch So I Couldn't Include Them In Any Lists Award

1. Matangtubig (dir. Jet Leyco) - If I had watched this film completely, I think it has a strong chance of being in at least the alternate lineup.

Top 4 Non-2015 Local Films 

1. Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria (dir. Remton Zuasola) - a remarkable achievement of logistics, storytelling and filmmaking.

2. Iskalawags (dir. Keith Deligero) - nostalgic, but in a wistful sort of way. A chronicle of the loss of childhood innocence in a small town.

3. Lorna (dir. Sigrid Andrea Bernardo) - A sort of companion piece to recent films like 1st Ko Si 3rd. A very personal film from the director, and one that is bolstered by a terrific lead performance.

4. Barber's Tales (dir. Jun Lana) - A very capable exploration of politics, gender or otherwise, in a small town setting. Like Lorna (above), it is enhanced by the performance of its lead, Eugene Domingo.

Basagan ng Bote Award - Apocalypse Child

Dissonant but Weirdly Appropriate Award - Macarena, (Toto)

Most PG-13 Rape Scene Award - Angela Markado

National Artist for Ridiculousness Award - Angela Markado

***

Most Enjoyable Franchise Popcorn Movie Award 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - It's Fucking Star Wars.

Most Badass Action Spectacle Award

Mad Max: Fury Road - this would have won the award above if not for Fucking Star Wars

Favorite Documentary of the Year

The God of Ramen - this portrait of a simple man's decades-long devotion to being the best damn Ramen cook around is genuinely affecting.

Favorite Indian Mass Entertainer

Rabhasa - local critics called the story a bit cliche. Since I'm new to Telugu cinema, this somewhat convoluted story was fun to unravel.

***

I want to watch more Asian Films next year. I've been stockpiling my stash. I need to watch a couple (or ten) sooner or later, and new releases will keep adding on to that. And I have a ton of unfinished reviews or whatever you call these things (whoops, TFA Spoiler Review where are you). Whatever. Happy New Year. I'm going to sleep.

p.s. in the spirit of fairness I'm going to try to watch the rest of the MMFF entries. Emphasis on try (depending on schedule).

MMFF 2015: Walang Forever, #MMFF2015Scandal

Walang Forever begins with a juxtaposition of reel and real life scenes, so much so that there's a sense of self awareness to the whole thing. That's because our protagonist, Mia (Jennylyn Mercado) is a writer of a string of successful romcoms. She uses her romantic experiences as templates for her films. But now, after splitting with boyfriend Ethan (Jericho Rosales,) she's kind of in a slump.

The chemistry between the two leads works well in this setting, and they carry much of the movie. I don't know how JM de Guzman would have handled Ethan, but Jericho Rosales shines in this one, especially during the last act. The film had some funny moments, but the comedy is relatively subdued compared to last year's English Only, Please.

There's a small plot element that I wish had been developed further: since our protagonist is a writer for romcoms (is any of this based on real life?) we get a look into how kilig moments are made in board rooms and writers' conferences, where people maximize and/or optimize the emotional impact of characters, scenes and so on. In a way, it's a look at the process of the commoditization of feels.

The structure of the film is very similar to the structure of Korean romantic comedies in the early to mid 2000s - after a very light first half, the tone shifts sharply into dramatic territory during the second half. If you've spent the last hour or so investing in these characters, you're in a good place. If not, you're most likely going to have problems with the way the film develops. The central conceit of the second half of the film comes as a surprise, and its resolution feels like a retread of the kinds of films Walang Forever draws as inspiration. While it is good for eliciting emotions, the last half is formula through and through. What saves it from feeling too familiar is its self awareness. The film knows it's in a kilig/hugot romantic movie and just runs with it.

Walang Forever is decent popcorn fun, with great performances by both leads. Its uneven tone, formulaic final act and conclusion and toned down humor are flaws, but the film knows this and gives us what it can offer.

***

I vote that the poop emoji become the new mascot for the festival.

So thanks to some schedules clearing up, I was planning to watch the rest of the MMFF movies. However, after recent events, I'm having second thoughts about covering this festival. For some reason I hoped that maybe this year, this festival would try to move away from its usual fare and honor good, higher quality films. In the end, everything was mired in politics and capitalism - ticket swapping incidents for the two most popular movies in the slate, pulling movies out of cinemas in favor of other fare, and now this midnight disqualification. This politicization of art for the sake of money is heinous, but given the history of scandals in the MMFF, this is the same shit all over again.

From a purely business standpoint, it looks like a good decision. Moviegoers consist of families on vacation, who will likely take their kids with them, and for the past few decades the aim has been to release cheaply made, forgettable commercial films to entertain as many people as anyone can in a short time. This practice has gone on for decades, and it has been ingrained in us for so long that these kinds of films are the ones we should expect in December that we pass it on from one generation to the next. Now the moviegoing kids of our generation will expect the same thing next year, and the year after that.

The system is clearly broken, but the attitudes of audiences need to change too. If we begin to show audiences high quality movies, people might just realize, hey, I can settle for more. Nasaan ang feel good vibes sa Insiang o Kisapmata? Nasaan ang kababawan at komersyalismo sa Himala? Pinanood naman ng tao yun diba? Kahit na may kasabay silang pelikulang patawa o pampasaya rin? Heneral Luna is an example of a movie where audiences warmed up to it over time, and through word of mouth. As for MMFF entries, English Only Please also had extended runs due to positive response. People have to be given time to appreciate the movies they want to watch. But if you take the them out early, you don't get that time. I know theaters that pulled movies out after just one day, despite what looks like decent box office collections. To me, that's blatantly unfair to the movies in question. I actually don't mind the usual light romcom or horror fare, but for God's sake PLEASE give me an alternative and give me the chance to see it.

Anyway, when all this brouhaha has settled down, a proper investigation is done and due process has been given to the producers, I'll go back to watching the rest of the MMFF. Awards Night is tonight. Let's see what happens.

Or, you know, I could just go back and watch Star Wars another five times. It's still up on IMAX, and at least that's a capitalist machine I enjoy.