Author: Wanggo Gallaga

Movie Review — Cinemalaya XXI: Raw but Very Charming, ‘Republika ng Pipolipinas’ Is a Film Made for These Times

There is a lot of charm in Renei Dimla’s ‘Republika ng Pipolipinas.’ A seasoned scriptwriter with over a decade of experience and a Palanca Award under her belt for her screenplay of ‘Katay’, Dimla marks her debut as director with this film and while the script is funny and passionate about its subject matter while the direction could still use a bit of tightening up in some parts – comedy is very tricky to pull off, after all – but for a first time director, it’s quite laudable.

‘Republika ng Pipolipinas’ is a mockumentary that follows the story of Cora Vitug (Geraldine Villamil), who decides to give up her Philippine citizenship and decides to start her own country, Pipolipinas. Cora has lost her land through some political maneuvering, and she now stands firm in not giving up her farm and establishing her micronation. As her story goes viral, she finds other people willing to join her micronation, including the actress Alessandra De Rossi (playing herself), and the fight for her right to keep what her family has worked on for several generations start to escalate as evidence of corruption starts to appear.

RUPUBLIKA NG PIPOLIPINAS | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

As a mockumentary, ‘Republika ng Pipolipinas’ takes on a documentary approach to the telling of the story, though at times, the film takes on an omniscient point-of-view in order to capture some of the funnier moments through cinematic frame rather than the personal, documentary style. The inconsistency of the mockumentary style weakens the overall delivery of the message as some parts hits hard because of the aesthetic and then, as it shifts to a more narrative POV, it tends to lose that bite in favour of its more comic moments.

And this is also where Dimla’s inexperience comes in. Comedy is all about timing. It’s about setting up the joke, making the punchline land, and then moving on to the next scene. There are moments when the scene lingers, allowing the punchline to settle, which kills the comedy. There are lines and actions that could have been funnier if the edit was quicker, snappier. Comedy is all about timing and ‘Republika ng Pipolipinas’ would benefit for not underlining the jokes.

But with that being said, there’s a lot to enjoy in the film. When the jokes land, it lands hard. The whole ensemble is fun to watch as they are obviously having fun with the material themselves but it never feels like an inside joke.

RUPUBLIKA NG PIPOLIPINAS | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

RUPUBLIKA NG PIPOLIPINAS | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

Villamil is excellent as Cora Vitug, giving off a fiery temperament as she goes head-to-head with the local government but softens when she takes care of the people around her.

RUPUBLIKA NG PIPOLIPINAS | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

And the film is not without its hard-hitting political messages, these moments of insight about the failure of our government to protect its people and the interest of the citizens, that works well within the framework of the mockumentary aesthetic. It’s why the consistency of the form would have been preferred.

RUPUBLIKA NG PIPOLIPINAS | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

‘Republika ng Pipolipinas’ feels big and manages to make a mountain out of this tiny micronation in the middle of the rural area of the country. Villamil and the rest of the brilliant cast help create a believable struggle that is a shared struggle with every other Filipino. It is so timely with the issues currently at hand in government with corruption in every corner. Its timeliness supersedes its little flaws because its heart is as big as its rather moving ending.

Republika ng Pipolipinas is showing on the big screen! Check cinema showtimes near you and grab your tickets today!

This year, don’t miss Cinemalaya 21: LAYAG sa Alon, Hangin, at Unos happening from October 3-12, 2025! Witness another stellar lineup of stories that will move you and showcase the brilliance of Philippine cinema. Follow the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya for updates!

October 8, 2025
Exclusive: Disney+ Press Conference for Their First Period Drama ‘The Murky Stream’

ClickTheCity was invited to attend (virtually) the press conference for Disney+’s new K-drama – their first period drama – ‘The Murky Stream.’ This exciting nine-episode series promises to be an action-packed story set around corruption in the Gyeonggang River, where all trade takes place. It follows the bandits who dominate the ports and illegally impose taxes that put pressure on the merchant class. The drama revolves around a laborer with a secret past (Si Yul, played by Rowoon), the young leader of a merchant guild (Choi Eun, played by Shin Ye-eun), and the newly appointed officer with a connection to Si Yul (Jung Chun played by Park Seo-ham).

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

Hosted by the go-to MC of these events, Park Gyurim, she leads the actors up onstage one by one for photos. In attendance were Rowoon, Shin Ye-eun, and Park Seo-ham, along with Park Ji-hwan (who plays the bandit leader Mu-deok), Choi Guy-hwa (who plays a corrupt police official), Kim Dong-woon (who plays a mysterious Jurchen warrior), and director Choo Chang-min.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

Surprisingly, when posing solo, the three young leads looked a bit awkward as they pose in front of the photographers. But once Rowoon, Shin Ye-eun, and Park Seo-ham were called onstage together, they instantly loosened up and began to have fun. Their cute and playful side suddenly came out, laughing and teasing each other as they posed. They seemed far more at ease and in their element when they are in a group.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

Right off the bat, host Park Gyurim remarks about the show’s particular focus. Unlike other period K-dramas, ‘The Murky Stream’ tells a very different kind of story from what we are used to seeing.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference | Director Choo Chang-min

Director Choo: “The period piece is usually about the kings and the royal family. What drew me to this script was this was a story about the “low lives.” These groups are essentially bandits. That really drew me in.”

With such a story, it required a certain transformation for its lead star, Rowoon, who is more known for his charm in such roles like ‘The King’s Affection, ‘Tomorrow,’ ‘Extraordinary You,’ and ‘She Would Never Know.’ But here, we see a completely different Rowoon. On the previews and on the trailer, he’s dirty and grimy. He’s always covered in dirt and sweat, and his countenance is marked by facial hair, which may be make-up.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

Rowoon: “Director Choo told me that he wanted to take away my “coolness” or my stylishness, which he said was one of my weapons.” Now that he didn’t have that in his arsenal, Rowoon said he had “to bring in something new to the role” that he had never done before.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

Park Ji-hwan: “We were playing bandits so we were dirty, and I could just lie on the floor and it would be okay.” He also remarked that he and Rowoon avoided taking baths, “I wouldn’t even wash up,” he said but laughed and said “Rowoon always smelled good.”

Affectionately, Rowoon quickly responded, “You were smelling my soul.”

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

This was further expounded by Shin Ye-eun who said: “We were under the sun and Rowoon was sweating all the time and he wouldn’t take a fan in-between take. He was so sweaty, but he wanted to keep it. It made it look and feel real.” But Rowoon was quick to point out that his role was that of a bandit, so he had “very little clothing on” but added that Shin Yeeun was playing a merchant and was “dressed in layers and layers of clothes but you’d never see it bring her down.”

This sense of camaraderie was ob full display onstage. The three young actors kept exchanging compliments and were very grateful for the senior cast members for all their generosity and support. Director Choo Chang-min shared that it was important for him to work with a younger generation of actors and “match them with veteran actors” to create a synergy on set. The approach clearly worked for him as he later remarked that “It was a fun set to work in. Everyone was having a good time. People were joking and just enjoying themselves.”

For the show, the grand scale of Choo Chang-min’s vision meant having to build the set on an exterior location. “98% of our shoot was on location,” Rowoon explained. “We had no interior shots (soundstage), and it helped us really immerse in the world,” he added. Choo shares that he “tried to shoot in a soundstage with CGI but we decided to find a location and capture it using minimal CGI and I’m very happy about that decision.” Along with the production design, the action choreography is immense so much so that Rowoon almost threw up while working on a fight sequence because he was working so hard. Seo-han shared that he had to “train in swordsmanship, archery and horseback riding,” which audiences will get to see by Episode 2. Rowoon continues saying, “Our action scenes are very raw and very athletic. We made sure that each character has a go-to weapon during fights, and it would be nice to see the audience try to figure out what the go-to weapons of each character are.”

With its grand visuals, complex characters, and a story set against backdrop of Gyeonggang River, The Murky Stream marks a new chapter for Disney+. Don’t miss the next episode to see where the river leads.

October 7, 2025
Movie Review: Cinemalaya XXI: ‘Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan’ Is a Politically-Charged Love Letter

While the film opens with a disclaimer that the events and characters depicted in ‘Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan’ are purely fictional, there’s no doubt on the event that director and writer Dustin Celestino is exploring in his movie. The narrative begins during an election, where a woman candidate loses, leaving her campaign team, Kiko (Jojit Lorenzo) and David (Zanjoe Marudo) to deal with the crushing blow of defeat. Kiko’s wife, Bea (Dolly De Leon), a history professor, begins to spiral after the winning candidate turns out to be the son of the former president whose regime caused the disappearance of her father decades prior. In the midst of this, David begins dating Mela (Mylene Dizon), a constitutional lawyer and the daughter of the general who is suspected of being the executioner of that same president.

BTS HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

These four characters wrestle and struggle with the shifting political landscape, dissecting the loss of history through technology and changing social norms, while desperately trying figure out where hopes lies when the truth no longer holds power.

HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

Once again, Celestino takes what is essentially a theatrical narrative and manages to turn it cinematic by his dynamic use of camerawork, lensed by the incredible Kara Moreno. Each duet (as most of the scenes happen with only two people talking) or the powerful dinner sequence with all four leads together, can be imagined as scenes from a play. They are verbose, the characters figuring out the world through dialogue. It’s didactic, for sure, but the setup is so precise that allows for these conversations to happen.

HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

Kiko and David, former speechwriters for the female presidential candidate, are articulate and intelligent. David even being a professor of Greek mythology before joining the campaign. Kiko and Bea are also intelligent and articulate people, with Bea being a history professor. All their conversations echo the kind of conversations that might have transpired back in 2022, on the actual election that this film is obviously inspired from.

HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

Adding to the mix is Mela (Mylene Dizon), the mercenary constitutional lawyer who grew up in privilege and possesses the strength and confidence to speak her mind. She, too, is a forced to be reckoned with. These characters and the situations Celestino chooses to portray onscreen is permissible for his exercise in exploring the issues of disinformation and the absence of truth (or the lack of power of truth) in today’s socio-political discourse.

BTS HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

Moreno’s close-ups are strikingly intense, they move in really close, oftentimes cutting off the headroom at the top of the frame, as Celestino is putting equal emphasis on their emotions as well as their reasoning; even when emotions sometimes overcome reason. It is so close, almost claustrophobic, that I feel that a story that is talking about real-world events needs a shot of the world being discussed.

BTS HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

As I’m watching this film, and enjoying this philosophical debate, I found myself looking for the world that they are talking about. Maybe some exterior shots, some long shots of the characters within that milieu. By keeping everything so close and so intimate and personal, I do not see the world that the characters are struggling so hard to save.

BTS HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

BTS HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

With this powerhouse cast, though, the acting is superb. It’s an ensemble piece that also features Anna Luna as Mela’s sister, Nanding Josef as Mela’s father, Frances Makil-Ignacio as the female presidential candidate, and Andoy Ranay as the newly elected president. Each one delivers a nuanced performance, barely acting, just being their characters. They throw the lines so effortlessly, truly encapsulating the character’s milieu, their intelligence.

BTS HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

But the scene-stealer here is Mylene Dizon. Her character is so complex and is right at the point of realisation, as she is dating the activist, David. She balances between indifference and waking up to the horrors of her family’s past. It’s such a delicate moment for her character, and Dizon nails the performance to a tee.

BTS HABANG NILALAMON NG HYDRA ANG KASAYSAYAN | Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division’

On a technical level, ‘Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan’ is an exquisitely crafted film. Its movement between characters, crisp dialogue, and masterful shots and framing are all executed to perfection. The performances are exemplary (and may win the film an acting ensemble award). However, its focus on just its characters can make the film feel small when it’s talking about a society that is crumbling apart. It’s intelligent but its emotions can feel stifled by having it focused solely on the characters. What is sure is that this film has an intended audience, a cinematic group hug for people who underwent the same thoughts and emotions these characters are going through.

Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan is showing on the big screen! Check cinema showtimes near you and grab your tickets today!

This year, don’t miss Cinemalaya 21: LAYAG sa Alon, Hangin, at Unos happening from October 3-12, 2025! Witness another stellar lineup of stories that will move you and showcase the brilliance of Philippine cinema. Follow the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya for updates!

October 7, 2025
Movie Review — Endings and Beginnings: A Review of Cinemalaya XXI Opening Film ‘The Elysian Field’

The Indian film ‘The Elysian Field’ opens Cinemalaya XXI with a poignant story about how the modern world is slowly wiping away small villages and what that looks like. This slice-of-life story gives us a peak at a secluded village in Meghalaya in the northeastern region of India. The village has only six inhabitants left and their lives are completely intertwined.

Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division

The film opens with Livingstone (Albert Mawrie), who is coming home on a bus with the coffin of his recently deceased wife, Belinda. As he arrives, the three remaining men of the village – Complete (Richard Kharpuri), Promise (Merlvin Mukhim), and Friday (Jeetesh Sharma) – help carry the coffin down across a huge field, two bridges, a hill, and further along back to their secluded village. There they are joined by Maia (Baia Marbanjang) and Miss Helen (Helen Duiia), Livingstone’s mother. Over the course of the film, we see how life fares in this empty town that is surprisingly filled with life. We see them struggle with electricity, gossip about each other, a romance begins to bloom, and the spectre of death hangs above them in their little village filled with empty houses and ruins.

Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division

Written by Paulami Duttagupta and directed by Pradip Kurbah, the film immerses us in a world that is slowly fading away. Set against the gorgeous Meghalaya landscape, we are transported to a place seemingly beyond time and geography. To be able to resupply, the villagers must take the one and only bus back to the city (of which there are no scenes) and the impression is given that this is a whole day affair. The rest of the time is spent living out their days in the empty village, cooking food for each other, drinking at nights, and living truly as one community.

There are story elements that pop up: Belinda’s children from before her marriage to Livingstone are contesting her will and Livingstone must deal with the litigation and go to the city every now and then, Complete is fighting with the government for not providing service to their tiny village, Promise must continue to fix every issue involving electricity and electronics, while Maia finds herself wooed by some of the men in the village.

Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division

But none of these take center stage in the story. These are just activities in the lives of the people of this secluded little town, and the film manages to show us this burst of live despite the fact that it is also dying right in front of us. There’s no future here. At some points, the men begin to dig graves for all of the inhabitants so that it wouldn’t be left to the women if the men died first. But while the threat of extinction hangs above them, they are just filled with life.

Photo courtesy of Cinemalaya / CCP Corporate Communications Division

It’s a gorgeous movie once you allow its languid, almost dreamlike pace to sink in. The way by which this small community engages with one another is very Filipino in spirit and in values. It’s a love letter, for sure, to a way of life that is slowly disappearing and while this may be a Northeastern Indian issue, this could very well be a small town in Northern Luzon or in the mountains of Mindanao. While being inherently Meghalayan in culture, the way director Pradib Kurbah puts it in his camera frame makes it utterly universal.

The performances are exquisite, with Marbanjang being the heart and soul of this ensemble. Her warmth is the center of which the community revolves around. The acting is so natural, so subtle and layered. It makes the film poignant and funny all at the same time.

The Elysian Field is showing on the big screen! Check cinema showtimes near you and grab your tickets today!

This year, don’t miss Cinemalaya 21: LAYAG sa Alon, Hangin, at Unos happening from October 3-12, 2025! Witness another stellar lineup of stories that will move you and showcase the brilliance of Philippine cinema. Follow the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya for updates!

October 6, 2025
Disney+ Streaming Review: ‘The Murky Stream’ Starts Strong With a Transformed Rowoon Heading This Incredible Ensemble

The first three episodes of Disney+’s new K-drama ‘The Murky Stream’ have dropped, introducing a dark, gritty world of the underworld surrounding the ports of Korea’s past. A period drama in the time of Joseon, ‘The Murky Stream’ stays away from the stories of kings and nobles, as most period K-dramas tend to do. Instead, the focus is on the merchant class and the bandits and how criminality and corruption festers at the underbelly, far away from the king’s gaze. Director Choo Chang-min, best known for his work on film, brings his cinematic style to this nine-episode drama and tries to keep it thrilling at every turn.

The story revolves around Jang Si Yul (played by Rowoon). Si Yul is a laborer in the docks, treated poorly by the bandits who charge exorbitant prices to carry goods in and out of the boats that belong to the merchant class.

Source: Disney+ PH FB

The head bandit in Si Yul’s district, Park Mu-deok (played brilliantly by Park Ji-hwan), is now just a shadow of his former self. It is implied he was one of the first bandits in the area but now he’s old and a coward and the younger bandit leaders bully him and make fun of him. His contemporary, Deok-Gae (Choi Young-Woo), now oversees all the bandits in the area, and their relationship is an interesting one. In the first two episodes, Si Yul suffers every hardship imaginable until he finally snaps and faces off with Choi Eun (the formidable Shin Ye-eun), the daughter of a prominent merchant family who is taking leadership of the merchant’s guild, whom he believes has avoided payment for his labor.

Within the first three episodes, we see Si Yul challenge the status quo and finds himself at the crosshairs of Mu-deok, who plans to use him and his strength and fighting skills to regain his past glory as frightening bandit. Along the way, the show also portrays the depths of the corruptions of these faraway towns as the police inspector Lee Dol-Gae (Choi Gwi-hwa) is set up to the main antagonist of the show. By the second episode, we see a young new officer, Jung Chun (Park Seo-ham), who is disgusted by all the corruption surrounding the police bureau and who has a connection with Si-Yul.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

The way the show shifts and turns are promising a complex story about the fate of the towns surrounding the Gyeonggang River that questions whether righteousness can survive in such a place.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference | Director Choo Chang-min

Director Choo Chang-min ensures that the action sequences are hard-hitting and brutal, while the world he builds is gritty and grounded. The bandits, especially Mu-deok and Si Yul are always grimy and dirty, a stark contrast with how clean and put-together Choi Eun and Jung Chun are. The show presents all the characters are leads and it feels like an ensemble piece, though we know Rowoon’s Si Yul is at the center of it. No character feels underutilized in the first three episodes.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

And what a transformation for Rowoon! Gone is his charm, as Si Yul is unlike any character he has played before. He barely speaks and has to project his inner world through his eyes, which are almost always glaring. It’s amazing how the star of such popular K-dramas like ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘The King’s Affection’ could play someone so broken down and undignified.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

Shin Ye-eun continues to show off her talents as Choi Eun. As the merchant’s daughter, she is capable and fearless but also way in over her head. She was amazing in ‘Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born,’ practically stealing the show from the amazing Kim Taeri and in ‘The Murky Stream,’ she doesn’t disappoint.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

This marks Park Seo-ham’s first mainstream role after gaining popularity from his previous role in the hit BL series ‘Semantic Error.’ His face gives away all of Jung Chun’s shock and disappointment and his expressive eyes help us understand his character’s motivations and agenda, as he has yet to show his full backstory.

Photo courtesy of Disney+ | The Murky Stream Press Conference

But the most striking of all performances is Park Ji-hwan’s Mu-deok. Park Ji-hwan’s filmography is extensive, and I’ve seen him in ‘Gyeongseong Creature,’ ‘Our Blues,’ and most recently in ‘Seoul Busters,’ where his comedic timing is off the charts. But here, as Mu-deok, he is both frightening as he is pathetic. He’s a completely different person altogether and he’s primal and really all strung out. It’s an incredible performance as he does not play for sympathy. He’s the one to watch in this show.

As Disney+’s first period K-drama, they are really hitting hard. The show looks expensive, and the scenes are grand. The story is complex and the dynamics of the characters within the first three episodes promise to be very intriguing. Whether the show can wrap things up within nine episodes is suspicious. The set up is big. The story seems grander than what nine episodes can hold.

My Rating:

Catch the gripping twists of The Murky Stream now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Don’t miss the next episode to see where the river leads.

October 3, 2025
Movie Review: The Relentless ‘One Battle After Another’ Utilizes Great Filmmaking to Distract From Its Political Commentary

Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ is a satirical action thriller that never takes a moment to breathe. It reminds me of his earlier work, one of my favourite films, ‘Magnolia,’ where throughout the film’s 188-minute runtime we witness a multi-character drama that never ends and never lets up. For 188-minutes, ‘Magnolia’ gives us scene-after-scene of high drama, characters at their lowest point, one after the other that leaves you breathless. ‘One Battle After Another’ feels exactly like this but instead of drama, it is danger, it is action, it is comic, and it is relentless.

The story revolves around Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio), an explosives expert who is part of a revolutionary group called French 75. Alongside his partner Parfidia Beverly Hills (Teyanna Taylor), they commit robberies, armed breakouts of illegal detained immigrants, shut down power grids, and the like all in the name of toppling the capitalist overlords of America. Pat and Parfidia fall in love and become a couple but Parfidia is also the obsession of Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), a high-ranking soldier whom she humiliates during one of their revolutionary attacks. When one of their missions go astray, Parfidia is taken into custody and Pat changes his name to Bob and he takes their daughter, now called Willa (Chase Infiniti) and escapes into a sanctuary town. But Lockjaw is not done, he goes after Willa and Pat/Bob must rescue his daughter as the world continues the fight he has left behind when he went into hiding.

Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another”
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

‘One Battle After Another’ is a dark, cynical look at today’s world, written by Anderson, who was inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel ‘Vineland’. The world he creates in this movie satirizes both revolutionary movements as well as the conservative people in power as the film tangentially tackles racism, immigration, and different forms of oppression. I say tangentially, because the film takes the point-of-view of Pat/Bob, who we get the impression is a middling revolutionary at best. When he moves to the sanctuary town, he becomes addicted to weed and is a drunk and has left that whole world behind. When his daughter gets taken, he must return to the movement, but the movement has continued on without him. As Lockjaw practically invades the sanctuary town and its primarily Latin American population, the people of the town are ready to fight back but all of this goes over Pat/Bob’s head. He only has one thing in mind: getting Willa back.

Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another”
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

What’s incredible about Anderson’s direction and writing is how he put together a feisty film criticizing American politics while distracting us from it with humor, fast-paced suspense and action, and an incredible filmmaking style that has us at the edge of our seat throughout the entire film. Shot magnificently in IMAX by cinematographer Michael Bauman. He shifts from a handheld to wonderfully cinematic long shots that truly capture the scope of Anderson’s vision. The film is also scored by the incredible Jonny Greenwood, who uses a jazz score to constantly keep us from ever feeling settled. The syncopated, discordant notes are always keeping us on our toes, never allowing us to breathe.

Everyone in the film is incredible. Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn remind us why they are Oscar winners by completely inhabiting their characters and are playing it to the hilt and allowing for both the seriousness and the silliness of their characters to its full measure. Teyana Taylor is a force of nature as Perfidia. She’s commanding. Her permanent scowl evokes a fierceness that she brings with her to every scene.

Chase Infiniti never gets swallowed by the sheer talent that surrounds her, standing on her own two feet, and shows off a powerful screen presence. Benicio Del Toro is such a wonderful presence as Pat/Bob’s only friend and the de facto leader of the Latin American community in the sanctuary town.

Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another”
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The film is equal parts funny and thrilling, there’s very little to not enjoy in this movie. But what I love most about it is the way Anderson centers the film on two white people in a predominantly Hispanic and black and female, where one (Lockjaw) is the epitome of the conservative American white supremacist and the other (Pat/Bob), who is completely disconnected from the greater battle that surrounds the film as he only cares for his own personal mission to save his daughter. The way the film represents the current racial crisis in America is so obvious to me despite it not being in the front and center of the narrative. There’s no preaching or moralizing here. The film takes a whole hour to set up the backstory of Pat, Perfidia, and Lockjaw and then the next hour to have Willa taken and Pat-now-Bob chase after her. It’s clever and well-hidden in a flurry of great filmmaking.There’s no question this will to be a front-runner come awards season and it’s definitely one of my favourite cinematic experiences this year.

My Rating:

One Battle After Another is showing on the big screen! Experience Thomas Anderson’s relentless, thrilling vision the way it’s meant to be seen. Check cinema showtimes near you and grab your tickets today!

September 29, 2025
Theater Review — A Very Beautiful Mess: A Review of the Theatrical Adaptation of ‘Dagitab’

The theatrical adaptation of the Gian Abrahan film ‘Dagitab’ is a gorgeous work of theater. It’s a vivid and vibrant exploration of a marriage untethering and of youthful desire violently taking form. Adapted and directed by Guelan Varela-Luarca, the play makes full use of its space and the sparse (but striking) stage design by D Cortezano and the versatility and power of its cast. You are at the edge of your seat the entire time as these lives are unfurling before your eyes and its breathtaking to watch.

The story revolves around a married couple, Issey and Jimmy, who are sort of rockstar professors in UP. Issey teaches writing classes and a renowned poet while Jimmy is an anthropologist, working on a new book. There’s love there between them, obviously, but when the play begins, we are seeing the tear in the relationship in the way they converse and argue. Issey is leaving for a workshop while Jimmy is out to explore a mountain looking for a “sundang,” a mythical blade from his research and a sore spot for Issey.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

In the writing workshop, Issey gets close to her 17-year old godson, Gab, who is a freshman in UP and a promising nonfiction writer. Soon, Gab falls for Issey and makes a move, which Issey tries to resist but her strained relationship with Jimmy becomes her excuse to give in. Complicating things further is Gab’s roommate at the workshop, Angelo, who is an older student and a “workshop veteran,” who falls for Gab.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

What’s amazing about the play is how clear each character’s motivations are: how the script maximizes its 2 hour and 20 minute runtime for us to really see the struggles of each character as the actions they take are much more complicated than what they appear. As the narrative unfolds, Jimmy’s trek to the mountains is an attempt for closure of a personal matter of which Issey is aware of. This affects Issey’s own self-worth which manifests in the way she deals with Gab. For Gab, there’s a conflation between his physical attraction to his godmother and his own ambitions to be a writer of worth, which is mirrored by Issey’s own stature. Angelo plays counterpoint, someone who is aware of the boundaries and is careful on how to breach it, unlike the other three.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

Valera-Luarca makes full use of Cortezano’s minimalist design. On stage, there’s only two tables and three stools but these become a car, rock formations in a forest path, a bar, the home of Issey and Jimmy, and bedroom shared by Gab and Angelo at the workshop. Off stage, there’s a huge tree and a mound made of paper, which correlates to Jimmy’s own journey into the mountains, and it has its own special moment.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

The actors come to move the stools and tables to establish the scene, but it also mirrors the interior world of the characters. At the start of the play, the tables are filled with paper. As the story progresses, the paper starts to fall off and fill the floor, symbolic of how messy things are getting. All of this is further enhanced by the lighting design of Jethro Nibaten. With barely anything on stage, the light changes help clarify the scene changes.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

But the space is further enhanced by Varela-Luarca’s direction allowing multiple characters on stage at any one time. When Issey is talking to Gab about her husband, Jimmy is on stage as well, acting out her story. If Issey and Gab have a fight, he storms off and sulks in a corner, while Issey and Jimmy act out the next scene while Gab is huddled in one corner, lost in his thoughts. It gives the impression that the imagined and the real are existing side-by-side and even if people are not present in the scene, their presence are there, just in the background occupying space. The mess these characters get themselves in keeps them always in mind.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

And these characters are brought to life by a brilliant cast. Benedix Ramos is striking as Angelo. The way he hovers around Gab betrays his vulnerability despite his tough exterior as a “workshop veteran.” Angelo uses physical proximity to lure Gab in, and Ramos never plays it aggressively. He’s subtle. It’s quite enjoyable to watch. Jojit Lorenzo is always reliable, and you can see this in his portrayal of Jimmy. He’s a man living in two worlds, one with Issey and another in his past. He declares his love for his wife but there’s something in the back of his voice that betrays his inability to move on. It’s quite thrilling to see. Elijah Canlas is revelation on stage as he plays Gab. I’ve seen him in many movies and he’s such a chameleon. He transforms once again and manages to infuse Gab with the unrestrained passion of a 17-year-old. He’s naive and full of energy and you almost forget that he’s not 17.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

But this play becomes a showcase of Agot Isidro’s boundless talent. As Issey, she’s a force of nature. She fills up that stage with Issey’s verve and power. She loses herself dancing in one scene and then transitions to the next scene where’s suffering a hangover and it’s really there for you to see. Despite Issey’s strong personality, Isidro manages to let slip her vulnerable side too, one that Issey thinks she’s hiding but Isidro lets out in a gesture, a look, an inflection of her line delivery. This is some of the best work I’ve seen from her.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

While the sound design by Carlos Hombrebueno creates an interesting soundscape that highlights the mood, my issues about the sound in the PowerMac Spotlight Black Box theater is still present. Sometimes the mics lose their volume, sometimes you’ll hear static. Oftentimes the musical score is louder than the actors. But it’s negligible and the actors power through.

Scene from ‘Dagitab.’ Photo by IR Arenas (@irarenas)

‘Dagitab’ is just an incredible theatrical experience that also hits close to home as someone who has been to some of these writing workshops. The characters are familiar to me, and these stories are stories I’ve heard before. And how it comes to life on stage is such an enjoyable experience. People around me were crying, I was gasping and reacting strongly at every powerful line delivered. This is truly great theater.

My Rating:

Dagitab runs until September 29, 2025, at Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati. Tickets are available at Ticket2Me.

September 26, 2025
Movie Review: Too Big but Not Too Bold in ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’

It’s a strange thing to know that a film is bad, but it hits you hard anyway. That was my experience watching ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.’ The film directed by Kogonada and written by Seth Reiss and starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell is beautifully shot and well-acted, but the film’s story is bogged down by an earnestness that leans towards the contrived. The whole film feels manipulative, blasting you with a lush musical score and wall-to-wall songs, trying to elicit an emotional reaction while providing simplistic and easy answers for the challenges that face its complicated characters.

David and Sarah (Farrell and Robbie) are strangers on the way to attend a friend’s wedding. David’s car is indisposed, and he spots a poster for a car rental service on the wall where he parked. It leads him to an empty warehouse where two attendants (Kevin Kline and Phoebe Waller-Bridge) ask very strange questions before renting him a car with a GPS. We see him arrive at the wedding along with Sarah, also driving the same car model. They are introduced at the party and immediately enter a flirting game with Sarah coming in strong and David, quickly shying away. As they leave the following day, David’s GPS begins to talk to him and asks him if he wants to take a “a big, bold, beautiful journey” to which he answers “yes.” This journey leads him to Sarah, whose car has broken down, and together they follow the navigation that leads them to doors that lead them into their past.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

There’s a lot of promise here as we discover how David and Sarah have remained single – David, who seems to be afraid to take the leap, and Sarah is constantly sabotaging her relationships – and the two are navigating each other’s traumas to try and get the other to take the plunge. It’s a very verbose film where these two characters are saying exactly what they feel without inhibition. At times, it can get charming, but that’s because Farrell and Robbie are acting the hell out of this script, but as the narrative draws out, it starts to become cloying and tired. It never seems to progress to something concrete.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

And Reiss’ script creates a very simple formula for these two characters: key moments in their past has led them to this and the depths of David and Sarah’s complications seems too great for something than what is presented. Maybe it could work if it were a simple direct-to-streaming film with actors who weren’t putting too much into their characters, but this movie is trying to live up to its title: it’s big and bold and beautiful. The imagery and grandeur of its filmmaking make the simplistic writing really come off as weak and easy.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

But for some reason, the film got to me. The majestic score by Joe Hisaishi and the cinematography by Benjamin Loeb just worked magic. It was manipulative, for sure, trying to hit all the emotional peaks but it’s also the sincerity of Robbie and Farrell that hit me in my tender spots. The way the film asks us to take a risk for love resonated with me. I am not exactly sold on the writing, but the message was loud and clear.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

I left the cinema torn. I could tell that the writing was bad and that the director was doing too much to land the emotional beats but because it spoke to me on a personal level, it still did the trick. I wonder if I watch this film again when I’m more settled with my own issues if that magic would still work. Films can do that sometimes and I love that about it. You could like a movie even if you know it’s not good.

My Rating:

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is still showing on the big screen! Don’t miss the chance to experience this heartwarming adventure on film. Check cinema showtimes near you and grab your tickets today!

September 23, 2025
Movie Review: Gorgeously Shot, Lav Diaz’s ‘Magellan’ Invokes Thoughts but Can Leave You Emotionally Blank

I still haven’t really found my way into fully grasping slow cinema, and Lav Diaz’s ‘Magellan’ continues to revel in the qualities of that cinematic mode. With the gorgeous cinematography of Artur Tort, ‘Magellan’ is filled with lush imagery and exquisite framing that forces us to look at nature, its sheer beauty, and then juxtapose it with the violence of colonization. I find that Diaz’s work is very cerebral, something that demands your attention and immersion; and this film has a thin narrative (which is my bailiwick), leaving all of the work that we want from the story for the image to deliver.

On the surface, the film follows Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (Gael Garcia Bernal) coming back to Portugal after his participation in the capture of Malacca, where he buys a Filipino slave whom he calls Enrique (Amado Arjay Babon). Our protagonist tries to convince the king to allow him to circumnavigate the globe to find a different route to Asia in order to find new trade routes without competition.

When his proposal is rejected, he brings this to Spain who then gives him a ship to find that new pathway to the unconquered lands. At sea, he must face storms, mutiny, and even starvation but soon they arrive on the shores of Cebu.

We all know what happens next.

As straightforward as this narrative seems, Diaz takes his usual distance from his subjects, allowing his camera to contextualize his characters in the vastness of their ambitions and their place in the world. We don’t even get to see Gael Garcia Bernal’s face until one hour into the film (I know, I checked) when he gets his first close-up. At the distance that he takes, we see these images like paintings, depicting moments of great import – the capture of Malacca, the mutiny on the ships, the arrival at Cebu, the blood compact between Magellan and Raja Humabon (Ronnie Lazaro) – we witness its epic scale, but I feel unable to grasp what he’s trying to say.

He makes no hero of Magellan. We see him marry his nurse (Angela Avezedo) and leave for his expedition while she is pregnant. He sentences two of his crew to death after being caught in a homosexual affair below deck. In the shores of Cebu, he quickly converts natives into Christians and destroys their idols and wooden statues of their gods. But never does he explore his hero’s interiority.

We have long, still shots of Magellan in rumination – about what exactly, we do not know – and this is juxtaposed by stunning shots of the nature that surrounds him in his voyage. Maybe colonization is a force as powerful as nature, which makes the pushback of the Filipinos at the end of act three its own show of force.

Still, this is Magellan’s story, not the Philippines’. Enrique barely gets to have a moment for himself until his own participation is revealed at the end of the film through a voice over. No contrast or juxtaposition between these two characters that could somehow contextualize Diaz’s stand about these events in the film.

While I’m left emotionally empty after watching the movie, I have to give kudos to how beautifully shot ‘Magellan’ is. Diaz’s mise-en-scène, paired with Artur Tort’s exquisite handling of light and color, draws you into the metaphysical nature of Diaz’s films. It forces you to really look and what I saw was the violence of colonization and Magellan’s own ambitions that led to his own demise. It’s undeniably thought-provoking, but at 160 minutes, and leaving me feeling emotionally blank, I feel it’s not my favourite of Diaz’s works.

My Rating:

Lav Diaz’s Magellan is still showing in cinemas. Don’t miss the chance to experience it on the big screen, check showtimes and get your tickets here.

September 18, 2025
Theater Review: The Two Sides of GMG’s Staging of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’

I knew nothing about the show coming into the Solaire Theatre on press night for ‘Dear Evan Hansen.’ I knew that it was a popular musical – it won six of the nine Tony Awards it was nominated for, including Best Musical and Best Score, and was later adapted into a film – and that Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the music and lyrics, are well-loved songwriters having written the songs of ‘La La Land,’ ‘The Greatest Showman,’ and a Broadway musical that I love, ‘Dogfight.’ I was expecting a great show, due to this popularity and how it’s the “favourite musical” of my close friends. What I was not expecting was to be pulled in two very different emotional directions.

Photo by Marc Brenner

First off, as a show, ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ was quite strong. The set design by Morgan Large along with the video direction and design by Large and Ravi Deepres, really created such powerful images, quickly transforming the stage from bedroom to school hallway complete with lockers, to a kitchen or a living room. The sets just swipe in and it’s quite a feat to watch. The stage is practically empty except for when the different set ups just rush in to complete the scene while the video wall in the back can heighten a song by creating a dazzling display that highlights the context of the scene. It’s so brilliantly put-together that it was doing exactly what it should without overwhelming a scene. The cast was quite strong, especially Ellis Kirk, who played the titular role of Evan Hansen, and Rebecca McKinnis, who plays Evan’s mom, Heidi. Both Kirk and McKinnis really brought the play to the emotional level it needed to go to and they were the cast’s strongest singers to boot.

Photo by Marc Brenner

The direction by Adam Penford allowed the show to shift and slide off to its comedic moments but can throw itself into its much darker themes when it has to. The cast do quite a good job at playing high school kids, though Tom Dickerson just looked like a mature man to effectively sell the character of Jared, Evan Hansen’s neighbour and only confidant. He did as best as he could to try and portray a teen but his height, body frame, and looks just went counter the imagery that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief. I had no trouble with the others, most especially with Kirk and Zoe Athena, who plays Zoe Murphy, Evan Hansen’s crush in school.

Photo by Marc Brenner

The songs of Pasek and Paul are so good that you can understand why the musical won a Tony, and it’s an overall good production. What shocked me, though, was halfway through the first act, I started to feel very uncomfortable with where the show was going narratively. The book by Steven Levenson details the story of an anxious high school senior who is tasked by his therapist to write letters to himself every day to help with his anxiety, hence the name of the play. After an encounter with Connor, the school bully, one of Evan’s letters gets mistaken for having been written by Connor and Evan begins to lie to try and become part of a larger narrative. Connor happens to be Zoe’s brother, Zoe being Evan’s crush in high school. The suicide shocks the whole campus, and it is even more shocking to discover that Connor had a friend and it’s the socially awkward outsider, Evan Hansen.

Photo by Marc Brenner

What makes the show so uncomfortable is how far Evan takes this lie and how much bigger the misunderstanding grows. It gets so big that, at some point, it becomes harder and harder to imagine how the story can properly position Evan into a place where he can be forgiven for what he’s done. Lives are changed, perceptions are altered, and even a movement begins, and it’s all based on a lie from one socially awkward young man with a serious mental condition who just wanted to belong.

Photo by Marc Brenner

The play never actually manages to properly give any sort of justice to the characters of the story. The way it handles all the deception was so uncomfortable to me that, no matter how powerful McKinnis sings her song near the end of Act II (‘So Big So Small,’) as she cradles her son when he finally tells the truth to her (after he does such a horrid thing to her as well) I found myself so incapable of connecting. People around me were sobbing as Evan sings his regret (‘Words Fail’) in a powerful ballad but nobody is there to hear him. It’s a soliloquy but it does not equate to asking for forgiveness. Not in any way that is meaningful to the ones who were hurt.

And I sit in my seat, amazed at how Kirk manages to keep me invested in his performance despite my inability to connect with the character he plays; this role would kill a lesser actor. Instead, I think about the women of the show – Zoe, who was terrorized by her brother when he was alive, Connor’s mom, and Evans’ mom – who all have to suffer from Evan’s deceit, yet must somehow forgive him because he’s broken and not let him face the full consequence of his actions.

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I sit there wondering how to feel. The performances were great. That stage design and the video wall made so much theater magic with something so simple. And yet, I just couldn’t bring myself to empathize with story. A lot of people did, though, but I felt like justice was denied and that it wasn’t fair. I didn’t want to applaud that, no matter how good the production was.

My Rating:

Dear Evan Hansen runs until October 5, 2025, at The Theater at Solaire. Don’t miss the chance to experience this Tony Award-winning musical live on stage. Tickets are available at Ticketworld.

September 17, 2025