Author: Wanggo Gallaga

MOVIE REVIEW: A vibrant city is uncovered by the films in Set B of The Manila Film Festival

Ongoing at Robinsons Manila and Robinson Magnolia, The Manila Film Festival is a showcase of student short films side-by-side by the short films of young, established filmmakers all working around the theme “Manila in Me.” These 12 short films create a tapestry that highlights the dynamic energy of the city of Manila and is a promise of the kind of movies that we will be seeing in the future as these are the filmmakers of the future.

The films of Set B

Set B opens with the short film ‘May at Nila’ by Sigrid Bernardo. This two-hander is heavily reliant on dialogue, and luckily for Bernardo, Elora Jaducana Espano and Veronica Reyes are up to par in being arresting throughout the film’s short run time. But it has a tendency to dawdle and extend. Bernardo’s ‘May at Nila’ explores the hiddenness of same sex relationships in the oppressive era of World War II. The two women discuss their past and present and try to reconcile their revolutionary activities with their own forbidden love. A lot of the film’s narrative potential is delivered in dialogue and this concept feels more suited to a full-length. It deserves breadth and for Bernardo to make use of her cinematic eye to truly situate the oppression of these women in the larger world rather than the tiny space of film’s singular location where the meat of the story happens.

What follows is ‘threefor100,’ which is an irreverent film of different kinds of unusual love stories all set in an ukay-ukay. Written and directed by Cedrick Labadia, the film is gutsy and bold and has a wonderful concept, but it doesn’t quite gather all of its dispirited elements together to tell a whole cohesive story. There’s Nida (Thea Marabut), who works at the ukay-ukay but seems distracted. Dino (Jayson Alcazar) is in love with her as is the fish that can only speak through a radio but she’s in love with a mannequin. Her boss, Aling Chichay (Carla Zarcal) is always at her case, but she’s stuck in love with the ghost of her husband. It’s a crazy bag of stories that should paint a world of irreverent love but fails to justify these love stories or even highlight what is so wonderful about them. The concept is there but as individual pieces, they all have to comment on each other which Labadia isn’t able to accomplish just yet. It’s almost there but not there yet.

Neither does the ‘The Ballad of a Blind Man’ by Charlie Vitug quite land its story about a young woman who is oppressed and held back by her almost blind father. There’s a scripted feel to the way the narrative unfolds, including some rather sentimental cinematic choices that keeps ‘The Ballad of a Blind Man’ from elevating itself from its tired genre. The film is more keen on trying to establish its tone that it forgets to establish the emotional weight of the story: the oppression and the protagonists conflict with her relationship with her father.

Adrian Renz Espino, the writer and director of ‘Ditas Pinamalas,’ on the other hand, goes way too far into whimsy that it never feels grounded enough to land its joke. Ditas (Gillian Vicencio) is an unlucky woman who finds her luck turning when she starts to wear the underwear of her late grandmother. Espino seems more focused towards his off-beat humor rather than making any real strong exploration about fortune and destiny. It could have been forgivable if it landed its jokes but there’s a self-consciousness in the delivery of the scenes that gives away the humor. It tries to hard that it doesn’t quite stick.

My favourite among all the student films, though, is ‘Bahay, Baboy, Bagyo’ by Miko Biong. A wonderful film that juxtaposes the innocence of youth versus the looming destruction of capitalism. It tells the story of Kulas and Gabo (played excellently by Don Rishmond Cerbito and Arkin Torres), who live on the outskirts of the city and their land is about to be taken and developed for gentrification. It’s taken from their perspective and how a simple children’s game can be a metaphor about the ways by which the systems of the world has taken from ordinary people. Biong, with Director of Photography Kinno Toogue do an amazing job at establishing this community. With editors Renjiro Bayani and Janelle Basalo, the camera not only shows us the world that needs to be preserved but the innocence that makes this world so ideal. It’s a simple film but with larger ramification just outside the screen, just outside what these kids are able to comprehend. It’s wonderfully directed and shows incredible restraint.

Capping off Set B is Pepe Diokno’s ‘Lumang Tugtugin’ with screenplay by Guelan Varela-Luarca. This incredibly directed piece is about Angela (Therese Malvar), who returns home to take care of her grandmother (Lui Manansala) while dealing with her family’s past horrors that finds itself ingrained within the walls of the house. It’s a genre piece that bends style and form. It’s a psychological thriller but it is also a domestic drama. But Diokno, along with director of photography Tristan Salas and editor Ike Veneracion, create a dazzling tapestry using techniques of horror to help build the film’s growing tension until its reaches its climax that involves a terrific play of the mise-en-scene that made the whole audience (and myself) applaud with admiration. The film alludes to the past horrors of the house and manages to execute its revelation in such an amazing cinematic way that leaves you breathless. It’s a show stopping ending that reminds you that Pepe Diokno is one of the most exciting young directors working today.

Disclaimer: Please note that movie showtimes are subject to change without prior notice. We recommend checking the latest schedules before planning your visit.

My Rating:

The Manila Film Fest 2024 is happening now at Robinson’s Movieworld – Manila and Robinson’s Movieworld – Magnolia (Limited Screening) until June 11! Check showtimes and buy tickets here.

June 10, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: Over-reliant on dialogue, ‘The Watchers’ offers tepid scares and a flat story

Despite the lush Irish forests as its backdrop and a rather cinematic bunker in the middle of the woods as the setting of this horror film, ‘The Watchers‘ quickly loses any of its mystery and appeal because of first-time feature film director and screenwriter Ishana Night Shyamalan’s inability to wrestle with the film’s massive lore. Based on the book by A. M. Shine, ‘The Watchers’ prefers to keep things hidden; allowing the dread to stem from what we don’t know. This only last for as long as the fear is constant, the characters we’re following are engaging, and the film points out to something bigger.

But that’s not what happens here in the film.

‘The Watchers’ is about an American, Mina (played by Dakota Fanning), who is living in Ireland and running from her past. When her boss at the pet store she works in asks her to drive to another city to deliver an expensive bird to the zoo, then she finds herself lost in an enchanted forest where she cannot find her way out. There she discovers what is called “The Coop.” It is a bunker in the middle of the forest where she is taken in by its current inhabitants – Madeline (Olwen Fouere), Ciara (Georgina Campbell), and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) – and they tell her the rules to survive because out in the woods, when the sun goes down, the Watchers come and they will kill her if she’s not in the bunker by sundown.

All the elements are there to create an engaging story. Who are the watchers and what are they? There are rules to stay alive and, of course, Mina tries to break them because she refuses to be stuck there like everybody else. As some rules are broken, the four are put into danger. How will they get out? What do the watchers want? The list goes on.

But the moment the initial curiosity has set in, the film takes on a very by-the-numbers pace that slows everything down. While the rules are explained and while Mina tries to break them to find her way out, there’s no real sense of danger that sticks. Mina’s backstory is kept hidden from us until halfway through the movie, so we don’t feel that connected to her. It doesn’t help that Fanning, as good an actress as she is, is asked to be guarded and reserved. She’s put a distance between her and everybody in the film so she’s not the kind of lead character an audience can easily warm up to.

Madeline plays out as the older, wise woman character-trope, whose backstory I figured out quite quickly as the answers to the questions start pouring out by the third quarter of the film. Ciara and Daniel are functional but don’t have much to do to make you feel for them in any real way.

What makes the film even less scary is that all the important answers to the questions the film inevitably sets up by its premise is answered through a huge info dump in the third quarter of the movie. They learn the lore of the watchers in one big go that the already languid, tepid pace of the film is even stunted further. And regardless of how you feel about the revelation, without the mystery, the narrative starts to fall flat. What else is there to do now?

I can imagine what this narrative might be like in the form of a book. When you’re reading this story in the comfort of your home and taking the pace that you want, the story can work. The prose can cover up the variety of new information that happens near the end of the story. But for a film, as you near the end, you want the film to go faster to start moving towards its climax but instead ‘The Watchers’ ends up slowing down further to explain.

This has always been the problem of what some people call ‘the mystery box’ narrative. This is the trouble Ishana Night Shyamalan is struggling with in this film.

Once the big struggle is done, the film enters its resolution and then another twist is revealed (like father like daughter, because, yes, she is the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan). It is a twist I saw coming the moment the big info dump has occurred and the sad part is, at the film’s final conflict, it is once again done via dialogue. ‘The Watchers’ starts well with an interesting premise, but it does not keep up with all its elements as the film unfolds. If anything, this is a streaming movie for a dead weekend.

My Rating:

The Watchers is now showing! Check showtimes and buy tickets here.

June 10, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: A vibrant city is uncovered by the films in Set A of The Manila Film Festival

Screening at Robinsons Manila and Robinson Magnolia until June 11, The Manila Film Festival offers two sets of short films, which explores the theme “Manila in Me,” and each set is opened and closed by a young but established filmmaker and in-between are four short films by student filmmakers. The six films in each of the two sets create an interesting tapestry that speaks about the variety and range of stories that are found at the heart of Manila, the seat of our country’s history.

For Set A, the films are prefaced by Dwein Baltazar’s ‘Nananahan,’ a gorgeous meditation on longing and waiting. Shot in black and white, the film is practically a silent film with the most minimal dialogue, if there’s even any. What keeps it from being silent is the exquisite music by Emerzon Tecson and the incredible sound design by Narra studios. The film is shot entirely in a furniture store at the heart of downtown Manila. It’s old and it feels abandoned and the people that hang around here are just waiting while the sounds of the city erupt all around.

It’s still and nothing happens yet a pervasive mood hangs upon the air and it tells the story of a city that is just waiting to be discovered all over again like the furniture in the store and the people that watch over it. Baltazar’s exquisite touch knows exactly how long to hold a scene and when to break it and when the finale comes and the realisation of what it is you’re really seeing hits you, it’s a magical moment that only film can truly capture.

Writer and director Vhan Marco Molacruz follows up after Dwein Baltazar with the road movie ‘Una’t Huling Sakay.’ While the story can be a little contrived, the pacing a little abrupt, what Molacruz does excellently is tell a vivid story about a life on hold. His main character (played by an arresting Gold Aceron) is a habal rider who had to stop his schooling to earn money for his pregnant girlfriend. Molacruz takes beautiful travel shots of Aceron on his bike while using the scenic backdrop of Manila as a means to symbolize the struggles and hopes and disappointment of his protagonist.

Following that is ‘An Kuan’ by writer and director Joyce Ramos. ‘An Kuan’ is tonally exquisite. It’s an absolutely charming film that manages to hit the right comedic tones as it details the struggles of a non-Tagalog speaking mom who is looking for a job in Manila. The film makes use of its rough edges to add a layer of grit that grounds the relationship of the mother (Louielyn Jabien) and her lesbian daughter (Zar Donato) that makes it both endearing and funny. It never takes itself too seriously and by doing so manages to tackles some really interesting themes while taking some very lovely shots of Manila’s coastal areas.

Phi Palmos and Precious Paula Nicole shine with a very nuanced, very powerful performance in Ronnie Ramos’ ‘Happy (M)other’s Day!’. It’s a simple film about a young girl who is navigating the difficulty of finding which parent can come to her school’s Mother’s Day event when she has no mom but two dads. It’s a small, intimate film with a lot of heart and propelled by excellent performances that includes Palmos, Nicole, and Amber Jeshley Gomez, who delivers an excellently matured performance. Unfortunately, Ramos needs to tighten his editing, allowing moments to linger when it should be snappy and manages to downplay the urgency of the story. This would be a stronger film if it had a tighter edit and some more dynamic cinematography that really helps bring you closer into the story.

Finishing off the student films in set A is ‘Pinalakang Tabingi’ by John Pistol Carmen. A lovely little love letter to cinema, Carmen’s short is about two kids who get caught up in a pirated DVD raid in their hometown in the province. The film manages to highlight the issues about accessibility to films while showing the effect a film can have on its young audience. It’s best when it’s playing at the fantasy, with Carmen also doing a really cute interplay between a fictional fantasy movie and the way the kids reenact the scene from this movie. By the latter half, the film dips into a public service announcement tone that can kill the energy built by the film’s first act but it’s charming all throughout.

Rounding up the first set is JP Habac’s ‘Shortest Day Longest Night.’ The film feels very now, very trendy. It has a pulse that belongs to the hip kids and their love for deep conversations and art and pop culture. The film is about safe spaces and how even the safe spaces that are inhabited by the queer community can be violated by members of its own community. Adrian Lindayag and Vaughn Piczon are excellent at embodying two lost souls finding safety in each other’s brokenness. It’s pretty to look at but I’m not a fan of the very didactic and verbose way that Habac approaches this story. So many of the film’s story points are articulated rather than dramatized and I really, really feel that this film is better as a full-length. There’s a world here that should be mined and sifted through and Piczon and Lindayag are excellent vessels for a story like this to unfold. As a short, I felt the story was hemmed in too much by its time constraints and I feel like it would just bloom if it had a full-length feature running time.

Disclaimer: Please note that movie showtimes are subject to change without prior notice. We recommend checking the latest schedules before planning your visit.

My Rating:

The Manila Film Fest 2024 is happening now at Robinson’s Movieworld – Manila and Robinson’s Movieworld – Magnolia (Limited Screening) until June 11! Check showtimes and buy tickets here.

June 9, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: The old school 90s action comedy vibe of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ is very reminiscent of the first film

I completely missed out on the third installment of the ‘Bad Boys’ series of films, the buddy cop action comedy starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. I remember seeing the first two films, but I have completely forgotten most of the details of ‘Bay Boys II’ and as the opening of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ reveals, there are many major events that happened in ‘Bad Boys for Life’ that are sort of needed in being able to follow this fourth installment in the franchise. The details aren’t that integral to the overall understanding of the movie, but you may be surprised (as I was) about certain things like the characters played by Vanessa Hudgens, Paola Nunez, and Alexander Ludwig and that Smith’s Mike Lowrey has a son (played by Jacob Scipio).

In this installment of the franchise, Will Smith’s Mike Lowrey and Martin Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett are caught in the crossfire as their former captain, Joe Pantoliano’s Captain Howard, now deceased, appears in the film as a video and dream sequence while being set up to take the fall by the cartel. Lowrey and Burnett will have none of it and as they try to uncover who in the Miami police department is working with the cartel to tarnish the name of the captain, they end up being framed as murderers and accomplices, along with Mike’s son Armando Aretas (Scipio). Aretas is key here because he’s the only one who has seen the villain’s face (played by Eric Dane).

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence star in Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi

Now fugitives of the law, Lowrey, Burnett, Scipio, and the rest of their team must work to clear their names and stop the cartel from carrying out their plans.

To further complicate things, Burnett suffers a heart attack, an experience that leaves him feeling both immortal and spiritual. On the other hand, the newly married Mike Lowrey must also deal with his own mortality and the fact that his very dangerous life means that his new wife (Melanie Liburd) maybe a widow before the end of the film. These two aspects address the fact that both lead actors are in their 50s. It adds a layer to the proceedings, one that Lawrence mines for all its comedic potential (which is golden if Lawrence’s humor is up your alley) and creates a softness for Smith to chew on for his character.

Will Smith stars in Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi

But outside of this added layer for the characters to play with, the film operates like an old-school 90s action film. It has a vibe and morality akin to the original ‘Bad Boys’ from 1995. Smith’s and Lawrence’s antics are loud and explosive. There’s a macho/testosterone-driven comedy that pervades the film’s tone. The opening scene is Mike driving extremely fast as he appears to be late to a wedding (later on we discover it is his). For a policeman, driving this fast is highly unusual, but considering it’s Miami and it’s Will Smith, the comedic tone of the film asks us to forgive their recklessness. It’s America too, so some jokes involve Smith taking out his gun and pointing it to Lawrence’s Marcus, who is annoying the hell out of Mike with his pseudo-spiritual tirades and belief in his own immortality. Some people try to stop him and call him out (thankfully) but Lowrey quickly hushes them down. He’s a cop so he’s allowed.

Martin Lawrence stars in Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi

This 90s era morality and humor runs through this film but with the directorial styles of Adil & Bilall, it has a pace and an energy that is fit for the TikTok generation. The film’s editing is fast, leaving very little moments to ponder on mortality or morality. The film is jumping from plot point to plot point, from Martin Lawrence joke to Will Smith action pose. When the guns start blazing, it’s loud and geared for excitement. The best fight scenes, though, are given to the younger actors of the film. Jacob Scipio’s Armando engages in an exquisitely brutal fight scene in a prison involving weights, hitting hard and impressing. Meanwhile, Dennis Greene, who plays Marcus’ son-in-law, gets a really nice fight scene mid-movie that plays off like a video game.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence star in Columbia Pictures BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. Photo by: Frank Masi

In fact, aside from social media videos, ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ also takes a lot from video games as it captures a segment of the final face off in the style of a first-person shooter game.

In all honesty, ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ is not my kind of movie. It absolves its heroes of their most toxic traits because they are the good guys as well as it glorifies and romanticizes the violence that the good guys take to solving the problem. But as I was sitting in a packed theater while watching this movie, I also noticed the laughter from the people around me and the electricity in the theater that showed that this dynamic still has a lot of juice left in it. The fact that it takes the old-school route showed that they knew their market and what it took to keep them happy.

For what it was: a traditional, classic action comedy film, ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ checks all the boxes. And just in case people have not forgiven Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, well, that’s referenced in the movie too (and it got the loudest reactions from the audience).

My Rating:

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is now showing! Check showtimes and buy tickets here.

June 6, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ is an epic film but is too deeply connected to its predecessor

It’s been nine years since ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ but the world that George Miller created still lingers as one truly unforgettable onscreen depictions of a brutal post-apocalypse fit for cinema. The stunning visuals of that movie still linger in our minds and returning to this world, this time to explore the backstory of Fury Road’s most magnetic character: Imperator Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron) instead of the franchise’s grounding character Mad Max, can be a daunting task. Remember: Furiosa is such a beloved character, and we are coming fresh from the sand dunes of Arrakis from ‘Dune: Part Two.’ How will ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ stand up to that burden?

Fortunately, Miller has come back to the franchise with a lot of his old team: Nico Lathouris returns as his co-writer for this movie, Margaret Sixel returns to the editing chair, accompanied by Eliot Knapman, music scorer Tom Holkenborg and production designer Colin Gibson and a lot more have returned to the wastelands of the Mad Max universe alongside the visionary director. ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ is connected to its narrative sequel, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ so delicately that it’s a film that feels incomplete without it.

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Everything about this new movie is big and explosive. It’s 148-minute running time is filled with impressive fight sequences that feel completely different from that of the previous film. The film opens up the world and explores the inner workings of the broken civilization that is at work. The Citadel that is heavily featured in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ becomes a key location and its inner workings and politics comes under view as well as the economic systems that are at place – Gas Town and The Bullet Farm – that answers any sort of questions like “where do they refill all the gasoline used by their cars” and “how come they never run out of bullets?”

© 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

A lot of the world has opened up now and Furiosa (played in the movie by Alyla Browne as the younger version and Anya Taylor-Joy as the older version) becomes our eyes, the foil by which this world is seen or understood and experienced. The story begins with Furiosa taken from her home, a place of abundance, and she is brought to the roving warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), who holds on to her as she is the only one who knows where the place of abundance is. Along the way, Dementus makes a play for The Citadel and its ruler Immortan Joe (played Lachy Hume). During their battles, the young Furiosa is traded to Immortan Joe, and she manages to find herself working in the garage and armory of The Citadel. Here: she becomes an invaluable crew member to Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) and the key to an opportunity to go home opens up as well as revenge for the horrors that Dementus had put her through.

The movie is cut up into chapters and through this narrative we see the trials and challenges that Furiosa faces that will turn her into the badass we get to see in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road.’ The world building of this movie is immense, and it really widens the scale and scope of the franchise as it has never been done before. It’s no longer a post-apocalyptic nightmare (like the first three movies depicts, though it has been a while since I last saw the films) but it becomes a place where hopes and dreams can somehow take fruit, if the person is strong enough. We know this because we’ve seen the previous film. We know what Furiosa will become and what she will accomplish. Without that knowledge, ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ can feel repetitive and unnecessarily brutal.

© 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

Don’t get me wrong: there’s so much to love and enjoy in ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.’ There’s a kookiness and an irreverence that I can best describe as being very Australian that keeps the imagery a fresh balance of silly and cool. It vacillates effortlessly from epic to comical. This is also best exemplified by Taylor-Joy’s (and Browne’s) ferocity in their portrayal of Furiosa and the way by which Hemsworth embodies the unhinged reckless abandon of Dementus. In fact, Miller manages to emphasize his thesis about the nature of how humanity has broken in its efforts to survive this barren wasteland and one can’t help but feel he’s making a commentary on our world at the same time.There’s even a magnificent 30–35-minute fight sequence that brings Taylor-Joy from the bottom of a war rig all the way above it and inside the driver’s seat and it’s just incredible. It matches anything that was previously done in ‘Fury Road’ (though there is way more generous use of CGI effects, which was not apparent or obvious in the previous film). The film has stunning set pieces and fight choreography. It has gorgeous long shots of motorcycles and other vehicles moving through the sandy dunes of the Australian Outback. In IMAX, the images are absolutely stunning, meeting the high expectations of any George Miller epic.

© 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

But the story itself is deeply connected to its predecessor.

I feel that ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ has a difficult time standing on its own. It’s bleak. It’s obviously a set up and it requires ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ to fully flesh out its narrative ambitions. Without spoiling anything, I think it is telling that after the film ends, the credits are interspersed with scenes from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ and its effect amplifies the energy and meaning of that first film.

It’s an incredible experience but it feels incomplete on its own. It’s obviously leading to something and without it, it’s just a lovely watch.

My Rating:

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

May 27, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: The faulty metaphor that plagues the family-friendly film ‘IF’

There are several structural problems that is plaguing John Krasinski’s latest writing and directing effort, the family friendly ‘IF,’ which kind of makes the film feel like a major misfire from the filmmaker behind the brilliant ‘A Quiet Place.’ While the latter film was so cohesive in terms of its metaphor and the family dynamics, ‘IF’ suffers from a lack of any real backstory that can ground the characters to a plot line that can make you feel like the story is getting somewhere. It doesn’t help that the aforementioned IFs – an acronym for Imaginary Friend – plays out like a metaphor that isn’t representing anything really clear.

‘IF’ is about a young girl, Bea (Cailey Fleming), who goes to live with her grandmother (the brilliant Fiona Shaw) while her father (John Krasinski) prepares for an undefined operation. Bea has already lost her mom to what looks like cancer, so she is guarded, reserved; putting up a brave front. But while living in her grandmother’s apartment (where she grew up as a kid), she begins to see imaginary friends, animated beings who have been abandoned by their kids when they grew up. Her new neighbor, Cal (Ryan Reynolds) can also see them and together, they try to find new kids for the imaginary friends to bond to so that they don’t “disappear” or go away.

With a cast that includes such big names like Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski, plus the voice acting of people like Steve Carrell, Emily Blunt, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sam Rockwell, and so many others; while wrapped up in the tender genre of a built-for-children family drama with lots of CGI characters, you’d think that this would be a sure-fire hit that would be impossible to not get right.

But there are a lot of holes that doesn’t quite get answered by this film that stops it from finding its stride. So, if the imaginary friends are all cut out from their kids because they grew up, how come those who are children now don’t seem to have any of their own? While Bea goes to visit her father at the hospital, she meets Benjamin (Alan Kim), who is recovering from an accident. He doesn’t have his own imaginary friends and becomes a potential new child to bond with the older IFs. But how come the current children don’t seem to have any?

And then, despite moving back to New York City, Bea can enter and leave her grandmother’s house without any fanfare. I’ve never been to New York, but I find it so distant from reality that a young girl could walk around the city streets – sometimes at night – without any adult situation in these scary, and dangerous times. Much more, with a stranger she just met that week. Sure, it’s Ryan Reynolds, but he’s a grown man who can also see IFs.

We don’t know much about Bea and her dad and her mom, though we understand by the implications of flashbacks and quick montages that the loss of the mom had a profound effect on her. It’s why Bea seems so mature and old at the start of the movie. She echoes Ryan Reynold’s Cal in the way he seems so bothered or frustrated by this whole IF business but the moment she is introduced into their world, she suddenly makes a 180 degree turn and does a full-on dance number (to a Tina Turner song) that includes all the abandoned IFs and to annoy Cal even more. It’s tiny shifts like these that create an inconsistency of character and plot that pervades throughout the film that does not allow it to land any of its emotional moments.

In fact, there’s an overuse of a lovely score by Michael Giacchino that relentlessly plays over everything, trying to underscore what should be emotional moments but they don’t quite get there.

Other than the inconsistency, the biggest issue is that the Imaginary Friends are supposed to serve as a metaphor for never losing your inner child – something that can be related to Bea’s father’s inability to take anything seriously – and while that makes for a good premise of a movie; the imaginary friends and their goal for finding new kids to connect with doesn’t quite figure into the overall theme the movie is trying to push. When the theme finally does come through, the whole story pivots but it doesn’t really play out the rewards and consequences of this realisation in any significant manner. There’s a lot of happiness and congratulating happening – as one would expect as the film serves as a family-friendly affair – but we don’t know why, and we don’t know what for.

At a hundred and four minutes, close to two hours, this movie never managed to find its stride and never really managed to pin down their characters or the world-building to a place that allows you to enjoy what is happening. For a filmmaker who managed to score a home run in his first outing with ‘A Quiet Place,’ I feel the marketing may have been too generous with its hyperboles when they were selling this movie. This isn’t the charming little family comedy it’s dressed up to be.

My Rating:

IF is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

May 19, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: A cynical hero’s journey, ‘Monkey Man’ is an impressive debut by Dev Patel as a director

There was a peculiar realization to watching the trailer of ‘Monkey Man’ on the big screen that made me a little nervous about watching the film. When I first saw the film’s trailer on social media, I watched it in the little screen of my phone and found the visuals absolutely stunning. The gritty images compounded by the dark color schemes that are suddenly punctuated by bright flashes of light or color; the hard-hitting action scenes that is amplified by the fast-cuts and stirring use of music: I was spellbound by what I saw and couldn’t wait for the release. But the moment I saw the same trailer on the big screen, something was diminished. The shots were so close to their subject, everything was in extreme close-up, the power that was emanating from my cellphone screen was gone in the big screen.

When I finally saw ‘Monkey Man’ in the big screen, it has a similar effect, but it creates a tension in the film that somehow adds to its magic.

Directed and co-written by Oscar nominated actor Dev Patel, ‘Monkey Man’ is the story of a man who is hell bent in taking revenge for the destruction of his home and the murder of his mother. Patel (with co-writers Paul Angunawela and John Collee) follow a sort of mold of revenge films that creates context through its relentless violence. On the top of my head, I can think of films like ‘Kill Bill Part One’ (as I’ve not seen Part Two), the first ‘John Wick,’ and just recently ‘Boy Kills World’ that represents this genre of moviemaking. The story starts with the Monkey Man, who earns a living fighting in an underground fight club wearing a monkey mask (hence the name), already making his moves to take down the corrupt chief of police, Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher), who beat his mother and set her on fire while his men torched his village.

The film takes its time to show us Monkey Man’s motivations, showing us just flashes of imagery triggered by sights and sounds that he experiences on his path of vengeance. He discovers that Rana (and his boss) frequents a high-end brothel called Kings. He makes his way to find work there and get inside so he can get closer and closer to his target. Along the way, his mission allows him to witness the harsh class disparity between the rich and the poor in the city of Yatana, and how the elite class has corrupted the city with their greed, drugs, corruption, and prostitution. Through his journey, he will see the growing popularity of a populist leader disguising himself as a spiritual guru rallying the people to his side while the marginalized groups are harassed and abused much like the farmers of Monkey Man’s home and another set of outcasts: a transgender community living in a temple.

The extreme close ups I was complaining about runs rampant through this film and it gives a sense of claustrophobia and an absence of scale and size, for a film that has such large themes adjunct to its main story. And that’s when I realized, as the film goes on, and Monkey Man’s purpose seems resolute and single-minded in its fury, that the film’s framing of this world is so tiny because the protagonist’s on view is so small. He can only see his revenge.

Patel wanted to create an action thriller with a lot more to offer, including his own culture, and he does in droves. He opens his film with a story of Hanuman, a deity who appears in the shape of a monkey. The imagery and his stories are interspersed into the narrative and Monkey Man takes on this mantle, but he does not envision himself as the hero that a film in this genre may set him up to be. It’s all there, really. But, no, Patel infuses Monkey Man with such a ferocious, singular desire and that’s for revenge. It’s why I feel the camera does not open up. It’s why the social commentary this film makes about the corruption and brokenness of Indian society – in the reality created by the film – never feels addressed or judged. It’s there. It’s present. It causes such suffering, but the film only merely follows Monkey Man.

It’s such a confident, purposeful directorial vision for the first-time director. There’s such a wonderful texture that he creates on screen with the juxtaposition of the worlds of the rich and poor – the neon, luxurious excess of the brother Kings and how it compares to the alleys and side streets that Monkey Man escapes too when it all gets too much. At one moment, you’re listening to dance music from the club and the next moment, you are watching a hard-hitting fight scene to heavy metal music. I’m not an expert in South Asian films or the Bollywood aesthetic but from the little I know; the indulgence of style is heavy in this film and I’m all for it.

It’s visceral experience that revels in its blood and gore with no real intent for redemption or grace or reason. ‘Monkey Man,’ as a movie, is a sort of cynical and jaded hero’s journey with no real catharsis waiting for you at the end. It’s a hell of a ride if you’re up to it.

My Rating:

Monkey Man is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

May 18, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: This isn’t just monkey business: a review of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’

The latest set of films under the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise – ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,’ and ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ – was actually a very satisfying, grand epic that had its own pulse, heart, and soul. Lead by the very charismatic Andy Serkis (even in a motion capture performance) as Caesar, the franchise has a solid foundation and history to build upon a larger world that continues from this first trilogy. This is how director Wes Ball, with screenwriter Josh Friedman, manages to skillfully bring the franchise forward, working on the legacy that Caesar has built while introducing new characters and a new facet of this world.

In ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,’ the story is set “generations later” after the death of Caesar and the world has changed. Humans have gone feral and lost the capacity of speech, and different clans of apes now roam the planet. One clan of apes, the Eagle Clan, live secluded from the rest of the world in a hidden valley. Here, they tend and bond with eagles and live relatively peaceful lives until another ape, Proximus, and his kingdom of apes have come to capture more to expand and strengthen his kingdom.

A scene still from 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

We follow the story of Noa, a young chimpanzee, and son of the master of the birds. He and his friends are looking for eagle’s nest to take an egg to bond with, so they have an eagle of their own as they mature. It’s a ritual that members of their clan must undertake. The first twenty minutes of the film establishes this new world and the daily lives of the Eagle Clan. It’s wonderful world building, as Ball and Friedman do a fantastic job of making us recognize these characters and finding what makes them relatable.

(L-R): Noa (played by Owen Teague) and Koro (played by Neil Sandilands) in 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Noa (played by Owen Teague) in 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

But everything is torn upside down when Proximus’ people attack and burn everything down and Noa is left for dead, after he witnesses the death of his father during the assault. He must now explore the world outside his valley and discover the truth about the world. He will meet humans and other apes and discover the legacy of Caesar and a surprising discovery about the history of this world.

Noa (played by Owen Teague) in 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ is an excellent science fiction movie as it uses the conventions of the genre to truly iron out real world issues and problems. Interestingly enough, the world is now populated by different clans and species of apes, the new dominant life form, but the troubles that plague them now are not so dissimilar to the issues we face today. Compound upon this fact is that while humans have gone feral, there are other aspects to them that keep them as an integral part of the equation. This tension is only just beginning.

(Center): Freya Allan as Nova in 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Ball and Friedman do not take a full-on action/adventure route though much of the film’s structure follows the classic hero’s journey. The film is at its best when it ruminates and explores the complexities of society and civilization and the morality of how the apes treat the humans. Noa because a wonderful foil to project our own questions and difficulties. It is one thing to be lawful and to be just, but it is also another thing to be righteous. They do not necessarily mean the same thing and in the ways by which Noa and Proximus collide and engage, these themes come jumping out into the fore.

(L-R): Noa (played by Owen Teague) , Freya Allan as Nova and Raka (played by Peter Macon) in 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The CGI effects and motion capture work is excellent as it really creates the illusion that these apes have taken over the planet. They have all the physicality of their species, but they also share and exhibit human mannerisms and behaviour. The voice acting of the cast – Owen Teague (Noa), Kevin Durand (Proximus), and Peter Macon (Raka, an orangutan, who is aware of the true legacy of Caesar) – really helps sell the story and add the depths needed that keep ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ an engaging film that we can all enjoy and also learn from.

Proximus Caesar (played by Kevin Durand) in 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

A scene still from 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The film boasts of an epic scope and scale, large themes about civilization and society, great big action pieces, and some wonderful acting through its motion capture and CGI technologies creating a grand science fiction spectacle that is just suited for the cinematic experience. There’s talk that this is the first of a new trilogy in the franchise. If this is the direction they are going, then I’m excited and eager to see what comes next.

My Rating:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

May 9, 2024
REVIEW: ‘Bar Boys: A New Musical’ is a triumph of a show, no objections

It has been a while since I’ve seen an original Filipino production that really moved me in the magical way that a good theater show really does. That ones that do are usually revivals (so you know that these are new, creative restaging of tried and tested works) or they are new jukebox musicals, in which case, they are hampered down in terms of concept and narrative structure because of the parameters of the existing songs. While based on a film by Kip Oebanda, ‘Bar Boys: A New Musical’ has such vibrant energy that is rooted in its wonderful cast and an excellent book that any of its weaknesses are overshadowed by all the play’s strengths that I found myself laughing loud, crying in certain scenes, and leaving the theater energized and inspired.

Directed by Pat Valera and Mikko Angeles, with book by Pat Valera and all new songs and music by Myke Solomon, ‘Bar Boys: A New Musical’ is an exciting new production that manages to capture the idealism and verve of the youth while also navigating this revolutionary spirit through the harsh realities of the world.

The play is, afterall, about four young friends who enter law school. Erik, Chris, Torran, and Josh come from very different backgrounds, but they all have the best of intentions in becoming lawyers. In fact, right before they enter law school, they are part of rally for their presidential pick – and based on the colors and the sentiments that are ingrained in the song, you know who they are voting for – and we see their hopes and dreams in full view. And then we see it struck down by the realisation that their beliefs are not shared by the rest of the country and the other candidate wins instead. They are now more galvanized than ever to enter law school to change the world.

Bar Boys set | Photo by Kyle Venturillo

The play’s first act then goes through the highs and lows of the four law students as they face various challenges and harsh realities: demanding teachers, fraternities, the demands of law school, and their own interpersonal relationships begin to suffer. Each one is also defined by their own backstory. Erik comes from a humble background, with his single father working as a security guard for a factory. Torran is a legacy child, whose loving mom can be a bit overbearing in her hopes that her son can also become a lawyer and carry the family tradition. Josh is filled with the youthful enthusiasm to change the world – he’s an environmentalist with hopes of using his law degree to make significant changes to the injustice of the world. Chris is the wealthiest of the four, and the most hard-working with the most go-getter attitude of the bunch. But Chris and Torran have secrets that will add another layer of challenges for them to deal with as the play unfolds further.

The first act is both funny and harrowing – detailing the difficult life of law students and how much they have to sacrifice to be able to meet their dreams. The worst part is the cold hard reality of how unjust this world is starts to bear down on them while still in school. It’s just a taste for what’s to come for all these characters.

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The four leads are all terrific actors. Omar Uddin is extremely charismatic as Josh. Uddin keeps Josh from becoming the typical probinsyano stereotype. He incredibly shifts from Bisaya to English to Filipino, code switching when needed, showing off his dynamic skill sets but when reality rears its ugly head, Uddin manages to show Josh’s fragility in such a manner that makes you care for him as well as invest in his sudden transformation. Jerom Canlas is solid as Torran. He’s not as flashy as a performer at the other leads but when Torran’s secret is discovered halfway through Act One, the added nuance to his character allows him to really show off his acting chops. Alex Diaz infuses Chris with so much earnestness that he propels the show forward. It’s Chris’ idealism that serves as the fulcrum that allows the play to really test the limits of justice. Diaz has an innocence that never gets cloying. He makes Chris believable without making him annoying or corny, an incredible feat on his own. But it’s Benedix Ramos who really steals the show. If Alex Diaz fuels the play, Ramos is the show’s beating heart. His Erik is not rich, but he manages to instill such dignity in the character that it becomes the play’s center. All this talk of justice and goodness and righteousness only means something because Ramos has made Erik so symbolic of this and every interaction, he has with Juliene Mendoza (who plays Erik’s dad ‘Paping’) or Shiela Francisco (who plays Justice Hernandez, one of their mentors) the soul of this production.

Alex Diaz plays Chris Carlson, Nor Domingo plays Atty. Maurice Carlson | Photo by Kyle Venturillo

Sheila Francisco plays Justice Hernandez | Photo by Kyle Venturillo

We see the struggles of these kids as they must grow up so quickly in front of our eyes. There’s a wonderful directorial and production design decision that the four years that transpires in act one is marked by the upgrading of the clothes that characters wear. It’s such a small, tiny thing but it helps create the feeling of the passage of time that adds depth to the play’s story.

The four leads are also very fortunate to have an incredible supporting cast to prop them up. Mendoza and Francisco are incredible (both their scenes near the end are the reason why you must bring tissue to this production) as well as Gimbey Dela Cruz, who plays several characters as well as Torran’s mother. Topper Fabregas is excellent as Victor Cruz, an attorney who also ends up teaching the boys in one class. Rounding up the cast are Nor Domingo, Kakki Teodoro, and Carlon Motabato.

Alex Diaz plays Chris Carlson, Jerom Canlas plays Torran Garcia | Photo by Kyle Venturillo

But I’d really like to take this opportunity to point out what an excellent ensemble this show has. Diego Aranda, Joshua Ade Valenzona, Edrei Tan, Jannah Baniasia, Anne Cortez, Uzziel Delamide, and Meg Ruiz form the world that this play exists in. They are a protean bunch who, in one moment are part of the crowd in the rally or help transition scenes from each other by becoming people riding the MRT but they also end up filling up the classrooms of the law school sequences were they play particular students who have their own personalities. For that one or two lines that they have, they take the spotlight and elicit their own reactions from the audience and then they quickly disappear and become part of the crowd all over again. They are singing, dancing, filling up the spaces, and helping this play feel big and believable. It’s one of the best ensembles I’ve seen in a long time.

The play, though, is not perfect. While a lot of the original songs of Myke Solomon are great, there are some songs that don’t end with any finality – so sometimes the audience doesn’t know how to react; do they clap? Is it over? – while others tend to come off a literal or may be better spoken rather than sung. My biggest gripe comes from the choreography which I find a strange mix of contemporary movements and urban, and street movements. The movements don’t feel natural to the play. The play is so bound in reality, and contemporary themes and language and the choreography feels so classical and old school. There’s also so much of it like in one song, early in Act One, Chris sings about what his dreams are – for a place he can call home – and suddenly, the ensemble comes in and starts dancing around them. It felt so intrusive because this was a tender moment for Chris and his friends. A full-on dance number wasn’t needed at this point in time. There are a lot of moments like this when there’s just too much choreography in the show.

Also, the PowerMac Spotlight doesn’t have the best acoustics or technical components when it comes to sound. So the voices of all the actors are distorted by the microphones and speakers of the venue. It’s such a shame because the play is so rooted in that human element.

But it’s a small gripe when you consider the fact that this show manages to tackle so many different important themes without sacrificing any of the fun of a theater show. It’s very funny but it is also very relevant. And when you talk about justice and youthful idealism, I feel that this play can be quite timeless because the issues that are brought out as case studies for the young lawyers-to-be are morality issues that will be discusses over and over again through time.

And as the play talks about the harsh realities of the world and the cracks and loopholes of the justice system, it still manages to keep the stories very human and relatable. This is best shown in a showstopping number when Josh narrates a big song number about waiting for the results of the bar exams. The fantastic ensemble is on stage and Uddin conducts their emotions and it’s such a powerful, stirring scene that even I got goosebumps in this moment. It was so relatable because the whole first act showed us how hard it was for these people to get to that point.

It’s the way that the book of ‘Bar Boys: A New Musical’ is structured that all the emotional payoffs hit all the right notes.

I would love to see this show again and bring more people onboard. I’m so happy it is doing well because this is a show that really is in synch with the Filipino sense of joy and hard work. It speaks about our hopes and dreams and while it does not shy away from the harsh realities of life, it manages to find an answer to the pervasive question of why we should keep fighting when injustice makes it so difficult for the good people to win.

There’s so much more I want to say but I’ll keep it as simple as this. This show needs a re-run. No objections.

My Rating:

Bar Boys: A New Musical is currently running at Power Mac Center Blackbox Theater until May 19. Tickets are available via Ticket2Me (bit.ly/barboystickets) and show buyers.

May 8, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: Relentless with its jump scares, ‘Tarot’ is more exhausting than scary

‘Tarot’ is the kind of old-school horror that foregoes character development, or even plot, and is only interested in setting up the frightening parts and the jump scares. It’s the kind of film where the characters have no real lives outside of this movie. They have no past except for those that are needed for this particular event and, sometimes, it only comes up when it’s needed to keep the story moving. Because the film is all about the shock and surprise factor, it is ridiculously fast-paced and relentless in its suspense that watching the whole 92-minute run time can be exhausting.

The film, directed and written by Spencer Cohen and Anna Halberg is about a group of friends who rent out an old mansion in the Catskills, in the middle of nowhere, to celebrate a birthday. When they run out of beer, they decide to search the house to see if it has any liquor left. One member finds a door with a “Keep Out” sign and decides to break it open to reveal a staircase leading down to the basement where old antiques re kept. They find a box with hand painted tarot cards and decide to have one of their friends who knows how to use it give them all a reading.

Of course, the tarot reader, Haley, begins by saying “It is bad luck to use someone else’s cards” but they push her anyway. The readings are descriptive and connected with each character’s astrology sign. It’s a long segment that can be very derivative and pedantic and seems like a callout to the trend of the younger set very steeped into the esoteric. I’m into astrology and tarot myself, at some point in my life, but even I found it annoying.

From the get-go, I already didn’t like these people. Sure, their friendship was quickly established – and what’s great is that they really felt like friends with some dynamic that was easily established – but the way by which they searched the house for liquor and the fact that they were all okay with breaking a locked down of the rented mansion and touched antiques to quell their boredom already told me that I was going to side with the monster in this movie.

Of course, the tarot cards are cursed and Haley’s readings for each of her friends start to come true. The figures in the tarot come to life and start to kill them one by one. The film actually reminds me of the classic horror franchise ‘Final Destination.’ The deaths have already been laid out in the tarot reading segment in the first act and all we have to do is watch them unfold.

Outside of the curse coming to get them, there’s nothing else really in this film for us to latch on to. They say they are students, but we never see them study or go to school. We never see them really interact with anybody (except two detectives who question them after the first death) so there’s no feeling that this is an actual place or people that can help us endear these characters to us.

Sure, Haley and Grant, her former boyfriend who she just broke up with before the film starts, has some tension but with the film focusing so much on the killing of people one by one, it hardly takes any time to develop these feelings or the tension.

The imagery is so dark and editing is so quick and fast-paced, it’s really meant to disorient you and to raise up the dread level and then surprise you with a jump scare. The whole film feels like it’s 80% that and 20% of the characters interacting with each other. Sure, there’s a moment where they talk about the history of the tarot cards but it’s all just lip service.

The film tries to make a statement about how we can sometimes leave our fates into the hands of external forces – faith, destiny, chance, or whatever – and that it tries to embolden us to fight it and make our own way. But it really doesn’t handle that message well. What happened to them, after all, was their fault for touching things they should not have and so it’s a hard lesson to sell when there’s no sympathy coming from my side. If you’re a fan of brainless horror with relentless jump scares, then this is your kind of movie.

My Rating:

Tarot is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

May 6, 2024