Tag: Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Funny and Smart, ‘Black Bag’ Is a Different Kind of Spy Movie

A spy film like no other, ‘Black Bag’ veers away from other espionage thrillers by focusing on the interpersonal relationships of spies working together in one office. While the main plot involves uncovering the leak of a top-secret software program called Severus, the method of discovering the leak delves into the personal lives of six operatives of the British Intelligence. Unlike the tongue-in-cheek professionalism of James Bond or tight-camaraderie displayed in the Mission Impossible franchise, the Steven Soderbergh-directed movie is unafraid to show the massive dysfunction in the world of spies when no one is expected to tell the truth and lying is as easy as breathing.

George (Michael Fassbender) is tasked by his boss to find the leak within the British Intelligence office, and one of the five suspects is his wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). George is cold, almost sociopathic is his cleanliness and his stoic demeanor but what is evident is his love for his wife. It’s a rarity in the office, it seems, of a healthy, loving relationship in an office where cheating among partners is almost expected.

Goerge invites to dinner at home the five suspects including his wife: Clarissa (Marisa Abela), her boyfriend Freddie (Tom Burke), James (Rege-Jean Page), and the agency’s psychiatrist Zoe (Naomie Harris), who is also the partner of James. What begins is a game of cat-and-mouse as George plays an intricate game to discover who amongst the five leaked the information and what unravels is a hilarious exploration of messy relationships and an abuse of power.

Yes, the main plot is that of the spy thriller but what is really at play here is how Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp untangles the complications of such characters whose very jobs is to keep secrets. To keep work separate from their personal lives, agents just say “Black Bag” – a code that signals they can’t answer any question because it involves a mission or classified operation. It puts to test the bonds of the only two characters who seem to not have an issue with keeping secrets from each other: Kathryn and George. But when Kathryn is implicated, George must figure out whether she really is involved, and the audience is left to wonder if he will try to protect her or will he expose her.

Cate Blanchett stars as Kathryn St. Jean in director Steven Soderbergh’s BLACK BAG, a Focus Features release. Credit: Claudette Barius/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.

This isn’t your typical spy thriller that’s action-packed and explosive (though there is one explosion in the whole film). But it’s explosive and action-packed in the way that it reveals how these characters work and interact. In fact, it even borders into comedy by how messed up they have become living the lives that they do. Marisa Abela’s Clarissa is one of the funniest as the youngest person in the room, so she’s a little more brazen, a little more adventurous and not realizing how high the stakes can be.

(L to R) Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean and Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse in director Steven Soderbergh’s BLACK BAG, a Focus Features release. Credit: Claudette Barius/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.

And the movie is funny, but Soderbergh downplays it and doesn’t direct for the comedy, which makes it even more pronounced. It’s from the wonderful performances of the whole cast that keeps it from getting bogged down by all the jargon. Because ‘Black Bag’ can get dense. It never bothers to explain itself or contextualize things and you have to just keep up and understand the basics to be able to follow.

This is not a movie where you can pick up your phone in the middle of it to text someone (not that you should anyway). It’s a film that requires your full attention because when you do, you can see all the ways by which it plays with us.

I miss these small and intimate movies in the cinema. I don’t want to call it a small movie because it doesn’t have big scenes and large set ups but it’s big in how it makes the most ordinary things – problems in relationships, for example – seem so large and impactful in the larger scheme of things. It’s compact but it packs a large punch.

My Rating:

Secrets, spies, and suspense await. Grab your spy gear and catch Black Bag in cinemas on May 7. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.

May 5, 2025
REVIEW: The spellbinding allure of ‘Saltburn’

Film is, first and foremost, a visual medium. For this alone, writer and director Emerald Fennell’s second full-length feature ‘Saltburn’ is a delectable banquet for the eyes. It’s luscious cinematography and production design fill each frame with something gorgeous to look at: if not the extravagant excess of the British mansion Saltburn, for which the film takes its name, than the beautiful faces and bodies of its characters, most notably that of its lead stars Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi. Fennell pushes for a lot of earth tones and through the lens of cinematographer Linus Sandgren, manages to turn the skin tone of all the actors into exquisite textures. Every freckle, every strand of body hair, every drop of sweat that trickle down on any of the performer’s skin becomes a tantalizing, arousing spectacle that highlights this tale of obsession and of excess.

I wonder what ‘Saltburn’ would look like in the cinema – the luscious cinematography and production design projected in a giant cinema screen – rather than my little iPad screen as I stream the film on Amazon Prime Video. The delicious excess and indulgences that Fennell delivers in her 131-minute psychological drama feels like it is bursting out of the tiny screen of my iPad. There’s a bigness in the world that Fennell creates in ‘Saltburn’ that feels claustrophobic when seen in such a small screen. The effect in the big screen must be so different.

Courtesv of MGM and Amazon Studios | Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC

While there’s a masterful use of visual language, the story that inhabits this visual treat is a bit harder to swallow. It’s a tale of obsession, for sure, as Barry Keoghan’s Oliver finds himself alone in Oxford in 2006. Feeling like an outcast, he manages to befriend Jacob Elordi’s Felix Catton, a popular boy in school. He’s handsome and rich and everyone flocks around him. The less privileged Oliver feels invisible but by Felix’s side, a bond is formed.

It’s so strong that Felix invites him to his British mansion Saltburn for the summer. And it is here that the mind games begin. Felix’s sister, Virginia, is outed as a sexual misfit and Oliver catches her walking just under his window of his room late at night in a see-through lingerie. Felix’s cousin, Farleigh never stops putting Oliver in his place, reminding him constantly that he does not belong in that world. Felix’s parents attempt at being cool and progressive but are unable to hide their elitist prejudices and fragile fears.

Courtesy of MGM and Amazon Studios | Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC

All of this proves to be too tempting for Oliver, who begins to entrench himself into the Catton household and the schemes and plans start to unfold.

As a social commentary, ‘Saltburn’ seems to have a lot to say about the British class divide, but there’s a fantastical, almost fanfiction like approach to how Fennell depicts British aristocracy. There’s no grounding element here – what is present is an idea of upper-class excess and indulgences. The Catton parents – played by Rosamund Pike and Richard E Grant – are the type of people who’ll throw a 200-guest party for their son’s friend, whom they only met that week. They live in a castle that replaces a broken mirror the very next day that it is destroyed. Each character living in that house is broken and are either in denial that they are ruined to the core or completely oblivious to it.

This is the sort of innocence that makes the upper class in ‘Saltburn’ so despicable and somehow allows you to keep your eyes glued to the screen as Oliver twists and turns this family inside and out. The family is unaware of their effect on the world around them and even with all their good intentions, they seem unaware of the damage that they do and Fennell understands our need to sympathise with these people, because in truth, Fennell posits that, like Oliver, we want their level of excess. It makes us curious. It arouses us. We hate them. We hate this world, but we are also very much fascinated by it.

It’s what makes ‘Saltburn’ not an easy film to digest. It’s a visual treat but it’s also overwritten but it connects with all our basic desires – whether it is wealth, power, or beauty – which is represented by the Cattons. It’s why sex becomes a focal point of the film, it’s primal and without reason. It’s infused in the film’s visual language, and in the way the camera is obsessed with the physicality’s of its characters. So, while the story and even lines of dialogue is meant to shock you – sometimes even in ways that are so obviously scripted or staged and not at all organic – it is still something you cannot take your eyes off of.

Unfortunately, there is a big narrative twist at the end, one that is clunkily handled. The reveal is on-the-nose, and its lack of cleverness finishes the film on a sour note (though saved by its visually stunning final image). ‘Saltburn’ is bold and daring and brave; a true scintillating visual treat that serves as a mirror of our ugliest desires in relation to beauty and wealth and power. It’s not an easy film to watch but it is spellbinding in its allure.

My Rating:

‘Saltburn’ is now streaming on Prime Video, watch it here!

January 9, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: Bro, Where’s My Seahorse: A Review of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’

As the final film in the now defunct DC Extended Universe that was headed at some point by Zack Snyder, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ had a lot of expectations hanging on it. The first installment was extremely popular and grossed over a billion in box office receipts but as the last film of the DCEU, it is the last time we will see this iteration of this comic book universe. How it goes will be the lasting impression for that era of Warner Bros.

As ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ opens and it catches us up to the five years between this film and its predecessor, I was surprised at how much the film’s essence and core has been greatly influenced by lead star Jason Momoa’s offscreen persona. The movie begins with a narration that Arthur Curry, known as the superhero Aquaman, is now a father and is juggling between his time on land with his family and his duties beneath the waves as the king of Atlantis. Here, the tone of Momoa’s persona permeates throughout the film. It’s almost as if there’s no difference between the Momoa we see in interviews – a fun-loving, family man with a big, boisterous personality – and the character in the film. Momoa’s Arthur Curry is a man who would prefer to be a dad and fight with pirates and people damaging the oceans than to deal with the politics of Atlantis, which he seems ill-suited for (and not particularly interested in).

© 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

There seems to be a positioning that having fun, being a “cool dad,” and busting up bad guys is better or the preferred choice than that of ruling Atlantis and working out its politics – not that the film presents the politics in a particularly complex way, either – and it all ends up feeling like a very bro movie all through-out.

© 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

The main villain, David Kane (otherwise known as The Black Manta) wants to destroy Arthur Curry for having killed his father in the first movie. It drives him to search the earth with the help of a marine biologist Stephen Shin for Atlantean technology to fix his suit when they stumble upon the lost kingdom of the title and a powerful Atlantean artifact that gives Kane a much-needed power boost to take on Aquaman.

This artifact, the black trident, opens Kane to old technology of Atlantis that threatens the safety of the whole world. To find Kane, Aquaman must free his brother, Orm, as he may be the only lead to finding Kane.

© 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

The film then pivots to a story of the two brothers – one who seems more suited to be king and the brother, who is king, who also seems more suited to be a superhero – and how they must reconcile with each other (Orm tried to kill Aquaman in the first movie) to save the world.

Throughout this movie, the narrative puts Momoa’s Aquaman at the preferential position. He doesn’t have a plan as he enters any situation, which Orm is against, but Aquaman always manages to punch his way through. He is best described as a brute who prefers to muscle his ways in and out of a problem as opposed to the more refine Orm, who is not above using his intellect to figure out a solution first. But, in every step of the way, the film is set to make Aquaman the better choice.

It is what hunkers this overblown film down. It feels so infused with Momoa’s personality – not surprisingly, he is given producer and story credit – that it feels less of a film than it does as a way for Momoa to have more fun with the character. There’s a lot of care placed in the big battle sequences that litter the film, but it makes no effort in deepening the relationship of both Orm and Arthur. It is made clear that they should reconcile because they are brothers, but it never deals with the harder questions of who should rightfully lead, whether the rift in their relationship was valid in the first place, and so on and so forth.

The bonding of the brothers is essential for this movie but as screenplay and the direction prefers to express itself via large action sequences and funny gags rather than really exploring relationships in a profound manner, the film ends up feeling very bro and lightweight.

Sure, it’s expensive and has some very interesting use of CGI effects and battle choreography. They manage to write Mera (Amber Heard) out of the film so that she is present but really not, giving more of the tender heart moments to Nicole Kidman’s Atlanna. There’s no depth Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to work on for his portrayal of Kane, he’s a one-dimensional character and the one who looks like he’s having as much fun as Momoa is Patrick Wilson as Orm.

It’s weird to watch an obviously made-for-sequel character and story play out knowing that there’s no continuation to this. The film doesn’t feel like a big finale (like, say, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’) and so no matter how the film turns out, there’s no investment or attachment that it creates. The struggles of the DCEU overshadows whatever the film attempts to do, and it doesn’t help that the bro-ness of it all doesn’t appeal to audiences like me. I would like to have as much fun as Jason Momoa shouting “Woohoo” while riding a giant glowing CGI seahorse, but this isn’t how I imagine brother-bonding superhero tales should play out.

My Rating:

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

December 30, 2023
MMFF Review: ‘GomBurZa’ stoking the fires and making waves

While it opens impressively, ‘GomBurZa’ struggles in its first act. It’s impressive because it opens with the story of Hermano Pule, an “indio” who was repeatedly denied entry into the priesthood. The film takes a theatrical approach to this telling: it exits in an impressionist oblivion space with no backdrop and only a few props and a lot of motion to create the world of the story. It struggles, though, because as we enter into the world of the people telling the story – of the Philippines nearing the end of the Spanish occupation in the late 1800s – the film then has to establish the history of the land and the people. It takes a whole 30 minutes to familiarize ourselves with the political struggle and who the main operators are in this period political drama.

Director and co-writer Jose Lorenzo Diokno III (with co-writer Rody Vera) takes us into the battle of secular priests, Spaniards who were born in the Philippines, and the full-blooded friars as they battle over who gets to run the parishes in the cities across the islands. Even if they are Spaniards, or carry Spanish blood, having been born in the Philippines has made them victims of discrimination by the Spanish who come directly from Spain.

In the middle of all of this is Father Jose Burgos (played by Cedrick Juan), a liberal secular priest who dared to challenge the discrimination of the Spanish church and ended up becoming a martyr that helped sparked the revolution that won our country its freedom. This is not an unknown story to us. We were taught about this in general terms, broad stroke terms in our grade school civics and Philippine history classes. What the film ‘GomBurZa’ sets out to do is to show the events – no matter how small or inconsequential – that lead up to the revolution. The movie also humanizes these characters and situates it into the realm of the human. The film turns history into something relatable.

Images from GOMBURZA Film FB

What is most striking about Diokno’s direction is how universal he makes it all seem – that the persecutions and the corruption that plagues this era is still prevalent until now – and this is the true triumph of ‘GomBurZa’ as a movie.Holding this film together is the spectacular performance of Cedrick Juan as Burgos. He just recently won the Best Actor award for the MMFF and you can see why. Despite the film’s positioning of the events of this movie, Juan manages to infuse Burgos with so much humanity. He’s not some fictional character. As a teacher, you can see him beam up with pride when his students show off their brilliance. When he turns serious, there’s something turning behind the eyes as he is considering the bigger picture. As Burgos starts to become more popular with the people, you can see a bit of pride bursting from his chest; he likes the attention though he tries to hide it. He’s made Father Burgos someone real.

After the thirty-minute mark, when the world and the politics (and the stakes) have been established, Diokno and his crew – including the fantastic cinematography of Carlo Mendoza that plunges this world in a sort of medieval darkness) – then starts to unravel this narrative of rebellion and freedom. We see how one little battle over who gets to run the parishes – whether it’s the Spanish friars or the secular priests – builds up into the eventual Philippine revolution. Diokno handles this with care as he knows that all of this is inevitable, but he tries to set up each scene as if it were just in that moment – nothing bigger than what it is at that moment. No wonder he won the Best Director award at the MMFF awards night as well.

But at 112 minutes, I actually wanted more from this film. The story merely takes us to the classrooms where Burgos teaches, the meeting rooms between the friars or the secular priests or the upper class of rich Philippine-born Spanish, who are also suffering from discrimination having been born in the country instead of the colonizer’s homeland. What I felt was missing is the world of the indios – the Filipinos – who are absent in this story. And, yes, they were nowhere near active agents in this political game that lead to the martyrdom of the three priests, but to see Burgos or any other priests’ interactions with them would have helped create a stronger relation to the film’s finale. As an historical epic with such a grand scope and vision, it could have afforded another 15 minutes to bring the story to the people whose lives were radically changed by the events that happen in the film.

‘GomBurZa’ is a very well-made film that can be demanding to its audience – it plays out in three languages: Spanish, Filipino, and Latin – and situates the world in all its political turmoil. It boasts of fantastic performances: Cedrick Juan, Enchong Dee, as the charming and carefree father Zamora, Elijah Canlas and Tommy Alejandrino as students of Father Burgos, and Ketchup Eusebio as one of the rich, Filipino-born Spaniards, who becomes a key figure in the story. It’s an important film that reminds us to learn from our history – that we have within us the power to rebel and to fight back against any sort of discrimination or oppression that stops us from living our best lives. The film reminds us that the little things count – from the way schools are taught to the way justice is meted out to the people – and that we have the power to overcome our oppressors if we just woke up to it.

My Rating:

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

December 29, 2023
MMFF Review: The Sentimental ‘Rewind’ Is Rescued by Two Strong Performances by Dingdong and Marian

There’s a simplicity in the story that pushes the narrative of ‘Rewind’ forward. It’s the story of a man that is so devoted to his work (and with anger management issues) that he pushed his family away and gets a chance to do it all over again after the tragic loss of his wife. It’s a story about not taking for granted what you have in cherishing the things that you are working so hard for and not forgetting them while they are still there in front of you. I love simple stories, really. Some of the best movies out there have very simple narratives and are just told extremely well.

My biggest issue with ‘Rewind’ is that the film lacks any sort of restraint – both in the direction and in the screenplay – and it detracts from the film’s simplicity. The script, by Enrico Santos and Joel Mercado, has a tendency of explaining everybody’s feelings and emotions and constantly repeats the values that the film wants to espouse. It’s overwritten and can use some toning down. While director Mae Czarina Cruz has an affinity for extreme close-ups and some crazy angle shots that distracts us from the emotions of the scenes. There’s a whole lot of really tight close ups of lead actors Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera that, while does an excellent job at bringing us closer to the characters, what it does is that it takes us away from the moment.

While ‘Rewind’ is about the profound effects of loss, and even hope, and how it can push people towards making some powerful changes, the film is also how it affects a person and his relationships with everyone around him. The film needs to go further than the interior world of its characters – Dantes’ John and Rivera’s Mary – and the film could use more medium shots and long shots to establish place and time. The script could allow more space for us to see the man that John used to be (aside from a short intro, the film immediately brings us to him as a workaholic, angry, resentful man) and to see the full extent of what Mary gave up for John.

The filmmaking in ‘Rewind’ is meant to highlight the pure star power of its lead actors and thankfully, Dantes and Rivera are more than enough to carry this movie by the sheer power of their performances.

Images from ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc. (Star Cinema) FB

Marian Rivera’s Mary is loving, nurturing, and attentive. She’s spontaneous in all her scenes and it adds to the depths of emotions that happens when John loses her mid-film. She embodies the heart of any Filipino home without being corny or cloying. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t give her too much to do or showcase more of what she’s capable of. We don’t get to live in her world for too long so we don’t see the person she could have been (it’s implied but never really shown). Mary is not a lead character here and doesn’t get to really develop and grow but it says so much about Marian Rivera’s presence and skill to create a character so whole and believable with what little she was given.

Images from ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc. (Star Cinema) FB

Dingdong Dantes, on the other hand, is so fully committed to the character and to the story that he doesn’t even try to earn our sympathy. His John is so single-minded in his attempts at forging success that he’s really forgotten about the people he is doing it for. He’s gruff and dismissive and it really helps that it’s a performance that is polar opposite that of his other MMFF film ‘Firefly.’ It shows his range. So much so, that when he is given the offer to do it all again, we can see in his eyes the desperation for this mystical offer to be true. He really doesn’t believe it but wants to believe and then the utter joy in his face when it does come true. It’s such a committed performance that it brings this film – unrestraint cheesiness and all – to a place that is honest and true.

There’s a lot in this film that I’m not comfortable with – the unrestraint filmmaking with its on-the-nose dialogue and how the musical score is working too hard to make us feel things that’s already laid out for us by the performances of the actors – but even still I felt something in that theater as the film’s story unfolded. From the sheer talent and commitment of Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, the film still struck a chord with me and the people around me. We were crying when the movie wanted us to. I felt that the film is unambitious in its concept and presentation – it’s what I expected it to be when the film’s premise became clear after the first 20 minutes – but it was saved by the truth and honesty of Dantes and Rivera’s performances.

My Rating:

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

December 29, 2023
MMFF REVIEW: The tender beating heart of Zig Dulay’s ‘Firefly’

While ‘Firefly’ plays out like a quintessential MMFF movie – it is family-friendly, idealistic, optimistic, and full of heart and tenderness – it never leans too hard into its sentimentality and grounds itself with strong performances, especially by Alessandra De Rossi, Epy Quizon, and Dingdong Dantes. The film showcases impressive CGI animation and a touching story about the powerful bond between a mother and her child and how this relationship seeps into the people around them and creates something beautiful out of something dark and tragic.

The movie begins with a journalist, played by Max Collins, who is interviewing a children’s book author and artist, Anthony “Tonton” Alvaro, played by Dingdong Dantes. The journalist is suspicious, even unnecessarily accusatory, about the origins and the authenticity of Anthony Alvaro’s authorship of his bestselling book. Dantes plays it cool, unaffected. There’s a story here that he seems interested to tell. This opening exchange is the only misfire in the whole movie – the journalist’s aggressive approach feels out of place, under-developed (why is she so sure he stole the work from someone else) while Alvaro feels secure and sure about the ownership, he is neither threatened nor offended – but what it does is it leads us into the story of Alvaro and his mother and a beautiful little modern fairy tale that takes us from Manila to Bicol.

The bulk of the story revolves around the past, as told to the journalist by Anthony Alvaro. The younger Tonton (with a strong performance by Euwenn Mikaell) lives in Tondo with his single mother, Elay (a fantastic Alessandra De Rossi) and while he is bullied by his classmates, his world is also filled with a lot of love from his mom and his aunt, Tita Linda (Cherry Pie Picache). Much of their bond is expressed by the stories that Elay narrates to her child that comes to life in vivid CGI animated moments that depict a magical world parallel to our own.

What is wonderful about director Zig Dulay’s approach to this film is that it puts the focus on the magic and the wonder of this story. He captures the beauty of the seaside landscape of Tondo and while we know this family unit belongs to the underprivileged, he never presents it as dramatic poverty. There is dignity in these characters, in all the characters of this film, regardless of their individual backstory or dark history. Screenwriter Angeli Atienza infuses so much heart in the screenplay that it never veers towards the maudlin or the dramatic.

The push and the momentum of the story is based on that of tragedy but the film revels in the beauty of hope and dreams and wishes. The foundation of the film is loss but what propels the story forward is love. As the younger Tonton takes a trip to his mother’s hometown to fulfill a promise, he meets three people on the way to help him in his journey – Epy Quizon’s Mang Louie, a man with a dark past who understands the ways of the world; Billy, played by Miguel Tanfelix, who is a young man who is suspicious about everything; and the street-smart and clever Erika, played by Ysabel Ortega – and the four create an unlikely group who help perpetuate the film’s presentation of the importance of a community.

‘Firefly’ is not without its dangers and its dark side. The group is not instantaneously formed – there are collisions amongst the personalities within – and the same mystical wolf that threatens the stories Elay shares with Tonton has managed to manifest itself in the journey as it chases after Tonton but this creates a space for the characters to grow and for revelations to spring forth from.

While Mikaell has the unenviable task of carrying this movie on his little shoulders, which he does effectively, what creates the most powerful emotional punches are those from Epy Quizon’s very naturalistic portrayal of a man who just wants to go home but is also duty-bound to do the right thing and he plays that tension with great precision and Dingdong Dantes, who has to narrate this whole story with conviction and authenticity. There’s a sparkle in his eyes as he serves as a chapter break for the narrative and it is filled with longing and experience and even joy. The world and the narrative are made real by his performance. It’s quite revelatory.

But the actor who really makes the film fly is Alessandra De Rossi. She fills the screen with this beating, tender heart that really pushes this story forward. Even when she’s not on screen, her presence is felt, and it permeates throughout the entire narrative. She is the push and the pull of the film and it’s an amazing quality of an actress who can do this.

Full of heart and hope and love, ‘Firefly’ is the perfect MMFF movie for the family.

My Rating:

Firefly is showing in cinemas on December 25. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

December 20, 2023
MOVIE REVIEW: They Chose Violence: a review of ‘Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Extreme’

On the return of the popular horror franchise, it seems that this latest installment is more violent than ever. I’ve been an on and off fan of this series and I don’t ever remember it being this bloody and this violent (though I have missed a few of the more recent additions to this series). All three short films that make up ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll: Extreme’ are gory, action-packed, and very bloody. There’s a self-awareness and a campy aspect to the amount of blood that’s getting splattered on each of the films but it’s all in good fun and part and parcel of the movie as it continues to explore those fears of the modern Filipino, though unevenly.

The first installment, ‘Glitch’ by director Richard Somes and written by Anton Santamaria has a classic horror set up: a single mom living in a big house with her two children and a nanny. It’s a singular location that happens within the span of two or three days and as the family is falling apart, a supernatural entity insinuates itself into the family through corrupting the youngest daughter, Lyka, via the Internet.

In its appearances, ‘Glitch’ proposes that evil – even the devil – is now capable of spreading itself through media, and now digitally by online means. There’s a colonial tone that hangs above this film as the devil disguises itself as an American children’s show called Gary the Goat and that’s such a nice touch. The devil is an American construct that makes its way here to terrorize this family.

But what makes ‘Glitch’ so strong is that it is grounded in real-world situation. Iza Calzado plays Ingrid, a single mother of two children who have different fathers. The older child, Patrick (played by Migs Cuaderno) treats Lyka (Jewel Phiona Milag) with disdain, calls her a “demon” and always stresses that she’s his half-sister. A single mom and a widower, Calzado’s Ingrid seems like a woman at the end of her rope. She’s exhausted, obviously working so hard to keep their wealthy lifestyle going but has no time for either child. She’s an imperfect mother but she loves her children. This is Calzado working her magic and creating so much depth and history with a character with such short running time.

Rounding out the cast is Donna Cariaga as the nanny, who gives Calzado a chance to really impress upon us the cracks of this family. It’s Cariaga and Calzao’s interactions that gives the film its heart and soul. So, when Gary the Goat begins to haunt this family (and in such violent ways), we are rooting for this family even if Patrick and Lyka can be quite annoying as children.

Somes has some excellent visuals, including an attack in the yard with an unusual number of white blankets hanging out to dry. It’s bloody and gruesome but it’s lovely to view. The devil is violent and there’s a lot of action here – sometimes even to a hilariously unrealistic level. The editing could use less busy-ness and give us time to see what’s happening rather than cutting so quickly as to hide the movements.

As scary and as violent as ‘Glitch’ can be, the film is grounded by its roots in family tragedy – it is the plight of the modern family, so busy with their individual lives that they are no longer communicating and thus becoming vulnerable to outside influences as represented by the internet. It’s a strong piece.

But as poignant as ‘Glitch’ can be, the second film is the deliciously funny ‘Mukbang’ by Jerrold Tarog and written by Tarog and Onay Sales-Camero. Bloggers and influences are the main characters in this piece as they all arrive at a secluded mansion for a massive collab. This is equal parts horror and comedy and while we know Tarog can do horror via his film ‘Bliss,’ his comedic touches are such a welcome tool in his arsenal as a director.

As the film’s title suggests, ‘Mukbang’ is going to involve eating. Of course, the question will always be what will be eaten and by whom. That I will leave to the audience to enjoy but what makes ‘Mukbang’ the most enjoyable installment of ‘Shake Rattle and Roll: Extreme’ is that the jokes are organic to the situation and blends in perfectly with the horror elements of the narrative. Never does Tarog make fun or ridicule the bloggers and influencers for what they do. Let’s face it: there are too many shows and movies that make fun of them for being bloggers and influencers. Here, it’s used for its comedic potential: at the height of a life-threatening situation, two bloggers decide to go live as almost a reflex. On another scene, two influencers who are known as a couple online have a fight about the status of their relationship. They continue their argument while running for their lives. It’s so funny because, in this instance, it’s emblematic of this generation’s ability to multi-task.

‘Mukbang’ is funny because it’s witty and clever. It never goes for cheap laughs, nor does it go out of its way to ridicule its characters. It treats their characters with such affection, and it shows with how the performances really push the total effect to meet its full potential. Standouts in this episode are RK Bagatsing, Esnyr Ranolo, AC Bonifacio, Phi Palmos, and Ninong Ry.

Unfortunately, the last episode of ‘Shake Rattle and Roll: Extreme’ is the weakest of the three. ‘Rage’ is about a group of friends who are caught in what appears to be an extra-terrestrial attack that sends people into a blind rage. This episode, directed by Joey De Guzman and written by Trisha Mae Delez, suffers from a lack of context and underdeveloped characters. The film is more interested in its huge set pieces and post-apocalyptic action sequences than hunkering down and laying out a proper story.

Lead by Jane De Leon, we never get to see De Leon’s Trina and her friends establish their bonds of friendship. Trina is supposed to be in a relationship with Moze (Paolo Gumabao) but we never get to see this relationship at play. The interactions between characters are never more than the need to survive as the zombie-like creatures begin to take center stage.

We don’t know who these characters are. Trina is supposed to be a med student waiting for word on whether she passed the board exam or not, but we never get to see her use this so it’s not even an important story element that could have been in a dramatic situation such as this. We don’t know where they were going, nor does it create any urgency to do so other than that Trina wants to see her mom.

Without any development of its characters, ‘Rage’ just becomes action scene after action scene where I don’t feel invested in any of the character’s survival. The film manages to showcase Jane De Leon’s capability of being a solid action actress, but ‘Rage’ gives her very little to do in terms of character work that I can’t tell the range she can bring to a project.

‘Shake Rattle and Roll: Extreme’ is a worthy continuation of the classic, legacy series that is ‘Shake Rattle and Roll.’ There’re some very good moments here, some genuine scares, and the first two films really make full use of the genre to talk about some serious issues that we are scared of. If Regal Films can continue this level of quality for the series, they should keep doing it for more years to come.

My Rating:

Shake, Rattle & Roll: Extreme is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

November 29, 2023
MOVIE REVIEW: Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ celebrates the myth rather than the man

You could always trust director Ridley Scott to fill that screen with incredible visuals and very clear storytelling. From his previous movies like ‘Alien,’ ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Thelma and Louise,’ ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Black Hawk Down,’ ‘The Counselor,’ and many others, Scott is a master filmmaker who understands the craft and can tell engaging stories through the medium. This time round he takes his vision to tell the story of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French leader who held the world captive at some point in history.

The most interesting thing about this depiction of Napoleon is how director Scott and his screenwriter David Scarpa feel more inclined to just take snapshots of Napoleon’s life – a highlight reel, so to speak – rather than try to paint a fully formed human being. Reading further online, it seems that Scott and Scarpa are also more akin to telling the story of the French leader based on impressions of Napoleon’s life leading to a whole lot of historical inaccuracies (that angered quite a lot of French critics and historians). They were more interested in the spectacle of his military leadership and the scope of what he was able to do for France but not bother to contextualize in the manners of a man with a goal.

Like one reviewer says, the film never really goes out of its way to tell us why Napoleon did what he did. On a personal note, I found that the film spends just as much time depicting Napoleon’s love for Empress Josephine but doesn’t bother to explain why or show why he loves her. His feelings for her drive motivates half his actions in the movie but we don’t see the root cause of it so it’s hard for us to grasp his character. The rest of the time, he is taking over the world around him, laying siege to Austria and firing canons at the pyramids of Egypt (which apparently didn’t happen).

So, while the film unfolds like to show us some of Napoleon’s greatest hits, you never really get to understand or feel the struggle of this enigmatic character. Instead, we get wonderfully staged battle sequences with incredible fight scenes and war choreography. It’s massive in scope and scale and it’s brutal. It looks amazing on the big screen. If anything, Ridley Scott knows how to give us a cinematic spectacle.

He leaves the humanizing to his incredible actors. Joaquin Phoenix plays Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby plays Empress Josephine and while we have no real understanding of their relationship or the source of all their emotions – their love story is very passionate and intense – it’s still a marvel to watch because of how committed these two actors are to their roles.

Phoenix instills so much brute force into his Napoleon, playing him as a sort of petulant child who also happens to be a military genius. He does not shy away from veering towards quirky representation, playing him almost child-like and childish when in front of Josephine but then switches it up to a frightening scowl of great depths when he studies a battlefield and is eager to win. Kirby meets him head-on, a woman who understands her effect on the French leader but also in fear of it. It’s a fantastic balancing act that works wonders onscreen. Their chemistry together is amazing.

But that’s what makes the film such an interesting artifact. It’s a wonderful cinematic work that’s enjoyable to watch onscreen. The action is clearly defined, and you can easily follow through the emotions – it’s an old school sort of camera use and editing that allows the narrative flow so freely – but at the same time, the film feels so alien as a biopic because instead of humanizing its subject, it keeps him at a distance. He wants us to marvel at the myth of the person but does nothing to get us to know him or understand him.

It’s an interesting approach to filmmaking in the modern age that is geared more towards authenticity and nuance. There’s none here and it feels refreshing and new and even a little rebellious. And the fact that it’s coming from a legendary filmmaker who debut in 1977 with ‘The Duellists.’

I’m all for it.

My Rating:

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

November 29, 2023
MOVIE REVIEW: A Revolutionary Direction for Disney: a review of ‘Wish’

To celebrate its 100th year, Disney releases the new animated feature ‘Wish,’ which oddly enough stumbles and flounders at its beginning, weighted down by a muddled world building exercise before it finds its stride. While a lot of the movie doesn’t explore new territory, what does feel fresh is how the movie double downs on Disney’s continuous attempt to cater to a more progressive audience and how ‘Wish’ seems to champion the voices of dissent. There is a strong sense of a revolutionary tone that is pervasive throughout the film that feels new and surprising. It manages to find its magic at its finale that managed to send shivers down my spine and got me genuinely teary-eyed.

The film, directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn and written by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore, is about the fictional city of Rosas, on an island “deep in the Mediterranean Sea,” whose king is a sorcerer who can grant wishes. There is a mix and mash of different cultures at play here as the mystical nature of Rosas has made it a melting pot of various cultures that seems to just blend and mix so unnaturally well. The sorcerer king, Magnifico, and his wife, Queen Amaya, have made a haven for its people. Magnifico asks everyone for their wishes, and he keeps them safe and protects them while he grants some of them and makes them true.

HOW DID THE WISHING STAR, UPON WHICH SO MANY CHARACTERS WISHED, COME TO BE? — Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original fairytale adventure “Wish” is an all-new story is set in the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, an optimist with a sharp wit and a deep caring for her community, turns to the sky in a moment of need, and makes a wish. Asha’s plea is answered by a cosmic force, a little ball of boundless energy, Star. Together, they will face the most formidable of foes to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars – wondrous things can happen. The voice cast includes Ariana DeBose as Asha and Alan Tudyk as the pajama-wearing goat, Valentino. Featuring original songs by Julia Michaels, “Wish” is helmed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, and produced by Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes. The feature film releases Fall 2023.

But a young girl, Asha, discovers a dark secret. Not all the wishes that Magnifico keeps and protects will ever be granted. This utopian city is nothing more but a falsehood, buying into a veneer of niceties. It’s an autocracy in disguise and everyone is a willing victim, with their wishes held hostage for their compliance.

In a fit of rage and disgust, Asha wishes upon a star and the star magically appears before her and starts to make enchant the world around her.

EVERYONE HAS A WISH – In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish,” Asha’s pet goat, Valentino, is among the first to experience the magic of Star, a little ball of boundless energy inadvertently summoned by Asha. Featuring the voices of Academy Award®-winning actress Ariana DeBose as Asha and Alan Tudyk as Valentino, the epic animated musical “Wish” hits the big screen on Nov. 22, 2023. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Essentially, ‘Wish’ is an exploration on the nature and importance of wishes into our lives. The movie sells it hard, and it does not go unnoticed that it’s definitely part and parcel of a propaganda to continue to entrench Disney into our lives, what with all the easter eggs of various Disney cartoons and stories placed generously around the film. It can even serve as a sort of origin story for many of Disney’s animated feature if you catch the motifs at play.

In trying to explain this new world and how it operates, the first half of ‘Wish’ comes across as long and drawn-out exposition. There’s so much talking, not much showing. There’s just so much explaining. It slows everything down and it made the kids in the audience disengage at the start. The moment Asha sings the title song, ‘This Wish,’ and the star comes down and starts to stir trouble, then the film starts to find its footing.

And this when the magic really starts to happen. There’s an interesting new perspective offered in the song ‘I’m a Star’ that becomes a fulcrum to the film’s extraordinary message that is later compounded by more songs and story points that pushes the film to take a revolutionary tone. The film actually incites the viewers to dissent against any sort of mind-control or oppression. The extremely charming (and rather media savvy King Magnifico) starts to show his spots and while all of this is sort of on-the-nose, it effectively sells the idea that the world we live in is not that far behind.

IT’S GOOD TO BE KING – In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish,” King Magnifico is the most powerful person in the kingdom of Rosas, where wishes really do come true. People come from everywhere to give their wishes to Magnifico, a charming and confident king who promises to grant their deepest desires—someday. But the king isn’t entirely altruistic; he alone decides whose wish will be granted, and he relishes the control. Featuring the voice of Chris Pine as King Magnifico, the epic animated musical “Wish” hits the big screen on Nov. 22, 2023. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Chris Pine is excellent and charming as Magnifico, singing and acting his way through the character with his voice that it helps create a person we want to be brought down. Pine’s Magnifico is every gaslighting, overprotective, and narcissist leader who charms us out of our ability to choose for ourselves. He is an excellent counterpoint to a very solid performance from Arianna DeBose, who kills it as Asha. She sings with such fervor that it helps sell the Disney magic so much more.

When the film fully pushes for a revolution against the autocracy, it’s akin to a ‘Les Misérables’ chorus that can be infectious. Surprisingly, despite all of the things I didn’t like about the film at the beginning, I began to see the beauty of its message and its stance. Yes, ‘Wish’ is as much a celebration of Disney and all its capitalist stance but, at the same time, ‘Wish’ is also a call to find it within us to fight for what we love and what we believe in.

And it does this in a way that Disney has perfected over its 100 years – through spectacle and song. ‘Wish’ is not the best Disney movie but it is wonderfully idealistic and unabashedly progressive and during these times of severe conflict and strife, it is a welcome message of hope. There’s something right in the timing of this movie and as I held back tears at the reprise of its titular song, I was actually excited to see where Disney will continue bringing their stories in the future.

My Rating:

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

November 23, 2023
MOVIE REVIEW: The Wrong Hero: a review of ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’

Despite my own disbelief in the need for a prequel of ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise, there’s actually a lot of strong story points that is made in the origin story of Coriolanus Snow, the villain and main antagonist of the original trilogy. ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ manages to highlight the importance of media and spectacle in any autocracy and oppressive government. As a prequel, the film is set during the period of the tenth Hunger Games (for reference, the movie was set during the 74th Hunger Games, 64 years later) and the games were much more crude and primitive in comparison. Televising the games was a new concept and through it, the film showcases elements of media theory that come into play. It’s a riveting examination of how intrinsically linked media and public perception is to government control.

What also elevates the film are spectacular (and rather surprising) performances from Viola Davis and Rachel Zegler, giving us two characters to really dig into. It’s surprising coming from material as commercial as this but a good actor knows how to make most of the parts that their given.

Davis can do wonders with any role thrown at her and she makes her portrayal of Dr. Gaul, the head game maker of The Hunger Games an exploration of jadedness and cruelty. This is a woman who has seen the worst of humankind and is just mirroring it in her life. It’s quite a performance. It is wonderful counterpoint to that of Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute of District 12. Zegler’s carefree and no-non-sense balladeer who is fighting for her life truly brings you in to the film. While Dr. Gaul seems to find no joy in life (other than taking it in surprising ways in the Hunger Games), Zegler’s Lucy Gray is full of life and is adamant in staying that way.

And this is my main issue with the film. ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is a film that narrates the rise of Coriolanus Snow (played by Tom Blyth), the future enemy of Katniss Everdeen, a man who will be ruthless and sadistic and evil. The film is wrapped around in a dystopian world that is suffering from the oppression of a tyrannical regime. Snow is but collateral damage, his once wealthy-family has lost all of its political capital and Snow must exceed all expectations at University if he is to save his grandmother and cousin from starvation and being kicked out into the streets. In an effort to survive and thrive, he has to do well as a mentor to Lucy Gray and get noticed by those in power to receive the grand prize that will change his fortune.

As the film challenges autocratic states and gives a rather spirited argument on the value and price of human lives, the film puts front and center the desires of a man who would choose to sacrifice friends and principles to succeed. Yes, the blossoming love story between Snow and Lucy Gray creates the necessary tension that underlines what Snow lost in order for him to become the man he will become but is that really the best protagonist for this story?

As compelling a performance as Blyth can deliver, he is completely overshadowed by the nuanced and vital role Zegler infuses her portrayal of Lucy Gray. From the desperation and willingness, she has to live and survive her ordeal as a tribute, to the way she empowers every song number she has in the film with anger and rebellion, Zegler creates a character that is larger than life – a character that is in full defiance of everything the world of The Hunger Games calls for. I wouldn’t mind if the film began with Coriolanus but I would have wanted it to have finished with Lucy Gray. There’s so much more to the character than what we get to see in the film, and when we see the complex decisions the character makes at the final act of the film – that’s when you realise Zegler’s portrayal is far more layered and nuanced than you expect.

The film and its story, directed by Francis Lawrence (who directed the ‘Catching Fire’ and ‘The Mockingjay: Part One’ and ‘The Mockingjay: Part Two’), feels more in tune to humanizing and empathizing with Coriolanus Snow but to what end? For all its arguments about the loss of humanity in something brutal and cruel as the Hunger Games, to the importance of breaking free from that oppressive state, we continue to follow the story of a man who will only serve to make this world even harsher and crueller.

By following Snow’s story from his challenging beginnings to how he beats all odds to become the person he will be, from his complex relationship with his tribute Lucy Gray, and such, we are meant to empathize with him, feel sorry for him, maybe even root for him and I feel that this goes against everything that the film is trying to convey against this sort of oppressive system.

Maybe ten or fifteen years ago, we could find value in the humanizing of anti-heros such as Snow. But in this current political climate and in this day and age where real life monsters exist and control governments, I am very wary of Hollywood’s continued representation of villains and humanizing them and giving them nuance and texture. In a film as political as any of ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise, in its dystopian view of a future that is grappling with its humanity, I would very much prefer a film that was less in favour of its villains.

I agree with the stance of its characters like Lucy Gray. I wish it was more of her movie than that of Snow.

My Rating:

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

November 22, 2023