Review for On the Job

On the Job

Directed by: Erik Matti

Produced by: Leonardo T. Po

                           Dondon Monteverde

                           Malou Santos

                           Charo Santos- Concio

Written by: Michiko Yamamoto

                       Erik Matti

Music by: Erwin Romulo

Cinematography: Francis Ricardo Buhay III

Editing: Jay Halili

Casts:

Piolo Pascual as Atty. Francis Coronel, Jr.Casts:

Gerald Anderson as Daniel Benitez

Joel Torre as Mario "Tatang" Maghari

Joey Marquez as Sgt. Joaquin Acosta

Michael de Mesa as Cong. Manrique

Leo Martinez as Gen. Pacheco

Angel Aquino as Lolet

Vivian Velez as Thelma

Shaina Magdayao as Nicky Coronel

My Review of On the Job

There is a brighter future for the Philippine Cinema!

This, I believe, is the message of the Erik Matti film On the Job. Watching the film and following its twists and turns, its low and high moments, its chasing and hiding game, its low key and high profile personalities, was indeed an experience of a roller-coaster of emotional thrills. Never had I seen a Filipino crime - thriller so fast-paced and more graphic, reminding me of Hollywood crime-thrillers like The Training Day of Denzel Washington, The Departed with Jack Nicholson and Leonardo Di Caprio, and The Godfather with Al Pacino. I was actually stunned towards the end of the movie of how good the script was, how good the actors were, how well-directed it was, and how the story was so realistically told. 

And the music, wow! I am not fond of hard, rock music but even the loud, rock music on some scenes inside the prison makes one feel the chaos and the danger of life inside, and outside the prison. 

The ingenuity of the editor can also be noted in this film. Jay Halili managed to keep the pace fast without disorienting us to the flow of the story.

I could not help but talk about the movie to my friends for quite a time. And the words remarkable, poignant, amazing, compelling, and great keep popping out of my mouth.

Synopsis

The story revolves around the lives of the hired assassin - prisoners “Tatang” (Joel Torre) and his apprentice Daniel (Gerald Anderson) as they unquestioningly do their “jobs” whether in a public or isolated place, and carry out orders from their mysterious contact (Vivian Velez). Trailing them are NBI agent Atty. Francis Coronel (Piolo Pascual) and a police sergeant Joaquin Acosta (Joey Marquez). The lives of these four characters are entangled in the mouse-and-cat chase as each of them tries to do his responsibility and loyalty to the big bosses – the corrupt government officials and politicians. All of them are enmeshed in the lies, secrets, sex, and violence that will either make or break them. What is notable in this movie is its unpredictability – it slips away from a typical Filipino crime-thriller I saw since childhood – where the main actor dies in the end and the policemen in their patrol cars with the sirens whining arrived in the fighting scene. Even towards the end of this movie, one still hangs on the edge of his seat waiting for another surprise to surface.

Did the villains die? Did the heroes get their medals? Who are the heroes and the villains in the first place? Director Erik Matti did great in not answering these questions directly. It is left to the audience to determine who they are.

Star-studded Film

It feels great to watch the movie and be able to identify the actors one by one as they appear on screen. Amazing how it reunites the veteran actors  like Vivian Velez, Michael de Mesa, Leo Martinez, William Martinez, Angel Aquino, Niño Muhlach (my favorite actor, together with Dolphy, to whom I owe my love for films having watched most of their movies when I was a child!), Rosanna Roces, Al Tantay, Lito Pimentel – and how it showcased our promising young actors like Shaina Magdayao, Rayver Cruz, Piolo Pascual, and Gerald Anderson, among others. It truly is star-studded! And I congratulate those involved in the casting for being able to gather them and convinced them to appear in this movie, albeit just for a few minutes for some of them, but nonetheless with significant roles.

“Remarkable, poignant, compelling, great, and amazing film.”

Now, let me count the ways why I find On the Job remarkable, poignant, compelling, great, and amazing film.

Joel Torre’s portrayal of a hired killer was a surprise for me. I used to see him as a loving father, an amigo, a kind-hearted father or rebel, but never a ruthless, merciless hired killer! Yet, he nailed it. Physically, emotionally, he is able to radiate that numbed, calloused soul within him every time he is on the job. I could liken his transformation to Denzel Washington in Training Day where all you could see is a fierce and hardened killer (Actually, it earned Denzel his first Oscar Award for best actor!). And you will either hate him or despise him! With Joel, however, he is quick to show that softer part of his heart whenever he is with his family, particularly at the latter part of the movie with Gerald in the prison that showcased the most dramatic part of his character, and of the entire film I supposed, the part that lingers in my mind for quite some time because of too much emotion and superb performance of Joel. Truly a brilliant portrayal by a talented and intelligent actor!

Gerald Anderson’s “understudy” role to Joel’s job was a revelation to me of that other side of him. I saw a very different Gerald who used to play as a romantic lover and as the mentally challenged Budoy in a teleserye, the one which I believe showcased his versatility and intelligence as an actor and catapulted him to a higher level of his craft. He is indeed ready for a more matured role, this time from being Budoy to Bugoy! To be paired with Joel Torre was, I believe, a learning experience for Gerald. 

Piolo Pascual did justice to his role as an NBI agent who is caught between going with the flow or countering it for the sake of truth and justice. He manages to keep the tension all throughout the movie and projects a persona that keeps you wondering what his next move would be. He plays it cool and calmly. He attacked his role effortlessly, which for me is a sign of an innate acting talent.

Joey Marquez, the good cop who remained a sergeant after many years of service, is a gem in this movie. The range of emotions he has to emote makes me feel proud of Joey as being part of this film. As a cop who wants justice to be served, as a father who wants the best for his family, especially for his son (I loved Joey in his confrontation with his son in the latter part of the film), and as a friend who tries to protect his friends – I saw a Joey Marquez who compellingly acted on such demanding characterization.

Vivian Velez, as the contact person of the hired killers, did well as a villain. She creates a mysterious persona that makes me wonder who she really was, the answer, I believe, could be developed further in the second part of this movie. I find her character very intriguing, as a woman who could be as heartless as the assassins. What forced her to do that?

For the rest of the casts, I leave it to others to characterize them. For me, they create a symphony of superb acting that comes out so melodiously in this film, making me proud as a Filipino and keeping my faith and hope for the possibility of more quality Filipino films.

I look forward to seeing the second part of On the Job. Kodus Direk Erik Matti,   the editor Jay Halili, and to all those involved in the making of this great film.

I recommend this movie to all who want to take a closer look at the corruption in our country and are mature enough to masticate the nitty-gritty of a crime-thriller and not be repulsed by the violence that goes with it. On the Job is, for me, a tour-de-force in the Philippine cinema.

My rating for this movie, with 5 stars being the highest:  4 stars.

  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Directed by John Madden.

Screenplay written by Ol Parker

Based on the 2004 novel These Foolish Things, by Deborah Moggach,

Produced by Participant Media and Blueprint Pictures

Movie Review: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Care Home For the Elderly and Beautiful

From Director John Madden of Shakespeare in Love comes a British comedy-drama that is witty, touching, heart-warming, truthful, and full of wisdom on aging! A movie about celebrating life in the midst of conflicting ideas and realities, as it tackles the personal issues of the protagonists in an exotic land quite different from where they come from, and where each of them has to expect the unexpected. It entertains as it also teaches, for in the end, no one is really too old to learn the lessons of life!

Synopsis:

Based on 2004 novel These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel tells the story of seven retired people from Great Britain who responded to the enticing internet advertisement of a Home for the Elderly and Beautiful in India, and relates the life of the struggling hotel manager Sonny, a young Indian who has to defy his mother’s wishes to follow the dictate of his heart. When these English folks arrived, they were surprised to see that the seemingly exotic hotel turned out to be “a great hotel in-the-making.” Left with no choice but to make the best of their time in India staying in this hotel, each of them went on with his own personal business:

Muriel (Maggie Smith), a fragile old lady who trusts no one but English doctors, has to find and trust this Indian doctor to operate her hip;

Evelyn (Judi Dench), a widower who was so dependent with her late  husband, has to find a job, reinvent herself, and assert her independence;

Graham (Tom Wilkinson), a retired judge who had been in India 40 years ago, has to find the love of his life and confront the guilt he has been carrying since they parted ways;

Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Jean (Penelope Wilton), a couple whose relationship is in the brink of falling apart, must face the reality with all honesty and sincerity in order to remain free and loving people;

Norman (Ronal Pickup) and Madge (Celia Imrie)  who are both looking for a partner must prove to the world that at their age, it is never too late to find that special someone; and,

Sonny (Dev Patel), a young, ambitious entrepreneur must challenge his mother’s dream for him and prove to her and his lover that he is capable of fulfilling his own dream.

Each character has a personality that either attracts or repels one another. Moreover, as they go about doing their own things, they are also confronted with the culture and the people who think and do things quite differently from them. The cultural shocks started when they have the ride of their life with a bus and the Tuktuk (a motorcycle taxi which is a common means of transportation in urban India) to reach the hotel. One can’t help but notice the excitement and the fear in the faces of these strangers as the bus and the Tuktuk pushed their way along the busy streets of India! And when Muriel was offered an Aloo Paratha (potato stuffed Indian bread) by Douglas, all she could say is, “If I can’t pronounce it, I don’t wanna eat it!” Awkward and funny moments like this are common all throughout the film as each of them battles with their own insecurities and prejudices. And the moving, yet, very awkward scene in the film was the meeting of Graham with the love of his life.  

As the life story of each character unfolds, one feels empathy with them, laugh with them, cry with them, and learn about life with them. One gets an insight as to how life is filled with unfulfilled dreams and unresolved issues. The movie then, through the insightful narrative by Evelyn, reveals the ways and means to which these dreams and issues are resolved and brought to conclusion so that, in the end, one can appreciate that life never really stops giving us surprises, as long as one opens his heart to receive them with gratitude and accept one truth that, as Evelyn says, “We get up in the morning, we do our best. Nothing else matters.”

Cultural clash

The movie really shines on its dealing with cultural prejudices through the eyes of the outsiders. Maggie Smith as Muriel is an epitome of a person who appreciates nothing but her own culture. She wanted an English doctor, bring her own English food, and in one scene when she entered her room in the hotel and saw this Indian doctor waiting for her inside, she went out and, in a low voice, said: “There’s an Indian in there.” It sounded so funny and derogatory at the same time, and Maggie did it effortlessly. However, her character transforms into a more sensitive being as she learns to value friendship and embrace differences through an Indian servant lady.

Another embodiment of a prejudiced person is Jean, the wife of Douglas.  She is all-complaints about the place, hardly goes out of the hotel, disliking the smell and the chaos outside, and even dared to ask Graham one day: “How can you bear this country? What do you see that I don’t?” To which Graham answered poignantly: “The light, colours, smiles. And the way people see life as a privilege and not right. It teaches me something.”

It is this cultural clash that adds flavour to the already tasteful adventures of the protagonists. And the learning one gets from it. India, as the setting, provides a venue for psychological nakedness of the characters where each of them bares her own soul unwittingly. The film also allows the audience to get a taste of the richness of the Indian culture and how different it is from where the actors come from.

The ensemble

I was hooked to the screen and couldn’t help but laugh and be amused by the conversations and reactions of the characters in various incidents. At times, I had to rewind the video a little bit if I could not get what they were saying. British accents could be difficult to understand at times. One has to listen carefully to the dialogue in order to appreciate more the brilliance of the actors. I found the casts of this movie to be brilliant, versatile, and flawless. No wonder why at their age, they remain to be among the great British actors still giving the world of cinema superb and incredible acting.

Judy Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson just give remarkable performances one scene after another, bringing their characters into the screen in full flesh and blood. Of course, the 2012 Olivier Award nominee for Noises Celia Imrie as Madge, a woman looking for her Mr. Right, proves that her theatrical experience is something to look up to. The two other veterans in British cinema, Penelope Wilton as Jean, and Ronald Pickup as Norman, are equally great. Dev Patel, the British-Indian actor who shone first in Slumdog Millionaire must have felt so lucky to be part of this dream cast, proving to himself that he is ready to be part of such a star-studded film.

Director John Madden is indeed remarkable. He is able to hook into one string the various life stories of the characters and able to focus on their humanity. With some typical and at times stereotyping of first world - meets - third world reactions, the lighter side of life still shines. There is even one character in the movie who was silent all the time until towards the end of the movie. Madden is able to just put him on the background making me wonder what his part will be in the end. Yet, he came out to be an important character for the resolution of a conflict (between Sonny and his mom). Great directing.

Memorable Lines

As a surprise box office hit, this film does not fail to deliver lines that one remembers with much musing. I tried to listen carefully to those lines because I believe they invite us to reflect and be enriched by their wisdom. So, here they are:

“But it’s also true that the person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing.”

 “Patience is passion tamed.”

“The light, colours, smiles. And the way people see life as a privilege and not right. It teaches me something.”

“Have we travelled long enough that we can allow our tears to fall?”

“Nothing happens unless first we dream.”

“The only real failure is the failure to try.”

 “We get up in the morning, we do our best. Nothing else matters.”

“All we know about the future is that it will be different. Perhaps what we fear is that it will be the same. So, we must celebrate the changes. Because as someone once said, ‘Everything will be alright in the end. And if it’s not alright, then, trust me, it’s not yet the end.’ ”

Seldom can we see movies that make us laugh, cry, listen intently to the conversation, challenge us intellectually and culturally, show our vulnerabilities, and teach us lessons about life. This film does it all. It’s like a “blissful union of biscuit and tea combined” when you dunk your biscuit into the tea, and savouring its taste slowly and reverently. Awesome! I highly recommend this movie to all who love to live life daily with gratitude, appreciation, and risk!

My rating for this movie: 4 stars!

My Review of the Movie Lauriana

Lauriana is the second film of the supposedly series of movie reviews for September (and sadly, the last one because I had some appointments that coincided with a-little-more-than-a-week-long showing of the Sineng Pambansa Festival which did not warrant me to fulfill my wish to watch all of the featured films! I just hope that DVDs will come out soon so that I will have the privilege to see the masterpieces of the rest of the Maestros in the Philippine Cinema.) that I saw at SM Cinema-Baguio. Surprising though that the price of the tickets was only P100.00. I was expecting even more than the regular movie price, which I was willing to pay by the way, because I know that these quality films are products of the highly-acclaimed directors of the Philippine Cinema. However, even if I only saw two films, I am still very grateful that these two movies did not fail to deliver the quality of films that these maestros are known for. I just hope that next time, I will be able to watch most, if not all, of the featured films. For a movie enthusiast like me,  watching quality Filipino movies is a breath of fresh air! To all our maestros, keep making surprising and quality films! Kodus to all of you!

2. Lauriana

Starring:

Allen Dizon

Bangs Garcia

Adrian Cabildo

Victor Basa

Written by: Ricky Lee

Directed by: Mel Chionglo

My Review:

Disturbing. Provocative. Moving. Haunting. Superb acting, intensely emotional and chilling! That, for me, is Mel Chionglo’s Lauriana.

The Movie

Lauriana deals with a very delicate theme that is very prevalent in our society nowadays: violence against women. It is based on a true story of a woman in Quezon whose unfortunate fate with his abusive husband was witnessed by a ten year old boy Carding. Through his eyes, the brutality of the relationship between Lauriana, a probinsiyana who only finished 3^rd grade and who had been longing to go to Manila, and Samuel, a captain of the Philippine Constabulary who was assigned to fight against the Huks in 1950’s, becomes so vivid. 

One very graphic scene that was nauseating for me (and so inhuman, indeed) was when Samuel did that same horrific act his father did to his mother (you have to find out what he did to Lauriana since it was for me the height of Samuel’s cruelty!). You can see the horror in the faces of Lauriana and the boy Carding who happened to be there with her that night. It was very painful to watch Lauriana dealing with such incident, aside from the constant physical beatings that she got.  Samuel’s possessiveness eventually led him to commit a crime that will haunt not only him but also Carding, whose adult life was severely affected, particularly his relationship with women. 

As the movie progresses, so does the violence and its devastating consequences in the lives of the protagonists. Consumed by the desire to avenge Lauriana, the adult Carding (Victor Basa) searched for Samuel with the intention to kill him. Will he do it when he finds him? Will justice be served on behalf of Lauriana in the end? Well, watch the movie and find it out for yourself.

The Powerful Casts

Allen Dizon as the psychotic Philippine Constabulary Samuel persuasively plays his role. The beast within masked by his good looks is easily unleashed by his obsession with Lauriana and his unfounded jealousy. And he did it so compellingly. Allen’s movements and facial expressions really speak louder than words. These are more noticeable at times when he shows his gentleness towards Lauriana after beating her, which for me reflects the ability of a brilliant actor who knows the character so well and plays it with much conviction. And not all male actors have that gift. As an award-winning actor, Allen proves in this movie that he is up for more awards in this industry. And that he truly is an asset that we all can be proud of in the Philippine cinema.

Bangs Garcia (who I found very notable in the horror flick Segunda Mano and even won an award for best supporting actress) was at her best as the innocent, sexy, and naïve Lauriana. I have read in a paper when she was interviewed that she gave her all in this movie. And I believe her. She was right when she said she gave her 100% in this film. Even if it seemed like an underwritten role for there was not much in the film that tells us more about her life, still, I would say that Bangs managed to tell us that somehow her falling into the emotional blackmail by Samuel (“He had a very difficult childhood and we are his only friends who understand him,” said she to Carding) contribute to a fertile ground for domestic violence (that actually made her look pathetic, oblivious of the manipulation that has been going on in the relationship) which even dragged her and the boy into further victimhood by Samuel’s psychosis.

One very moving scene in the movie was when in bed she tried to recall and recite the English phrases she learned from Carding (“Please, excuse me. I want to pee.”) as a means of coping the pain. It was a very heart-rending scene where she tries to console herself from the violence she experienced! And Bangs did it so well that you can’t help but be moved. She is a great revelation of a very promising actress. I hope she will get more roles as challenging and demanding as this.

Another surprise, a good one though, in this movie is the child actor Adrian Cabido as the ten year old Carding. He was unbelievably great. His fragile yet convincing portrayal of a boy who witnesses domestic violence at a ripe age is laudable. A brilliant actor for his age, indeed. In most of his scenes, he tackles the emotional nuances with delicate and natural deliberation. Some scenes that I find him at his best are the one where he was caught by his mother stealing the money to help Lauriana with the boat fare to Manila; the one with that nauseating scene (sorry, but that is how that scene makes me feel like!); and the one when he ran into the village shouting for help and confronted Samuel afterwards. Those are emotion-laden scenes that Adrian handled so well and so naturally, which is quite astonishing for his age. I hope he will be given more opportunities to harness that innate acting talent he has shown in this film.

All three of them, along with other supporting casts with equally strong acting performances, create a weave of tapestry so intricately woven that makes this explosive theme so creatively and realistically laid out on screen. One can’t help but feel the pain and the struggles of each character as he/she tries to live out his/her life creatively (for good or bad) in the midst of personal and mental battles of what is life-giving and what is life-denying in the given circumstances in life.

The Maestro and His Band

With all these praises to these great actors (not to undermine, of course, Victor Basa, Angeli Bayani, Jaycee Parker and other supporting casts who are quite good and who shine in their respective role and scenes), I have to give a lot of credits to the directorial skill of our maestro Mel Chionglo. I believe that a good director brings out the best of his actors. And that makes a big difference in this movie. Even with newcomers like Bangs, Mel was able to bring out the characters into the screen, not just the artists in them. A MARK OF A TRUE MAESTRO! A salute to you, Direk Mel!

Not to fail to mention the brilliant script of Ricky Lee. Although, I would have liked to have more details of Lauriana’s life and a bit gradual development of the relationship between her and Samuel. Still, I would say that it was a well-written script by Ricky Lee. Kodus to you, Sir Lee.

The cinematography by Nap Jamir was also worth-noting here. It tries to capture the natural beauty of Quezon Province.  I like the “by-the-sea” sceneries where nature helps capture the mood and the melancholic feelings of the characters.

I believe that Lauriana is a masterpiece! It is chilling because of the fact that it acts as a catalyst to the reality of violence against women. There is more to this movie than the erotic scene between Bangs and Allen, as the actors and those involved in the movie insisted during their interviews. It is indeed a movie that will leave a mark on your conscience on the plight of many Laurianas in our society, then and now. I left the theatre with a heavy heart remembering women who are closed to me who suffered, and some are still suffering, from the emotional and physical abuses of their partners. Lauriana gives the voice to thousands of women (To be inclusive, to some men, perhaps?) who are caught in a destructive relationship, and who want to be freed from it before it’s too late. For this reason, the movie is really worth-seeing by those who believe that all people are created equal and deserving to be treated with respect and dignity, and be advocates for it.

In my opinion, Lauriana can be a strong contender to Cannes Festival and Oscars, not to mention our local award-giving bodies, and which may give Allen, Bangs, Adrian, and Director Mel Chionglo the most coveted awards and recognitions. May this be so, because all of them in this quality movie truly deserved to be recognized as such.

For this movie, I give 4 ½ stars!

Movie Review for Sonata

This month of September, 2013, in gratitude to the 12 most accomplished and celebrated film directors in the Philippines who showcased their latest films in this year’s Sineng Pambansa Festival (National Film Festival) 2013 dubbed All Master’s Edition, I will be writing a series of review of the films I will be able to watch. I hope that my review will give justice to the greatness of these maestros who for a long time have been making quality films that catapulted a lot of our great actors to stardom, making even some Filipino films internationally acclaimed.

First Film: Review for the film Sonata

Starring: Cherie Gil, Chino Jalandoni, Richard Gomez (in a cameo role)

Written by: Wanggo Gallaga

Produced by: Film Development Council of the Philippines, Myownmann

Directed by: Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes

My Review:

Sonata is a heart-warming, touching and lyrical film that slowly takes you into the world of an unlikely friendship bound by pain and the inevitabilities in life culminating in a crescendo of hope and the will to sing once again a song about life!

About the film

After losing her voice that once was a vehicle to fame and glory in the world of the opera, Regina Cadena (Cherie Gil) retreated into the place where she grew up, in a hacienda in Bacolod, drowning her pain and sorrow with alcohol, until a boy who suffers from the pain of a broken home came to her rescue. It is this encounter of two struggling souls that brought the drama and the comedy of life into the screen and invite the viewers to journey with them as they try to make sense of who they are and find the meaning of their existence. And the result is a melodic exchange of wisdom between an innocent and curious boy and an experienced adult punctuated by the sobering and soul-penetrating music all throughout the film. Even the local Hiligaynon lullaby Ili, Ili Tulog Anay, finds its rightful place in the film, captivating the audience with its simple, yet profound message of comfort by a mother to her child (or could be a father’s, too!).

Cherie Gil, on one hand, gives the performance of her life as the fallen opera star who tries to cope with it, battling with depression for the fame gone and a lover she could never have. Her soul-baring performance in this film is unforgettable, more than her contrabida role in Bituing Walang Ningning where her “copycat” line is etched forever in our memory.

Jonjon (Chino Jalandoni), on the other hand, gives a knock-out performance as a boy who, estranged from his father, struggles to adapt himself to his mother’s native place as he tries to convince his friend that he is more of an Ilonggo speaker than Tagalog. His conversation with Regina, either in Ilonggo or Tagalog or English, sounds effortless. I see the potential of this child as the next Joel Torre (I learned that he is Joel’s  grandnephew) in the Philippine cinema, if given the opportunity and the right project.

Regina and Jonjon have this magical presence on screen when they are together. The scene when Regina was playing the piano and Jonjon was looking at her through the banisters of the stairs showing some appreciation of the music was a sight to behold! And there are more scenes that allow us to see how special their friendship is. Jonjon’s playfulness is absolutely contrasted by the seriousness of Regina. And I think that it is this contrast that makes their relationship magical. It is this magic between them that enables me to follow their story as it unfolds and ends with heart-rending performance of the main and supporting actors. They take us slowly into their world like a symphony, and once you are in, you lose the sense of time until that climactic ending brings you back to where you were, only to find out afterwards that you have actually seen with clarity that place for the first time.

The risks involved in the film

Having only a couple of known stars in a film is, indeed, a risk for the producers and the directors given the idolizing culture of the public viewers. It would be interesting to see how it will do in the box office. There were only 3 of us watching this film in SM Manila around 9:00 pm last Sept. 12! Even more risky is using a local language aside from Tagalog as a major language, in this case, Ilonggo, because you have to have sub-titles. But it is a risk worth-taking. Sonata is a proof of it. With a simple plot, few known stars (with the special participation of another great actor Richard Gomez) and more new local native speakers, and shot in a location that boasts itself of its natural wonders in broad daylight and the deafening quiet, star-filled sky at night, an inspiring film that for me can be a good candidate for Best Foreign Film in Oscar is created. It actually reminded me of a Peruvian film La Teta Asustada, one of the five finalists in this category for 2010 (or 2011). In a broad stroke, Sonata is an Obra Maestra that looks deeply into the life of an individual who is caught in the strong current of emotional crisis: she either has to sink or swim against the current to reclaim the life she deserves to have. All of us have this moment. Sonata teaches us to choose and do the latter. As Regina says to Jonjon/Don Giovanni after losing in a baseball game: “When you lose a game, you can play again.”

My heartfelt congratulations to Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes, who I believe are among our maestros in the film industry. Here, their giftedness brightly shines through the good performance of the actors, the awesome cinematography, the simple yet profound dealing with the theme, and the intelligent exploration of the ability of a human being to bounce back from the rock bottom and find triumph in friendship and love from the people around him/her. In this film, they venture to show the viewing public that the Sonata in life continues to play even when one stops singing, hoping that one day one’s heart will be open to listen to it and embrace the beauty and the magic it brings. Thanks to the great musical director Emerzon Exon and sound designer Mike Idioma for a display of such ingenuity in music and sound that make the film even more poetic.

Sonata is, in my humble opinion, a cinematic surprise, and I am so proud for the directors and actors who made the film, as its title suggests, an Opus in the Philippine cinema. I recommend this film to all Filipinos who have been hungry for a quality film for quite some time. Here is our chance to experience a cinematic magic that will surely warm our heart and make us sing our own Sonata in life again and again.

My rating for this film: 4 ½ stars!

The Kite Runner Review

The kite runner

The Trailer: Since I found it very difficult to post the trailer here from youtube, you can just copy the url below to see The Kite Runner Trailer. Thank you and Goodluck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sLtavGjAOJY

Directed by	Marc Forster
Produced by	Walter Parkes Laurie McDonald Sam Mendes Sidney Kimmel
Screenplay by	David Benioff
Based on	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Starring	Khalid Abdalla Zekeria Ebrahimi Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada Homayoun Ershadi
Music by	Alberto Iglesias
Cinematography	Roberto Schaefer
Editing by	Matt Chesse
Studio	Sidney Kimmel Entertainment Participant Productions Paramount Classics
Distributed by	DreamWorks Pictures
Release date(s)	December 14, 2007
Running time	128 minutes

My Review:

As Hassan ran for the kite, Amir shouted at him:

“Hassan, come back with it!”

To Amir he replied:

“For you, a thousand times over.”

An unforgettable line in the movie, it actually sums up the depth of the friendship of two young boys who grew up together inseparably in Kabul, Afghanistan until one tragic event changed their lives forever.

The Kite Runner, a 2007 American drama film, is a cinematic delight and truly an amazing film that pierces one’s heart long after the movie has ended…in fact, much, much longer! An adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same title by Khaled Hosseini, and nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in the 65^th golden Globe Awards and in the 61^st British Academy Film Awards, Director Marc Forster of the famous movies like this year’s World War Z (with Brad Pitt), Finding Neverland (with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet), and Monster’s Ball that earned Halle Berry her first Oscar for Best Actress, courageously  tackles this controversial story of “friendship, honor, guilt, and violence.” However, I would say that this is also about redemption and, as the film's poster aptly says, a way to be good again.

The movie takes us to a span of 22 years (1978 – 2000) and the changes that took place in Kabul within those years, as well as the effects of such changes in the lives of the characters: From the Soviet Union military intervention in 1979 to the mass exodus of Afghan refugees to Pakistan and the U.S., and to the rise of the Taliban power after the civil war from 1992 to 1996. With this, I would say that the title of the first published book by Amir in the story “A Season for Ashes” accurately describes his journey back to his beloved Kabul from which Amir has to rise from the ashes of  his past like a Phoenix, and to start life anew!

The Movie:

The Kite Runner opens up with Amir and his wife Soraya watching kids flying kites at bayside park in San Francisco in the year 2000. Arriving at their home with a package of his newly published book “A Season for Ashes,” Amir got a call from a family friend in Pakistan, Rahim Khan, asking Amir to visit him there. It gives Amir the opportunity to see Rahim, the man to whom he dedicated his book, but whose health was failing. That call leading to his visit to Pakistan brought Amir back to his childhood memories, both joyful and painful ones, especially the ones with a long-lost childhood friend Hassan, the son of their Hazara servant Ali. Their friendship was marked by the loyalty of Hassan to Amir, to which the line “For you, a thousand times over” describes it so prophetically and profoundly.

It is this friendship that the film tackles so painfully, from their love for kite fighting which is a popular sport among the boys of Kabul, to that tragic event that prefers humiliation over a kite for a friend, and to that courage to return to the now dangerous Kabul under the control of the Taliban for the sake of redeeming one’s self from helplessness and guilt. As the movie progresses, one can’t help but admire not just the friendship of Amir and Hassan but also the courageous and the principled Agha Sahib, the father of Amir, particularly in one scene when they were stopped by a Russian soldier on their way to Pakistan. See it for yourself to realize how such incident made Amir even more the person that he became. The film also shows how “secrets” are gradually revealed, and how they make the characters even more interesting and more human. Take note of Amir wife’s and father’s pasts and see how Amir took them by heart and even helped him put the pieces of his past together, making him more determined to do the right thing this time. 

The film also gives us a glimpse of the present Afghanistan through Amir’s journey to Kabul, with the drastic changes that he noticed, and the danger he feels and sees lurking in every corner of the city that was once a haven of his precious childhood dream and memories. He eventually met the person that led him to his main goal of his visit to Kabul, but not without the risk of losing his own life. The movie goes on to show us the painful experience of the boy Sohrab, the son of Hassan taken in custody by the Taliban to serve as a dance boy. Then, there’s the encounter of Amir with Assef, the former bully, showing us how determined Amir was in making up for the past. 

When Amir said to Sohrab as he volunteered to be the boy’s “kite runner”: “For you, a thousand times over,” one can't help but be awed by the friendship and commitment Amir and Hassan pledged for one another which the film so sincerely and painstakingly captured.   

The Book vs The Film

I’ve read the book when I was in Peru in 2004. And I remember thinking about it for days after I read it. The story was so painful and Hosseini was just so gifted as to vividly describe the events and the emotional upheavals that the characters are going through. I was wondering, however, how it could possibly be shot in Afghanistan since I believed that the present situation would not warrant it. I learned that they actually had the shooting in Kashgar, China due to the dangers at that time in Afghanistan. Moreover, all throughout the movie, Dari was majority of the film’s dialogue with subtitles in English. The thing with foreign film is that it demands more focusing since you have to look at the scenes and read the subtitles at the same time. But with The Kite Runner, it’s worth the effort.

I learned that the movie was made not without endangering the child actors’ lives due to some violent reactions of the film particularly to the sexual nature of some scenes. They actually had to bring four child actors to a safe place in another country to protect them from such reactions.

Reading the book and watching the movie afterwards made me realized that the latter did not really capture the nuances one finds in the book. But that’s the risk one has to take in adapting a book into a film. Emotion-wise, I found the book richer than the film. However, this is where musical scoring becomes a tool to help the audience relate to the characters' emotions in various scenes and transport them into a particular place and time. Alberto Iglesias did it very well. He artistically weaves his music into the movie, which I believe made him worthy to be nominated in the 65^th Golden Globe Award and in the 80^th Academy Award for Best Original Score in Motion Picture. 

And I do give credit to Marc Forster for his directorial skill. The child actors came so naturally and the kite-fighting was so exciting that I felt as if I were with the kids shouting and applauding in ecstasy for every kite that was cut by the victors. Not only that: the movie evokes in me that sense of wonder of how real friendship transcends class and status in life, and how it overcomes fears and failures. The Kite Runner is this kind of film. Moreover, it leaves one with an impression that in life, there is indeed a chance to be good again, and it’s for real!

I firmly believe that The Kite Runner is one of the greatest films one will ever see! It's enchanting, moving, and awe - inspiring!

For this movie's rating: 4 and 1/2 stars!

P.S. I have the original video of the movie just in case one would care to watch it and could not find a copy of its DVD in video stores.