Movie Review: Ari: My Life with a King

Starring:

Francisco Guinto as Kong Dado

Cecille Yumul as Dado's wife Miding

Ronwaldo Martin as Jaypee

Directed by:Carlo EncisoCatu

My Review:

Poetic! Lyrical! Poignant! Funny! A movie with a heart and soul!

What happened to our local dialects? Where have they gone? Are we still proud of them, or are we putting them under the rags for shame of being ridiculed as "probinsiyano" or "bokya"? Questions that we will be forced to answer honestly as the characters struggle to be true to who they are in the midst of conflicting values and political reality that tend to overlook the prophetic and enlightening skill of a poet.The movie also depicts a grim reality: a gifted poet remains poor until the end. 

With the arid land of lahar-stricken Pampanga as its backdrop, one can't help but feel melancholic of the used - to - be vibrant and pre-lahar Pampanga. But this is only reminiscent of the main theme of the movie which is the beauty of the local dialect as poetically delivered by the king of the poets Kong Dado. His friendship with Jaypee, the student who picked him up from his house for the awarding ceremony, becomes a catalyst to a deeper realization of the ongoing challenge of loving and preserving the local dialect. I love listening to Kapampangan words (though I admit I don't understand a word of it, but thanks to the English subtitles!). There were times when I was laughing out loud because of the funny conversations between Jaypee and Kong Dado in Kapampangan. I felt like I was transported to that arid land and invited to enjoy the beauty of this lyrical, poetic, and humorous exchange of words between the king and the protegee. I really found the movie simple and not pretentious. It does not pretend on presenting characters that undermine their own cultural heritage over that which makes them feel "over and above" the rest of their struggling fellowmen and women. It shies away from too much tear-shedding you can see in most of our dramatic movies. But it powerfully touches you in some of its dramatic scenes (in particular, when Jaypee reads the last poem that the King wrote!) It boasts the use of Kapampangan and Tagalog as the main modes of communication and it stars unknown actors whose performances are raw, natural, but moving. There was no dull moment for me in the entire movie, really.

The movie shows a sad reality: the mixed reactions of the people upon listening to the rhymes and verses that the poet so dramatically delivered on stage or in casual conversation with friends. As he was talking, some in the audience couldn't bear to listen; others slept, others complained, while others just walked out even before the poet finished his speech (the mayor and his men). However, I think this for me makes this movie quite different from the rest of the New Wave entries that I have seen so far. There is something magical about poetic verses.They pierced one's heart and soul and they awaken the slumbering mind of someone who seems to be overwhelmed by the dictates of the society as to what is essential and what is not. I find myself being questioned by Dado's acceptance speech, a poem on the futility of pride. I think, throughout the entire movie one is invited to engage in the witty, poetic, and funny conversations, and make a stand on his view on politics and cultural identity, and live with it.

For me, Ari: My Life with a King is a cinematic delight. What we believe to be essential in our cultural heritage, be it language, poetry, or values, needs to be owned and embraced without reservation. It needs to be passed on. The movie captures this truth as Jaypee accepts the crown of laurel leaves bequeathed to him by the King. After all, the poet's death entails the rising of a new one, whose life with a king introduces him to the harsh reality in life, in poetic and lyrical forms!

Kodus to the Director, the crew, and the casts. Thanks for making such a simple but moving film.

My rating for this movie:           4 stars out of 5.

Movie Review on Tandem

Starring: JM de Guzman, Nico Antonio, Alan Paule

Directed by: King Palisoc

My Review:

Engaging! Thrilling! Compelling!

That is how I felt watching this indie film whose plot gradually develops from a petty to a big-time crime that entangles the lives of the protagonists into a  web of deception, illusion, desperation, and ultimately the loss of loved ones. The story revolves around the two brothers whose bond that ties include not only blood and genes but their tandem - in - crime as well.

The joy of watching a Filipino Indie Film is that it depicts real life drama of ordinary people in relation to the social reality where they live, or forced to live, in other cases. The freedom to choose social realities as a theme allowing the director to explore the common yet easily ignored reality because of its commonness runs through this film. This is what I observed upon watching this drama/thriller Tandem. It stars JM de Guzman and Nico Antonio as siblings who are partners-in-crime, in a socially relevant phenomenon known as "riding-in-tandem." 

Actually, what make this movie great are the believability of the actors and the unexpected twists and turns of events. Having seen so many "bad-guy movies" where the actor dies in the end , Tandem gives you an open-ended story where the viewer is left to his own opinion and imagination as to what happens to one of the main protagonists. Something that those who have not seen the movie yet has to find out and to opine- in freedom!

JM de Guzman and Nico Antonio have this chemistry that makes you believe how closed they are as brothers and how they try to keep the relationship stronger through thick and thin. And it shows naturally in most of their scenes together.  It's great to see young actors pulling off the drama in life convincingly and naturally. I never noticed a single awkward moment by these "brothers" as they both attacked their roles in various scenes, be it a crime, sex, or dramatic scene. 

A question was running through my mind as I was watching the movie: Is this movie glorifying the acts of these criminals? However, as other characters are introduced (like that of Alan Paule), I began to see a different angle of the story. The depiction of their crime is not glorification of the act itself but an invitation for the viewers to get into the minds of the protagonists and see how they are being manipulated and used by those we expect to help them get out from the pit where they fall. It is a depiction of a reality that is currently happening in our society and a call to be vigilant and not to ignore it.

Another plus to this movie is its ability to present the emotional upheaval that the protagonists are going through. They showed not only how good action stars they are but they also delivered strongly some emotion-laden scenes that reflect their ability as dramatic actors as well. Kodus to JP and Nico for such great acting.

I have to say that the sound editing and the music mixing have really made this movie pleasing to my senses, making the movie even more touching. Scenes like Nico humming a music (a lullaby?) to calm his wife and having a music of the same tune to what he is humming creates a spine-tingling feeling to its listener. It was not overdone. Just the right amount of volume. Congrats to this achievement.

Tandem is a major achievement in the film industry. That is why watching indie films is refreshing and, for me, a cure to the ailing and highly commercialized film industry that has big stars in the title role at the expense of a more socially-relevant theme. 

Thanks to its director who risks making a film with social relevance like Tandem. I hope more and more Filipinos will appreciate movies like this. The future in Philippine Cinema is really in the hands of this new generation of risk-takers. Mabuhay po kayong lahat!

My rating for this movie:         4 stars out of 5.

Movie Review of Mandirigma

Starring:

Luis Alandy, Ping Medina, Alwyn Uytingco, Marc Solis, Victor Basa, Carlo Cruz, Jerico Estregan, Ken Anderson, introducing Jeffrey Marquez , and Mon confiado as Hamda Marawan

Produced, Written, and Directed by Arlyn de la Cruz

My review:

Timely! Sobering!

That is how I describe Mandirigma which I saw yesterday at Robinson's Manila.

The movie centers on the the dedication of the marines and the sacrifices they do for the country and for their respective family. It revolves around the ongoing conflict in Sulu, a theme that could have been interestingly developed all throughout the movie but failed to do so.

It was for me an ambitious theme to tackle since it reminds viewers of the controversial Mamasapano incident, albeit not intended by Arlyn. I admire the boldness of the director to choose this theme for her film since it speaks of the horror and the reality of the  disturbing reality faced by our brothers and sisters in some war-infested places in Mindanao. But it is a theme that involves historical facts on the conflict not only from the side of the marines but from the side of the Tausug people as well. The movie gives a hint on the complexity of the root causes of this conflict when the question was raised by the Tausug soldier how this conflict began and what they are actually fighting for, that he himself doesn't know. This question was met with silence by the group, a scene which brilliantly depicts the absurdity of war where victors are themselves victims, and winners could end up losers. It begs the question: In war, who really wins?

Praise to Mon Confiado who convincingly and believably played his role as Hamda Marawan. A great actor enables us to see the character as he really is. And Mon flawlessly delivered it. 

I also admire the way the movie ends, giving a hint that the conflict in the plot is not resolved, a kind of a no-happy-ending, which makes the movie more realistic. I can see the amount of research on the validity of the facts as depicted in the movie. To this, I give credit to Ma'am Arlyn.

There are shortcomings in the film that I had observed which I would like to point out. But I hope this would not deter people from seeing the movie since watching the movie allows one to have a peek into the lives of the marines who fight for our country, their individual struggles, and their desire to have a peaceful and better Philippines.

First, the lack of a main protagonist that would have hinged the various characters and story lines in the movie. Having one in a movie allows the viewers to follow scene after scene the development of the plot with focus. What happens in this film is that there really is no main protagonist. And that is not bad, had the movie been categorized as documentary. A full-length movie requires a main character that serves as a focus, or else, viewers will be just be watching plain narratives that they could see on tv or newspapers. 

I can see  a few characters worthy of becoming the main protagonist. Among them is the Tausug soldier. His character is very fertile for conflicts of the story and a deeper research into the root causes of the fightings in Sulu. It would have been a torment for him to be a soldier and at the same time to fight against his own people. I noticed it particularly in his conversation with the child of Marawan. He is trying to comfort the son of the man his group killed, and him being a Tausug must have lots of questions in his mind on the whys and whats of this war.

Secondly, the disclaimer. Putting it in the end of the movie is for me not helpful to the viewers particularly with sensitive issues like this.  After watching the movie and reading the disclaimer in the end, a conclusion was already made in my mind that the Tausugs are really the enemies. A dangerous conclusion, indeed. Fortunately, as a Mindanaoan, I know that there is more to what I just saw. I prefer to have the disclaimer in the beginning of the film to alert and condition the mind of the viewers that although the incidents are based on true events, the movie is not intended to to mean that the Tausugs are the enemies.

And thirdly, the editing. I was lost for a while trying to connect the dots of who is who. I realized later that the brother of a dead marine has also joined the marines. It is difficult to decipher who am I watching at the moment when the editing is not finely done. And I think it has something to do with having no main protagonist because as the movie progresses it made me curious as to whose life story I am following at the moment. 

As regards giving honor to the marines who at present risk their lives for the love of our country and to the fallen ones in the past, I believe the movie delivers it well. Kodus to Ma'am Arlyn for that. I just hope that next time when sensitive themes like this will be tackled in a movie, that it would not fail to consider the three things I mentioned above which for me can give shape and authenticity to the film as a whole.

I left the theater with questions in my mind and with the observations I have written above. I am just glad that there is a bold woman like Direk Arlyn who cares about sensitive issues like the theme of the movie and dares to make a film about it. I hope many will watch the movie and appreciate the effort the crew put into this film. All the best Direk Arlyn and may you keep on making films.

My rating for this film:             3 out of 5 stars.

Toto the Movie

Starring:

Sid Lucero, Bembol Roco, Neil Ryan Sese, Mara Lopez, Thou Reyes, Blake Boyd, Jelson Bay, Liza Dino, Bibeth Orteza, Che Ramos, Marnie Lapus, Raul Montesa, Carlos Cruz, David Christopher, Lorenz martinez, Sheila Valderrama, and Rafa Siguion-Reyna.

Director: John Paul Su

My  Review of Toto

As I began to search for my blog's password "without surrender-ing," I eventually found it lying dormant in my phone's "notes." Now, I'm back to business!

And what a privilege to open my movie review blog again with a Filipino independent film entitled "TOTO."

Hilarious! Touching! Entertaining!Inspiring!

This is how I would describe this John Paul Su movie that stars one of the young versatile actors we have in the Philippine Cinema today, Sid Lucero. A great revelation of Sid's comedic side that comes out naturally and almost effortlessly. The movie centers on Toto's relentless pursuit for his "American Dream" and tackles, among others, the inner struggles of a dreamer and his journey towards self-fulfillment in the midst of conflicting voices inside and outside. I hardly recognized Bembol Roco who remarkably acts as Sid's father who, in a way, becomes his guiding "inner voices" (conscience).

The movie presents hard facts in life, particularly that of someone who is in the road to recovery after being struck by a tragedy (in this movie, the aftermath of the typhoon "Yolanda"). To do whatever it takes to realize one's dream is the overall theme of the movie. However, as the story of this young dreamer unfolds, it also becomes clear that he is finding his true self in the midst of conflicting personal, social, and cultural values. And to be true to it! Toto is an epitome of a common Filipino who aspires to make his life and that of his family better, unmindful of big personal sacrifices at times, ready to learn to take "one step at a time" (a line that Toto's girlfriend Tessa keeps on reminding him).

The cast ensemble is a big factor why this movie for me is a gem. I found every supporting cast to be very good actor. Bembol Roco and Bibeth Orteza, among others, really shine through. And of course, Sid Lucero, the protagonist, who is known for his dramatic roles, displays his versatility here as a natural comedian. One can't help but laugh at some scenes where a serious conversation is sprinkled with "biro" lines by Sid, one which is very relatable to me as a Filipino. Sid's acting in this movie is for me worthy of best actor awards!!!

There are a few scenes which I found to be long enough for the message to be conveyed. And I think it's a matter of editing. But I leave that to the experts. Because I also found some scenes worthy of praise as regards focusing. I love how the scenes are taken from "inside -out." Two scenes I could remember: the one from inside the locker and the sepulcher.They were brilliant directing for me because it gives a certain perspective that life has to be seen also from inside-out. Well, that is just my little psychological knowledge that is creeping in. What I really want to emphasize is the brilliant positioning of the camera! And for this, I give credits to this brilliant young director named John Paul Su who I happened to meet outside the theater (Robinson's Manila, after the 12:45 screening of the movie today, Dec. 18).

I am convinced that great directors bring out the best in the actors. Given the natural and good performances of the cast ensemble, Direk JP Su convincingly displays his directorial prowess worthy of warm kudos!!!

To touch the audience by successfully pulling off together both funny and dramatic scenes in a matter of seconds and allow the audience to experience a roller-coaster of emotions all throughout the movie while keeping the theme intact is an achievement of a good collaborative effort by the director and the crew. So, to everyone responsible for creating this magnificent, touching, inspiring and hilarious film, Toto, felicitaciones! You make us proud of our very own Filipino Films!

So, I invite everyone to watch Toto and find your own story, and be entertained and inspired as Toto's life's joy, disappointments, failures, and success unravel before you in the big screen. Catch it in Robinson's Place Manila today. Screening time varies every day.

My rating for Toto:          4 out of 5 stars!!!!!!

So long for now. I still have more indie films to catch up.