Paglisan: A Review

Carl Joseph Papa’s animated-musical movie is a marriage of form and story.

Every once in a while, an animated feature finds itself a part of a film festival lineup. It started back in 2008 when the first all-digital full-length animated feature film "Dayo" premiered at the 34th Metro Manila Film Festival. A few years later, "RPG Metanoia" and "Saving Sally" debut at the 36th and 42nd edition respectively. Director Carl Joseph Papa continues to celebrate Filipino-produced animated movies with “Paglisan,” which premieres at the 2018 C1 Originals.

"Paglisan" garnered success despite being the most peculiar from the lineup. At the I Am Original Awards Night the movie bagged Best Picture, Best Sound for Jess Carlos, Best Music for Teresa Barrozo, Best Screenplay for Carl Papa and Aica Ganhinhin, and the Champion Bughaw Award.

If follows the crumbling marriage of Crisanto (Ian Veneracion) and Dolores (Eula Valdez) who suffer from Alzheimer's and depression respectively. "Paglisan" chronicles the love the couple shares despite the challenges they are facing.

At first “Paglisan" appears to be an incomplete film. The color, the sketch, and the audio look and sound so chaotic and disarray. The treatment seems to limit the movie in narrating its story. But everything starts to make sense halfway. The messy animation is a reflection of the waning marriage of the couple. It also represents the deteriorating memory of Crisanto and the worsening mental condition of Dolores. The animation is used in such virtuoso, it becomes a mirror of the disposition of the characters. A marriage of form and story.

“Paglisan” is a movie too genuine not to adore. Yes, it is ambitious but it has the right to be. It's well-written accompanied by beautifully composed songs and outstanding performances from Veneracion and Valdez. Director Carl Papa cleverly uses a combination of audio and visual to immerse us into the story.

To say it simply, this movie is just unforgettable because it's beautifully-crafted, heartfelt, and sincere. It's a movie that is firmly connected to its emotional core. I highly recommend checking "Paglisan" out.

5/5

Pamilya Ordinaryo: A Review

A young couple must navigate the chaotic streets of Manila to find their stolen baby in this 2016 poverty-drama.

Marking director Eduardo Roy Jr.'s second film on the online streaming giant, Netflix. “Pamilya Ordinaryo” shares the same provocativeness present in Roy's films.

Congruent to his other films, “Pamilya Ordinaryo” is also a favorite and a heavyweight in award shows. It won awards at the 12th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival including Best Picture, Best Director for Eduardo Roy Jr., Best Actress for Hasmine Killip, and Best Editing for Carlo Francisco Manatad. Similarly. Also, it bags nominations and wins from other award-giving bodies and film festivals such as Gawad Urian Awards, Hanoi International Film Festival, FAP Awards, and Star Awards for Movies.

"Pamilya Ordinaryo" stars Hasmine Killip and Ronwaldo Martin as Jane and Aries respectively. Two delinquent teenagers who resort to stealing to provide for themselves and their baby boy, Arjan. Conflict starts when a Samaritan named Ertha (Moira Lang) stole their baby. What follows is a tale of endless search that inadvertently reveals how marginalized and deprived impoverished people are.

As you might've guessed, “Pamilya Ordinaryo” is not an easy movie to sit through as it reveals too much about how messed-up society is. It's extraordinarily provocative and brave. It daringly paints the lurid images of reality that we often discount. It boldly drops harsh truths on how terrible life is for poor people in a third world country like the Philippines.

However, Roy's bleak depiction of poverty is compelling but it feels misguided. It portrays Jane and Aries as good-for-nothing, loud and dense people, who take out their frustrations by belittling each other. Moreover, the film ends too quickly and without proper resolution on the fate of the characters we followed. The obscure ending leaves nothing but questions on what does it suppose to represent. Was it meant to tell us that being poor is a trap with no exit? Is it meant to show us that hope is only for the rich?

For the record, I liked “Pamilya Ordinaryo,” as I find it brave and powerful. It managed to take a stand about some political and social issues the country is facing today even if it failed to expound further its ideologies. It helps that Killip and Martin gave out a convincing performance. The production design is also great, and the use of CCTV cameras is a clever artistic move as it invites realism. I think the movie managed to tell what it wants to tell about the situation faced by poor people, it just outdid some aspect of the story.

“Pamilya Ordinaryo” is a ‘must-watch’ for me. It might require you to muster an extraordinary amount of courage before watching it as it gets heavier as the narrative moves along but that's reality anyway. Isn’t a movie supposed to mirror reality, even if it’s ugly?

3/5

Lola Igna: A Review

Eduardo Roy Jr. teams up with veteran actress Angie Ferro to enliven a story on acceptance, truth, and death.

Fresh from the success of the controversial Cinemalaya 2019 movie “F#*@bois,” Eduardo Roy Jr. premiere a, somewhat, calm yet equally thought-provoking and brave movie – “Lola Igna.”

Premiering at the 3rd Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, “Lola Igna” did not only charm and entertain the viewers with its impressive story and casts, but it also bags multiple awards. The movie won Best Picture, Best Actress for Angie Ferro’s performance, Best Musical Score for Andrew Florentino, and Best Screenplay for Eduardo Roy, Jr. and Margarette Labrador.

The story of “Lola Igna” follows the stubborn titular character, played by Angie Ferro, who’s eager to die to meet his beloved husband but the village she lives in is likewise eager for her to win the “world’s oldest living grandmother in the world” title. Until an aspiring vlogger and Lola Igna’s great-great-grandson, Tim (Yves Flores), appears. After spending some time together, Lola Igna realizes that there is something left worth living for.

For those who haven’t watched “Lola Igna” yet, it’s surprisingly a joyous film even if it revolves around a 118 years old woman dreams of dying. As expected, there are a lot of discussions in the film that challenges our idea of mortality. It's a reflective film. It provokes us to ask meaningful questions about acceptance and facing reality. Additionally, underneath these serious discussions about mortality, issues on and about society’s selfish expectations and wants arise. Further enforcing the main conflict of the film, is another's happiness more important than yours?

“Lola Igna” is made more charming by Angie Ferro’s timeless performance. Her role requires her to juggle comedy and drama back-and-forth but she is able to do both outstandingly well. It’s a testament to her talent as an actress. Even if she’s already way past her prime, she’s still compelling and alluring to watch.

All in all, “Lola Igna” is a great example of what Martin Scorsese once said, “The most personal is the most creative.” This movie feels like it’s really is a story that comes from the heart. It’s fun, beautiful, and entertaining. I recommend to go and watch it before it’s too late.

4/5

Sunod: A Review

Carlo Ledesma’s psychological-paranormal movie is a preview of what's next for the Filipino horror genre.

Award-winning director Carlo Ledesma, known for directing the 2011 movie “The Tunnel” that does not only boast a 100% Rotten Tomato rating but also parades the awards it won from the 17th Annual AIMIA Awards, A Night of Horror International Film Festival and Screamfest Horror Film Festival. For his 2019 entry, Ledesma directed the horror movie “Sunod” which can be best described as the ‘misfit’ of the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival for being the only horror entry among family-friendly movies.

“Sunod” follows the single mother named Olivia (Carmina Villaroel) as she takes a call center job to pay for her daughter’s, Anelle (Krystal Brimner), hospitalization. Little did she know that the building she works in is haunted by a restless spirit.

A story that combines lore, horror, and commentaries on workplace woes, “Sunod” outright reveals the terrifying toxicity experienced by workers working night shifts under exploitative supervisors. Furthermore, it also conveys the oppression and lack of opportunities experienced by the underprivileged. Though at the very heart of this film, is a drama about the love of a mother to her daughter and the length she’s willing to cross just to protect her.

Frankly, “Sunod” is just another run-of-mill movie. It offers nothing new, it’s formulaic and predictable. However, this movie perfectly defines where we are now with the way we make horror movies. Ledesma's movie proves that there is no need to be over-reliant on cheap jump scares to scare anymore. All a movie needs to do is to be as precise as possible with the cinematography to create visually arresting imagery and feed on what we know about the story rather than summoning all sorts of deus ex machina to terrify the viewers. Smart writing is the future of cinema. Although I wish that "Sunod" raise the ante a bit more, it did enough to bewitch me.

"Sunod" is truly a surprise. It’s well-made and smart. Villaroel’s dedicated performance is captivating and convincing, but the real standout is Kristal Brimner. Her performance is a combination of endearing and scary. Her character is, probably, the most challenging role of this film but Brimner shows composure and dedication to what she does. The sky is the limit for this young actress.

In conclusion, “Sunod” is, easily, your next ‘must-see’ horror movie. It may not be a groundbreaking film, but it sure gets how horror movie works and how it can be a platform to discuss social issues.

3.5/4

Breaking In: A Review

James McTeigue promises a gritty home invasion movie but ends up producing a sluggish story complete with cardboard characters and humdrum action sequences.

Known for his political-thriller movie “V for Vendetta,” director James McTeigue was once a well-celebrated director but after his 2009 film “Ninja Assassin,” everything went downhill. Indeed, his filmography is far from the best but his latest offering promises to be enthralling and edgy. But, spoiler alert, it wasn’t.

“Breaking In” follows a mother named Shaun Russel (Gabrielle Union) as she tries to save her two children, Jasmine (Ajiona Alexus) and Glover (Seth Carr), from a group of burglars lead by the stoic crime boss, Eddie (Billy Burke). It’s a home-bound thriller that lacks the ‘thrill’ needed to arrest attention or interest.

To put it simply, “Breaking In” is unoriginal and lazily written. It recycles every trope in the film making handbook plus the characters, especially the villains, are mindbogglingly dense and weak. There is no character development of sort. It feels like the movie is not even trying to be clever, fun, or gritty. It seems like this movie is contented to stay right below average when it's premise promises a riveting story that can explore a myriad of topics such as motherhood, racism, crime, and violence.

The only exciting part of “Breaking In” is Gabrielle Union. The “Birth of a Nation” actress single-handedly makes this film bearable. If there is one good thing that “Breaking In” did, that is to prove that Union is deserving for more lead roles. Even though her phenomenal performance is the direct opposite of her co-stars, it’s a delight to see her star in a woman-can-fight-back story.

Furthermore, “Breaking In” is not as good as it looks. Sure, it has some good moments but, overall, it’s just plain and uninteresting. It’s a watered-down “Panic Room,” with no sort of tension… Or panic.

“Breaking In” is a good example of a potential wasted because of bad writing. McTeigue has his days but, with this movie, it’s hard to believe that he ever directed a thought-provoking movie back in ‘06. Anyway, I would recommend watching other movies than this.

1/5

Pinoy Sunday: A Review

Epy Quizon and Bayani Agbayani star as two Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) determined to bring home a discarded couch.

Playfully called as a Taiwan and Philippines mashup. "Pinoy Sunday" chronicles the adventure of Manuel (Quizon) and Dado (Agbayani), as they traverse the many streets of Taipei while trying to subjugate the loneliness they feel. Working as factory workers, earning a meager salary, and living in a dull apartment. The two only dream of comfort while being far away from home. So when an abandoned couch appears, the determination to bring it home feels like a dream come true.

A poignant yet, surprisingly, tender film. Director Ho Wi-ding draws inspiration from Roman Polanski's 1958 short "Two Men and a Wardrobe" to create this rather lighthearted story of longing. Though unlike Polanski's short, the sofa that Dado and Manuel carry around rather symbolizes the illusion of comfort working abroad. Wi-ding's clever use of symbolism and proper pacing resulted in a movie that doesn't feel so overbearing despite the sensitivity of the issues discussed.

"Pinoy Sunday" is an enjoyable story because it's light yet deep. It's a movie that, despite being made back in '09, still holds up as the funniest OFW movie. Additionally, the casting of Agbayani and Quizon is perfect. Their chemistry is pure and their performance is impressive and convincing.

In conclusion, I recommend checking "Pinoy Sunday" out on Netflix. Ho Wi-ding might not be born as a Filipino, but through this film, he illustrates that you don't need to be a Filipino to understand what OFWs go through.

3.5/5