Saw 'UnTrue' the second time on Netflix today. I don't think there's another Filipino movie that's this original, well made, and unsettling, riveting, and frankly horrifying at the same time.
UnTrue is nothing you've ever seen before in the repertoire of Filipino mainstream formula. Although for one, I don't think it's even treated as a mainstream movie. But at least it got the support it had from the producers, on the other hand. I'm new to Filipino movies and Viva is allowing me to love to see more!
I'd like to commend both Xian and Christine for their fantastic performances. But I would especially like to give Xian Lim the glass trophy for his passionate undertaking of the role.
Above all, I think director S. A. Bernardo should be trusted and given more projects like this. I'm not sure if she's 100% happy with how the film turned out in the end but if I were the one who actually wrote a script as simple as that from UnTrue and actually made it to screens as great as that, hell I'd buy me some beers daily for the rest of the year. The cinematography played a huge part--although the beauty of Georgia gave Yniguez a lot of room to play with. About the score by Len Calvo (not sure if she's really the filmscorer). Well, it's the one thing I'd like to give the chef's kiss to. The scenes during the 90th minute mark played one of the most disturbing filmscores I've heard my life. It's engrosses the audience more as it creeps its way into the bones. Damn I love the sound design in this movie!
Long as I wrote this praises about the movie, note that I'm really not giving away any details about the plot. Because I think people should watch it with zero hints about the plot for best experience. It is MTRCB Rated R-16.
Few minor things I'm nitpicking about:
There's a part in this movie where I felt like the exposition was laid extremely easily to the viewers. Couple it with some abrupt change in color grading made that part like it's totally disconnected or out of place. I get that at some point there must be expositions needed to make sense of the plot. But I think there are more clever ways of letting the viewers figure out the story through less literal visuals and more "ah I see why the s/he is doing this and that." I also don't think there was ever a need to move away from the dark and blue grading.
These are just minor nitpicking and it did not feel like something that would have derailed the storytelling. Still, I wish the exposition wasn't that in-your-face-baka-di-mo-na-kasi-naiintindihan-at-ayaw-kitang-malost way.
I'm so happy to see Filipino movies like this. I'm giving it a 9.5 / 10 rating.
Lastly, the ending of this movie is so satisfying!
