Mara Fabre (Nora Aunor) has been diagnosed with dementia. She was brought back to her remote hometown in Batanes by her cousin Elaine (Bing Loyzaga) to help her recover her memories. Mara keeps getting visions of a little girl or a bride in white who were inviting her to play. As the ghostly games become more dangerous, will Mara and Elaine's family be able to escape with their sanity or their lives?
The script was written by Renei Dimla from a story by Jun Lana. The back story behind the ghostly apparitions was well-told, albeit using a convenient device to tell the whole tale. I liked the subtlety the script used to deal with Mara's past before dementia, with a short but telling scene with Elaine's husband Rommel (Yul Servo) and the thought-provoking epilogue scene. Yet at the same time I was also disappointed by the limited details. I liked those unique props like the stone with a hole, the jigsaw puzzle, and the Ivatan grass raincoat.
Despite its good points, "Dementia" also had many familiar Pinoy horror film clichés -- the classic white lady, the candlelit rooms, scratching on the floor, the cemetery scene, the loud swelling music to emphasize a scary moment. It also utilized the familiar Asian ghostly image of a long-haired female in white crawling towards the victim at one point, which I wished it won't.
As always though, Nora Aunor can elevate any script it seems, no matter how clichéd, to a higher level. She was mostly quiet here because of her mental disability, but her screen presence was really tangible despite her limited lines. As we all know, her eyes and her face speak eloquently by themselves.
Of the supporting cast, Jasmin Curtis-Smith stands out as Rachel, the spoiled American-raised daughter of Elaine who also later shared Mara's ghostly visions. Althea Vega was passable as a young Nora Aunor, especially because of the uncanny similarity of their vocal quality. Chynna Ortaleza was affecting as the disturbed Olivia, especially those scenes before she was a ghost.
Perci Intalan, in his directorial debut, made full advantage of the mysteriousness of his Batanes setting to build up the suspense and tension in "Dementia" -- the old stone houses, the regular interruption of electricity service by 9 pm, the isolation from neighbors, the windswept violent coastline and precarious cliffs.
"Dementia" does not have the garish shock effects in most mainstream Filipino horror films. Instead, its unnerving quietness contrasts so effectively with its sense of danger, on top of the riveting lead performance of Ms. Nora Aunor, giving this film its own mark of cinematic excellence.
