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Penduko (2023)
Worth the watch but plenty of room for improvement
I am happy that the writers did not stick to the beaten script of good vs bad in this version of Pedro Penduko. Guidecilli portrayed a flawed character, not wanting his father's legacy and even resorting to violence to get his revenge. Thanks also that they didn't play the love angle with Liway (Kylie Verzoza) to painful predictability. I appreciate the efforts to put local folklore mystical creatures, magic potions and create a world of sorcery, but NOT imitating Harry Potter. Also putting layers in the story kept it interesting with a dash of social commentary on land grabbing and greed for money.
Some acting scenes and dialogues are cringy, but Guidecilli played Penduko well and I do hope he gets a second outing on the next MMFF like Panday. The villain here is not the typical monstrous Romy Diaz and he was given good motive in doing his bad deeds but maybe he could have done more given his 'superpowers'. Some CGI effects still feel like the 90s but forgivable. The ending is a little duh but overall, a good watch. Guidecilli is a good choice for the main character, he can still hone his acting skills for (hopefully) part 2.
Esprit De Corps (2014)
Sexual abuse in ROTC
I watched this on iwanttv thinking it was a movie about martial law. Turned out it is about sexual abuse happening in ROTC. An adaption from a play by the director, Auraeus Solito, he was able to come up with an entertaining movie. Having had training in college, the snappy salute, the parts of the gun, the toxic commandant are all too familiar. Fortunately, I didn't aspire to become an officer, I don't know how rampant this kind of treatment is in ROTC.
But this could very well be other forms of abuse, which should not be tolerated. There's also the discussion about abuse in the Catholic Church that is usually swept under the rug. The lead actors here were all good, especially Sandino Martin, who is convincing as a neophyte aspiring to become an officer. There are some frontal nudity, so not for kids.
Changing Partners (2017)
Palanca winner translated to screen
I hesitated to watch this because I don't like Agot Isidro, turned out she is the only distraction in this otherwise gem of a movie. This was directed by Dan Villegas (English Only Please) so I decided to give it a go.
The movie starts with a typical relationship between Alex and Cris, with their problems typical of a May December love affair. But then the characters start singing ...
It was here when I got curious especially when the characters changed faces, shifting to four different scenarios, not only dealing with May December love affair but also looking at gay relationships. This is a Palanca winning play turned into a movie and Villegas was masterful in bringing the characters to the screen. Alex being played by Jojit Lorenzo brought the laughs while Sandino Martin and Anna Luna as Cris were really outstanding. My only complain is that the other Alex character should have been played by somebody else.
Kasal? (1980)
A classic that is a Joy to watch
Almost forgotten classic. Thanks to ABS CBN, this is again available for today's viewers and even comes with subtitles. Joel (Christopher de Leon ) and Grace (Hilda Koronel) are shown as a couple in love, ready to get married, but have secret loves. The past and present are woven as the movie goes on, but with smooth transition and a delight to watch how Laurice Guillen , the director , seamlessly brings their ordinary story to a very entertaining tale of love and loss.
The movie starts with an unknown girl (Chanda Romero) walking by clean Manila Bay , watching an unknown man (Jay Ilagan) wallowing in grief. Could this be the epilogue of the movie? Everyone is just adorable here, even the support cast timeless Gloria Romero , Johnny Wilson and even Bobby Ledesma. Of course, including the Manila scenes of the 80s- the disco, the swimmable bay and the groovy fashion. Stay around to see the cameos of famous actors at the wedding scene. How I wish they make movies like this again.
Big Night! (2021)
Satire on tokhang
This movie criticizes , but not overly, the government's program in identifying drug abusers and pushers in the barangay level (called tokhang) and the consequences of such a careless plan. Dharna, a gay beautician, gets exploited by all sorts of people, as he tries to find a way on how to remove his name from the list to be submitted to the police.
His fear is not unfounded, as people do get killed with allegations of drug use, so he exerts all means necessary to clean his name.
The movie has some funny moments, the acting are all natural, with good support from actors like Ricky Davao, Gina Alajar and Eugene Domingo.
I am also satisfied with the ending of this movie, I was afraid the writers will go lazy and kill the protagonist at the end. The movie is fast paced , logical and realistic.
Moral (1982)
A glimpse of four lives
Thanks to restoration efforts, younger generation can now enjoy this 40 years after it was first shown in the Metro Manila Film Festival. This chronicles the story of 4 students, Joey ( Lorna Tolentino) who is liberated and sleeps with different men until she got pregnant. Kathy ( Gina Alajar) , a wanna-be singer who was able to fulfill her dream of becoming famous but found her success empty. Sylvia ( Sandy Andolong) who separated from her gay husband but found solace in a threesome. And Marites ( Anna Marin) who had to endure her in-laws and husband who makes a baby maker out of her.
Their issues are still relevant 40 years after. Credit goes to the Abaya-Lee tandem for coming up with this relevant drama.
T-Bird at ako (1982)
Two leads at their best
Danny Zialcita's crispy dialogue is aplenty in this classic Nora-Vilma movie. This is a superior movie and very apt for the two leading actors, they must watch this again with much fondness some 40 years after its first run.
Here, Isabel ( Vilma Santos) accidentally shot a scion prompting the rich parents to seek the death penalty after hiring Tommy Abuel. To the rescue is a lawyer ( Nora Aunor) who has never lost a case. The courtroom proceedings here are also logical.
If I have a complain, it is the ending that tries to tie everything neatly, too convenient perhaps, for Nora's character. Otherwise, whether you are a fan or not of the two leads, you will certainly enjoy this movie.
On the Job 2: The Missing 8 (2021)
A true Matti gem
This astounded me and really, left me wondering why no one is talking about this. A 6 part miniseries that can be seen in HBO GO, it remastered the 2013 movie to 2 parts and continued the story line with Sisoy played by the great Jon Arcilla.
Some of the characters like Acosta ( Joey Marquez) and Senator ( Leo Martinez) were called back to render continuity to the story of hired killers.
I love the gradual awakenings of Sisoy and Roman as the story progressed , to explain their motives and realizations. Commendable also are the little details ( example Weng not being allowed to view the CCTV) that make the story telling almost true to life.
Completely satisfied with the ending as well. I hope more Filipinos get to see this.
This is my 100th review for Filipino films.
Dose (2008)
Coming of Age Tale
I have never heard about this movie and just saw it by accident in YouTube. It tells the story of a boy who is 12 years old ( Dose in Spanish) while he stayed in his aunt's house.
A coming of age tale of young love, or should I say, sexual awakening, with the house gardener, played by Yul Servo. Servo is no stranger to independent films, I remember him in Batang Westside by Lav Diaz. Incidentally, he is running for vice mayor in Manila!
A decent movie, although, I skipped some parts because of the overlong scenes.
Signal Rock (2018)
Joy to watch
I've been looking for this movie ever since it got submitted to Oscars and glad it came out in Netflix. It was a joy to watch Chito Roño doing a splendid job portraying island life WITHOUT anyone being stereotyped as oppressed or succumbing to gay scenes. Also a realistic and a decent ending.
Babae at baril (2019)
Believable characterization
Thankful for these kinds of Filipino movies that tackle issues other than falling in love or family drama. The build up of the character from timid to gun touting was believable even though the film ran for only about 90 minutes. More like this movie please !
Insiang (1976)
A must watch
Insiang is a must watch for any movie enthusiast. Hilda Koronel plays a young lass in the slums of Metro Manila and when her mother decided to live with Dado, she was devastated.
What follows is masterful movie making, revenge at its finest. Go watch this !
Maging akin ka lamang (1987)
One of Brocka's finest komiks drama
Known for socially relevant dramas, Lino Brocka went to komiks drama in this 1987 masterpiece. Rosita (Lorna Tolentino) reaped all the awards the following year for lead actress as a scheming rich girl who is out to get Andy (Christopher de Leon), to the point that she plotted with wife Elsa's obstetrician. Highly unlikely scenario I should say, but for the sake of moving the story forward, just accept the script. In the end, Rosita's obsession with Andy ended in tragedy, luckily, Andy escaped death when he was shot by jealous Ernie ( Jay Ilagan) , who loves Rosita.
Several scenes highlight Lorna's acting chops here and this was really her movie. This is still a pleasure to watch even in 2021.
The Healing (2012)
underwhelming, pretending to be a horror movie
A look into faith healing in the Philippines but in the style of Final Destination. A group of friends travelled all the way to get healed and they did, instantly. But then something happened to them. One by one, those who got well eventually met a tragic death to the surprise of the remaining friends.
Frantically, they searched for an answer and the resolution -- well, let us just say it was underwhelming. If you are looking for a good scare, this is not it. The "gory" deaths are tame, you won't care for the people who are dying here and the explanation to the deaths is so so.
Baby Tsina (1984)
Serious drama
This chronicles the life of Baby Tsina found guilty of murder and the circumstances behind her story. It's a great compelling story that is directed masterfully by Abaya. Vilma Santos tries to evade the law with Roy (Philip Salvador) and went to her friend Jorge (Dindo Fernando) for help, after committing murder.
Jorge tries to defend Baby Tsina but the later confesses in court on why she committed the crime. If you like wItty dialogues and serious drama, then go ahead and watch this.
Sinasamba kita (1982)
glossy drama that started the trend
The very first Viva movie serialized from komiks which started the trend of glossy komiks drama in the 80s with a catchy theme song. On Divina's ( VIlma Santos) dad's ( Eddie Garcia, the director on a cameo) dying bed, she promised to look for her half sister Nora ( Lorna Tolentino) and took her so they can live together.
Divina does not treat her as equal and when she met Jerry ( Christopher de Leon), she couldn't accept that Jerry likes Nora more. Jerry got so obsessed with Nora that he went after her to the disgust of Divina. " Kung hindi ka naman gago, ginto na ang nasa harap mo, basura pa ang pinili mo?" ( You are stupid to choose garbage over gold!) -- will be one of the memorable lines.
Love You to the Stars and Back (2017)
Formulaic plot
Caloy ( Joshua Garcia) and Mika ( Julia Baretto) met by chance while Mika is escaping from her family problem. Caloy is battling a cancer and is set to meet his dad and the two embarked on a joyride together.
Perhaps inspired by "Fault in Our Stars", the pair continues to show chemistry in the screen, but alas, the story is predictable and no way that this is a 10, but neither is it a 1.
All the cringy ingredients are here, boy meet girl , the conflict and the make up, plus the "talk with the parent" scene. Still enjoyable to watch especially for fans. Vince, Kath and James maybe a better alternative.
You Have Arrived (2019)
Not a thrilling ride at all
I caught this accidentally on cable, about three friends who attended this "underground" party. This party is supposed to be for models and influencers, and Arianne invited her two friends. At first they were having a good time but quickly turned south and eventually violent.
Some head bashing and quite surprisingly some violence were shown while the girls were trying to escape. That's about it. There is nothing really impressive with this and I won't call this a thriller.
Through Night and Day (2018)
Lousy writing ruined this otherwise picturesque movie
Paolo Contis ( Ben) and Alexandra de Rossi ( Jen) are childhood sweethearts and Ben just proposed to Jen before embarking on a dream trip to Iceland. At the end of the trip, Ben realized he does not like Jen enough to marry her. Although sometimes annoying, I didn't find Jen's nuances intolerable at all, people ( OK , girls) are just like that sometimes ( not wanting to go on a hike, being crazy in the car, etc) . But here is Ben backing out of his proposal, flying to the USA and not communicating at all even if they had a decade of relationship.
Fast forward to present when Ben comes home and finds out Jen got sick and cried about it. Why didn't you tell me? He asks Jen's dad ( Joey Marquez), to which he replies, " because she didn't want to tell you". In this day and age of social media, don't they have friends or relatives that could have told Ben?
I feel that the actors are trapped to the lousy writing, just an excuse to go to Iceland and film the attractions, never mind if the story does not makes sense. There are fun moments in the first part of the movie thanks to Paolo's comic timing but that's it.
Dugong buhay (1983)
Young Revilla's first action vehicle still holds its charm
I caught a digitalized version of this movie and I must say it has not lost its charm after all these years. This launched Bong Revilla Jr as an action star and what better way to do it than starring with his (late) father. Samuel ( played by Sr) is bent on having his revenge on the De Lara family. He kidnaps the rich family's son and trains him hard to exact vengeance on the family.
Young Bong is clueless on why his father is hard on him, despite the pleadings of his mother. When Rosemarie Gil meets the lad for the first time, she already has a feeling that he is her missing son.
This was Viva films' first venture to action movies back in the 80s, a treat to re-watch again.
You Got Me! (2007)
Skippable, wooden acting
Another run-of-the-mill movie with no value whatsoever and not worth your time. The appeal disappears as soon as the leads are introduced. The acting of the lead actress is unbelievably wooden and you wonder how this could pass for a movie. Skip this one when you see this
Hello, Love, Goodbye (2019)
Mature and bold love story
The two stars from the two different stations hit it off with good chemistry in this mature love story. Although the story is as typical as any Filipino love/romance movie could be, I like the fact that the writer and director went for the bold path of ending the movie with "goodbye", instead of coming up with an epilogue that let the two lovers meet again in some future.
The two lead stars are engaging enough for you to care what happens to them in the end but there are some parts where it could drag. Still, I can understand the clamor when this movie came out in 2019.
James & Pat & Dave (2020)
Worthy follow up of Vince & Kath & James
Not frequently do we get a sequel in Filipino movies this good. Although the first movie Vince and James and Kath is clearly the superior movie, this is nevertheless a good follow up. James, who ended up not getting the girl in part 1, went to the province where his grandmother owns a resort hotel. There he meets Pat, who has a bitter past with Dave. The story is typical and predictable but the two leads are able to pull it through.
The cameo of Vince, who is James' cousin, nicely tied the story and connects it to part 1, which is an admirable effort by the writers.
It Takes a Man and a Woman (2013)
Required watching for fans of this genre
It's rare for a Filipino film to have three parts. I am not talking about movies like Mano Po or Tanging Ina, or heaven forbids, Shake rattle and roll; but a continuous story ala Before Sunrise. So this is a must see even if you are not a fan of the John Lloyd and Sarah tandem, certainly two stars that are hard to dislike. No need to watch the previous two movies, as this is a movie that stands by itself. This is a well-made movie that is required viewing of this genre.
Perhaps my only complain is that Sarah's roles are all too similar and she has not ventured to more challenging characters. Always the goody girl who won the boy at the end.
I Love You, Hater (2018)
Chemistry of the two leads saves the day
Never mind the formulaic structure of yet another romantic movie ( boy meets girl, there is a conflict with work/family/situation, boy or girl gets angry, somebody talks sense to aggrieved party, reunion of boy and girl). Never mind steoreotypical Kris Aquino, the chemistry between the two leads is still fresh after their initial tandem "VInce & Kath & James".
The writers took time to build the character of the two youngsters, Zoey hates liars but she went against her principle to give way to Joko. I am glad that they did not resort to a "revelation' scene when somebody inadvertently divulged the "secret" of the characters. In the end, although same old story, the chemistry of the two leads saves the day.