NORBYGRAM: 2017

SAKALING HINDI MAKARATING: A FILM REVIEW

Photo courtesy of cinemabravo.com

Sakaling Hindi Makarating is a film that transports you to different parts of the Philippines in search of something you think is missing in your life - your dreams, your soul or yourself, only to figure out that what you think you need to find has always been there. It was never lost.

This is another take on the heavily abused premise of I-am-broken-so-I-need-to-wander-and-search-for-my-soul references in modern lifestyle (travel hugots, hanapin ang sarili moments, etc). It's funny that movie-goers already expect too much from these movies because of the very concept of travelling itself. But 'Sakaling' delivers more than that.

Photo courtesy of cinemabravo.com

It's hard to hold your 'That Thing Called Tadhana' standards at bay when you watch this movie. I know. Maybe you'll expect a heavier tragedy, more complicated emotions and lip-biting plot twists. Nah, go to the cinema with a different set of shoes. Empty your mind and watch it without benchmarking. Only then will you realize how effortlessly the film narrated the effect of an innocent aspiration from the Northernmost part of the Philippines to a broken and lost girl who travelled from Zamboanga to Batanes in search of a random reason to move on.

I could watch Cielo (Alessandra de Rossi) go to places and write letters all day after I watched the movie. This girl is so pro when it comes to roles like this. It doesn't even look like she's trying to act at all! She's that good that it comes out naturally.

Most importantly, the audience could go on an insanely amazing cinematographic trip in the eyes of Cielo but the storytelling is undeniably stronger in the perspective of the people she meets along the way. It is like experiencing the lead's journey and seeing yourself in the process at the same time. Yes, subtle and vivid at the time.

Photo courtesy of cinemabravo.com

If you wanna watch a movie that doesn't even try to be good but it is actually a remarkable package, catch it tonight or tomorrow night on its last day of showing.

Or pray that they commercially distribute it across the country so you could watch it on the big screen.

Don't ruin the chance by just waiting for the pirated copy online and watch it on a small netbook screen.

It's a heartwarming cinematic experience.

It deserves more than that.

xxx

NORBY

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MMFF 2016 REVIEW PART 2

alvin yapan 9:32:00 PM

Anent to the first part of the review of the MMFF 2016 which I wrote here, this is how I would rate the other four movies.

KABISERA

The acting is probably the only strong suit of Kabisera but even that is shaky on some parts of the film. When you have an ensemble that includes JC De Vera, Jason Abalos, Victor Neri, Ces Quesada, RJ Agustin, Ricky Davao and the one and only Nora Aunor, greatness is what you would expect from a flick. Sadly, the promise of greatness from that ensemble falls short as Kabisera ends up being a troubled narrative that struggles in almost every frame.

The screenplay is very weak. You get to a point where you probably would already know what the next lines are based on the tired look and tone of the characters on-screen. The cinematography is not that outstanding (there are some parts where even in the dining table, only one angle is used though other characters are on the other side.) Kabisera’s editing and music scoring are also not that remarkable. There are instances where emotions are held back due to lack of scoring (e.g. death scenes of characters). Some parts of the films (like JC de Vera’s character’s demise) would look so staged that you’d cringe. At the cinema where I watched the film, the English subtitle was also a mess (especially in terms of Grammar) you’d wonder if it was really the final edited version of the movie you’re watching.

Kabisera may have succeeded in presenting a pressing sociopolitical issue (extra-judicial killings) to the theaters but it left me feeling like viewers deserve a better execution of that cinematic attempt.

RATING: 5.1/10

SUNDAY BEAUTY QUEEN

If we talk about the most-heartwarming MMFF entry this year, it’d be a no-brainer to pick Sunday Beauty Queen. Being the first film included in the festival and bagging the Best Picture award, this Hong Kong and Macau-filmed documentary is Filipino in its very core. It appeals to almost all ages and demographics of viewers in the country but without a doubt, it would move most those who personally know an OFW or a loved one who is overseas for work.

The documentary, however, left me wanting to know more about the stories and listen to the interviews of the OFWs or their employers. But I understand why it had to be that0 way. I think Sunday Beauty Queen carefully took into consideration the proportion of the backstories of the people documented and the time they spend to join the pageants during their rest day. If they delved further into the day-to-day lives of the OFWs or their beginnings, it would be a sadder documentary full of painful stories rather than an empowering one viewed through the glowing eyes of those ladies as they walk the pageant stage.

Despite occasional dead air (very common to documentaries that do not have a narrator), I also commended how they edited Sunday Beauty Queen. The short frames from various people, places and movements on the screen must have been very difficult to combine into something that speaks and at the same time, bearable to watch.

I have a feeling that if I let my mother watch this, she would burst into her rural, sentimental tears and it would take a week before she stops talking about it with our neighbors.

RATING: 8.1/10

VINCE and KATH and JAMES

It would not be an easy task to rate Vince and Kath and James. Perhaps you’d start with comparing it to the other movies in this year’s MMFF. Saving Sally is the closest one you can pick for comparison and that is still a difficult task. Then you’d want to compare it to previous romantic films Star Cinema has done. But then you’ll also realize that the plot is based on a viral online “text” series so there may have to be some allowance.

From a 25-year old guy’s point of view, I think Vince and Kath and James is a success but only to its target audience. It may cause young girls to scream out of kilig but older people may feel indifferent especially if they think they’ve seen a lot of these.

It is a film for teens so I would not want to explain how the plot is, at least for me, not complicated or special. The plot is what I can only talk about because everything else in this has the touch of a typical Star Cinema romantic film.

However, I have to express my awe and approval of Joshua Garcia’s performance. His Best Actor nod at the MMFF’s Gabi ng Parangal did not come as a surprise as he was stellar all throughout. As his first lead role, this must have validated his potentials to star in many more film projects.

Ronnie Alonte, on the other hand, still looks awkward on-screen. Though he’s more effective in Vince and Kath and James than he is in Seklusyon, there were still scenes of him in this film that did not convince me and made me want the frames to move forward.

And as for Julia Barretto, she has always been that good actually. She has not just been seen much recently but I think people should not be surprised by her performance. Her acting skills have always been on point, no one was just paying attention.

RATING: 7.3/10

ORO

Linda (Mercedes Cabral) who was teaching kids in her elementary school room rushed to the steep hill, the heat of the sun scorching and the seas at the background extending far, just so she could talk to Elmer (Joem Bascon) who was one of the locals detained by an armed group. During this scene, I already knew Oro would be my favorite MMFF 2016 entry. After watching the two others which I had not yet finished by then, Oro was unbothered on my list. It still remained on top.

Inasmuch as I would like to discuss what I think about the dog slaughter issue, which as of the moment is an issue that is still evolving and causing commotion online, I want to take that out of the context for now and judge the film for all its other aspects. (There may be a different time to discuss that.)

If you still don’t know, Oro is based on real-life events. It tells the story of the “Gata 4 Massacre” where four miners in Barangay Gata in Caramoan, Camarines Sur were killed by an armed group in 2014. There were however fictionalized parts of the movies which were intended so that the film avoids becoming a re-enactment of the said massacre.

The film is an excellent masterpiece especially in telling the story of the victims, of the town and of the oppression itself. As a socio-political film based on true events, it is an outstanding narrative made for the big screen. Tension, chaos and uneasiness were slowly built until they all exploded right on the very eyes of the viewers.

Oro is everything Kabisera should have been. A cast that actually complement each other and make it very convincing that they lived in a community for a very long time. Wise use of lighting for both day and night scenes that helped the narration become more effective for an island barangay setup. A screenplay that is effortless because of the superb acting and good scene directions. Though I believe it would have been strongest if the accent or dialect (if there is any in the area) was used. But that would have been impossible given who the actors they chose and the length of time they had for filming.

Despite the issue the film is facing as of writing, and no matter how much some people are already hating the movie because of it, it would be such a blunder not to agree that if this year’s MMFF is an awakening, Oro has the most powerful one.

RATING: 9.6/10

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SAKALING HINDI MAKARATING: A FILM REVIEW

MMFF 2016 REVIEW PART 2

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