Linggo, Marso 20, 2011
Bulong (2011)
My Amnesia Girl (2010)
The film shines as a romantic movie. Molina has perfected the genre that she uniformly does, but then again, she has perfected this even long before this movie (Maybe Molina has to experiment in action or sci-fi. On second thought, no she doesn't; I love her for what she already does). Just the mere idea that Molina's skill in creating romantic movies is already in such a godlike degree, is enough for anybody to just trust this movie and leave all skepticism.
Just as the movie wants you to fall in love with both characters, I found myself fixated and in love with Toni Gonzaga too. I am not usually a fan of Toni Gonzaga, her TV game show charisma is ignorable to me. But her on screen acting presence in this movie drives me back to adoring her. Not only is she damn cute with those chinky funny eyes and cute bunny smile, her character's personality complements that as well, with a fun-lovingness and childlike giddiness. Speaking of things that are really nice to watch, Beatriz Saw was also fun to watch, she has that "the main girl's friend" chemistry perfectly executed; and she's also such a a hottie. (yum!) John Lloyd Cruz is also great as the main character. He is the quintessential male bida; the kind of everyman that every guy can easily identify with because he is so human, so honest, so true, and so candid. Unlike other typical male protagonists in mainstream tagalong cinema, he is the only one who does real acting and never seems to consciously or ridiculously make an effort to make "pa-cute" antics. Whenever he does indeed try to do pa-cute antics, he does it IN CHARACTER—and UNTO THE OTHER CHARACTER he's addressing; he does not do it to the audience in a sort of toothpaste commercial sort of way.
The chemistry between John Lloyd and Toni blend perfectly. Both characters have a very playful and witty sense of humor that makes for a great dramatic, comedic, and romantic interplay between the two.
And then there's the other characters. Usually, when mainstream tagalog movies put in a group of good-looking male supporting characters acting as barkada in their movies they tend to be either pa-cute or corny. In this movie, Molina throws in a barkada that actually acts like a barkada; they goof off, they're ridiculous, and they act like they really care for their buddy. Where these chick-magnet clowns are usually annoying in other movies or in TV, this time, the supporting actors actually act like a typical barkada; perhaps it is again Molina's directorial eye that keeps his actors flawlessly act IN CHARACTER.
The movie is near perfect; but I must confess that it kinda took me down at the near end of the movie when the characters react to a supposed problem, when there should not be any problem at all anyway. It's as if the character took the most ignorable thing and create a problem out of that; it was an obvious ploy just to make a tension at the near end, to give way to the obligatory climax. Ultimately, though, it is not such a big deal because this little issue is still arguable anyway. Another thing that (well not exactly bothered) bothered me was how John Lloyd's character (Apollo) was able to pay for all the elaborate "romantic stuff" that he does in the movie. Is this guy Bruce Wayne, or what? But again, these are all minor things that does do much to shake the film's near flawlessness.
This movie is very much worth full price. A perfect date movie at the tail end of November. If romantic movies is your cup of tea, this movie is a definite must-see. MY AMNESIA GIRL is hands down, the most romantic movie I've seen this year. And that's counting the international movies.
Dalaw (2010)
What wondered me about the movie, was why nearly all of it was shot in the dark or in dim lighting. The lack of illumination really brought down the movie enjoyment, because most of the time it was hard to make out what was going on in the scenes.
The story told in "Dalaw" was actually good and interesting enough, making you want to sit and see what happens next. They managed to build up a lot of suspense in the movie, and that was a good thing. The movie did turn out to be as predictable as I had anticipated. The actual story, quickly summarized, goes something like this: Stella gets married to Anton, and move in together in a new home, together with her son Paolo. But something stirs and is wrong, there is some dark presence in the family. And the caretaker Olga have the ability to see "visitors". So what is it that is haunting the family...?
As for the cast in "Dalaw", then I am not familiar with any of the actors or actresses here. But the movie was carried by Kris Aquino (who played Stella) and Gina Pareño (playing Olga). The rest of the cast was mediocre and didn't really stand out.
I didn't find the ghost scary at all. And once you see it, you will immediately figure out the plot of the story. Trust me. I will not reveal it here, but it is quite predictable.
Being a big fan of Asian movies and Asian horror in general, I found this movie rather weak and far from scary. But all together, this isn't a bad movie at all. There were some really nice aspects to the movie, and a really good story. It could just have used more scare moments. And the effects used in the movie, though fairly simple, actually worked quite well. I especially liked the scene with the furniture moving about in the living room.
My Big Love (2008)
Miss You Like Crazy (2010)
Villa Estrella (2009)
Its premature scare tactics are a liability to the film. The lack of build-up made one of the main monsters of the movie, which is the zombie-like ghost of a little girl, comes off as silly, ridiculous, and funny. Because there was no subtlety in her first appearance, as a consequence, her first appearance looks like a parody, this character becomes a walking joke, extinguishing her scary image.
The film swindles its audiences in a lousy kind of way that it only comes off as bad storytelling. It builds-up this creepy ghost child as its main villain, and then all of the sudden changes its course and completely forgets about that character, not giving her proper explanation or closure. Even if we were to assume that she was being prepped for a sequel, it was still a sloppy confusing exit for her. Then we immediately turn our attention to another villain. It feels like it attempts to look smart by trying to confuse its audiences, but we can clearly see that the story was just badly told, and comes of as stupid instead.
It was also silly to see the main villain at the end come off as something that looks like a villain from Darna or X-men. The storyline did not really need for the main villain to be thickly immersed in prosthetics. A good horror movie, especially with the kind of storyline this movie has, would be great enough if it were executed with simplicity and a little constraint. This is a fine example of a good horror story ruined by additives.
The cast did well. Shaina Magdayao was great as the main protagonist. Maja Salvador, who I found to be alluringly pretty, is excellent as a mysterious girl who also lives in Villa Estrella, Jake Cuenca did also quite well. The rest of the cast from Liza Lorena to the guy who played the comic relief of the movie were really good. The weakest link was Geoff Eigenmann, his acting was not really that bad, but there were scenes where his acting feels so B-movie. There was a scene where I feel like I would like to ask him: Are you dying? …or are you just constipated? Truly the saving grace of the film is that it has a great storyline. The story is not very original, but at least it does not come off as a copycat (as far as I know of anyway, that's because I have not watched any of the other horror movies lately). In fact, the main storyline is a good one. Sure, it's a recycled storyline but it still holds up. The love triangle sub-plot is quite interesting, and for a mainstream tagalog movie, it is refreshing to find a love triangle that does not easily define which side the audiences root for. Shaina's character does not come off as a typical protagonist because she was basically cheating on her boyfriend (arguably, of course), that is why Jake's character is also the one other audiences sympathize with.
It is indeed frustrating to think that this movie could be so much better if only it had more constraint, and a bit more polished direction. If I was to give it a food analogy, this movie is not delicious, but at least, it is quite edible.
Kimmy Dora (2009)
Epitomizing the kind of contagious bubbliness that utilizes her talent to the hilt, Domingo plays the double role of twins Kimmy and Dora, which are polar opposites of each other. Kimmy is the cruel genius who runs the family business, while Dora is the tenderhearted dimwit who brought home a stray dog she nearly run over. Events lead to Kimmy being kidnapped and stranded in a remote province, and Dora to impersonating her sister as the head of the company.
Domingo is comically transfixing as the lead of actor Piolo Pascual's second venture in film production, and even if her characters' motivations are frustratingly rudimentary, the film's delirious horseplay whisks much of the screenplay's trivial shortcomings. The running length diffuses some of the humor thin, but it nonetheless provides a smart proof of Domingo's versatility as an actress. Perhaps it's why she easily upstages her co-stars; she can carry a movie by herself. Or make it two of her selves.
Petrang Kabayo (2010)
Feng Shui (2004)
The movie starts with Joy (Kris Aquino) finding a bagua (however you spell it). According to the ancient feng shui practice of the Chinese, this traditional mirrored piece brings good luck to the owner and wards off evil. As she has no way of finding out where the owner is, she decides to keep it and hangs it at home.
To her surprise, good luck starts to pour in. Quite overwhelming for a young mother in the middle of trying to start a new life with her family. So of course, she welcomes the wonderful changes. However, the opposite seems to happen around her. Bad luck comes to people she knows and loves. It is only a matter of time that Joy realizes that not all good things come for free.
We have to thank the Japanese for coming up with Ringu, or The Ring (the original and Japanese version, not the Hollywood version). Its phenomenal success in the country paved the way for more Asian horror flicks to pervade Philipine shores. I did not at all foresee it, but the country finally came up with its on ghost story to tell in Asian-fashion.
Part of the success of Feng Shui was the curiosity factor. Judging by the trailer alone, one was quick to guess it was done in the tradition of The Ring, The Grudge, etcetera (formulaic, if you ask me). Enough to make one curious how good or bad it would fare. The other parts, however, were due to how the move was done. Though it wasn't quite so scary for someone like me who somehow has the knack of anticipating shock moments most of the time, the movie sure scared the crap out of most movie-goers. It shocked, surprised, and gave people the chills using minimal special effects, make-up, and all of those technical and visual stuff.
Story-wise, it was engaging and rather original, as far as Filipino films were concerned. I must say, though, that it tried a bit too hard. The birth years idea (if you've seen this, you'll understand) was too "forced" and unimportant, really. Stop it already, I wanted to scream. When they showed the gun-wielding,bulldog-tattooed husband (Noni Buencamino), that was the height of corny-ness. I mean, c'mon, stop trying to be too Chinese! It just wasn't working.
Good acting from the cast, that's a big plus. Until the movie Mano Po came along, Aquino's acting was the butt of jokes because, well, did you see her act before? I mean, did you? This time around, after the success of the said movie that earned for her an award, she proved that she can now act. I wouldn't go as far as to predict another award for her, certainly not. That is, unless other movies pale in comparison, maybe.
Great acting from Jay Manalo, Ilonah Jean, and most especially Lotlot De Leon. Had De Leon not returned into the limelight, we would not have known she could act almost just as good as her mom, Nora Aunor. While the story did not really scare me, her panic scenes really did it for me. I kept muttering, "Stop it! Please, stop all that screaming, he'll kill you!!!" Sorry for the spoiler, folks, but it was obvious, anyway. For me, at least. It was like knowing what was going to happen and all you could do was sit and watch somebody get killed in front of you.
All in all, I liked Feng Shui. If not for the corny idea aforementioned, I could have given it five stars. But such major plot flaws should not go unnoticed. But hey, if it's any consolation, this still comes down as a quality and highly recommended Filipino flick in my book.
A Very Special Love (2008)
A Very Special Love is a romantic comedy film produced by Star Cinema, directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and written by Raz dela Torre. The story is about a moody Editor-in-chief Miggy Montenegro who is in the verge of losing his staff as well as his men's magazine, Bachelor. Laida, a naïve young girl, applies as an Editorial Assistant hoping to be close with the man she dreams of every night. The plot is fairly identifiable to the movie The Devil Wears Prada wherein a recent college graduate gets a job as an assistant to a powerful magazine editor. But this time, it is a love story. Although originality in the story is not a strong quality nevertheless the basic necessities of a Romantic Comedy were all addressed.
Geronimo's performance in particular was quite a revelation. From her quirky antics, and humorous lines, to her on-screen charisma, the audience can't stop laughing and crying and giggling and laughing again, a metaphoric state just like the theme, Love. On the other note, Cruz's character was made complex and was wisely portrayed. He plays a not-so-likable character you will despise at first sight. But as the film thoroughly progress, you will sympathize with him and be captivated with his charisma. I don't want to elaborate any further as to how his character was layered as this might reveal the twists.
The probably advantage in having Star Cinema produce a film is the technical quality will not be compromised. Although I have qualms in certain dialogue scenes that were dubbed and its live recording needs to be improved. Too much musical scoring is what I loath in most mainstream local films. Moderation might ultimately be the cure.
Romantic comedy films are movies with light-hearted, humorous plot lines, centered on romantic ideals such as true love being able to surmount most obstacles. This is what this film offers. It is simple in definition, but hard to attain. It is a rare treat to watch a film in this genre and be able to say in the end, it was pleasing… and funny indeed.