ZOMBADINGS 1: PATAYIN SA SHOKOT SI REMINGTON... A FILM TO WATCH OUT FOR!

It is really fun to experience a night of people laughing, screaming, clapping their hands and drowning out the audio while watching Jade Castro’s Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington’s screening at UP Film Center (Cine Adarna).

Remington is a homophobic guy who makes fun of gays. And based from an experiment, a tool was devised with an epidemic content which is used to kill the gays in the town turning them out to become zombies. The zombies customarily, turning every person they victimized into gays including the manly, “crush ng bayan” Remington who could not accept his new destiny as he ultimately realizes that he now turned gay.

The film Zombadings is yet humorous. It does not fail its comicality by presenting humor for most of us who has never seen it before in any other local films. The typical gay lingoes make sense in order to catch the attention of the viewers. Rather, it may become much more effective if they make use of other terms not just with repetitions.

Exceptional casting and the character portrayals are really tremendous. Eugene Domingo’s short yet remarkable scenes are an absurd director’s execution of humorous content that never seems to falter consistently from the start until the end the film.

Mart Escudero’s representation without uncertainty is a spectacular revelation. Accepting the challenge for this role proves his worth as an actor by portraying Remington without any signs of personal inhibition which is predominant now among other young mainstream actors. Also, the secondary actors deliver additional hilarity for the film. Janice de Belen, John Regala, Lauren Young and Kerbie Zamora played their parts astoundingly as well. And, the short appearance of Roderick Paulate will never destabilize his brilliance for being a great actor.

Amidst all the wit, factions and gags, the rise of zombadings is an ironic thing even to Castro’s sleek direction. Many would discover the first act is just enough to sustain the entire movie and feels a little shame to include the zombies. Besides, the enactment from this point is a bit obstinate, showing characters being existent for the sake of being present while placing against the background including the taumbayan consequently for the Zombadings’ rise.

Overall the stroy tells about an anti-gay message by showing a character rejecting his fate as a homosexual and soon demonstrates self-awareness and the value of acceptance of such a likelihood by turning things completely into a realization. It is amazing how the screenplay writers Raymond Lee and Michiko Yamamoto managed to come up with such a premise that was very effective at the same time hilariously done. Musical scoring and animations also added flavor and entertainment value for the film.


Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington is one of those amusing films everyone should watch out for!  

WALANG KATAPUSANG KWARTO (AN ENDLESS ROOM)

One of the short films that happened in one single setting, the story took place in a room where the characters cannot hide their own self. Here in this room they are free and nobody can hear or see them. The four walls only separate them in the real world.

The dialogues are really tremendous; it was deliberately delivered in the most creative manner. This film by Emerson Reyes is well-deserving for the awards such as Best Screenplay, Best Film and Audience Choice Award. Certain lines are used from significant text jokes and cringe-inducing inspirational messages. The conversations between the characters are at its best, hilariously witty. There is also a surprise ending. Still I consider this as one of the best short film entries for this year.

NIñO BONITO

Good choice of having an adorable lead character. Boni, a little boy from the slum areas depict different issues discussing about drugs, robbery, petty crimes, garbage and abuse through the use of rap (flip-top). Values were instilled in this film having a young age for tolerating these kinds of wrong doings.  Kudos for Rommel Tolentino for bagging the title as Best Director for his masterpiece. 

AMOK

The bustling and scorching rugged intersection of Pasay Rotonda serves as the main setting for this story of interconnected fate and destiny. As a raging man’s bullets strays into different directions, the fate of several different characters are sealed and determined. As the temperature rises, the tension escalates and the story unravels with unforgiving immediacy and explodes in the end as each one struggles to survive and escape their inevitable end.

Different issues tackled in the story including poverty, stealing, gambling, bribery, use of falsified documents, etc. are very relevant for the fact that it is still happening in our society nowadays and it needs prevention. One thing to be learned from the story is becoming aware of the actions to be done because it may lead to a lot of cause and effects.

Brilliant musical scoring and sound was executed with ingenuity. Exemplary editing, well-constructed plot and story brought this film to a higher form of understanding and aesthetic appeal for its audiences.   

Citations: Best Sound – Mike Idioma and Best Editing – Lawrence Fajardo

PATIKUL: A NEED FOR EDUCATION

A film by the veteran director Joel Lamanagan emphasizes on the significance of education. Good point and theme to stress on for its essential need especially in riskier and remote areas in the Philippines such as Mindanao. The dangers faced by students and dedicated teachers for their services inspite of the hazards brought by rebel groups.  Also, the film is an avenue addressed to the government in giving financial aids in terms of improving school facilities and giving in updated reference materials to be used, support and protection for the students and for the teachers as well especially in areas like this. 

Patikul has a clear noble intention of enlightening the public regarding the deficiencies of education policies here in our country. Despite of the perils encountered everyday, the people opted to continue their works for the sake of children’s future through their cooperative effort.

The film was shot in locations in Rizal and Cavite instead of doing it in Patikul, Sulu. One way of being resourceful and cost-friendly. Thus, the film is mistakenly supported for its appeal but void visuals of rolling hills, dark forests, bustling town centers and eventful coffee ranches. However, these locations are just junctures, the characters are just performers and the film is just an explicit exercise of imagination.

Citations: Best Supporting Actor – Jaime Pebangco; Audience Choice Award for Director’s Showcase and Kids Treat Best Film for Children  

NIÑO: A FEAT TO BE WITNESSED

There is a reason why people are fascinated with ruins, despite the evident disorder and decay. Relics are permanent reminders of a distant glorious past. In Loy Arcenas' Niño, the Lopez-Aranda clan is portrayed with the same allure, as if the family were ruins on display: the bits of opera that Celia sings to bedridden Gaspar with her aging voice being the fragmented pillars, the stories told by Gaspar of his prospering political position are the damaged figures, and the rustic house, its remaining furniture and ornaments and the anecdotes of the loyal household help of the house's former prominence are the collapsed edifices, the wilted gardens, the burnt arcs, all of which are faint indications of the family's expired extravagance.

The film's accomplished climax, a final audacious attempt to grasp against what is left between glory and dignity, is the film's poignant crest. Yet after everything, when the music of the past has faded, the momentary elation and heightened hope have been replaced by the realistic notion that still there are a lot of things that are meant to wither and that what remains are only echoes and shadows from an era of the family's sunken splendor.

Portrayals of the roles are very superb including the performances of Shamaine Buencamino who won as Best Supporting Actress and Art Acuña as Best Supporting Actor. Casting of power house opera singers add up to the lure and musicality of the film making it melodramatic. The very sight of the country's best opera singers together with their old age, belting out voices are fractions of what they are used to be, being both strange and wondrous. The child’s enactment augments to balance the film in having a funny and mischievous character. Their relations and entanglements with each other are grounded on unsophisticated emotions. The film comprehends the pull of disgrace, the way it measures the extent of the family's unquestionable decline. It disrupts desperation with class, moderates wickedness with sensitivity and adds humor.

Niño is a feat to be witnessed for a first time film director. No doubt that it won the Special Jury Price and Best in Production Design. All the elements are packed into one, remarkable production design, elegant cinematography, ensemble and superb acting, operatic musicality, accurate editing and the amazingly constricted screenplay delivering humor without going overboard that are meshed up with collaborative efforts that resulted to an expert precision. The film is patent with disciplined craftsmanship, a rare commodity in filmmaking that has become too compassionate of sluggish, careless and depthless nominal work.

HAVING AN INNER PEACE AT KUNG FU PANDA 2

"your evilness is annoying me..." ~ PO ~ 

A perennial sequel and a sure fire hit for movie-goers. Most sequels are usually a tad below the first film that contains a forcibly pushing and "interesting" storyline. If you include high expectations, the audiences are already inclined and definitely no one is going to make a smile once the sequel starts. Kung Fu Panda was a big hit way back in 2008 and in fact, it was even nominated in the Academy Awards. The sequel proves itself to be better than the first.

Po (Jack Black) is now living his dream as the fabled Dragon Warrior who lived rather a comfortable life protecting the citizens at the Valley of Peace. In a slap of a finger all changes when the town is attacked by a mob of wolves who intend to get all the metals they can. Po and the Furious Five thwarts attack but Po suddenly turns for a flashback when he was left by his mother and soon finds out that he was actually adopted. They also discover that the attack was organized by Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) who has a secret weapon that not only threatens to end the art of Kung Fu but also get all of China for his own selfish deeds. Po and his troops soon embark on a mission to stop the evil Lord along the way, Po might just find out who he truly is. 

"Kung Fu Panda 2" is a typical sequel. It was actually an overpowering experience compared to the first film and yet you will feel really good enough to give it a merit. In fact it utilizes a variety of art styles: watercolor-like landscapes, shadow puppet-inspired flashbacks and jangly, hard-edged anime for the harsh recovered memories that Po the Panda (voice of Jack Black) suffers when a visual cue triggers long-repressed horrors that triggers the story as well.

The biggest culprit of the film is its storyline as expected. The musicality was extraordinarily made and was very ingenious using musical instruments in fights scenes that spice up its coolness! Such plot quibbles aside, the film works on both aesthetic and emotional levels and was truly stunning to behold. The audience will feel a sense of touch, value and a pinch to their hearts. It was quite surprising to see such horrific textures on a high-budgeted film. Even though there were scenes that were truly breathtaking, it was pretty sure that you will enjoy the rest of the film once you get along with it. What saves "Kung Fu Panda 2" is by sticking a winning formula presented by the first one and actually a big improvement on it. The action sequences are much better and more entertaining plus the add-on punchlines that add color to the film.

A movie to watch out for… to have an inner peace. c”,)

A DIRECTOR'S MASTERPIECE

PERFUME - THE STORY OF A MURDERER ~ “An extravagantly great movie of all times! Exceptional directorial stints having a great cinematography and original musical scoring with an aesthetic appeal of scenes delivered with a clear transition of every shot!” ~

It tells the odd story of a young man named Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw), who is born with an extraordinarily strange condition and is obsessed with scents. Specifically, he becomes infatuated with reinventing a particular legendary perfume as his ultimate masterpiece that induces a sense of well-being and delight that completely enslaves anyone being exposed to it. The basis for the scent is instilled in his mind by the odor of a young woman (Karoline Herfurth) whom he had killed unintentionally. That also becomes the basis for the film’s subtitle, since the ingredients for this rare scent are as unusual as the story.

It is very difficult and virtually impossible to like the main character, being evil and wicked, but it is even harder to dent the fact that never less the film is absolutely fascinating. Tykwer’s direction of the film is breath-taking and very exceptional. From the moment he records Jean-Baptiste’s peculiar birth to the brilliant transition to the fate of the infant’s mother.

From the very start, you will notice that this is not an ordinary film. Even some of the more peculiar casting choices (Dustin Hoffman as an aged Italian perfumer living in a crumbling house built on a bridge) fit it all. It is every edge a sumptuous looking production that is mixed with a pitch-black humor and strangeness that seems to be much shorter than its 147-minute running time. It may disturb you, and possibly even disgust you, but you will discover to see something peculiar when the film is over.

Another part of the movie you have to focus on is the original musical score by Simon Rattle in thrilling moments that catches captive emotions consistently done until the end of the movie.

It is a lengthy movie but that does not disrupt me on watching it because it is amazing on how the director executed this aesthetic film through great attack of shots used in different setting with a taste of art. And as the movie goes on you will fall deeply into the senses of the "murderer"...

"Perfume, The Story of a Murderer" a magical movie, give it a momentous chance and you will find out the cinematic gift as excellently as possible!

A DIRECTOR’S MASTERPIECE

The director has met challenges inherent to the story mainly by relying on the charisma of his actors on adopting a provocative filmography that is both dazzling and outrageous, making the central use of  musical scoring to convey the ineffable nature of scents by transforming a story that was classical in nature  and more oriented towards the external critique of the society into a more passionate and distinct interiority of the main protagonist referred to Jean-Baptiste Grenouille into an artistic package in all sorts being developed.

Indeed the director offers an overall respectful adaptation of the movie that takes rare significant liberties with the original story, has nevertheless managed to imprint the movie with a more personal touch. The screenplay and technical aspects are the result of shared vision and efforts that were both written and executed seamlessly being literally captivating, having a deep thematic sense.

The most puzzling aspect of the movie in terms of its form is a mixing of genres that seems almost not to work. If you expect the movie to be uniformly dark, then you will be surprised by your own reaction and that of the audience.