Archive for the 'eddie garcia' Tag
Top Local Movies of 2012 8 comments
2012 in cinema is probably one of the most enjoyable in a while. I liked a lot of the movies that I've seen this year, (though maybe I really avoided the bad ones? LOL), and a lot of these films would have topped any other weaker years. On top of that, we've also seen a lot of impeccable performances from these films. Mind you, while I have seen 60+ local films this year, there's a lot left still to be seen. Despite that, I feel that 2012 is one of the better years in recent Filipino cinema, and here are 12 reasons why:
12: UNOFFICIALLY YOURS
Arguably, the best output from commercial filmmaking this year is this Cathy Garcia Molina's relationship story between two people that sprouted from a one night stand. Molina has really mastered how to make supposedly conventional studio produced films more engaging and interesting. Also, watch out for John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin's palpable chemistry here.
11. MNL 143
I'm a sucker of travel/road movies. With that said, Emerson Reyes's first feature length film is a poignant love story of a man (Allan Paule) who's looking for the woman of his life is something that's easier to relate to; not the search per se, but the longing and the optimism for it to finally arrive is a familiar feeling that can resonate well to its viewers.
10. REquieme!
Loy Arcenas' consecutive Cinemalaya entry is a dark comedy that focuses on Swanie, a barangay captain who involves herself as a relative of a suspect in an international murder case. With a witty screenplay and Shamaine Buencamino's effective portrayal as Swanie and breakthrough talent Anthony Falcon, the movie is definitely one of 2012's brightest spots.
09. PASCALINA
This Cinema One Originals winner which was also Pam Miras's feature debut about one's self discovery about her monsters within is one of the surprise entries in my list. Not because it is bad, but because I liked and appreciated it better days after seeing it. Oh, and if Maria Veronica Santiago's performance in the title role won't charm you enough, then I don't know what will.
08. ANG NAWAWALA
Another first feature effort this year, this time by Marie Jamora, Ang Nawawala is bound to be a cult classic. Yes, it probably caters to a younger crowd, to those in the middle status, or to those who are into local music scene, but one universal thing that I sure can relate to is how it connects you back to yourself. Plus points for the eye candy production design and the compilation soundtrack.
07. BWAKAW
The Philippines' submission to the Oscar Foreign Language Film category this year (and its best submission in years, I must say) is this little gem by Jun Lana about an old gay man living alone with only his dog named Bwakaw, and how he tries to make the most out of his remaining days. It's just one of the most heartfelt films of the year that makes you laugh and cry while watching. Also, Eddie Garcia's performance is to watch for here.
06. THY WOMB
Brillante Mendoza's Venice entry this year is also the comeback vehicle of one of the Philippines' greatest actresses to date, the Superstar Nora Aunor. I guess my favorite aspect of the film is how it showcased to us this little gem of a place called Tawi-Tawi, and how the film introduced us to its culture. That, and of course La Aunor's towering performance in it.
05. ANG PAGLALAKBAY NG MGA BITUIN SA GABING MADILIM
My favorite from the whole Cinema One Originals bunch this year is Arnel Mardoquio's feature about the escape of three Muslim rebels, together with a ten year old child in the midst of the Bangsa Moro issues in Mindanao. But unlike any previous Mindanao related war-themed films, this one stands out because it's does not lecture you. And within this silence is where the actual emotions linger.
04. GIVE UP TOMORROW
This Filipino/Spanish/American production directed by Michael Collins on what was labeled as the trial of the century in the Philippines (the involvement of Paco Larrañaga to the disappearance of the Chiong sisters) is one film that probably triggered the most emotions while watching. The film for the most part was half maddening and half heartbreaking. But it probably contains one of my most favorite quotes of the year when Paco said "If you want to give up, give up tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, then give up tomorrow."
03. APARISYON
Vincent Sandoval's Cinemalaya entry about the secluded lives of nuns in a monastery in 1972. The film's strength lies in its capability to build an atmosphere that was intense and arresting that once the movie hits it middle part, you just feel as if you're a part of it. If you're into the technical aspect, this movie also boasts of a complete top notch production values: neat production design, applicable costumes, captivating cinematography, polished editing, and haunting score.
02. GRACELAND
Ron Morales's Tribeca entry about a loyal driver caught in the middle of his congressman employer's paying of sins is as intense as one can get. Fifteen minutes in, there's already a shooting scene. And the rest of the movie was packed with emotional punches, as it dwells with questions about one's choices in life. Is this the correct choice? What happens when it's not? Where do we go next? Also, Arnold Reyes's terrific performance as the driver is a must see.
01. KALAYAAN
And my top pick for local cinema this year is Adolf Alix's Kalayaan. On the outside, it's about a soldier solely stationed in the Kalayaan islands and a run on his daily activities, until two additional soldiers were sent there with him. The first hour of the film solely shows on the day to day routine of Julian. Rarely any dialogue was spoken in it, but the message was effectively sent. Once the credits rolled, you feel that you've known enough yet it will also prompt you to ask some more. Definitely my favorite film of the year!
Well that's it! What are your favorite local movies of the year? In case you are wondering, the reason why there's no top international picks yet is because I'm still catching up on a lot of the Oscar movies til the next two months. So I guess, you can expect my list by March.
And as always, you can follow me on Twitter: @nikowl
Posted January 3, 2013 by Nicol Latayan in 2012 Year End Lists, Films, Lists
Tagged with 2012 lists, adolf alix, allan paule, ananda everingham, ang nawawala, ang paglalakbay ng mga bituin sa gabing madilim, angel locsin, anthony falcon, aparisyon, arnel amrdoquio, arnold reyes, best foreign language film, best movies of 2012, brillante mendoza, bwakaw, cathy garcia molina, cinema one originals, cinemalaya, dominic roco, eddie garcia, emerson reyes, fe ginging hyde, give up tomorrow, glorypearl dy, graceland, jodi sta maria, john lloyd cruz, joy viado, jun lana, kalayaan, lists, loy arcenas, luis alandy, marie jamora, michael collins, MNL 143, mylene dizon, nora aunor, paco larranaga, pam miras, pascalina, requieme, ron morales, shamaine buencamino, star cinema, thy womb, unofficially yours, veronica santiago, vincent sandoval, zanjoe marudo
Philippines' 85th Oscar Submission: Bwakaw 2 comments
Earlier this week, the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) already announced the country's submission for the Foreign Language Film category for next February's Academy Awards. Despite some initial backlash among some of the movies that were on the shortlist (released on two separate batches), they still made a very wise decision submitting this year's Cinemalaya entry, Jun Lana's "Bwakaw" for consideration and as the country's official entry.
Bwakaw tells the story of Rene (played perfectly by Eddie Garcia), an old gay man living with only his dog, as he waits for his final days. Much to his surprise, it's never too late to be opened to a lot of life's treasured experiences.
This movie beats nine other films that were mentioned to be a part of the two batch shortlist that the FAP announced the past month. Those nine movies include Ron Morales' Graceland, Jose Javier Reyes' Mga Mumunting Lihim (Those Little Secrets), Brillante Mendoza's Captive, Adolf Alix's Busong (Palawan Fate), Alvin Yapan's Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa (The Dance of the Two Left Feet), Daryl dela Cruz's Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story, John D. Lazatin's A Mother Story, Joyce Bernal's Segunda Mano, and Muhammad Yusuf's The Witness.
As for starters, I think this is a very commendable and refreshing choice from the FAP. From the first batch, I would have chosen either Yapan's Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa or Mendoza's Captive as the country's official submission. From the second batch, Morales's Graceland and Lana's Bwakaw seems to be the standout options. It's really surprising that the committee went for one of those four, especially since the last few years have been nothing but weak to "What were they thinking" choices. As a recap…
2008: Soxy Topacio's Ded na si Lolo a.k.a RP's worst submission ever. I really don't see why this was chosen by the Academy. It did not have any staggering reviews, did not make a splash at the box office, and was not even buzzed during that year. Ded na si Lolo is a comedy that tells the story of a six day wake of a big family's patriarch that opened a lot of secrets, realizations, and acceptance among the members of the family. Up until now, I was not convinced that it was the best submission of the country that year, let alone, the shortlist. My vote would have gone to Brillante Mendoza's Venice entry Lola who just came off from a Cannes win earlier that year.
2009: Dondon Santos' Noy a.k.a the FAP got carried away with the election. For this year, the Academy chose to be political and submitted the movie "Noy" which starred the country's most prominent actor Coco Martin. In here, there's a juxtaposition about then presidentiable Noynoy Aquino and how a reporter, incidentally named Noy as well, joins him during his campaign period. I remember how after all submissions were revealed, both RP and Brazil received flack for riding on the election bandwagon when the latter submitted "Lula, The Son of Brazil" as its submission. With that said, it is pretty much expected it will not be the film that will bring us our first nomination. My choice that year? Despite not being impressed with the shortlist, I guess I'll have to go with Joel Lamangan's family drama Sagrada Familia
2010: Marlon Rivera's Ang Babae sa Septic Tank a.k.a the Eugene Domingo lovefest. Coming off from a very solid buzz at last year's Cinemalaya, this Eugene Domingo starrer is definitely a hit in the making. This satirical take on how three filmmakers wanted to have the perfect festival hit and the road towards it is definitely one of the better films that we have submitted (if we base it on the actual merits of the film). Non-Oscar aficionados thought that this will definitely bring some buzz as most voters will find it relatable (heck, it even had an Oscar trophy in its poster) and witty. But here lies the problem: the Academy, especially voters, are not fond of making fun of their business. Case in point: the 2006 film For Your Consideration starring Catherone O'Hara wherein she played an actress desperately wanting to get an Oscar nod only to see her heart broken when she was snubbed for a nomination. AMPAS ignored the film altogether that year. The same can be said for Septic Tank's chances last year.
With that said, what do I think about Bwakaw's Oscar chances? On one hand, it's off to a good start by being a participant at the recently concluded Toronto Film Festival. It's next stop is the pickier and stricter New York Film Festival, so that says something about the quality of the film. I've learned that it already has a distributor abroad, so that's another plus for the film's chances. All it has to do now is maintain the buzz that has initially started. If they can get more festival runs and screenings, then it will boost better word of mouth regarding the film.
On the downside, this might still get lost in the shuffle of all high profile films that debuted from the three biggest festivals this year. There's already Austria's Amour, France's Intouchables, South Korea's Pieta, Germany's Barbara, and Romania's Beyond the Hills. I'm not saying that Bwakaw doesn't hold a candle to all the previously mentioned films in terms of quality, but seeing that we have not been nominated yet, all those other countries who are Oscar friendlier will have an easy route to gain buzz throughout the Oscar season.
In conclusion, I'm gonna be realistic here and say that so far, its chances are longshot at best. Is this the film that will bring us the coveted Oscar? No I don't think so. Is this the movie that will give us our first nomination? I still don't think so. Is this the movie that will make us enter the top nine short list? Probably. Bwakaw needs A Separation type of consensus in order for us to go all the way this year. However, with all that said, this is one year where I'm really happy with our submission, and it gives me hope that yes, getting that Oscar nod and trophy is still possible. As for now, I'm contended with small steps on our way there.
Posted September 19, 2012 by Nicol Latayan in Awards, Films, Reviews
Tagged with 85th oscars, best foreign language film, bwakaw, eddie garcia, jun lana, oscars, oscars 2012, philippines
8th Cinemalaya Film Festival Review: Part 2 6 comments
Here's the second part of my Cinemalaya reviews. Don't forget to come over at the CCP to catch the movies for yourself. The first part covered Mga Mumunting Lihim, Kamera Obskura, Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino, and Kalayaan. You can check them out here. Now, here are four other movies that I'll review:
Director: Gino M. Santos
Starring: Albie Casino, Patrick Sugui, Dawn Balagot
Competition: New Breed
A day in the life of three upper class teenage students who attend a party that will forever change their life. Jake (Casino) is the host of the biggest party before high school ends, Trina (Balagot) is his klepto girlfriend, while Alex (Sugui) is his brother who is applying to a high school fraternity.
As for starters, I love how the treatment focused on the three characters themselves. Movies about a certain generation has been done many times before, but I specifically notice the energy that the film displays in the characters, scenes, and dialogue in the movie. The aforementioned energy is what makes the movie interesting. I also liked how it's as raw as one can get, and while some scenes can be very predictable, it depicts the truth that lies beyond the characters from puking in toilets, nipslips, and blabbing drivers of rich kids. The parting shot of the film is probably my favorite; it was expected yet it still stays with you and stays true to what the title and the story of the film suggests. Also, Albie Casino, Patrick Sugui, and Dawn Baalgot are revelations in the film and contributed a large part with the depiction of their characters. While it is very easy to accuse that Santos is all style no substance with this one; however, I particularly liked various things about the movie which showed his potentials as a filmmaker.
BWAKAW
Director: Jun Lana
Starring: Eddie Garcia, Rez Cortez, Soxy Topacio, Beverly Salviejo, Gardo Versoza
Competition: Directors Showcase
Rene (Garcia) is an old gay man living alone. His only companion is his dog Bwakaw. He has been waiting for a long time, anticipating his death until he finds both a surprise and a new reason to live.
I'm not a fan of previous Lana works, but I dare say this is his best film to date. I'm a big sucker for films dealing with a person's loneliness, and I think that the film's strongest suit lies beyond the writing of the character of Rene. Rene is alone and longing; he is anticipating for his death yet he seems to start a new life when he finds his first love. He does not believe in God, but he leaves his will to a priest. It is with this strong characterization that makes Rene a human being, and that was translated well from the screen to the audience. Somehow, I think that the movie is too long, though it balances comedy and drama perfectly that one won't really get bothered by the long running time. Eddie Garcia showed no sign of aging when it comes to his performance, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wins awards for it. The surprise though is the very good supporting cast from Rez Cortez to Soxie Topacio to my favorite Joey Paras; it shows that while it's an Eddie Garcia vehicle, the movie can still accommodate the greatness of the rest of the cast. Both funny and touching, I find this as one of the more enjoyable entries of this year's filmfest.
MGA DAYO
Director: Julius Cena
Starring: Sue Prado, Janela Buhain, Olga Natividad
Set during America's favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, Mga Dayo features three different stories of women all dealing with their green card. The first one is a hotel cleaner who petitioned her 88 year old Mom to come liver with her in Guam because her mother wants to see America. The second one enters a fixed marriage with a friend just so she won't be sent back to the Philippines. The third one is a journalist writer who is currently dealing with a broken heart.
For a movie that contains three different stories (not interrelated with each other, aside from the common theme that they all have issues with their green card), it's not easy to totally be invested with which is which. However, it is pretty surprising that the movie ended quickly, and the revelation scenes of their fate did not leave that much of an impact as what was expected. There were really moments that will get you, opening the way for you to understand but once you start to do so, it suddenly ends. The saving grace of the film are Prado's and Natividad's performances, but overall, this leaves you a feeling that there's still something that can be further covered, but it did not do so.
Grade: 2.5 / 5
ANG NAWAWALA
Director: Marie Jamora
Starring: Dominic Roco, Felix Roco, Dawn Zulueta, Buboy Garovillo
Ang Nawawala tells the story of Gibson Bonifacio (Roco) who stopped speaking when he was young, and now that he's back in the country for good, he deals with his broken family, and having his first attempt at love.
Let me start by saying that this is my favorite in the New Breed category films. This film does not require you to be critical of the technical aspects or the script or the acting, but more of tugging your heart with the emotional investment that you'll feel for the characters in the film. The music served as a critical and necessary addition in exposing and understanding Gibson and the situation that he has been into. This is in no way a pioneer or even groundbreaking in terms of tackling the theme of family and love, but it leaves enough impact once the lights appear at the end of the film. I also like the portrayal of the family with Buboy Garovillo as the passive yet understanding and Dawn Zulueta as the aloof and strict mother. Annicka Dolonius gives a great breakthrough performance, but it was Dominic Roco who holds the whole cast altogether. He is heartbreaking, optimistic, and shy all rolled into one, and Roco exuded all of it in the movie. Once you leave the theaters, you can't help but smile and get carried with Marie Jamora's charming effort. Definitely a must see.
There you have it. Next up: another batch of four Cinemalaya movies. Also, don't forget to follow me on Twitter: @nikowl
Posted July 27, 2012 by Nicol Latayan in Films, Reviews
Tagged with albie casino, ang nawawala, annicka dolonius, buboy garovillo, bwakaw, cinemalaya 2012, dawn bagalot, dawn zulueta, dominic roco, eddie garcia, felix roco, gino santos, janela buhain, julius cena, jun lana, marie jamora, mga dayo, olga natividad, patrick sugui, rez cortez, soxy topacio, sue prado, the animals