Still on the quest to review everything I have seen from the past... This time with a Raya Martin movie. Memories are still fresh, I can still remember the day I saw this in Gateway....
There are some films that would make you think hours, days, weeks or even months after you see them. Usually these are the films that are really to die for, those momentous one in a life time kind of events. Raya Martin films, makes me think all the time.
1. He makes me think how the hell he came up with his idea. 2. He makes me think what happened with what I just saw. 3. He makes me think that I may be a lesser human being.
I mean, how does he come up with what he does? I really am very envious. He is like for me, Xavier Dolan's of the Philippines (age, genius, filmmaker prodigy). "Next Attraction" is a film within a film within a film. It is not something you could get lost in, I mean the narrative and direction of the movie is rather clear. It is very cohesive as a whole, none of parts of it got lost in the process.
I admire filmmakers like Raya Martin who continues to defy what cinema or film viewing should be. The film may be a little different from what we usually see generally on the big screen but the movie in its core, feels to me, an homage to filmmaking. And it is quite a new experience to me, as with every Raya Martin movies.
Series: Modern Family Runner up: Glee Dark Horse: 30 Rock My Pick: Modern Family
Actor: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) Runner up: Tony Shalhoub (Monk) Dark Horse: Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory) My Pick: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Actress: Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) Runner up: Toni Collete (United States of Tara) Dark Horse: Lea Michelle (Glee) My Pick: Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Supporting Actor: Ty Burrell (Modern Family) Runner up: John Cryer (Two and a Half Men) Dark Horse: Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) My Pick: Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Yesterday I was out almost the whole day shooting. And like many other film ventures, the shooting was just one day, to cut costs (fare and libre to the cast and crew). And like some of my shoots, no script was written, I just wrote an outline and told my actors what to do. I want them to say what they want if they had been put into that position.
That day shoot was kinda tough. First, this is my first try to make a feature film. Second, I am filming a rather delicate issue about kids. Third, I do not have real actors. Fourth, I don't have a location. Fifth, it was rush and kind of impromptu. Nevertheless it was great fun. But it was tiring fun. My body felt like it was already giving up, but I still wanted to continue.
I am going to update you guys about that. But for now, here is the short film I made that got selected in Titus Brandsma. Do Comment :)
I see a scant amount of documentary (short or feature) that are made by Filipinos. Primarily because they do not screen them like feature films, and they only get to be shown in schools or in special events. Not all of them are that accessible to the general mass. But I got the chance to see "Lupang Hinarang" by Ditsi Carolino.
"Lupang Hinarang" is a short documentary following the lives of farmers and their emotional and bloody battle against the landowners. Quite frankly, I do not know anything about the subject of the documentary is, so seeing the film was quite an eye opener for me. At first I was questioning what was happening, next I was troubled with the injustice, in the end my heart was crushed. How could such evil be lurking and living with us?
Ditsi Carolino perfectly captured the anguish, the pain, the struggle and the little joys of the farmers. They may have won their battles but all were bitterly ended. This is a top notch important film. A film that should be seen by many, to make people like me, aware of the things happening around us.
The film for me was more than just a film. It did not just opened eyes, but I am sure that the film would get some butts moving to make a change or do something. It surely made my butt go act like crazy. It was not trying to be didactic, but for people like mo who are unaware of the things going around, it sure is a welcome education.
If there is a movie that need not require superfluous corny scenes just to trigger the "kilig" bones in your body, then "Paalam Aking Blulalakaw" is it. I mean, it is not that the main purpose of the movie was that, but there was certainly some "kilig" moments in it, and the "kilig" moments were in all the right places, and all in the right amount.
"Paalam Aking Bulalakaw" follows a protagonist, holding a camera, while walking with a girl. They are talking about almost anything. They walked and walked. Ate banana cue, drank taho. They talked a lot. But it was obvious that the guy had something for the girl. He loves her (Ana), she went missing and now she's back and it is pretty obvious that the guy misses her a whole lot. And that was really evident throughout the film, not only through the hopeless romantic gazing and walking and talking, but through the songs that were so rawly performed. The emotion was true and striking. The poems also, accompanied by breathtaking visuals. Ugh. This movie is to die for. I wish I was the one who thought of making this.
I am pretty new to Khavn's works. But from what I saw so far, "Family that Eats Soil", "Squatterpunk", I sure am loving his works. His is truly one of a kind director. And not only is he a superb director, filmmaker and writer, he is also an artist and a poet.
"Paalam Aking Bulalakaw" definitely is one of my favorite Filipino films ever put to screen.
I remember talking to someone and I said that I enjoyed "Ghost Writer" more than "Inception". And he said that I was a fool for not liking "Inception" more. I have seen both movies, twice now. I still stand by what I said, I like "Ghost Writer" more than "Inception".
Roman Polanski has still got it, even if with everything negative things that are surrounding him. "Ghost Writer" is about a ghost writer asked to write a sort of autobiography for a politician. At first, I question, where lies the mystery? Then things got a little murky, dirty then later bloody. People die, and the mystery deepens, and Polanski masterfully crafted the story, resulting to one of his best works to date. It may not be a par his classics, but it is great nonetheless.
I think that Kim Catrall was badly cast. But there were times that you don't really mind that her role is bad because what is happening is good. I guess it cancels out. Olivia Williams was best in cast for me. She continues to excel in movies, and now, I want to see more of her. Plus, it is refreshing to see Ewan McGregor in a good movie. He has been in rather banal to bad movies this past decade. So watching the movie, really is a treat.
The story of the dying son/daughter is already something that we see oftentimes, and most of the movies or series or any kind of film, more often becomes too sentimental and bad mushy. But somehow, "Echoes of the Rainbow" made something that made the movie, a breath of fresh air. "Echoes of the Rainbow" was about a poor family. The father is a shoemaker and the mother helps the father. They have two sons. The older son is a model son, an A-star athlete, good looking and smart. The other, the younger was quite delinquent-ish and naughty.
Then the obvious came. It was all bright and sunny and fun at the start but it all ended when they found out that the older son was seriously ill. That tested their bond as a family, the bond of the brothers and the strength of their parents marriage.
What separates this movie from all other movies tackling the same story, the way it was told. The storytelling was unique and very sincere and heartfelt. It may not be entirely original, but the quirkiness and the eccentricities in the story telling made the experience all the more original and touching. Top it all, with a superb ensemble performance, which I think was a big factor which made the movie effective.
Yesterday was a stressful day in the Philippines. I am out of words. It is just grim. My sincerest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
Swat team fail. Press/Media FAIL! This is just a big big FAIL!
I have been neglecting blogging duties once again. I know I promised like a bajillion times that I would be blogging regularly but I do not know why I can not muster the drive to blog everyday. I should like give someone money if I fail to blog at least thrice a day. Anyways. I surely am still active watching movies. I watched soo many movies already that I failed to review. I think that this week I shall be making amends by finally finishing my year in review and reviewing some of the movies I have seen. I love reviewing stuff, but I know deep in my heart that I am not a writer and I am not in any way a film critic. What I do is just react to the films I see and that sums about everything that is in this blog. But lately it has just been personal, so I know that is not a good read.
Last week was a happy week, especially Saturday. My short film, "Bahay Bahayan" was selected for the 6th Titus Brandsma Short Film Festival, in the Sex and violence category. It was my first time to come up on stage and talk about my film. First I was asked to say something about myself and how I came about to making my short film. The rest of the forum would then be asked by the organizers and the people who attended the show. I was thrilled to have been on stage with Mercedes Cabral. You guys all know that I love her and thinks that she is one of the best actresses in the Philippines. She was in the short film alongside mine, it was entitled "Babae Ako". The film forum progressed, one girl commented on my work being scripted and I should have let the kid in my short film do all the playing. I defended however that I intended it to be that way, well, the subject matter is quite alarming for kids and I do not want them to be traumatized in any means possible. But it was thrilling to have someone say that she liked my work even with reservations. It was also thrilling to have someone say that my work is good but he preferred the other film in my category.
It was an experience to have my work exhibited, and have someone critic it in front of me. It was my first time. I hope it is not the last *crosses fingers*. Anyways. Will blog more later.
Last Saturday I went out to shoot another short film. Yes, another. I am gearing up for my planned first feature film, and I need all the practice that I could get. That is why I am not stopping myself from making short films. Anyway. Like I said, Saturday was another shooting day. I tried to restrict every shooting to one day, it saves money but it burns too much energy.
Friday, a day before the shoot, I was still sick. I had an upset stomach and fever. But I still went out to buy some things that I will be using as props. It was not that much, I just bought paint, boxes, scissors and cutter for my artworks.
We (with my sister) came to the University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna, at around 7 30 in the morning just so we could set up and look for locations to shoot. Then all my cast arrived at around the same time. We first ate at McDonald's at the Vega Center just outside the university gate. 30 minutes later we went in and set up. The first sequences that we shot were all outdoor sequences, to save the light. We shot at the gate, Math building, College of Human Ecology, near Student Union Building, and Biological Science Department. Later on in the day, we shot the remaining scenes from the house of our lead actor.
It was a very very tiring day. My body was sore all over. When we went home, I was groggy and I could not think straight. I think I slept at around 9PM, which was relatively early for me. I sleep usually at around 11PM to 2AM. But I was so exhausted. I just had to sleep.
Here is a rough cut of the short film I made. I plan to make major changes to it. Hope you enjoy :)
Honestly, I was never one of those who felt that Colin Farrell had something in him, but all things changed after I saw "In Bruges". He was superb in that movie and I think that he deserves to get a nod for that performance. That movie alone got me excited how Colin Farrell would follow up that work. Forget "From Paris with Love", "Ondine" was the movie that got me up and giddy to see his follow up.
"Ondine" is part mystery, part crime, part thriller, part fantasy, part romantic, part drama movie. That about sums up as to what genre the movie falls in. "Ondine" for me has got to be one of the most serene movies I have ever seen. The song "All Alright" by Sigur Ros fitted well with the movie, making it more sort of ethereal and meditative. It was surreal and dreamy, I felt that the movie was serenading me or lulling me to sleep. It surely is one visually and aurally engaging movie.
The catch, the fisherman caught a woman in his net. Fisherman's sick daughter thinks that the woman is a mermaid. The movie sort of leads us there because her humming and singing draws in big fish haul. Plus every time the camera pans on her when she is near water, she seems extraordinarily beautiful.
We are drawn to the story as the hunch as to the woman's mermaidness heightens. Is she really a mermaid? The mystery is very well kept. It gets really intriguing as the story progresses, up until the reveal. The reveal, was, lukewarm. The build up was great but the reveal was not so much. It sort of ruined the movie for me, a little. Nevertheless, I find it, good.
Obviously I am catching up on some of the foreign movies that I have seen for the past few weeks. This is one big movie that I caught a week after Cinemalaya 2010. And it is also the most overhyped. But I do get where the hype is coming from. It is a rare kind of commercial/mainstream movie that forces the mainstream audience to actually really think. That is something not all mainstream/commercial movies do, usually, everything is force fed.
I do not wish to tell you the story because, I assume that everyone of you have seen it already. Or if not, have read a review about the movie.
Post Cinemalaya, I was in such an indie overdosed, so watching "Inception" is a welcome treat. It was a great thrill ride and it was impeccably well thought of and extremely well made. The movie is without a doubt a technical achievement and triumph. It was mesmerizing. Christopher Nolan has made his mark on cinema history.
Leonardo diCaprio was good but he is somewhat stuck in that phase where his roles are wed or in a relationship with suicidal women. He aced that role now, now different roles please. The cast was stellar throughout, well, except Ellen Page. The three standout performances for me were from Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tom Hardy and Marion Cotillard. I think that the three made the most impression from the bunch, and I am having a hard time choosing between the three as to who was the best.
But I do beg to disagree about people saying that it is mindfuck or mindrape. It is easy to get lost in it yes, but it is not that hard to follow. A second viewing seems needed to further understand or to prove ones interpretation. But it is really not mindrape at all after seeing David Lynch's works (Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire to name 2) or even Shane Carruth's "Primer".
As for the claim that it is the best movie about dreams or a movie driven by dreams or whatever. It is a good addition to that list but personally, I think that Tarsem Singh's "The Cell" or Satoshi Kon's "Paprika" ranks higher.
Do not get me wrong, I liked "Inception" but not I am not singing hallelujah to it. It is a good solid entertainment. And it something that I would definitely want to watch again.
I have never really been a fan of Angelina Jolie. Methinks she is more of a celebrity than an actress, but she somehow still proves me wrong with the occasional show of talent in "A Mighty Heart" (a movie that I love more and more every time I see it) or in "Girl Interrupted". But with "Salt" I see her more of nothing more than a box office magnet.
"Salt" for me was like "Kill Bill" meets "Bourne Identity" less the story. But I really do not care about the story, but the less story it has, the sillier it gets, the longer it is, it bores me more. See she is a CIA agent, and then she just found out that she is a Russian spy going to assassinate the president of Russia just so a bigger war will explode across nations. But she grew a heart or whatever that she decided to go against the guys who made her who she is.
It was fun though. It was nice to see Jolie kicking major butts. But I can not say that I fully enjoyed it. There were times that I was looking at my watch just to check the time. I was waiting for it to finish. But I keep on saying that the film is not about to end because there are still some loose ends. And I was right. It went on longer. Nevertheless, it is a fun movie to watch if you are bored at work. Better than work, no question.
I have been neglecting my blogging duties for several days now. It pains me to see my blog lifeless and outdated. From now on, whenever I wake up, I will blog. That will be a promise.
I was busy last week because I had to finish editing a short film that I was rushing to finish in time for the deadline of the 6th Titus Brandsma short film fest. I made a short film entitled "Bahay Bahayan". I shot it for one day, and edited it for four days. To think that the film is just 4 minutes long. I just want things to be right. I talked to many people and showed them my work and have them comment on it. I took all the comments in and tried to balance everything and I ended up with something that I really like. I can only wish that I had better equipments.
I only have a Canon ZR900 that I use everytime I film. It is a small DV camcorder, it is super handy but the battery drains super fast. But I love my camera, it is my very first camera.
I was thrilled and surprised to receive a call from Titus Brandsma saying that they will exhibit my short film on August 21 at Titus Brandsma Center as part of their Short Film Festival. Finally!
This is my third effort to get in a competition or an exhibition. My first try is in Cinemalaya 2010, where I submitted my short film "eMo". "eMo" is my second attempt at clay animation. It was a very hard shoot and production. First, I made all the clay models with the help of my friends. Second, I do not have the right materials and equipment for it. But luckily I was able to finish it on time.
The second try was in UP, wherein we are supposed to make Lumiere like shorts. I submitted two, one documenting lives of street singers and the other is a still capture of a farm plastic. My works are stupid. I completely missed the whole essence of the competition.
Now, my third try. To my surprise, it got in. Though I still do not know why. "Bahay-Bahayan" is a very short film about a kid playing bahay-bahayan (house). I am just to happy that I get to show my work to other people other than those who see my works in youtube.
Anyways, that is all for now. The video I included in this post is my clay animation work "eMo".
Like I always say in this blog, wherever Adolf Alix goes, I go. When he screened his latest movie in Cinemalaya 2010 in CCP, I was there, I waited in line for more than an hour just to see his movie. But by that time, the movie was still a work in progress. It was roughly edited. The first half of it was well polished and the second half was a draft. I said also in my previous post that the first half was A+ territory, and I think, with the special screening I attended in UP Cine Adarna last August 4, the whole movie, not just the first half is in A+ territory.
"Muli" tells the story of an innkeeper/activist/teacher, Jun, who feel in love with his lawyer guest Errol. The story spans several decades following Jun and Errol, together, with their affairs, with everything. But the centerpiece of the story is Jun's story. And I do not wish to get into deep in the story of the movie because I urge every single living organism to go and see the movie.
Many of the blogs that I read or the reviews I read all ask or all are waiting for that definitive Alix movie that would make people say WOW! People seem to be waiting for Alix to do his "Kinatay" or his "Death in the Land of Encantos", although I think that he already did that with "Tambolista", "Adela", "Aurora" and "Daybreak", I know in my heart that with "Muli", people will be singing high praises and Hallelujahs.
Sid Lucero proved to me with this movie, that he is the best young actor working. He was beyond perfection in "Selda" and with "Muli", words can not describe how superb he was. It was like everything that he bottled up in "Selda" exploded in "Muli" and it was tugging and devastating. The longing and desperation to be with the one you love, the emotion was strongly conveyed, it stings, and pierces deep.
Cogie Comingo in his first gay role, and what could also be his last, gave a noteworthy performance as well. Even though I think that the story could have benefited more if we get to see more of what happens with Errol, but nevertheless, welcome back Cogie Domingo, and I hope to see more superb performances from you.
The rest of the cast is strong across the board. Angeli Bayani is superb as always. God I love her, and her uber thick hair in the movie. Divine Tetay was divine, and his comic timing and delivery were all ace.
Honestly, I was scared as to how "Muli" might turn out to be. Alix's last two movies were not successful, but it was a complete turn with "Muli", and I can see the movie raking awards come awards season. And the year may not be over, but for me hands down, Sid Lucero gives the best acting performance of the year. As for the movie, it is the best movie I have seen so far this year, and the year, finally started.
"Muli" stand firmly as the best gay-themed movie ever put to screen in the Philippines. It is always being compared to "Brokeback Mountain", I can not blame them because the emotion that you get from both films are the same, and both are masterworks in my book. And now I can not wait to see the movie again.
Still on the quest to review everything I have seen from the past... This time with a Raya Martin movie. Memories are still fresh, I can still remember the day I saw this in Gateway....
