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Reviews
Rainbow's Sunset (2018)
The world should see this movie!
A film must connect to the viewers and the audience should be able to relate to the story and characters and those are the signs of a good film.
The issue of a Senior Citizen coming out and opening up to his family on his long standing love for a childhood male friend may be a new and interesting theme but Rainbow Sunset has gone beyond the issue of LGBT.
Rainbow Sunset is a Family film that connects to all of us, to every family regardless of your economic standing. It is about the double standards of our society;
RAINBOW SUNSET IS a well written screenplay, very grounded, direct and natural lines and dialogues. Direction is very fine, no fancy shots, focusing on the objective and intention of the scene that resulted to a great storytelling. Most of the sequences were shot in a lock frame that gives the audience a clearer understanding of the message in almost all of the scenes.
Rainbow Sunset brings the audience to a natural flow of emotion. There are some light moments and there are many dramatic points. Rainbow Sunset makes the audience cry. But the drama and the tears you shed are not redundant, it escalates and builds up without the feeling of contracting chest or heart attack. it seeds down to he core of your heart towards the end.
Lead cast Eddie Garcia, Tony Mabesa, Gloria Romero with Tirso Cruz III, Aiko Melendez and Sunshine Dizon is indeed a casting coup!
Acting was superb! No overacting and I would say everyone has attained the "being" state of the characters.
After all the dramas, the most important take away is the importance of family. The family is basic core of our society and it is the fundamental support system for each of us. No matter how huge or heavy your burdens are, your FAMILY is there to support and help you.
PLEASE WATCH RAINBOW SUNSET! You will get your money's worth!
Aurora (2018)
Flawed premise, poor storytelling and waste of money!
Aurora definitely is a big budget film. But it failed big time. In the fb posts that i have read, it says critics do not like the film Aurora. But i would like to correct that critics and the ordinary audience share the same sentiments, reactions and comments, the pacing utterly moves like a turtle, the story development is stalled by the unknown and the script is flawed. All of these things have contributed in the poor storytelling of the director.
Would you take a job of finding dead bodies for 50,000 pesos? At an instant, yes! Especially for Leana who only expressed her problems with money only once in the film. There was no pattern to really establish money concerns or any threat that they are facing (with her sister Rita). More so, it is unthinkable for anyone to be a scavenger of decomposing corpses, who does not have the tools and gears to do it. So, Leana ended up asking for help from Eddie (Allan Paule), a fisherman who is more convincing to be poor and needs money. The more logical people to do the rescue (or scavenging) are the Coast Guards, who have the gear and tools, which by the way were accused of being the accomplice in the overloaded Aurora ship. That only shows Coast Guards have more reasons to to clean up their mess before anyone finds it.
The funny part was when Eddie and Ricky found a corpse and was placed in a boat hut. All three of them (Leana, Eddie and Ricky) gathered around decomposing body who seem to be experts like Coroners and were not moved by the stink, gross appearance. And the succeeding sequence shows them vomiting and seemingly took them a while to react to the corpse.
In the many PR articles, it says Aurora is not the typical jump scare film. It is pegged as a Hollywood horror film like 'The Others', which was directed well and leaves no confusion. And the big difference is Aurora was not creepy or will not even give you the feeling of paranoia. But I would like to credit the music score, which in itself is excellent. However, I get the the impression that the music was very exhausted in trying to help the film develop and build up.
Among other confusing points was the intercutting sequences between their house and the Aurora ship that shows the people in the ships's engine room. Was it the imagination of Leana? Was it a storm surge? How did they get into the ship?
Or was it a Hollywood signature that give the audience confusion?
Definitely, Aurora is not a horror film.
I gave 3 stars because there are only 3 elements that are good in the film Aurora; Actors, Cinematography and Production design.
Goyo: Ang batang heneral (2018)
Dialectics of Philippine History
Goyo, Ang Batang Heneral is not just a period film re-telling our History, neither a simple account of what transpired in the battle of Tirad Pass against the Americans, and not just an artistic expression of the director and the writers; "Goyo" is a film that defines and connects our past to our present plight as a People and as a Nation and the dialectics of our history--We are because of what we were and we will be for what we are now.
The film gives the audience a sharp and deeper insight about us Filipinos-past and present. In one of the dialogues of Apolinario Mabini in the film that really struck me and it was mentioned 3 times, if I remember it right. I may not be able to recall the exact lines but let me paraphrase it; "The Americans have always regarded the Filipinos to be like children, and there may be some truth to that". What is the subtext of the line then? Our leaders are like children-immature and selfish, prioritizing their own Political Agenda, always wanted to ensure hold of power and personal convenience. And these things affected our struggle against colonial rulers and our quest for freedom. Sadly, these children-like traits are still prevalent in our present leadership as the struggle of every Filipino shifts not from Colonial rule but against poverty, inequality, corruption and abuse of power with emphasis on the treachery and betrayal of some of our fellow Filipinos serving their personal interests.
"Goyo" is a well-written screenplay, the main plot as told by Apolinario Mabini (played by Eppie Quizon) describes the internal machinations among the Filipino Generals and Aguinaldo during the Philippine-American War. While sub-plots depicting the perspectives and experiences of Joven Hernando (played by Arron Villaflor) who typifies a Filipino caught in between crossfires; and Goyo-Del Pilar (played by Paulo Avelino) despite being a General who is notable for his courage, in the battles he won and a mercenary henchman against Filipinos opposing Aguinaldo, was depicted to be more human having a conscience that chases him in his nightmares and dreams.
The approach to reality shifts from realism to surreal, while dialogues use contemporary language with a blend of lyrical phrasing that made the interaction between characters easy to understand and relate with.
Cinematography is commendable without any effort to make the scene superfluously dramatic that includes the camera shots, angles and movement. Color and texture of the film brings you to the era of 1890's without much of sepia or black and white schemes.
Just like in any period film, Production design has always been challenging, like Katipunero's or Soldiers uniform to be very neat like a newly tailored fit; a location where houses and other structures are obviously fabricated and constructed.
I laud "Goyo" Production Designer for an excellent job, gone are the uniforms of the Soldiers who look like freshly ironed even after a battle and no more hand props that look unreal. There may still be issues with the details like texture and finish windows, wall or roofing; structures that are still obviously fabricated, which maybe improved on the next period films. Remarkably, the production design has given the audience the experience of 1890's era.
The music score is also notable as it served its purpose of complimenting the development of the Film. It was designed to accentuate key sequences, and share with the audience the same level of emotion as the characters in the film have.
Bravo! Paulo Avelino, Alvin Anson, Mon Confiado, Arthur Acuna, Jeffrey Quizon, Carlo Aquino and Gwen Zamora for an outstanding performance.
Kudos to Director Jerrold Tarog, Screenwriter Rody Vera, Producers of Artikulo Uno, Cast and Crew!!
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
A formula Film with finer theme
There is only one thing that is really commendable about the film, which is the (sub) theme: discrimination.
Whether it's colour, race, social and economic status or physiological impairment, we all experience discrimination in different shapes and forms. This made the film a notch higher and better than the usual Romance films or Rom-Coms.
The Young Family experienced discrimination from the Caucasian hotel staff at the beginning of the film-- i was hooked by that sequence. While Leading lady Rachel Chu (played by Constance Wu) was discriminated by Eleanor Young (Mom of Nick Young) due to her family background.
Of course, it was "they lived happily ever after" in the end and aside from the good play of theme, everything in the film is a formula. I and we have seen the Romance plot in the everyday Teleserye or Rom-Com movies where Boy loves girl/Girl Loves Boy; enter the antagonists (can be ex's of the loves, friends or parents) who are against the couple. etc. etc. etc. As i watched the movie, towards the middle up to the end, i felt watching a local film, (a teleserye or Rom-Com) which I am not really sure if it's good or bad--i guess it was bad.
There were funny scenes where Peik Lin (Played by Awwafina) College Best Friend of Rachel Chu. Peik Lin character in very similar and always present in our local Rom-Coms, a shoulder to cry on, an accomplice in some naughty plans.
Aesthetics and production, I find the audio mix and quality not so well--a bit garbled and low. I hope it was only in the Cinema that I went to--big mall in Makati. The texture and Colour of the film is graded well making the scenes look cooler but not losing the Oriental feel of Asia.
Cinematography, pzrticlulary camera shots are simple, direct and not the irrational fancy shots (just to impress the audience).
This film still reaffirms that formula films are still effective, of course putting new twists or (sub) themes and it will do the trick.
BuyBust (2018)
A drug buy-bust operation gone-wrong.
People hope for a better life, at the very least a peaceful one. BuyBust is a film that deals with the anti-drug campaign of the government, but the core of such campaign is how will it impact on the lives of the every Filipino.
The film may be predictable from the start but was told in a different fashion.
It was not the usual buy bust operation of the anti-drug authorities, the goal is to catch Biggie Chen- a high value target with Shabu laboratories.
What is entharalling is when PDEA operatives headed by Bernie Lacson (Victor Neri) with Nina Manigan-PDEA operative (Anne Curtis) and Detective Dela Cruz along with the Alpha and Bravo teams, were trapped in Baranggay Gracia ni Maria in the slums of Manila, a community that is fiction but an epitome of what Philippine society is.
Gracia ni Maria is maze-like compound with the texture of a shanty town that you could smell the stink and rot in every corner. A community and people forced to protect drug lords and live in fear and violence.
Characters are very real while the action scenes were obviously choreographed and the gun battle sequences are far better than the usual action films of the 90's. Director Erik Matti weaves the story with layers in the plot like Anne Curtis' character (Operative Manigan) who can't seem to forget her drug buy-bust operation in the past that killed all her team members. She became very cautious, uncertain and even doubtful of the Police team leading them. Another layer in the plot is how the people of Gracia ni Maria have suffered in the war against drugs, as they witness violence everyday of their lives.
Anne has certainly prepared for this film, showing her skills in hand to hand combat; even her movements, stance and reactions during gun battle appear to be realistic. Anne has rediscovered herself and maybe considered as the First True Female Action star of Philippine Cinema. Though BuyBust has not really deviated from the formula of action films in the Philippines where the action hero is being attacked by a mob and yet manages to defeat all of them.
Anne's co-actor Brandon Vera (Rico Yatco), muscled and Hulk type character that can defeat an army of enemies at one time, has played his role well as buddy of operative Manigan (Anne) who also believes in amulet to keep him safe. Joross Gamboa is also commendable in his role as Manok (Chicken) who seemed to be at his being state in most of the scenes.
Award-winning supporting actor Joel Saracho, portraying a shanty owner and out of fear, he casually declines to help PDEA Operative Manigan and Yatco on their way out of the compound. The scene typifies how fear has become a normal and casual state for the people. Music is not overwhelming but enough to heighten and build up the action scenes.
BuyBust is action in its real sense, with deafening gun battles, hand to hand combat fight scenes and unending chase sequences around the compound. Manigan (Anne) being the action heroine, as usual, is the last PDEA operative standing.
Manigan and Biggie Chen mano-o mano fight scene is also very real though it is the typical protagonist and antagonist face to face showdown with great reveals as to who are the protectors and snitch within the Police Organization.
One essential element in the film is the people in the community. People have taken arms and have resolved to act; seized to believe that the Government will truly solve the illegal drugs problem. Innocent civilians as always are caught in the cross-fire between the Government and the Drug Lords or even in any war that the government launches. Illegal drugs will not proliferate without the nod of a high-ranking government official. What else is new??-it is a common perception. And the innocent civilians are the victims.
In many of the sequences, community people were also attacking the PDEA and Police Teams, furious and raging like zombies who are ready to eat their preys alive. But in the end, the fury and rage of the people are the bi-product of frustrations and hopelessness from the Government to resolve the social ills of our society.
The film is not only an eye opener about the sincerity of Government on its anti-drug campaign but also a call to action for the people to stand and participate in issues of our Nation, people should become part of the solution and hope is the only thing we should hold onto.
Over-all, Kudos to Director Erik Matti! Setting a new trend in action films and riveting story telling.