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| Metro Manila Film Festival |
In the order I watched them:
Espantaho
Watch Espantaho if you find pleasure in seeing actresses serve tears, rage, and intense acting all at once. It's well-acted, though we've seen Juday, LT, and Chanda Romero perform even better in other roles. Watch it for the horror and you'll likely be disappointed. It follows the horror formula that Chito Roño thrived on during the 2000s with films like Feng Shui, Sukob, T2, and, if we must include it, even The Healing. Sadly, it's outdated and not at all terrifying. At points it's even unintentionally funny. If it's trying to be camp, then it's quite vanilla in its attempt. There's also a lack of emotional connection in many of its death scenes. The supporting characters' deaths elicit no grief, with mourning reserved only for the main character.
And the Breadwinner Is...
So much hype surrounding And the Breadwinner Is... as it's a fusion of Jun Lana's indie sensibilities and Vice Ganda's mainstream appeal. There's also anticipation regarding what's been said about Vice performing in a heavy drama. The film lives up to the hype. It's as heavy as it can be, and it's not without surprises, which include a mashup of Vice's previous film characters. If you look at it as a whole, it's really just a simple story. The film was created for Vice, with the timely theme of a breadwinner in mind. Together, they've made the character Bambi, and to an extent Vice, a saint and a hero, which is very much deserved. The ensemble is good. The movie as a whole is really just fine.
Isang Himala
Frankly, the music is not that memorable :( , which doesn't help the film, especially for a musical in this climate. I appreciate the use of film as a medium to elevate the stage production, though I can't help but think that it could have done even more. It's limited, but it did well. Still, much credit should be given to Pepe Diokno and his team. This is a challenging musical to adapt, and they did what they could. There are powerful moments, especially the ending, but it's Himala - it would be a failure if the message alone wasn't conveyed. The performances are great.
Uninvited
Always fun to see Vilma Santos be vengeful in movies. If there's one thing I loved about this film, it's that it reminded me of her other (and superior) revenge film, Ikaw Lang, her collaboration with another MMFF director, Chito Rono. What it also reminded me of is how good Aga Muhlach actually is at acting. I thought he was superb, as were the rest of the cast. It's also the most well-made of the bunch. It's simple, no fat, and there are no over-the-top scenes, even when most revenge films call for them. I find this to be its weakness too. However, it's hard to say there's not much to it when what is shown is actually heavy, serious, and brutal. Ate Vi's Mystic River.
The Kingdom
Very impressive to see a Filipino film dissect an alternate universe where the Philippines was never colonized by any other countries. It even confidently declares in its very first scene, before the title card appears, that we wouldn't allow any foreign ships to fire water cannons at us in our own territory. This serves as a great introduction to a very gaggy film, filled with politics, twists and turns, and even epic storylines. It's probably the most fun I've had among the six films I've seen because not only is it engaging, but it's also a film we haven't seen before. Sure, the political aspect is a rehash of other power-chasing themed films, but then again, those films are rehashes of any other film of the same kind. Highly recommended.
Green Bones
Green Bones has a strong Kore-eda influence, making it a great introductory film for Philippine viewers who are unfamiliar with the Japanese filmmaker. It's an earnest film that encourages viewers to take a closer look at its flawed characters, connect with them, and empathize. While the theme may be too familiar to those who have seen many of Kore-eda's works, Green Bones is good enough to be discussed alongside the Japanese director's filmography. A bold claim, but same themes naman eh. However, the standout aspect of this film is its revolt disguised as a parable. Not a surprise because Ricky Lee is one of the screenwriters. The film serves as a critique of our society, yet it is portrayed with a tender and compassionate touch. Lots of sunsets, a cat, a tree of hope, frowns-turned-smiles, and sinners trying to be good. A massive improvement from Zig Dulay's previous MMFF film, Firefly.
My Ranking (so far):
1. Green Bones
2. Isang Himala
3. The Kingdom
4. Uninvited
5. And the Breadwinner Is…
6. Espantaho
