MOVIE WRITEUPS: The Wolf of Wall Street, Nebraska and Philomena

The Wolf of Wall Street

Director: Martin Scorsese
With: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie

Based on a true story, The Wolf of Wall Street tells the rise and fall of one of the most infamous Wall Street loco of our generation, Jordan Belfort. This is Martin Scorsese's 49th feature film and 5th collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed and Shutter Island)but this seems like one of the freshest and liveliest he's ever made. No one would think that this highly energetic film was directed by a 71-year-old man but knowing Scorsese's reputation, this film's actually a mark that he's going back to his roots after making the adventure film Hugo, a George Harrison documentary and a TV episode of Boardwalk Empire. This is a good sign that he's still got it!

Leonardo DiCaprio gave his all in this film. With over-the-top acting he's known for, it works adequately here. Radiating all the arrogance, douchiness and a whole lot of charisma to portray the young Belfort. It's obvious that he really wants an Oscar. His sidekick Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff is also a douche to the highest level and Hill characterized him very well. They're very much reminiscent of the duo of Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci.

It's probably been mentioned hundreds of times but the almost 3-hour movie didn't feel like it as the entertainment contained in this film was in full force all throughout. Sex in the office is allowed, drugs all over the place, hot ladies, sports cars, helicopters, parties, every man would love to work with Belfort and every lady would love to sleep with him... except not really. The negative effects of these filthy-rich deeds might not be elaborated in the film but only stupid people would think that they idealized these things.

If you're into films that depicts complete atrocity, douchebaggery and total obscenity, choose this film as this is probably the superior one of them all.

Nebraska

Director: Alexander Payne
With: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, Stace Keach

Alexander Payne directed yet another satirical road trip film and I'm starting to love how his filmography is becoming like a collection of roadtrip dramas which are geographically specific, focused on human relationships and human behaviors emphasizing the characters' imperfections. In Nebraska, he tells the story of Woody, a crotchety old drunk living in Montana, who's convinced that he won a million dollar prize which can be claimed in Nebraska. This forces his son David to accompany him in fulfillment of his wish and this begins the journey that made them learn more about each other and their family.

It sounds dramatic but what I love about Payne is that sentimentality is a dirty word for him. There are some scenes in this film that would be melodramatic if it was directed by other directors but Payne remained firm with making his touching scenes more personal and authentic. That is by not associating these scenes with maudlin musical score or emotional pauses just to convey the message he wants to come across and the result? Fantastic.

The subtle humor is also what I adore about Nebraska. It's filled with smart and snarky comments that most often peels his character's flesh. It's effective in displaying the personalities of his character and then when we thought we've figured them out, we'll find out more about the complexity of the characters through twists.

Perfect example is Kate Grant, June Squibb's character. It's by the third half of the film when we realized that the old crude lady has more depth to her. Speaking of which, June Squibb is one of the best things in this film. The cemetery scene alone never fails to make me laugh. She's on a roll in that scene; from the words she say, the actions she does and her puffy cheeks are insanely cute. Thank you Payne for giving her this role. Not that I think that she's perfect for it as I can name a few other actresses who can portray Kate Grant to a tee but the fact that she garnered an Oscar nomination at her current age simply touches me. Cheers to achievements at an old age! After all, one of Nebraska's themes is the contentment and satisfaction of old people through achieving whatever they want, simple, shallow or whatever they are.

Bruce Dern is also commendable in this. Without having so many things to do in the film, he acted subtly and naturally. We all felt the agitation, frustrations and despair of Woody Grant, all through his expressions alone. Praiseworthy! He made Nebraska a bit iconic especially the last act when he finally achieved the thing he most wanted to accomplish. His victory seems like a victory to the viewers as well. We're all touched by Woody Grant.

I'm glad that Alexander Payne is back. I dislike The Descendants so much and with Nebraska, he has redeemed his name so well. As it turned out, Nebraska is my favorite Payne film to date.

Philomena

Director: Stephen Frears
With: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan

Philomena stars Judi Dench as Philomena Lee, whom after 50 years of silence decided to seek out her long-lost son. Her son, who was taken from her during her days in the convent by strict nuns who judge early pregnancy out of wedlock as a sin beyond forgiveness. Meanwhile, an atheist journalist played by Steve Coogan, was looking for redemption after losing his job in the government. He was reluctant at first by the idea of writing a human interest story but eventually, he meets with Philomena and decides to help her after hearing her story.

Philomena is not groundbreaking in terms of film making - tonally inconsistent and I'm pretty sure they used some green screen in some of its scenes :/ - but with Philomena Lee's story alone, this film is bound to touch a lot of people. Despite its imperfections, the film is not bad at all.

It's so timely that this film came out just recently because we're living in a world where even our current Pope allows new angles with the old Christian teachings. And whatever religion/belief you have, Christianity or atheism, this film may affect your stance as a believer/non-believer.  Reminds me of the documentary Deliver Us From Evil. The story is so heartbreaking that it's hard not to sympathize with Philomena. It's hard because aside from her incredibly nice nature, what she went through under the nuns is just harrowing.

Judi Dench played her so earnestly. Just when I thought that she can't portray an angelic character because I didn't find her effective in her calm and pleasant role in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (lol I just found out that a sequel for Marigold Hotel is already in the works), she suddenly owned this lovely role. I feel like she's becoming the opposite of Meryl Streep where the latter is now accepting more villainous or strong-willed characters and she is choosing the softer ones. Can't complain too much though, because I actually find her speaking voice to be too composed and proper to portray HBIC characters. Her features, however, are really strong but those terrorizing eyes and eyebrows are replaced with lovely smiles and virtuous dialogues. She's really angelic and saint-like in this film. Philomenal! Steve Coogan is also solid. I love the fact that their characters are polar opposites but both touch you in different and good ways.

I don't know how faithful this film is to Philomena Lee's real life story. Apparently, I read some articles that they're indeed not faithful. But still, this film is nothing short of charm and impact even with fabrication. I can't think of other films that portrays forgiveness so well than Philomena. It teaches us compassion and how important it is in our daily lives.

MOVIE WRITEUPS: Wadjda, Inside Llewyn Davis & Cutie and the Boxer

Wadjda

Director: Haifaa al-Mansour
With: Waad Mohammed, Reem Abdullah, Ahd Kamel, Abdullrahman Algohani

Wadjda is a Saudi Arabian film about an 11-year-old Saudi lass named, guess what? WADJDA. This film has so many firsts. First, it's the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia =o. Second, it's the first feature length film directed by a female Saudi Arabian. Third, Wadjda is their first ever submission at the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film category. I know!!!

Wadjda sort of reminds me of A Separation in a sense that it was able to integrate the country's culture to the film's plot and vice versa. Or it just happened naturally because of the setting. Wadjda is similar except the story is quite simpler. It's about the human spirit. The determination of this young lady Wadjda, who simply aimed to have a bike despite all of the traditions and circumstances that hinders her to have one. Apparently in Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to ride bikes in public areas. :/ It's through this story that the director was able to display many Saudi Arabian culture and traditions that almost everything was a revelation. It's kind of fascinating albeit the simple story.

Even then, it does not stop from the culture and traditions as one of this film's heavy theme is also feminism. Yes, we're living in a world where women seem to be the inferior sex in other countries. But who am I to judge? This film sort of reminds me of Thelma & Louise in a way, because of the huge amount of female empowerment and Wadjda is just like a modern but much younger Thelma/Louise. Go girl! Oh and this film also has a Nurse Ratched-like character except that she's a principal. Good characters and actresses.

I must say that as a film, it's really just... okay. But because of its background, this is a film of history and importance. And as a film with so many firsts, it sure opened up a lot of eyes about Saudi Arabia. That makes this film really relevant not only to Saudi Arabia, but to the world of cinema as well.  Here's hoping that they'd create more films for the world to see. I'm actually not aware that this is their first and unsure why but the content of Wadjda sort of explains it all. Not bad for a first either.

Inside Llewyn Davis

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
With: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham, Stark Sands, Jeanine Serralles, Adam Driver, Ethan Phillips, Alex Karpovsky

Inside Llewyn Davis is about a week in the life of a struggling singer who is determined to enter the New York's folk music scene in 1961. It is perhaps one of the most underacknowledged films of 2013. Not only do I find it pleasant, it's also chock-full of great quality in terms of actors, STYLE which is consistently marvelous, cinematography which is expected in a Coen bros film and of course, their direction. There is nothing thrilling about the story, but it's funny and smart enough to be appealing, somewhat dismal to an extent.

Oscar Isaac as Llewyn Davis is a revelation. His character alone is interesting to follow. Sarcastic, stubborn and complex. He's basically like the male version of Frances in Frances Ha. Not quite but they have a lot of similarities. Both don't know where to go even though they're trying. Both are in shitty situations but they're doing their best to survive despite their wrong decisions in life. Case in point, both are likable even if they're a mess.

I also like the inclusion of the cat as it sorta became an integral part of the story. It even acted better than Carey Mulligan who I suppose was having a hard time changing her accent. The songs are also beautiful. I love folk songs so I easily enjoyed most of them and I think even if you're not a lover of the genre, it's easy to like them especially the ones sang by Oscar Isaac. Totally listenable. The sincerity and the emotions connected to his songs pierce through his voice, his talent and the sound of his guitar. There's like a moment of silence and relaxation when he starts to sing, strum and act as his poignance glimmers through even in the bleakest corners of the setting.

Musically and visually, Inside Llewyn Davis is a treat and with Oscar Isaac's charismatic self and Coen bros unique and distinct direction, it is highly watchable.

Cutie and the Boxer

Director: Zachary Heinzerling
With: Noriko Shinohara, Ushio Shinohara

First of all, I want to thank the Academy for nominating this wonderful documentary. If it weren't for them, I would not know about this film that I so love and cherish. :3 This documentary is about the story of the 40-year marriage of the avant-garde boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife Noriko who was 19 years old when she fell in love with the 41-year-old painter. It also features their original artworks and footage of their moments as a young couple.

Cutie and the Boxer is my favorite 2013 documentary. A huge factor is its cinematography. There's nothing a great cinematography in a documentary film can't please. Most documentaries have shaky footage and blurry scenes as it mirrors rawness and age. The more raw the better, the blurrier the older, so it's such a delight and refreshment when documentarians pick a better way of expressing their story by providing glossy and artistic shots. Let's face it, some documentaries, as important the messages they tell, are boring. And old hideous videos incorporated to them don't help. But Cutie and the Boxer combined these old videos with astoundingly uber artistic, pleasing to the eyes materials and it got me glued. Just like how the past documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi did.

It's just apt that this documentary featured highly creative shots because it revolves around an artistic couple with such a great background to them. Ushio, used to fame and fortune, is now a struggling artist who's having a hard time excelling in the modern world of art. But he is determined to reboost his legacy. Now 80, he hardly can work on his own. Thus, needing the support and assistance of his wife, Noriko. He's also striving to make a living for his family out of his works. His problem with alcoholism also doesn't help. On the other hand, Noriko is now finding her own voice in art that vanished because of her choice to pursue Ushio rather than her ambitions when she was young. She narrates their love story through a series of paintings entitled 'Cutie and the Bullie' and one can tell the emotions and actions associated to her pieces are intense despite her calm nature. Seemingly filled with regrets and frutsrations, she is persistent to improve her stature as a wife to Ushio and a mother to their son. More importantly, as an individual who is now discovering her own creative style and personality which also translates to her own fulfillment.

But despite this, both of their efforts as artists come to a fruition. It wasn't explored whether it was a success or not but what's much important and superior is that through the process of building their work and fulfilling their own purposes, they showed how they truly love each other. That to me is the real success in their journey as a couple. By this time, us viewers have already been touched in the highest power. This documentary shows how strong bonds prevail against the negative aspects of marriage and love. Against the obstacles involved in any relationship. It also makes us understand why there are marriages that stand the test of time however negative they appear to people.

Cutie and the Boxer, unlike other documentaries, may not create a huge impact to mankind as it doesn't tackle world issues. But in its own uniqueness, it explains love and marriage sincerely and substantially. It is a perfect documentary that depicts imperfect and honest love. One can't deny the achievement of this documentary in telling a love story that's so hopeless at first but finds its way to the right direction regardless of hardships and difficulties. Ushio and Noriko's love story is simply amazing and a great example to couples. To top everything, the scenes in the end credits altogether personifies their one-of-a-kind relationship. Definitely made me smile and say that Noriko and Ushio's story is truly a remarkable celebration of love.

MOVIE WRITEUPS: Rush, Her and August: Osage County

Rush

Director: Ron Howard
With: Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara

Not gonna lie, I thought Rush would be trash that's why I didn't watch it in the cinema when it came out. I had all the chance but thought that it's going to be irrelevant and didn't believe that it would excel even if I heard and read a lot of good things about it. I didn't suppose that a film about F1 racers would earn so much support from the critics and other award giving bodies so I ignored it. Ha! I've mentioned so many reasons but the primary reason is that I really just dislike Chris Hemsworth.

Chris Hemsworth proved to be a decent actor though, and his haters, if there are any aside from me, should give him a second chance. I thought he's adequate in capturing the happy-go-lucky playboy persona of James Hunt. He can be awkward at times but the change of accent and dramatic attempts are laudable. He doesn't irk me anymore. Howbeit, the reason why I loved the movie so much is the character, Niki Lauda and how committed Daniel Brühl was in portraying this not so likable yet disciplined German racer. Brühl achieved something that not many actors can do and that is by making an unlikable character lovable. Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson come to mind when I think of that quality and  he is a nice addition to this line of actors :)). I can't believe that I almost didn't see it because watching Brühl act is such a treat and Niki Lauda the character is just equally captivating.

The first half of the film may seem like a generic biopic but the second half is not only exhilirating with the action and racing scenes but it's also striking because of the twist in the story and relationship of the main characters. It's receptive even to viewers who had no idea about Formula1 racing. Love the touch of computer game text effects during their races as it adds up to its entertainment value. The editing, the score, all commendable and if there's a Hans Zimmer score for 2013 that deserves recognition, it's his work here and not for 12 Years a Slave. Seriously. I'm not crazy about it but it's miles better than the latter. Some of its visual effects are kind of lousy though.

Rush should have gotten more recognition. It's a shame that it didn't have any nominations in the Oscars, especially Brühl's performance as it's not only competent and deserving to be nominated, it's really one of the best performances for films in 2013. And the fact that he's categorized as supporting is a travesty as Rush is probably more about Niki Lauda's story than James Hunt.

Her

Director: Spike Jonze
With: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Chris Pratt

"We're only here briefly. And while I'm here, I wanna allow myself joy. So fuck it."

"I think anybody who falls in love is a freak. It's a crazy thing to do. It's kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity."

Spike Jonze gave Amy Adams a weird hairdo and weird fashion style but man, he also gave her some of the memorable film quotes there is.

As mushy as those quotes sound, Her centers around a lonely guy named Theodore Twombly who's just recently gone through divorce so that's already an indication why the film is sentimental. Sounds so basic, right? But Spike Jonze is everything but basic. See Jonze's past films - Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Where The Wild Things Are. So to make things interesting, (as we all know already) he injected an OS with a female voice and personality to Theodore's life and eventually, Theodore developed a relationship with 'Her'. Her name is Samantha.

Cool? Sure. I loved this idea and Her became one of my most anticipated films of 2013 because of that super interesting plot but as I was finally watching it and seeing things unfold, I felt like I need to be rescued because it's kind of starting to feel ridiculous, opposite from what I've expected. I realized, what's going on with Theodore is actually kind of creepy. Am I the only one who feels that way? Probably. I just can't fathom the idea of a human emotion being invested to an artificial one. And this is from someone who thought that it's an interesting concept. It just so happen that after seeing the execution that I realized it's cweepy.

Nothing against out of this world ideas. Heck I love About Time, a film that involves time travel. Plus, I don't necessarily hate or at least dislike the film. I'm conflicted about it. On one hand, it's awesome visually and technically. The color palettes are pretty, great cinematography, one of the best scores for 2013 films. Spike Jonze is a genius for creating a future world with sophisticated technology that makes his viewers yearn to live in that time. On the other hand, I fail to see the achievement in his story. Its aim is to grasp his audience emotionally but that's hard when the emotions are robotic and absurd. Perhaps, this is when the 'insanity' enters the equation. Insane indeed. But I'm really having a hard time devoting any deep or serious emotion towards the film. It's not a good sign when I'm laughing in some of its most intense parts - OS sex, OS saying 'fuck you', OS surrogate, OS falling in love with 600 plus other OS. :/ I gotta give Spike Jonze credit though because this is what people are interested to see and Spike Jonze gave it to them.

Then again, I appreciate a lot of its aspects. It actually reminds me of Jonze's ex-girlfriend, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation - the ethereal vibe, the city lights, emphasis in loneliness and silence, the dimness of colors. Exquisite! And I would rather see more films like this wherein the director is not afraid to take risks, to take his viewers to a different world. I'd rather be surprised or have a commotion to the story than witness a predictable one where there's nothing to talk about. I should just be thankful that Spike Jonze didn't go beyond what's already beyond and that is by making Samantha turn into a real human being ala Pinnochio. :)) I may have some problems with what occurred in the film but overall, Her is gratifying.

August: Osage County

Director: John Wells
With: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor,
Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Abigail Breslin, Misty Upham, Sam Shepard

The film tells the story of the women of the Weston family whose lives have strayed until a family crisis reunited them back to the house they grew up in and all their hardships, secrets, imperfections and things they have left behind have been awakened. Meryl Streep plays Violet Weston, the filthy-mouthed, pill-popping mother of Barbara, Karen and Ivy played by Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis and Julianne Nicholson respectively. It is these actresses that brought life and chaos to this conflict-filled play turned into film by Tracy Letts.

Overwhelming. With the star-studded cast and numerous clusterfuck plots that filled the film, it surely makes for an entertaining flick. But as promising and fun as it sounds, it's also immensely negative. There's been a lot of feel bad movies I've watched before, like Young Adult, Amour, Oslo: August 31st, Blue Valentine, the list goes on but this film might be one of the most horrible of them all. It all depends in your background. You either see your own family in the Westons or you're just thankful that you have a different family compared to them. Either way, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It's enough that we hear or witness family arguments in real life, but August: Osage County provokes us to recall these bad memories. In this film, you'll hear several words like ingrate, hypocrite, idiot and more. And now, just by thinking about it, makes me want to STOP them from fighting and saying these hurtful words :333. Trufax.

It probably got me too much but I've been in a lot of family gatherings when I saw this film and I just can't help but see some of our own shambles to it. Thinking about it, I'm pretty sure most of us, if not all, could relate to a few things 'bout the film and it's just harrowing to know how hardships can damage our lives, especially when it comes from our family. But enough about me, let's talk about their performances because I also consider this film a performance driven one.

Call Meryl Streep overrated but she's the best aspect of the film. I could repeat and say that she can go on and on and act for hours and I'll just watch her and feel blessed a hundred times but that's really what she makes me feel :3. Despite the negative nature of her role, she just brings me pleasure whenever she acts. Her screams, her antics as Violet Weston are amazing and call it cliché, but my favorite scene of the whole film is the funeral dinner scene and it's also because of her. Sometimes, I feel like Meryl Streep is secretly a bad person because she's so brilliant in portraying one :)). Julia Roberts as Barbara is also impressive. I'm not wow'd by her but her transition from the goody goody, funny and glamorous characters into the Barbara Weston kind of character is really commendable. No make up, she somewhat looked old, she looked bad  as a character and she owned it. Streep and Roberts carried the film for me that I didn't notice the film's imperfections. The ensemble as a whole is praiseworthy.

If you're into dramas, August: Osage County will not disappoint you. It's one that will may make you feel bad because of its content, but will also make you feel good because of the wonderful performances from start to finish. I'm having a hard time categorizing it as a comedy despite some of the funny lines but the negative content is really overpowering that it negates all the jokes it possesses.

MOVIE WRITEUPS: Enough Said, Blue Jasmine and Short Term 12

Enough Said

Director: Nicole Holofcener
With: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Toni Collette, Catherine Keener, Ben Falcone, Tony Huss, Anjelah Johnson, Michaela Watkins, Eve Hewson

I don't watch a lot of TV shows so I didn't have much knowledge about James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus before Enough Said existed. I know! Shame on me. I only learned about James Gandolfini after he passed away despite watching films with him as part of the cast. I didn't know his name then. I didn't even know that he's popular. Yikes! As for Julia, I've only watched a few clips of her in Lisa Kudrow's Web Therapy, some Youtube clips of Veep and Seinfeld. I also know Julia as the comedy actress who beat Lisa Kudrow's performance in The Comeback back in 2006. I'm a huge Lisa Kudrow fan so my Julia Louis-Dreyfus awakening isn't that good. But I completely forgot about all of these when I watched Enough Said. Main reason is they proved to be good actors. And the film, while just above average, was also very fun too.

From the get go, Julia Louis-Dreyfus made me chuckle with her subtle yet hilarious facial expressions while she massages her clients.  She made a good first impression. Plus points that she's a masseuse in this film. :3 Same with James Gandolfini. I don't know much about his personality or the way he acts. Never saw an episode of The Sopranos, but from what I saw in Enough Said, he acts naturally. He's got the mix of machismo and tenderness in him. Nicole Holofcener's direction and screenplay clearly helped my opinion of them.

Enough Said is a light and simple film that stimulates both our emotions and thinking about love, life, friends and family. It grasps your attention even when there's nothing outrageous going on in the film. Witty conversations and interesting plot drives the film successfully and entertainingly, for that matter. Emphasis on witty because I can watch James and Julia flirt and converse with each other for an hour for the sake of hearing everything that comes out of their mouths. The script is THAT good. Their humorous and natural performances just served as bonus.

Enough Said is nothing short of fun romantic comedy and even bittersweet drama. However, it's also not outstanding compared to other films in the same genre. I might forget about it a few months or years later.

Blue Jasmine

Director: Woody Allen
With: Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Peter Sarsgaard, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay

All the awards to Cate Blanchett! I am rarely in-sync with the award giving bodies' 'bests', but I'm with them thinking that Cate Blanchett is the 'best actress' of 2013. I've always kind of liked her but that doesn't mean that I always find her performances awesome. She's known to be OTT in portraying her characters that sometimes her performance is verging on SNL style of impersonation. Just watch her version of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. :)) But here in Blue Jasmine, she's got the rhythym and restraint. I have to give Woody Allen credit for calling her to play the role of Jasmine/Jeanette because aside from the fantastic performance, her appearance suits her character really well - glamorous and sophisticated. But she's not the only perfect cast in it. I thought Sally Hawkins and her gang in the film were also perfect. Their appearance, as trashy as they looked, perfectly captured the opposite worlds of Jasmine and her sister Ginger that Woody Allen was trying to convey.

Blue Jasmine is considered a drama but it's actually a very fun and hilarious to be labeled as one. The character Jasmine reminds me of another character Valerie Cherish wherein both are suffering in their current lifestyles because they're used to their old comfortable lives - Jeanette being rich and Valerie being famous. And while the latter is ironically successful in getting back her fame, Jasmine struggles in finding a new way/person to help her climb back up the ladder of high class society. This causes her to have nervous breakdowns, HILARIOUS nervous breakdowns. She's one of those characters where people would probably be annoyed to deal with in real life, but she's undeniably entertaining if you're just going to follow and watch her journey as a viewer.

Woody Allen continues to write entertaining films and creating characters that will grip you from start to finish. I've always enjoyed the ironies, satires, conflicts and chaos in his works and Blue Jasmine is not devoid of them. In fact, they're everywhere in it. Sort of reminds me of 90's comedies. Blue Jasmine may not be my favorite Woody Allen film, Matchpoint has that honor :3, but it's up there as one of the most entertaining.

Short Term 12

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
With: Brie Larson, John Gallagher, Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, Keith Stanfield,

Have you ever met someone who has an almost identical experience as you? And by experience, I mean dark experiences and past. If yes, did you share it with him/her despite not wanting to retell those bad stuff? Most of us probably have those experiences but it's really good when you know someone who shares the same experience as you. That person makes you feel that you're not alone. But at the same time, it may be dangerous because that person will also remind you of things you want to bury in the past. Well, this writeup is starting to become really personal and cheesy but they're all kind of related to Short Term 12. It's a heartwarming film that leads to dark places but finds its way back to the right direction.

Short Term 12 is about dark secrets and dark past as the title itself is the name of a home for teenagers who suffer from these stuff and need guidance. It's a small film that deserves more recognition. Clever screenplay including great children stories and badass original song, creditable performances and themes that would touch your hearts. I keep on mentioning dark stuff but in the end, it's actually a feel great film with nice lessons to tell.

Brie Larson as one of the young supervisors of 'Short Term 12' gave a brave performance, one that would make you admire her character and despite the braveness, she also showed a lot of depth and susceptibility. She also proved her versatility as an actress by showing the mature and independent side of the character. Something that's very different from her roles in The Spectacular Now and Don Jon. Even her fellow young supervisors are inspiring especially on how they treat the at-risk teenagers. They make the difficult and fragile job rather fun and rewarding.

If only Short Term 12 had more back up support by its producers, it would probably be big come awards season. But even I, who consider this a REALLY good film find a hard time integrating this to last year's glut of outstanding movies.

MOVIE WRITEUPS: American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club

American Hustle

Director: David O. Russell
With: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner

It's probably a bad omen that earlier last year, a friend recommended that I watch Goodfellas. And as I was watching American Hustle, I can't help but feel like O. Russell ripped off some styles from it -- from the way the history of the characters were presented, to the voice overs, to angry housewife, to Robert de Niro, to the trumpet-heavy musical background in the beginning. It screams second rate Martin Scorsese where Hustle is the cat to Goodfellas' lion. But that's probably just me hating on O. Russell lol. Despite that, I can't deny that it's engrossing. The number of wacky and fun scenes, I enjoyed. It's really just the ABSCAM plot that didn't soar.

The characters are crazy as their hairdos, and they're the best aspect of the film. This con film would have suffered if the characters are all sane and happy, but they're all fueled with different things - Irving (Christian Bale) is fueled by money and his adopted son, Sydney (Amy Adams) fueled by her ambition, FBI Agent Richie (Bradley Cooper) aims to be recognized in his profession, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) is hungry of love and attention, she's very insecure, and Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) by his goodness and willingness to help his people. These characters made more fun than they are by the ensemble's performance. Even if I think the tandems within this group lack chemistry, their acting chops are well-displayed here. It's as if David O. Russell's purpose in creating this film was to cater these actors acting abilities.

Christian Bale is the usual very in-character Bale, Bradley Cooper is surprisingly better here than his performance in Silver Linings Playbook, Amy Adams gave one of her best performances. Jennifer Lawrence is a whirlwind here. She shares the same little amount of airtime with Jeremy Renner but she definitely made sure that she stands out in the crowd. Her non-stop award nods for her work in this is a testament to her brilliance. My favorite scene in this film involves JLaw and she's also the reason why it's my favorite. It's not the living room scene, but rather the bathroom scene with Amy Adams. It's probably one of the most authentic and sophisticated actings I've ever seen. However, I thought she's very inconsistent with her accent that ScarJo in Don Jon made her sound like an amateur. Jeremy Renner's also kind of awkward in some of his scenes. He's definitely the weakest in the bunch.

If I were to rank their performances it would be:
1. Amy Adams
2. Christian Bale
3. Bradley Cooper
4. Jennifer Lawrence
5. Jeremy Renner

12 Years a Slave

Director: Steve McQueen
With: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Adepero Oduye, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt

Truly a masterpiece. This is from someone who tends to claim every good film a masterpiece but repeatedly restrains himself of doing so because it's such a precious word that only few things deserve to be called one.

We've been taught in our history classes how horrible slavery was, may it be in our country or anywhere but in 12 Years a Slave, Steve McQueen emphasizes the horror of American slavery during the pre-Civil War in a whole new level. He's fearless in showing brutality that ensures us to have an emotional kick and provokes our sympathy for the slavery victims. It's also refreshing to see a very calculated film with firm cinematography and poetic script in a world where shaky shots and realistic dialogues are starting to become the 'thing'. That's why I can't help but compare this to films like Shawshank Redemption or Schindler's List or Forrest Gump - it reminds me of past iconic films and it is made to be a classic.

12 Years a Slave didn't stop from its commendable technical achievements, it's also filled with powerful performances by its ensemble. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup is a quiet yet an effective lead. What I love about his performance is that he finds balance in his character's vulnerability and fighting spirit. He didn't go overboard even in his most intense scenes especially at the end. Instead, he stayed true to his reserved character. He mastered the frown and agitation drawn on his face and he's consistent from start to end. On the other hand, his co-actor, Lupita Nyong'o, is my favorite in the film. There's so much passion in this actress that glimmers even outside the film. She's absolutely my favorite part of this year's awards season. Her Patsey is so iconic to me. It is very transparent that she made more of her character than what's written, and the outcome is beautiful. Patsey's naivety, femininity, youthfulness, longingness of having a better life and enthusiasm is such a joy to watch that despite all these qualities, she yearned to end her life, adding yet another complexity to her persona. Lupita Nyong'o brought out all of these with such life. She impressed me the most in her non-speaking scenes but her line "I stink so much I make myself gag" is ironically my favorite line as well. The whipping scene felt astoundingly real and that's because of Lupita's out of this world reactions that resound from the screen to our heart strings. I'm not crazy about Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson's performances but their commitment with their characters made for an engaging experience even with its vicious content. Honorable mentions are Adepero Oduye and Paul Giamatti.

I wish 12 Years a Slave came out 2 years early for I would probably appreciate Steven Spielberg's Lincoln more if I saw this before the latter. 12 Years a Slave made me ache for triumph to this injustice and Lincoln would have been a great catharsis from the nightmare that is shown in this film.

Dallas Buyers Club

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
With: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner

Prior to watching this film, I'm not too thrilled with any of its themes: AIDS, homophobia, AZT drug, etc. Yet I knew that it will be inspiring and there's a huge possibility that I would like it, mainly because of its buzz. It exceeded my expectations. I actually like it very much. Basically, the film asks you to feel sympathy for a bigoted straight guy named Ron Woodroof. A guy who might have helped hundreds of AIDS victims not through charity, but to earn money and to save himself. He might have a change of heart and outlook in life somewhere in the film but I choose to think that Woodroof is an imperfect character who made heroic deeds in his unintentional ways.

I'm not too fond of the story. It's entertaining in its own ways but I consider Dallas Buyers Club a performance-driven film. Yes, it has a great story to tell but it was easily outshined by the performances of Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. Seriously, they are AMAZING in this film. Both mastered the art of disappearing into their roles. Matthew McConaughey WAS Ron Woodroof. Jared Leto WAS Rayon. Both embodied their roles into perfection. I can't even pinpoint which one is better because both truly are stars of this film. Their chemistry is as excellent as their individual acts and their performances deserve all the awards that they got.

DECEMBER 2013: All Is Lost and Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

All Is Lost

Director: J.C. Chandor
With: Robert Redford

I love survival films and we're blessed to have so many in 2013. All Is Lost is one and I was really excited when I first saw its trailer because it looked like it's going to be a difficult yet fun (and dramatic) adventure ala Life of Pi. But there is no fun in All Is Lost. As Robert Redford's character struggle in the sea, alone with his yacht, the film is really mindnumbingly silent and depressing. It doesn't help that there's almost no dialogue in it and it's also accompanied by Alex Ebert's eerily creepy score, emphasizing the character's loneliness that will definitely make you feel like death is upon you. It's a total downer. It is such a quiet film focused on a character with eyes having almost no emotions, you can't help but wonder what's in this reserved character's mind more especially that the film started with a philosophical note hinting that it was written by him in the middle of his journey.

I thought J.C. Chandor did a great job in building up the character though, as it took a long time for him to break down. It's as if through this means, he made sure that he grips the audience as they observe on what this mysterious character is going to do next with his limited options. Robert Redford supported this manner by being so nonchalant and mysterious. He singlehandedly carried the film for sure but didn't carry it as high as I expected until that FUCKKKKKKK moment which may be the only time he impressed me in this film. :/ But after that, he went back to being okay. Yes, it's hard to convey a message without saying anything and depending everything with his facial expressions, but I got none from him. :/ One may argue that Redford made his character more authentic, but I find that absurd because he's so calm in the midst of all those horrible comeuppance.

At the end of the film, one would think it is a one heck of an abstract because there are so many possible meanings that may be implied by the film. One possible meaning is that the main character is a wandering ghost trying to survive the purgatory of life. This could suggest why he's so quiet and calm throughout the film. LOL. Another possible meaning is that when the main character finally lost all of his hope, that's when he found the light to survive. LOL I could go on and on but I do think that the end was made for us to ponder, to reflect, and Chandor succeed in that aspect. The end made me understand the quiet approach shown and the haunting vibe displayed throughout the film.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Director: Justin Chadwick
With: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris

I didn't expect Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom to earn some nods from some of the major awards guilds. We still don't know if it's going to gain some Oscar nods but if it does, then kudos to Harvey Weinstein. ;)

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom runs for 2 and a half hours, long enough to establish a decent biopic but everything went wrong when every scene seems like they're not allowed to last more than 1 minute.  I don't know much about Nelson Mandela (yes, sue me) but I can tell from watching this film that he has a lot of achievements and very important ones, for that matter. Why? Because they sacrificed the quality of the film by bloating it with Nelson Mandela's numerous achievements and good deeds. It moves so fast that it's hard to savor anything from the film. The best thing out of this is that the film never dragged, but one would feel exhausted after finishing the whole film.

Some of its good points, though is that it didn't patronize Nelson Mandela. Well, it's hard to create a film without being gracious to him after what he did but it's not vacant of Mandela's imperfections. Still, we all learn from the film how unbelievably KIND Nelson Mandela was. Another good point are the performances of Idris Elba and Naomie Harris. Idris Elba is an effective leading man here as he managed to portray an icon with such class, passion and poise. On the other hand, Naomie Harris as Winnie Mandela shocked the hell out of me with her powerful showing. No kidding with the shock as I could not explain where her amazingly loud, full and deep voice is coming from. With her performance, I can tell how strong and independent Winnie Mandela is. If it were up to me, she's up there among the best supporting actresses in 2013 films.

The life of Nelson Mandela, to me, is something that would probably catered better in a TV series. One can argue that Clint Eastwood was successful in Invictus, another film about Mandela. But instead of tackling Mandela's whole lifetime, Eastwood focused on a single Mandela subject with other major characters.  That's the main problem of this film, it didn't know when to stop, didn't know when to trim. But then again, I came out of watching this film learning more about how compassionate Nelson Mandela was about people and I guess, that's what matters. One thing that stayed with me is this quote:

"No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - Nelson Mandela, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

DECEMBER 2013: Boy Golden, Crystal Fairy and The Hunt

 

Boy Golden

Director: Chito Roño

With: Jeorge Estregan, KC Concepcion, John Estrada, Eddie Garcia, Gloria Sevilla, Dick Israel, Leo Martinez, Roi Vinson, Tonton Gutierrez, Mon Confiado, John Lapus

 

Boy Golden

Full writeup

  

 

 

Crystal Fairy

 

Director: Sebastián Silva

With: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, Agustín Silva

It's always a pleasant surprise whenever you watch a film where you don't have any clues about the plot, and ended up LOVING it. I only read about Crystal Fairy in a Buzzfeed article with the list of 2013 great films people probably haven't seen. Found it interesting, so I looked for a copy and watched it. As I was watching it, I realized that Gaby Hoffmann was playing Crystal Fairy, an eccentric hippie who was accidentally tag-alonged by Jamie (Michael Cera) in his trip with his friends to a Chilean beach. I haven't seen any Gaby Hoffmann film since Now and Then so it was delightful to see her in this especially in a challenging role like Crystal Fairy.

Despite having completely opposite roles, Both Michael Cera and Gaby Hoffmann gave equally marvelous performances. Most people would probably give Gaby Hoffmann the recognition of being the best actor in this film, I can see why, she's amazing. But for me, Michael Cera is the superior actor in this. From megalomaniac levels of annoying, he morphs into a vulnerable and lovable character. And he's convincing and natural throughout the film. Having said that, Gaby Hoffmann won my heart because she's too adorable in this. I always have a soft spot for weird and quirky characters in films and even on TV. Hello Phoebe Buffay! and Crystal Fairy is a great addition to these characters. I think she just climbed up as my top favorite 2013 film character but we'll see. :) I also love that its soundtrack mainly consists of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' songs, suits Crystal Fairy's hippie persona so well.

Aside from great performances and awesome soundtrack, Crystal Fairy is one heck of a hilarious adventure. With Sebastián Silva's articulate screenplay and sharp direction, Crystal Fairy succeeds in making me uncontrollably laugh so hard. Imagine being in a trip, where you secretly abhor one of your companions while the rest of your friends are fine being with that person. Hah! It maybe slight for some, but I reckon that the key to appreciate this film is to not take it seriously and trust me, it will lead you to a happy place and when you're finally comfortable in that happy place, it will shock you with a wistful twist. Everything about Crystal Fairy fell into its right place and I feel like I understand the whole point of the film because of my attitude towards it. :3 Also, isn't it fun watching people in a drug trip being high and funny? You know you do! Just imagine you with your friends being the only sober one while the rest of them are drunk as hell. :)

The Hunt

Director: Thomas Vinterberg

With: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp

 

Adding up to Doubt, Atonement and A Separation, The Hunt is another riveting film about a person being falsely accused of a misbehavior. The film follows Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), a kindergarten teacher who becomes the object of his community's hysteria after being accused of sexually assaulting his pupil, Klara (Annika Wedderkopp).

A film with a subject like this is always captivating (and frustrating) as the audience knows the truth while the characters surrounding the person being falsely accused are blinded by the wrong and malicious information, especially in this film where the false information came from a little girl. People are taught by the saying that children always tell the truth but in this film, it's proven otherwise.

Mads Mikkelsen showed a poignant performance portraying a man with a complicated background. His performance, however, made ordinary by his co-star, Annika Wedderkopp who certainly gave a breakout performance at such a very young age. I am uncertain about her age but the fact that she played a little girl involving serious and mature stuff like stiff penis and blasphemous accusations, she is definitely someone that stood out in this film. Not to mention, there's a scene where someone spit on her face.

Overall, The Hunt for me is alright. It's an inferior version of other films with the same subject. As much as I love the climax of the film, the first part is way stronger than the rest. There are several characters in the film where I felt like many of their storylines didn't come to full circle and even if it did for some, it ended up anticlimactic and lame. It's unsatisfactory in terms of storylines, where most of what happened felt skimpy. I like the ending though, as it gives another layer to a story like this that's been done with similar endings before. 

DECEMBER 2013: Fruitvale Station, We're The Millers and Saving Mr. Banks

Fruitvale Station

Director: Ryan Coogler
With: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer

Fruitvale Station tells the true story of Oscar Grant's experiences on the last day of his life before he was shot in cold blood by a police officer in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009.

I never heard about Oscar Grant's story before the film became prominent but I learned that several videos of the police officer fatally killing Oscar Grant went viral in America, and perhaps, worldwide. It's always hard yet interesting to watch films that break your heart especially if it's a true story. What more to create and direct a film with a sensitive story like this where an innocent man was killed without knowing the full story behind the scenes. Ryan Coogler did that and he gave justice to the film by not only narrating Grant's death, but also making us viewers know Grant's life with his family, particularly with the three women in his life: his wife, mother and daughter. Michael B. Jordan also supports Coogler's brilliance by his portrayal of an imperfect, yet willing to be a better person Oscar Grant. Michael B. Jordan acts with so much charm and boldness that makes us feel close to his character. Melonie Diaz as Oscar Grant's wife is also a good supporting actress for B. Jordan's performance as she showed her distinctiveness by depicting a strong, independent yet loving wife and also made sure that she's worth a mention. But the winner for me is Octavia Spencer who played as Oscar Grant's mother, whom eclipsed her performance as Minnie in The Help. I consider her as the main instrument why this true story drama is touching. There's nothing more sad than seeing a mother mourn for the loss of, what she referred in the film, as her baby. Spencer showed such good control and class with her acting by displaying braveness, calmness and sorrow as a mother hoping to see his young son smile again.

Overall, I thought it's a heartbreaking film. Oscar Grant, who was hoping to change, who was hoping to prove to his loved ones how much he loves them cannot prove it to them anymore. Whether they made a fabricated story, Fruitvale Station shows that this tragic incident may happen to any family like Oscar Grant's nd it would be devastating as hell. Sad film. D:

We're The Millers

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
With: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Kathryn Hahn, Nick Offerman

The rave this film got from my friends piqued my interest into seeing this film. I'm not the biggest fan of comedies so I wasn't really curious about it. It's kind of funny because I actually watch lots of TV sitcoms but there's something about comedy films that don't excite me, something that says they're not worth the money to see them in theaters. Having said that, I LOVE We're The Millers. Huge fan of FRIENDS here! so it certainly benefited from the Jennifer Aniston casting albeit there are many times when I thought that she's bored to tears like she's wasting her time doing the film. But other than Jennifer, her co-stars Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts and the newcomer Will Poulter brought something fresh to the table. They're all unique so it was a riot of different kinds of personalities, characters and humor. It's a teamwork of great comedy and perhaps, I could go ahead and say that it's the family version of The Hangover and Bridesmaids. It has a lot of vulgar and adult humor but for some reason, they're never offensive (at least for me). With its numerous punch lines and funny scenes, it's also not devoid of unpredictability for I can name some scenes that I didn't see coming and had me burst out laughing. One is the 'Waterfalls' rap scene which I thought was genius, the killing of the baby marijuana is another - thanks to Kathryn Hahn's prim antics and Jennifer Aniston's Rachel Green-like performance in that scene, Black Cock Down is one too, alol. The biggest surprise of all is the swollen penis scene. I never imagined they would show a gross thing like it that I was expecting that the camera would pan on the other characters' reaction upon seeing it, but they went THERE, the swollen penis. LOL

I do think that We're the Millers is a success and with its ending, I definitely sense a sequel. Betting that it would be a fail, I would still support it. They have chemistry and they have a lot of room in improving the Millers family storyline.

Saving Mr. Banks

Director: John Lee Hancock
With: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Colin Farrell

Saving Mr. Banks is inspired by the untold backstory of Walt Disney's negotiation to get the rights for 'Mary Poppins' from the author of the book series herself, P.L. Travers.

There are so many good things about Saving Mr. Banks. For one, it stars both 90s multiple Oscar winners, Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks. The film reminds us how great these actors are. Yes, they've always been great but they're extremely likable in this. It is such a delight whenever both of them are on screen together. Emma Thompson's facial expressions never cease to fail and her constant pffts, ughs and tss are masterfully executed. Tom Hanks, on the other hand, is as charismatic as ever especially that he's playing another charismatic character. It's amusing to watch them play their own versions of the extreme opposite personalities of P.L. Travers and Walt Disney. Both are polarizing in their own ways.

The fact that I only have few knowledge about the characters in the film, John Lee Hancock guaranteed that one wouldn't feel out of place with the film even without seeing the real 'Mary Poppins'. Although, I bet it would have been finer if I've seen it for familiarity. Because you see them trying to adapt the book into a film, from how 'Mary Poppins' developed into a musical live action fantasy. Actually, it made me realize that I've watched some of the clips in 'Mary Poppins' when I was a kid, specifically the 'Let's Go Fly A Kite' scene through VHS of 'Disney Sing-Along Songs' and I have COMPLETELY forgotten about it until I saw this film. It's so cool and refreshing to see it and isn't it always nice to connect some of your forgotten childhood film awakenings to the present ones? I feel like I've adapted one of the themes of the movie which is about bringing something from the past into the present that both Walt Disney and P.L. Travers had in the film except theirs were serious and kind of dark and mine's just petty. :3

Another thing that I commend about the film is that it doesn't rest on its great performers and on the main subject of Walt Disney courting Travers for the rights to 'Mary Poppins'. Instead, screenwriters Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith tell the other tale of where the book series was based. I shan't spoil it for you but it's the source of the sentimentality of the film. Despite this, it never takes away the cheerfulness nature of the film. It's more like a good balance of fun and tenderness. Also, I wouldn't end this writeup without mentioning Thomas Newman's score. I may not like it collectively, but some are magnificent enough for me to like it overall. Film score is important to me because it's one of the main reasons of my intense love for films that's why I'm glad 'Saving Mr. Banks' has wonderful tracks it deserves. It adds up to the many reasons why I'm passionate about it.

DECEMBER 2013: The Act of Killing, Blue is the Warmest Color, The Spectacular Now

 

The Act of Killing

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

With: Anwar Congo

Full writeup

The Act of Killing

Blue is the Warmest Color

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

With: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux

Full writeup

Blue is the Warmest Color

The Spectacular Now

Director: James Ponsoldt
With: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyle Chandler

For those who don't have any idea about The Spectacular Now and want to see it solely because of the trailer, I'm warning you, it's not as fun and romantic as it looks. Sorry to break it to you but this film is not a feel good movie. For sure. People were comparing this to The Perks of Being a Wallflower but the only similarity it has for the latter is its high school setting. The film stars Miles Teller as Sutter, a high school senior and happy-go-lucky party-goer who unexpectedly meets Aimee (Shailene Woodley) in a stranger's lawn after a wild drunken night. Aimee, a not-so-popular 'good girl' of their batch quickly falls in love with Sutter. What starts as a cute romance develops into a serious and quite dark reality of life. For a film with high school puppy love as its theme, this is definitely a heavy one.

Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley does not have the compatibility one look in a romantic film but their realistic connection and portrayal of an unlikely couple transcends to the outcome of their characters' relationship. It's like watching a real life romantic relationship unfold before your eyes when you know that one of them is not good for the other. As the film progresses, your love for Aimee increases but it is the other way around for Sutter, despite being the popular man that he is in his batch. It is in the third act when you'll finally understand Sutter's actions when he finds out deeper and more complex details about his life. It destroyed him leading to a very nostalgic Emma Morley-esque fate for one of the characters. (I also just want to include how it's kind of funny that Miles Teller in this film has an exactly similar slow-motion car scene in his other film Rabbit Hole. It's too comparable it's funny. :3) But anyway, at the end of the film, it gives one of the characters a dilemma whether to accept and give someone a second chance or move on from the people that hurt that character. For the other, it is about correcting one's mistakes and knowing that there's always time for another new and good beginning.

The Spectacular Now emphasizes that high school is indeed a phase in our lives where it's okay to commit mistakes, to make wrong decisions and to experience 'puppy problems' but only because it hones us to be the better version of our future selves. The ironic thing is that when we're in high school, we're not aware of these circumstances. We're carefree and we knew that we had our whole lives ahead of us. Aimee and Sutter are no different and I wouldn't be surprised if most people see themselves with them. But I wish the film was lighter because in the end, most of us consider high school as one of the best stages of our lives.

Chito Roño's Boy Golden

Boy Golden

Director: Chito Roño

With: Jeorge Estregan, KC Concepcion, John Estrada, Eddie Garcia, Gloria Sevilla, Dick Israel, Leo Martinez, Roi Vinson, Tonton Gutierrez, Mon Confiado, John Lapus

There are two possible outcomes after watching this MMFF entry, Boy Golden: 1) You're dumbfounded by the whole thing because it has a lot of WTF moments and campy gimmicks 2) You're smiling on your way out of the theater because of the same reasons I've mentioned in number 1 and you think that the film is actually fun and good. You'll either love it or hate it. Me? I definitely enjoyed it and more inclined with number 2. ^_^

The film is loosely based on the life of Arturo Porcuna (Jeorge E.R. Estregan) during his gangster life as Boy Anino to Boy Golden. Along his journey, he met a dancer named Marla Dee (KC Concepcion) only to find out that both have the same mission in seeking revenge against one of the most notorious gangster, Razon (John Estrada).

In Boy Golden, Chito Roño celebrates classic Filipino action films while maintaining his modern style and including more crazy tactics. The vibrant colors of the set screams his style wherein neon colors of blue, red, purple and green enrich the old school Manila vibe. It actually reminds me of Feng Shui and Only God Forgives' (nuks!) color schemes but it also worked well here in Boy Golden. Revenge is one of the most common themes, not only in Philippine action films, but in the whole action film genre. That's why I find it necessary that Roño included comedy and camp, something we rarely see in any Filipino movies, and it indeed made the film unique in comparison to the usual action films. It made the film a lot livelier, crazier and funnier: from epic names such as Tekla, Bungal, and the best among the rest, Datu Putla. Ridiculous characters varying from a cliché Chinoy, spoiled brat gangster son who plays spectacular piano, gay sidekick to one of the biggest bosses and a mama's boy gangster. Campy and gory action scenes like parkour, where a number of regular guys jump from roof to roof, KC Concepcion's kickass one-on-one fight against a Crouching-Tiger-Zhang-ZiYi like woman who creates Chun-Li growls along their fight, Gloria Sevilla unleashing her inner cruelty while plucking her armpit hair and more scenes that goes beyond your serious imagination. And when I say more, there really is more. Describing them through words won't suffice the campness of those scenes. Surprisingly impressive musical score by Carmina Cuya also gives each scenes life varying from fun and chill to romantic and melodramatic to heart racing sounds. The film is also not devoid of depth and twists proving that this is not another pointless action comedy. There's even a scene justifying the true missions of gangsters and the failure of the police in capturing them. All this while a montage of what seems like a real-life pictures of past Filipino gangsters like Nardong Putik flash on the screen. There really are numerous reasons why this film works.

While the lead Jeorge Estregan acts terribly as hell, I guess it sort of works in this kind of film. But thank goodness to the ensemble for giving a variety of awesome performances, with Eddie Garcia looking more epic in each scenes he appear in, notably old Dick Israel who I may also call as legendary in this film, Gloria Sevilla enjoying a role I don't think she's ever portrayed before, and Baron Geisler as Datu Putla embracing his very maputla makeup that's reminiscent of Skyfall's Raoul Silva, what more can a moviegoer ask for? Even KC Concepcion shined in this, aside from her reaction when John Lapuz slapped her in the beginning of the film. That's kind of funny. But these are iconic characters giving more oomph to the film.

The film still needs massive improvement in terms of make up and visual effects but with the film's goofy nature, these imperfections are easy to overlook. If there's one person who truly enjoyed this film, I'm pretty sure it's Chito Roño. He's never afraid to try new things proven even in his past works. He's not afraid to take risks and be corny or cheesy in this film, thus, making it more solid. I guess it would be a stretch to compare his work in this film to Quentin Tarantino's, but I really do think that most of the scenes are inspired by his movies. I can see this being a terrible film for some, but truth is, I really enjoyed this film that I can't wait for more people to see it so I can discuss and laugh at all the hilarity of this film with them.

The Act of Killing

The Act of Killing

 

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

With: Anwar Congo

Anwar Congo, an old, slim, dressed to the nines Indonesian national hero, along with his friends Adi Zulkadry and Herman Koto, proudly narrated their history as gangsters when they were young. The meaning of "gangster" according to them is "free men".

Back in 1965, gangsters were promoted to execute communists and anyone who opposed the military dictatorship. Because of this, hundreds of thousands of people were murdered. Anwar is one of the gangsters hired by the military to execute the killings. Usually by choking with wire, he killed an estimate of 1,000 people. Documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer met him and his fellows, asked them to re-enact the killings in whatever ways they want.

These gangsters boasted how they gambled, smuggled, went to night clubs, bought good clothes with their mugged money, rigged elections in their favor, displayed their notoriety like how 'bad boys' do in films. In detail, they also described the communist killings during their time. Anwar even demonstrated his favorite way of killing and danced the cha-cha right after his demonstration. They're laughing, singing and dancing guiltless like they never did anything wrong. In fact, they justified why the operation of the military during the killings was right and cited the Nazis and Bush as examples of their vindication. All this while they plan on reenacting the killings. Anwar, Herman and Adi chose to portray the killings through their favorite film genres: western, gangster and musical.

They also planned to include humor in the film stating that moviegoers are interested in seeing wars, Nazis, blood and other violent scenes. The inclusion of humor is for the kids who they intended as part of their audience. It features scenes with fat Herman dressed as a woman while beheading Anwar, watching beautiful dancing girls as they come out of a giant Magikarp-looking fish in a fascinating nature backdrop, worshiping and dancing in the paradise to the music of 'Born Free', killings in basements while they're dressed up like Al Pacino in 'The Godfather' and de Niro in 'Goodfellas'. The scenes are beautifully shot and sort of philosophical, but they're also creepy and out of this world at the same time. Their main goal, however, is to show their history: that communists are the bad ones. I was waiting for them to mention that they do not want to witness another genocide in the present and future time as their reason in making this film. But unfortunately, it is not part of their motive.  Their dramatization is astonishing and often painful to watch and the final product is just weird and unimaginable. Mindblowing and powerful.

In the end, Oppenheimer's experiment showed the ounce of humanity and morality in this documentary, especially in Anwar. As they choose to relive the killings themselves, the reenactments begin to take over their reality in what seems like signs of their guilt and moral sense. One can tell as they wrap up the film and as they watch the result that they start thinking differently about their past actions. It seems as if they finally realized their wrongdoings and they're agitated by it. Nightmares start to disturb Anwar especially when he's about to sleep. And in the powerful last minutes of the documentary, Anwar wanders around the place where he cha-cha'd, the place where he personally killed thousands of people, gagging profusely, creating disturbing and ugly sounds of vomit. Silenced, he wept the tears falling from his eyes. The scene shifted to Anwar dancing with Herman, along with the beautiful girls beside the giant fish

The documentary ended that way leaving me with an unexplained feeling. I never imagined evil things like genocides and massacres as nothing for other people. We've been taught that there's goodness in every human being but even if that's true, with how these cantankerous maniacs celebrated while reminiscing the cruelties and sadism that they did, is just shattering and confusing. How can they possibly think that their actions in the past and what they say to justify themselves and their actions in the present time is normal? How can they be so unapologetic? How can they be so inhuman? Good thing is that this documentary ends with a few seconds of purge, but even then, the creepy material exhibited in this film is hard to forget. I slept shortly after seeing it and in the middle of my sleep, I woke up still thinking about it. No exaggerations, The Act of Killing is a stunning and an eye-opening documentary.