DEATH OF TRADITIONAL CINEMA

Cinemalaya on its eighth year proves one of the strongest lineups since its inception. Almost all films are watchable, and KALAYAAN, from filmmaker Adolfo Alix Jr. is among those that must not be missed. The effect of KALAYAAN lingers long after the movie, and while the realization of what you have just seen may not occur to you instantly, a repeated viewing may indeed help. I sure didn't fully get what Alix was trying to tell us upon initial viewing. I saw it again four days later, and I was completely mesmerized. I understood most of his symbols and subliminal themes (or have I?) and upon a casual conversation with a member of his production team, I was surprised to learn the simplicity of the film's message, and here I was over analyzing everything. I could not help it. Everything has its meaning. A turtle, or a mermaid, or the Philippine flag were not put there in the frame just for kicks. Besides, Alix himself said that it's up to us, the audience whatever exp...

The difference between cliche action films and THE EXPENDABLES is that Stallone knows what he wants and he does that. Formulaic it may be, but both EXPENDABLES movies (and I heard there's a third one being planned already!) are guiltless visual pleasures. They are cliched, over-the-top, and predictable intentionally. Cut out your pinkie if you did not see the film to primarily witness Stallone and Van Damme go at it, more or less. Yes, it was the film's most awaited moment. Poor Van Damme, his age is showing by the look of his face, but the guy can still do a mean roundhouse kick (or is that a stuntman? probably not.).  In terms of story, the first film would win uncontested. You have a corrupt dictator, a shady ex-CIA turned mercenary, Gary Daniels (who is replaced by Scott Adkins in Part 2 for a different character, but with the same characteristic and purpose), and the ever-compelling Mickey Rourke. Plus, a damsel in distress,  a truckload of memorable one-line...

  Lawrence Fajardo can become a well-established action director. His debut feature film, AMOK proved he can handle intense action scenes without compromising logic. With POSAS, although the chase scene during the first half can be the only kinetic visual element per se, Fajardo makes do with the remainder of  the film with his gut-wrenching and tightly-edited storytelling- thanks also to Zig Dulay's satirical script.  Yes, POSAS falls short of AMOK in terms of intensity (the final shootout scene, the proverbial "amok" in AMOK alone catapults the film into classic status) and the comparison cannot be helped, since both are urban tales of squalor, crime, and punishment. But what saves POSAS from being an unwanted sibling to AMOK is the familiarity of the story, especially to those who are no stranger to cops using criminals for profit.  The title alone is an ingenuity. The irony is crystal clear. Petty thief Jestoni Biag (a chilling peformance by Nico Ant...

A lot of films in recent memory have ventured on the eccentricity and uniqueness of Filipino culture in terms of death and dying- of particular mention are Soxie Topacio's DED NA SI LOLO (Grandpa is Dead) and Gil Portes' TWO FUNERALS. Loy Arcenas' REQUIEME! dives into the same pool, but here death is used as an instrument for catharsis, rather than as its central theme. The film opens with a news item about an OFW who met an accident while on duty. The OFW's wife patiently waits and grieves for her husband's remains. Meanwhile, a renowned and controversial fashion designer infamous for his flamboyant lifestyle is international headlines when he is murdered by an unknown assailant. Dressmaker Joanna (Anthony Falcon) mourns the passing of his idol, fashion designer Vidal Valler, more popularly known as "V.V." Meanwhile in the provinces, the barangay of Sta. Maria is shocked when V.V.'s murderer turns out to be a Filipino, named Adolf Payapa,...