DEATH OF TRADITIONAL CINEMA

From the trailers, AMERICAN HUSTLE promises to be loud, outrageous, silly, ruthless, stylish, and an undeniable Oscar bait. For all those promises, the film delivers a huge check mark. The film is far from perfect, though we can credit director David O. Russell for crafting a throwback caper that shows us how capers are supposed to look and feel like. (Yes, I am looking at you MONUMENTS MEN!) An elaborate fraud operation is perpetrated by partners-in-crime Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser, using the alias "Lady Edith Greensly" (Amy Adams). The film starts with their whirlwind romance which led to a successful partnership, in the spirit of Bonnie and Clyde, without the killings. Irving and Sydney are perfect together, and the camera loves to frame them in moments of ecstasy during the first half of the film.  Yet all these occur despite the fact that Irving is married to Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), a volatile, loudmouth, and controlling woman ...

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) likes to daydream, a lot. It's what keeps him going through the day. It's also this quality that makes him a weirdo in front of his officemates at Life Magazine, particularly to new head honcho and resident A-hole Ted Hendricks (Adam Scott).  And yet, as we later learn in the movie, Walter's daydreaming becomes his ultimate tool for triumph. It's his rich and vivid imagination that defeats the impossible. As director, Stiller approaches the material with an overt sense of childhood fascination of grand adventures, of becoming the hero of the story. Mixing equal amounts of humor, pathos, and eye-popping special effects, the result is a jetsetting experience that allows us to empathize with Walter Mitty as we tag along for his adventures. As actor, the always charming Stiller makes Walter Mitty a triumphant representation of the ordinary guy whom nobody noticed, but is out to conquer his fears and the world.  Kristen Wiig, w...

Statham in a domestic thriller? No way. Statham worked well kicking asses and taking names in the TRANSPORTER movies, as well as in bone-crunching extravaganzas such as SAFE, KILLER ELITE, and the two CRANK and EXPENDABLES films. Even in a caper, Statham works well, as is the case with THE BANK JOB, his most highly-regarded film. But in a domestic thriller with James Franco as villain? Franco who will forever be the laughing stock of Oscar night history, and who works best in small roles such as Danny Clear in THE GREEN HORNET cannot possibly be menacing enough for Statham, but he is, and surprisingly, the film plays out decent enough to keep my attention. Written by Sylvester Stallone (yes, him) and directed by Gary Fleder (RUNAWAY JURY, KISS THE GIRLS), HOMEFRONT is basically yet another visual translation of the cinematic age old mantra in action movies, that ex-military or ex-police, or ex-whatever protagonists now living peacefully will always find their past catching up ...

2013 was a great year for Philippine cinema, but then you already know this. 20. BLUE BUSTAMANTE by Miko Livelo (Cinema One Originals) One of the funniest films of 2013, BLUE BUSTAMANTE combines biting one-liners with a heartfelt story of fathers and sons. Also, a great tribute for those of us who were old enough to have experienced the Sentai wave on television. 19. OTSO by Elwood Perez (Sineng Pambansa) Cinematic madness. A peek into the never-ending, and always changing process of creation that pits an aspiring screenwriter (Vince Tanada) against his own imagination. Featuring a hilarious turn by Vangie Labalan.  18. ALAMAT NI CHINA DOLL by Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr. (Cinema One Originals) A modern-day detective story told in a nonlinear fashion, where the line between truth and fiction is blurred, telling the story of a young woman trying to escape the clutches of unforgiving men who will only use her for personal gains. Featuri...