DEATH OF TRADITIONAL CINEMA

A mix of conflicting emotions and uncertain ideals surround Robert Redford's historical drama THE CONSPIRATOR. Capitalizing on the infamous assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, the film shifts its emphasis onto a little known fragment of said event, namely the inquisition of the only "identified" woman conspirator, Mary Surratt.  Those who have little or no background on Surratt will find themselves on a thrill ride; the trial itself is a fiasco, and the outcome, though not necessarily inevitable, comes as a surprise. Past the second half of the film, you get visual hints as to what will happen to Mary Surratt in the end. A simple search on Google will tell you; I didn't have such liberty and didn't want to spoil my viewing experience so I went along. I was satisfied. Very. James McAvoy plays the young Union Captain Frederick Aiken, who after the war returns to being a lawyer, and is designated by Senator Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilk...

BALER is a fresh surprise. I'm not a fan of modern Philippine mainstream cinema, but this one was neatly constructed. While not Mark Meily's best (nothing he has ever done can top CRYING LADIES), the compelling story made me sit through the whole film. Jericho Rosales, Anne Curtis, and Philip Salvador give it all their best, to satisfying results. I liked the film because the portrayal of the Spaniards was two-dimensional. Ryan Eigenmann is menacing as a Spanish Officer.  Roy Iglesias' script is solid and tightly-written. The central conflict of star-crossed lovers gets a fresh new treatment. I have an admiration for Iglesias having fleshed out a fictional story weaved into history.  Accusations of incoherence (i.e. the dog not getting old despite the timeline) are only minimal setbacks. The story is still king, and BALER has such a rich story. It is a rare gem in a film festival populated by useless trash. RATING: 4/5