Afi Africa’s “The Lookout” is a campy guilty pleasure
Afi Africa’s suspense-thriller-erotic-drama “The Lookout” was very promising from the get-go. It had a unique and interesting premise. Until you see it on the screen. All that promise turned into confusion. First off, it felt like it didn’t know what it wanted to be. Is it drama? Action? Thriller? Porn? Lester (Andres Vasquez) is a […]
“Mamang” gives us a sneak peek at life’s sad inevitable truth
Perhaps nothing can be more terrifying than the knowledge that you are slowly losing yourself and there’s nothing you can do about it. Denise O’Hara’s 2018 Cinemalaya entry, “Mamang” tells the story of a geriatric, Mamang (Celeste Legaspi), who is battling the evil claws of dementia. She lives with her son, Ferdie (Ketchup Eusebio), who […]
“Pan de Salawal” is cute, inspiring, and hopeful
Adorable and inspiring. These words perfectly describe Che Espiritu’s “Pan De Salawal.” Stories like that of Salvador (Bodjie Pascua) and Aguy (Miel Espinosa) where random events bring them together, paving the way for an unlikely friendship. Salvador is an old bachelor, inflicted with a very painful case of chronic kidney disease. He basically has no […]
“Kuya Wes” is a wake-up call for many
Goodness can sometimes feel overrated but only because many of us have settled for boorishness as a norm. Because of that, many people’s initial reaction to pure goodness from others is often unpleasant. We either meet them with harshness or take advantage of them. Like sharks preying on fresh carcass. Maybe we’ve all gotten used […]
“Distance” peeks into an unconventional family drama
Family dramas are somewhat of a dangerous territory because they’ve been done a thousand times over. And if you’re going to re-tell another story and want it to resonate with a larger audience, it has to be in a manner many of us haven’t seen before. Perci Intalan’s “Distance” managed to do that, to some […]
Ranking the CineFilipino 2018 movies
This year’s Cine Filipino has a very strong roster of films that tackled themes from kill-for-pay to street hustlers. It’s also interesting to see some common threads in the eight movies we’ve watched. Here’s my ranking of the eight feature films: 8. Mga Mister Ni Rosario, Alpha Habon Interesting concept and it had promise at […]