“A Star Is Born” is close to perfection
Remakes can be tricky because you’re more likely going to be compared to their predecessors. It would require a lot of guts to sprinkle your own magic movie dust to avoid being referred to as the “remake of that classic movie.” Bradley Cooper proved he had that with his directorial debut, “A Star Is Born.” […]
“Venom” is not as bad as most people think
Let’s make one thing clear before I start talking about Ruben Fleischer’s “Venom”: it doesn’t suck. In fact, it’s one of the more entertaining Marvel films of late. That doesn’t mean, however, that it warrants a 4 or 5-star rating. This is where it gets really interesting. I am even unsure of what to feel […]
Formidable writing makes “Smallfoot” one of the best animated movies today
What’s great about writer-director Karey Kirkpatrick’s child-friendly film “Smallfoot” is that it doesn’t give any false promises of grandeur but delivers more than what you were hoping for. I have to admit that, at first, there was no excitement whatsoever for the movie. What’s to rave about a group of yetis, right? I’ve seen more […]
“The House with a Clock in its Walls” lacks gore but it’s a good thing
The year was 1955 and a young orphan, Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), is on the way to New Zebedee, Michigan to live with his uncle Jonathan, who has a little secret hidden inside the walls of his creepy house. An outcast at school, Lewis tries to fit in by befriending Tarby (Sunny Suljic), who happens to […]
“Sol Searching” is funny but will sear your consciousness
One should always scratch the surface to get to the bottom of things. This is one of my key takeaways from Roman Perez Jr.’s entry to To Farm Film Festival, “Sol Searching.” This dark comedy about the plight of teacher Lorelei and student Bugoy as they try to find a place to put Teacher Sol’s […]
“Kauyagan” is great to listen to but hard to watch
Next in line to becoming the chieftain, a reluctant Piyo makes a sudden decision to reject his birth right and duty, much to his tribe’s dismay. He disappears from the lives of the Talaandig tribe. Unknown to them, Piyo was incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. Armed only with his love for music and […]
“Mga Anak ng Kamote” is (initially) a technical masterpiece
Secluded in the mountains, Iyong (Katrina Halili) religiously tends to her sweet potatoes along with her husband Banong (Alex Medina). As the sole means of their livelihood, the couple works diligently to protect the crop from an unseen wild boar, which is introduced to us in the opening scene. Set in 2048, “Mga Anak Ng […]
“Crazy Rich Asians” review: satisfying nod to Asian sensibilities
Jon Chu’s opening scene perfectly sets the tone for the movie adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s novel, “Crazy Rich Asians” and hooks the audience right away. A Chinese guest, a young Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh) walks inside a hotel, drenched in the rain, with her two children and a nanny in tow, hoping to get a […]
Cinemalaya 2018: Ranking this year’s movies
It was a fun year for me at the Cinemalaya festival. And despite this being only my second year, I was lucky enough to attend as part of the media. There were many impressionable films and they (except for one) did not disappoint. I enjoyed most of what the festival had to offer because they […]
“School Service” gives us a dismal look at what goes on in the streets of Manila
What’s great about Cinemalaya is that it allows filmmakers to talk about society’s maladies without filters. By being uncensored, these films give us a clearer picture of what’s going on around us. And they can do that unapologetically. Louie Ignacio’s “School Service” is one good example. Just like “Liway” and “The Lookout” the Ai Ai […]