“1917” offers a unique and immersive take on war films
The second the camera started moving slowly—drawing back from a shot of the blue sky, revealing two young soldiers taking a rest on grassy ground—it...
“Cats” has one good thing going for it: its singers
Surely we’d expect to have at least one prominent musical artist to be featured in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Cats, which is...
“Malamaya” could have been really good
It’s quite difficult to not compare Malamaya to Belle Douleur because both feature middle-aged women involved in a May-December affair. And halfway through the movie another reason became evident:...
High expectations, low pay-offs for “ANi”
Out of all the entries in this year’s festival, Ani has the most promise. It might be due to the fact that this futuristic themed movie could...
“Pandanggo sa Hukay” did right by getting Iza Calzado
Sometimes, all it takes is a good performance to salvage a not-so-good movie. In the case for Sheryl Andes’ Pandanggo sa Hukay, having Iza Calzado as...
“Belle Douleur” is a charming love letter
When director Joji Alonso said during the gala night of her Cinemalaya entry, Belle Douleur, that it was time to do something for herself, we felt...
“Tabon” is not done baking
Xian Lim’s directorial debut, Tabon, was brimming with potential and could have been an addition to Cinemalaya’s roster of impressive thriller flicks. But it felt like...
Infectious charm lightens the dreary themes in “Edward”
Coming-of-age stories are always fun to watch especially if they mirror experiences we’ve all gone through. Thop Nazareno’s Edward is captivating simply because it’s a story we...
“Fuccbois” brims with bold performances
There is something a little bit misleading about Fuccbois, if you take its title quite literally. Judging from the way things eventually turned out, one would...
“John Denver Trending” is excruciating to watch
It doesn’t take much to anger people these days. In this socially connected world where everyone feels entitled to pry into the lives of other...