“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 the lead is the best thing going for it. I had high hopes for the movie. Its premise (a midwife braving the odds to make it to an important interview) […]
“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 the movie was going to feel like a carefully written love letter. While watching Belle Douleur, you can feel the precision and conscientiousness in every scene, dialogue, and the little details. […]
“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 it’s taken out of the oven way early. A lack of proper build up seemed to have kept its potential concealed, pretty much like its title’s supposed meaning. There was […]
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 can all relate to because it’s set here. Unlike Boyhood or Lady Bird, there’s a sense of a little disconnect they are not like us; their experiences vaguely resemble ours. Edward, on the […]
“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 have a slightly different perspective on the fuccbois in the spotlight. Eduardo Roy Jr.’s Fuccbois is about two young boys, Ace (Royce Cabrera) and Miko (Kokoy De Santos), with big dreams of […]
“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 people, it’s so easy to lose sight of the difference between the perception of truth and the actual truth. John Denver Trending, by Arden Rod Condez, perfectly mirrors this ugly […]
“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 […]
“Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon” is heartbreakingly beautiful
Carlo Enciso Catu’s unique love story that involves three seniors is a painful reminder of the thing most of us fear most: dying alone. Bene (Dante Rivero) lives out the rest of his days inside his gloomy, ramshackle home, with nothing to do but take care of his game cocks. Terminally ill, Bene has no […]
“Musmos na Sumibol sa Gubat ng Digma” presents a searing image of war’s true casualties
There are no winners in wars, only casualties. That’s the sad reality. But what’s even more despairing is that the ones who suffer most are the one who have the least to do with these battles: the children. Iar Lionel Arondaing’s “Musmos Na Sumibol Sa Gubat ng Digma” tells the story of a young Muslim […]
Relive the horrors of Marial Law in “ML”
They say we are a country that has a short attention span; and that we forgive too easily. That should be a positive thing but when we’re dealing with heinous crimes against the nation (i.e. Martial Law), being too forgiving might not be the best thing because we’re bound to make the same mistakes. Add […]