Cinemalaya wrap-up, part 2

Thus far, only a couple of films have made a strong impression upon this film junkie in the New Breed category of this year's Cinemalaya - Alvin Yapan's "Debosyon" and Hannah Espia's "Transit", with the former being my prime bet for Best Film. Will there be any strong contender still in the remaining New Breed films that I have seen?

Let's see: 

6.) "Babagwa" by Jason Paul Laxamana 

A casual reading of the film's main plot - a Facebook scammer falls in love with one of his victims, a wealthy old maid - appears trite and unengaging. But then, looks can be deceiving (and this is a crucial point of the film itself!). With his adroit storytelling and excellent performers, the director is able to weave a downbeat, suspenseful and character-driven tale of dreams and deception, love and sex. Filled with red herrings and evocative shots and settings, this neo-noir is one engaging work from start to finish, literally making the viewers have a hard grip on their seats (making it at par with such small "chamber" thrillers as Danny Boyle's "Shallow Grave" and Craig Zobel's "Compliance"). There is really not one character to root for (the characters of Alex Medina, Joey Paras and Alma Concepcion), all of them badasses, motivated as they are by greed and deceit. But the beguiling thing is that we are still hooked on these characters, as they become defined by their duplicitous and morally bankrupt situations, like spiders being entangled in their own delicately-woven web. 

"Babagwa" may be faulted for virtually "giving away" the ending in just about its halfway mark. Without such "glitch", the film could have joined the ranks of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense", Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others" and Bryan Singer's "The Usual Suspects" with their carefully "kept" twist. But the beguiling thing is that the director still manages to keep the viewers in suspense as to how the film will actually end. This is one pleasantly surprising and satisfying movie in the fest, a near-perfect and unassuming genre work in its own right. With his masterful control of the medium, Laxamana may very well bag the Best Director trophy. 

7.) "David F." by Emmanuel Palo 

If this film were actually an anthology film, I would easily pick the "second" episode - the Japanese Occupation - as the best one. With its painterly images, meaningful silences and admirable performances, this could very well be a stand-alone film in itself. But, alas, it is not. As "David F." actually weaves three "linked" stories that are set in "action" by a black Filipino-American gay comedy-bar performer, who is searching for his black American father. The three different "stories" (the Filipino-American War, the Japanese Occupation and the "Amboys" of Pampanga) could have had an emotional resonance if only the central gay character was dramatically vivid. Rather, he comes off as unnecessarily distant and emotionally bland. I even came into thinking if the movie's narrative methodology was the one appropriate in highlighting the central character's search for love and acceptance. It's because the over-all result is a work that lacks dramatic force.

Things could probably have been different if the director opted to focus solely instead on the "present", allowing the character of Dave F. to progress dramatically. Or, if only the "second" story was really the film itself. 

8.) "Quick Change" by Eduardo Roy Jr. 

This is another of the fest's pleasant surprises. If this could mean anything, the creative consultant of both "Babagwa" and "Quick Change" was Armando Lao, the master of downbeat social-realist dramas (he penned the best works of Jeffrey Jeturian and Brillante Mendoza, even that little gem of a movie back in the early 80s, "Takaw Tukso"). In Eduardo Roy Jr.'s film, we have another downbeat tale of a transvestite named Dorina Pineda (excellently portrayed by Mimi Juareza) who illegally works as a beauty "enhancer" for a number of gay clients, majority of which are likewise cross-dressers and transvestites. As Dorina himself is a product of such beauty "enhancement", he knows very well the sentiments and needs of his clients in regards undergoing such, all in the name of work and love. Unlike in "David F.", here in "Quick Change" the gay characters come off as fully-rounded human beings, all vivid and moving, the viewers empathically understanding their need to undergo such a dangerous and dubious clinical exercise in order to live and be accepted. Without stretching things too much, think of this as if the early works of Pedro Almodovar and John Waters were suddenly socially-conscious. What's even laudable is that, given the luridness and explicitness of the material, the director is able to present their situation without giving in to pious moralizing and blatant judgment (even if, ironically, there are scenes where the characters engage in ritualistic prayer). These people just simply don't ask for our sympathy. 

That is why when the main character, Dorina, finally undergoes a crisis of conscience, we are all the more moved. His state of grace and redemption is not entirely dissimilar to the kind found in a Robert Bresson or a Dardenne brothers film. Boasting of a cinematography (by Dan Villegas) and production design (by Harley Alcasid) that startlingly evoke the play of darkness and light within the characters' souls, "Quick Change" is one of the few memorable efforts in this year's Cinemalaya. If "Debosyon" were not only standing in its way, this could likewise be named as Best Film of the fest. 

Directors Showcase (a section for new films by established directors who, by the time of the festival, have already made 5 films or more): 

1.) "Porno" by Adolf Alix Jr. 

Somehow, I felt that my Cinemalaya film-watching would not be "complete" without seeing this latest film by the prolific Adolf Alix Jr. Shown exclusively at CCP upon the director's "request", with almost all the tickets for each screening being practically sold out, I did not think that I would be able to watch the film anymore. But as they say, all hopes are not to be given up until you are breathing. It was a really good thing that a friend was able to secure a complimentary ticket from no less than the director himself! My friend even quipped that the coveted ticket was acquired through "flesh and blood" (he meant that in a figurative sense, of course). Now, was it worth all the wait? 

By all means and purposes, yes. The film's sensational title is really as it is, no need to read between the lines. From a startlingly long and static opening scene (filmed as if being secretly videotaped by a voyeur) that is by turns funny, ghastly and, well, pornographic, the film does not disappoint from thereon in terms of copious amount of graphic nudity and sex, and sexual language shown and heard onscreen. With its look, mood and texture, "Porno" is the kind of explicit arthouse film that every now and then causes a sensation - and, at worst times, even walk-outs - in Cannes. Not since Peque Gallaga's "Scorpio Nights" (and this was almost 3 decades ago!) have we encountered a Filipino film this daring and explicit, that has flesh and carnality as its prime narrative impetus. With that, the film justifiably attains a certain degree of novelty - and notoriety - for its time, in this age of social media where everyone's lives is virtually made "bare" for public curiosity and consumption. 

Setting aside the "pornographic" display onscreen, "Porno" is really a plotless film. It moves without indication and rationale from one "vignette" to the next (there are 3 altogether;the first starred by Rosanna Roces and Yul Servo as an illicit couple, the second by Carlo Aquino as a porn dubber and an online sham, and the third by Angel Aquino as a lonely transvestite), except for some surreal coda that only confound things all the more. Such loose and episodic structure, and avant-garde style strongly recall an early work by the experimentalist Alejandro Jodorowsky. You know that every framing, design, lighting and baring shown visually is meticulously thought by the director, as if taking notes from an Art Deco book. And it is no small feat as well that he was able to have a game cast for this undoubtedly provocative work. 

Adolf Alix explicitly made a film to be talked about after the end credits roll and as the audience walk through the theater exit and head towards the nearest cafe. And he succeeds in doing so, whether for good or bad. 

And that just about wraps up this film junkie's Cinemalaya experience for this year. Hope to see more equally good, if not better, films in next year's edition (and with my festival pass in hand).