What is Cinema?

Film director Erik Matti is on an inspired streak. After " OTJ " and the two aswang chronicles, " Tiktik " and " Kubot ", comes another exemplary work, " Honor Thy Father " (2015, 105 mins.). An entry in this year's Metro Manila Film Festival , the film might just be the best among all the other 7 entries (I just saw one other film, " #Walang Forever "). From start to finish, we can clearly see the marks of a filmmaker's utmost dedication to his craft, materializing his vision onscreen in a precise, astonishing and uncompromising fashion. Films that are crafted with perfection are hard to come by these days, but when they do we are the more rewarded for it.  The film, written by "OTJ" and " Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan " collaborator Michiko Yamamoto, essentially tells the story of a middle-class Baguio-based married couple, Edgar (John Lloyd Cruz) and Kaye (Meryll Soriano), whose quick-return investment sc...

At one point in " Ari: My Life with a King ", an entry in this year's MMFF New Wave and directed by Carlo Enciso Catu, the "king-poet" Francisco Guinto wonders in front of the highschool student Jaypee (Ronwaldo Martin) how they are still able to understand each other despite the fact that the former speaks in pure Kapampangan while the latter speaks in pure Tagalog. This is an illustration of the magic and mystery of the Filipino language, which also constitutes the essence of this beautiful film. The young man just doesn't have it in his heart to speak his hometown language and would rather prefer to converse in the general and widely-spoken one. In that sense, he's yet to "come of age". The film subtly argues that not until one has wholeheartedly embraced his/her native language, will one be lost in finding his/her true self and identity. This is illustrated in the opening scene where Jaypee is lost and drags his motorbike named "Gab...

For this year's edition of the still-young  MMFF New Wave (Dec. 17-24 at SM Megamall, Glorietta and Robinsons Manila cinemas), which serves as the "precursor" to the more "mainstream" Metro Manila Film Festival  and yet is already able to stand on its own, I was able to see 3 of the 5 new independently-produced Filipino films in its line-up. Let's see if there are any stand-outs among these.  • " Tandem ", dir.: King Palisoc, written by Zig Marasigan, 85 mins.  I was first introduced to King Palisoc by way of the Makina  episode of last year's " Bang Bang Alley ". It was the more impressive episode among all the others, displaying tension and sharpness in its portrayal of an unlikely criminal who's virtually a walking time-bomb. Palisoc's new film, "Tandem", is similarly impressive, tense and sharp. As with Makina , more than an "action" movie (in the manner that Filipino cinema would generally have this sp...

There are really a number of familiar terrains in " Creed " (2015, USA), the new film by Ryan Coogler, director of the Sundance-winning " Fruitvale Station " (which has the same lead actor). An underdog boxer;mentor-trainee dynamics;unresolved father issues;triumph of the spirit. Shouldn't really be a wonder, since "Creed" is meant to be the 7th installment in " Rocky ", an iconic film series that's molded according to some known archetypes. So more or less, we already know in what direction the film will take. It's a habit of custom, so to speak.  Yet, despite the familiarity, the film still manages to be a rewarding and satisfying viewing experience. It's because the director is able to imbue the film with humanism and artistry. Regarding the first aspect, the two lead characters of Sylvester Stallone (as the initially-reluctant mentor Rocky Balboa - excellent) and Michael B. Jordan (as the determined yet troubled prodigy Adonis...