A Pilgrimage to Cinema

Seriously speaking, it was such a hard task. There were a lot of good, really good, even excellent, Filipino films shown on the big screen this year. So much so that it wouldn't be an overstatement to declare that 2013 is a banner year for Philippine cinema. And to choose which among these is  the  best - the cream of the crop - is one tricky matter, as it runs the risk of putting the other films that equally deserve to be afforded the title on the sidelines. That is why for the sake of argument, rather than choosing the best, this film junkie would choose his favorite film instead. My favorite film of them all! By declaring such film as my  favorite , it qualifies the matter as being purely subjective, one that is defined by my own taste and standards and thus is not necessarily the  best . Such a film became my favorite in the sense that it made such a strong and lasting impression on me and it possessed those qualities that made my own viewing experience an inte...

If one of the reasons for going to the cinema is to have one hell of a fun, then the versatile and prolific Chito Rono's latest film, " Boy Golden ", should be one best example. This loosely true-life based gangster film is simply pure fun - and pure absurd fun at that! It possesses that distinctive kind of alternately awesome and ridiculous filmic sensibility that we rarely encounter in Pinoy cinema, with the result that we are just blown away because of the uncannily crazy delight that it brings to us. The last film of Rono to embody this kind of sensibility was, I think, the Rosanna Roces-starrer " Curacha:Ang Babaeng Walang Pahinga " - and this was even way back in 1998! Right from the opening gunfight, set to the jukebox tune of Elvis Presley's " Blue Suede Shoes " (which turns out to be the film's "fetishistic" song), the director goes on to stage action setpieces that appear to become stranger, more ridiculous, more bizarre - ...

So far, so good in regards the films that I saw in this year's edition of  Cinemanila International Film Festival . In no small way that travelling to such a far venue as SM Aura (in Taguig) became less of a chore, what with the quality of films shown.  " Heli " by Amat Escalante (Mexico)  Last year, " Post Tenebras Lux ", which won the Best Director trophy for Carlos Reygadas in Cannes, was shown in Cinemanila. In this year's edition, another Mexican film, "Heli", which also won the Cannes Best Director award for its helmer Amat Escalante, was likewise featured. In one way or another, Mexican cinema never fails to provide us a provocative viewing experience, the kind that unnerves, disturbs, makes us feel uncomfortable (at some times, even titillates!), with films like " Macario ", " Like Water for Chocolate ", " Solo Con Tu Pareja ", " Amores Perros ", " Battle in Heaven " (to name j...

Just like on the first day, my second day of the  Cinemanila International Film Festival  (Dec. 22) was characterized by some "unexpected" turn of events - Tsai Ming-liang's " Stray Dogs " did not see the light of day, while Amat Escalante's Cannes-winning " Heli " was finally able to grace the big screen. Nevertheless, the films that this film junkie saw did more than enough to satisfy his cinephilic cravings.  " Karaoke Girl " by Vasra Vichit (Thailand)  The hooker with a heart of gold and her bittersweet life is an archetypal filmic character whom we have already encountered in the cinema not a few times before. What can be of note, however, in this Thai film is the unsentimental, non-sensational and almost impressionistic manner that it takes in dealing with its female protagonist - a 23-year-old bar hostess (or "karaoke girl") named Sa, who moves in to the city in hopes of providing a better life for her famil...

Even though my first day of  Cinemanila International Film Festival  (Dec. 20) was somewhat marked by unpredictability (cancelled screenings, late start of program and rainy weather), the films that this film junkie saw did not disappoint.  " The Act of Killing " by Joshua Oppenheimer, et al (Indonesia/Denmark)  This semi-documentary film is the most unsettling work that I have seen on the big screen in a long time (when was the last - Lars von Trier's " Dancer in the Dark ", back in 2003?). The subject of the film itself is one tough stuff:the "re-enactment" of the mass killings perpetrated by Indonesia's military government during the late '60s, no less by the very men who did the murders themselves. The main target of such mass liquidation was what the government dubiously branded as "communists". If you were a landless farmer, then you were dead;if you were a Chinese, you were dead;if you had anything bad to say agai...

( Note :The Cannes-winning ''Blue is the Warmest Color'' may just become the current awards season's darling. It has just been nominated in the Golden Globes for Best Foreign-Language Film. With this, an Oscar nod may not be far behind. Many years back, there was also this LGBT film that was a sensation in Cannes - Wong Kar-Wai's ''Happy Together'' (which won the Best Director prize). I remember first seeing this film about a decade ago at Glorietta 4 Cinema, when they still had this so-called Art Film screening every week. Experiencing this masterpiece on the big screen, what I saw was a love story, regardless of the gender. Allow me to share my notes about the film right after seeing it back then.) The title of this Wong Kar-Wai film suggests a harmonious and smooth relationship between two persons;however, as you watch ' ' Happy Together '' , you will realize that the title is quite ironic. For although the kind of rela...

( Note :Once upon a time, there was a film festival here in our country called Pelikula at Lipunan, brainchild of Nick de Ocampo. One of the acclaimed films that premiered in the festival was the Oscar-nominated Mexican film ''Amores Perros'', back in 2002. Here's the note I wrote about the film, a few months after I first saw it back then.) Alejandro Inarritu's " Amores Perros " was the opening film of  Pelikula at Lipunan  held here a few months back. There was a good number of filmgoers who attended, but the film actually started late (about 7:45 pm, from the supposed-to-be 7:00 pm screening - it was alright, for I also came in late!).The film ran for about two-and-a-half hours, but there was never a single moment where I felt my eyes to be already asking for one good snooze. This Oscar-nominee for Best Foreign-Language Film is so powerful, moving and gritty that to divert your attention from it even for a few seconds would be a big mistake (t...

( Note :On Christmas Day, Lars von Trier's latest provocation, ''Nymphomaniac'', will have its first-ever public screening in his native country, Denmark. It could probably be asking for the moon and stars to think that this film will ever grace our own big screens, specially if we consider that, except for ''Dancer in the Dark ' ', there was never a Von Trier film that had a regular run here. ''Breaking the Waves'' was my initiation into a Von Trier world, having first seen this work in the first edition of Cine Europa back in 1998. Since then, I got hooked on each of the Danish auteur's works. I finally got my own copy of the film a couple of years ago.) Lars von Trier is one contemporary filmmaker who has no qualms about going to extremes in the service of his craft;he is always willing to transcend the boundaries of his art. It's well and good if his lead performers share the same attitude and goal. What more can you...

( Note :Had Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini lived longer, one wonders what kind of films could he have given us still. His films have that distinctive earthiness and bawdiness in them - ''Accatone'', ''Mamma Roma'', ''Porcile'', ''The Decameron'', ''The Canterbury Tales'', ''Arabian Nights'', ''The Gospel According to St. Matthew'', ''Medea''. It was like this auteur's creative energy had always been propelled by the Id. Thus, allow me to share this piece I wrote many years back about ''Salo'', his swan song which remains one of the most controversial and dangerous films ever made. I first saw this work at Titus Brandsma Center and then at the UP Videotheque. Then, I finally got my own copy a couple of years back. While this piece first came out in IMDb.) With Pier Paolo Pasolini's " Salo ", the long-disputed issue...

( Note : One of world cinema's living auteurs, Jean-Luc Godard, recently celebrated his birthday. Now at age 83, he still continues to make films that dare to turn the rules of modern cinema on their head. In line with this, allow me to share this piece about ''Weekend'', one of his most radical films, that I wrote back in 2008. This first came out in IMDb. ) Jean-Luc Godard will always be Jean-Luc Godard. Either you love his films or hate them. Either you love the guy or hate him. Now, with " Weekend " (1967, France), I just don't know what to make of him (not that this is not what I generally feel whenever I see one of his films). At the film's opening credits, it's outrightly declared that it's "a film adrift in cosmos". Godard must've meant that seriously, for once you've entered the film's universe, you're in for one wreck of a viewing experience. This is one chaotic universe--and I meant to say it in ...

For the past 5 months, we have been blessed with a number of Filipino film festivals that offered Pinoy film lovers a unique and varied movie-watching experience, something not usually felt with mainstream releases. When was the last time that our own filmmakers and film craftsmen had been  this  productive? And majority of these filmmakers were not even considered household names or "veterans" of the industry, with some of them we had only encountered for the first time. If there would be one thing that I would remember 2013 for, it is the good number of Pinoy film fests during the second half of the year, so much so that we barely had time to breathe in-between the separate events. And usually, we didn't really mind the asphyxiation.  As often the case in a film festival, there would be those works that stand out from the rest or, at least, that one considers as his/her favorites. For this film junkie, I would prefer to call it as my "favorite", being su...

Thus ends my journey (6 days altogether) through this year's edition of  Cinema One Originals . Let me say first that I was only able to see 9 (out of the 15) film entries in the festival. The films that I didn't catch (for one reason or another) were:" Iskalawags ", " Blue Bustamante ", " Woman of the Ruins ", " Philippino Story ", " Ang Pagbabalat ng Ahas " and " Shift ". I just felt bad not being able to see these films. Hope to encounter them one of these days.  Now, getting back to those films that this film junkie  did  see. What was so good about the festival was that all the films were really noteworthy, that there was none that could be called as absolute trash. Even those works that could be considered as the weakest had something still going on for them. Examples of the latter are Mes de Guzman's " Sitio " and Kristian Cordero's " Angustia ". De Guzman's home-invasion t...