A Pilgrimage to Cinema

" Dagitab ", Giancarlo Abrahan's Cinemalaya-entry debut film, is essentially about mid-life crisis. On the other hand, " I'm Drunk, I Love You " (2017, Philippines), JP Habac's first full-length feature and co-written by Abrahan, is really about quarter-life crisis. Those of us walking into the theater and expecting to see just another unchallenging utilization of the rom-com genre will find ourselves in for some pleasant surprises. The film's basic premise of falling (sometimes hopelessly) for one's best friend is admittedly one of the tired and weary clichés of the genre. The good thing is that it's merely a facade for something more deep and serious. The result is a work that goes beyond its genre trappings to still be able to come off as fresh and sincere. The film is about college best buddies Carson (Maja Salvador, fantastic) and Dio (Paolo Avelino, muy simpatico ) who, upon the latter's sudden prompting, go on a weekend out-of-t...

" Arrival " (2016, USA), Denis Villeneuve's Venice-entry new film, can serve as a study-in-contrast to his earlier " Sicario ". While the latter film takes a misanthropic view of humanity, one that is steeped in criminality and violence that find no means of redemption, the former, on the other hand, expresses love for humanity by way of compassion, understanding, respect and cooperation, all under the guise of an alien-invasion sci-fi story. Yes, "Arrival" is an alien-invasion film, but unlike other films of that kind where everyone is practically doing everything they can to defeat the extraterrestrial visitors, here offensive attack just becomes the last resort, more often than not called upon by the more aggressive nations (in the film's context, at least). As in Steven Spielberg's " Close Encounters of the Third Kind ", humans discover unique and special ways to communicate with the aliens, in accordance with their own kind of...

It may all sound absurd, improbable or just plain silly, but " John Wick: Chapter 2 " (2017, USA) is so steadfastly committed to the depiction of its quintessential underworld that one can't help but be dazzled, pumped up and blown away by all the goings-on. Suffice it to say that this sequel to the 2014 surprise hit is one of the best action movies that I've seen in recent memory, with its ferocious and brutal energy matching any movie that Indonesian ubermensch Iko Uwais has ever done (" Merantau ", the two " Raid " films, " Headshot "). If you think " The Matrix " is all that defines Keanu Reeves' career, then think again. At age 52, the brusqueness and agility that he displays in all of his difficult and bloody fight scenes are just awesome to behold;while his own brand of broodiness just fits right into his role (one can even say that he maintains the same kind of expression all throughout). The guy doesn't have a...