The great Gatsby

CAST: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joey Edgerton, Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Debicki DIRECTOR, PRODUCER: Baz Luhrmann SCREENPLAY: Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce MUSIC: Craig Armstrong CINEMATOGRAPHY: Simon Duggan EDITING: Matt Villa GENRE: Drama  DISTRIBUTOR:  Warner Bros.  RUNNING TIME:  143 minutes LOCATION: United States

Australia

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral assessment:  2

MTRCB rating:  PG 13

CINEMA rating:  V 18

The Great Gatsby (2013) is the fourth translation since 1926 or the classic 1925 tale by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  The story is narrated by Nick Carraway (Toby Macguire), a mid-western scion who moves to New York and rents a cottage on Long Island for weekend getaways.  Next door is an opulent mansion owned and lived in by Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), a scandalously wealthy man with a shadowy past and a questionable present.  Nick has a cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), Gatsby’s old flame and ongoing obsession, who is already married to a heel of a millionaire, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), with whom she lives in another palatial home just across the bay.  At Gatsby’s request, Nick arranges a meeting between the former lovers, hardly suspecting that it would to a tragic reunion.

Without being compared to the earlier film versions, or being judged according to the printed novel, The Great Gatsby is eye candy, giving the viewer a walk-through of era of jazz and a vicarious thrill from attending those lavish and decadent parties of the rich.  The production set does justice to that age, and so do the costumes, music, etc.  DiCaprio, however, tends to come on too strong as DiCaprio—it is hard to imagine a man named Jay Gatsby when it is played by an actor whose face has grown too familiar from the many other memorable characters he has played.  He has the intensity though, matched by Edgerton’s, especially in the confrontation scene over a fickle woman.  Edgerton superbly plays the husband who—in spite of his having an affair with the wife of a pathetic gas station manager—would not let go his obviously cheating wife not because he truly loves her but because he wants it known that he owns her.  

In The Great Gatsby we have a character who must have inspired the coining of the phrase “filthy rich”.  He throws parties he doesn’t even care to attend, and his guest list suggests he is not above buying powerful men.  Since we have not had the privilege of reading the book, we cannot say if it is the celebrated author’s idea (or director Baz Luhrmann’s) to glamorize this character (why call him “great”?) and justify his profligate ways.  So what is the story trying to tell us?  That the poor can be as greedy as the rich?  That only the old rich have a right to be rich, and that new money is immoral? That a man’s extravagance is justified because he was hungry as a child?  That it is all right to betray the trusting and the ignorant?  That a lie can make a man get away with murder?  That having a cad of a husband is enough reason for a wife and her lover to ignore the 6^th Commandment?  That a husband’s love may cover up a wife’s crime?  Do the victims in the story deserve their fate?  Such are the issues adult viewers may thresh over popcorn and soda.

Epic

Cast: Collin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Chris O’Dowell, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler and Beyonce Knowles.; Direction: Chris Wedge; Based on story by William Joyce; Genre: Comedy Animation; Distributor: 20th Century Fox; Running Time: 85 minutes
 

Technical Assessment : 3.5

Moral Assessment: 4

CINEMA Rating:  All Ages

MTRCB Rating: GP

Epic is based on William Joyce’s children’s book entitled The Leaf Men and the Brace Good Bugs. It centers on the relationship between teenaged Mary Katherine (Amanda Seyfried), or MK as she wanted to be called, and her father, Professor Bomba (Jason Sudeikis). Apparently, Professor Bomba believes that the world is governed and protected by little people who move too fast for an ordinary human. He spends his life searching, studying and proving his theory at the expense of his reputation and his marriage. MK moves to live with him after her mother dies and is equally dismayed to witness how obsessed he still is. Meanwhile, forest queen Tara (Beyonce Knowles) must choose her heir and allow her to bloom under the moonlight so the forest may continue to be protected against the Mandrake (Christoph Waltz) and his Boggans who desire to turn nature into a wasteland. MK, while looking for her dog in the forest is magically shrunk and witnesses the death of queen Tara who turns over to her care the pod which will turn into the next forest queen. MK realizes that her father’s work is true and is pulled in, reluctantly at first, to aid the Leafman headed by Ronin (Collin Farrell) and his rebellious protégé Nod (Josh Hutcherson). The trio while guarding the pod and misleading the Boggans, learn the value of trust, teamwork and commitment.

Visually, Epic is a magical treat both for the young and the old. The forest is an inspiration to watch as petals unfold, flowers bloom, leaves sway, water flows and every living creature comes to life. Of course, the amazing animation and special effects had much to do to make the narrative even more entertaining and understandable. The voice actors perform well and aptly push the story forward with the right amount of humor and earnestness. The plot is reasonable and easy to follow although it feels a little run of the mill as a pro-environment movie. Overall, Epic is a good choice for a family weekend movie.

Epic is about choosing a side and sticking to the choice regardless of what it takes—of course, it is presumed that the choice will be the good side. More than taking a side is the commitment to make a difference for the betterment of mankind.  Nowadays, we see people falter in their commitment especially when the going gets rough. It seems that personal well-being is given more weight than common good. Epic is also a movie for the environment, again another very timely issue. We experience the repercussions of bad choices we have made: wastage, over-consumption leading to high utilization of fossil fuels, indiscriminate self-serving activities like illegal logging, mining, etc.—all leading to the destruction of nature.  The Boggans are like men who care not if nature dies and the earth becomes a barren wasteland.  The Leafmen are those fighting to protect nature at all cost. As children are transformed in a world where the good guys fight to protect their kingdom, perhaps, the adults watching the movie with them can realize that they are called to deliver the same commitment as the Leafmen to make sure that the next generation still has a home to live in.

Iron Man 3

LEAD CAST:  Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley  DIRECTOR:  Shane Black  SCREENWRITER:  Drew Pearce, Shane Black  PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige  EDITOR:  Jeffrey Ford, Peter S. Elliot  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Brian Tyler  GENRE:  Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  John Toll RUNNING TIME:  130 minutes  DISTRIBUTOR:  Walt Disney Pictures  LOCATION:  US

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral assessment:  2.5

CINEMA rating:  V 14

MTRCB rating:  GP (for all ages)

The opening flashes back to the time that brash and brilliant billionaire Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) was a boozing playboy who chased skirts but shirked commitment.  Until his assistant Virginia “Pepper” Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) captured his heart.  Since then Stark and Potts have been an exclusive pair and Iron Man 3 shows them living together like man and wife without the blessing of either Church or State.  Stark now must face a pair of villains: The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a menacing cross between Fu Manchu and Bin Laden who is after the US president’s neck, and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) a nerd-turned-dashing-debonair-chemist who has created Extremis, a serum that converts ordinary mortals into living humans bombs. The Mandarin attacks Stark’s plush Malibu lab-and-lair, turning it to flaming tatters, endangering Potts, and leaving Stark, alone and far away, to survive on his own devices.

            Iron Man 3 is some sort of a record breaker—at least in the Philippines, when on opening day the long-awaited sequel was shown in all theaters across the land.  CINEMA gives it an above-average technical score, and a huge part of that is due to its almost flawless CGI footages.  The story, too, is different in that it projects a vulnerable Stark, even helpless in the face of such an unbelievably powerful and deathless villain in Killian.  The cast includes newbie Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen, a bio chemist who happens to have had a one-night stand with Stark in pre-Potts days, and Ty Simpkins as Harley, a bullied schoolboy living with his mother.  Only one unsolicited comment for director Shane Black: in that final chase to put down the villain, we were gung-ho about Stark finishing him off.  We knew he’d die, anyway, so finish him off sooner—you’ve made your point, spare our ears from the prolonged boom-bang-clang-clanging of iron suits and gadgetry.

            Plenty of ethical issues here.  Is Iron Man 3 a fight about good and evil?  Whose good?  Is all that destruction worth the fight?  Is the life saved worth all the lives ended?  Is Stark’s commitment to Potts for life?  Oh, but it’s sci-fi fantasy, anything goes, anything to entertain.  Yeah, but with very young children in the audience unable to distinguish fact from fantasy, isn’t some kind of explanation in order?  Paging all parents!  Life is not a video game, hello!  The civilized world resorts to such thing as “dialogue”, and the future of the world is not determined by the fight between a superhero and a supervillain.   

            CINEMA would like to magnify, however, the soft-spoken message of Iron Man 3.  The story is a love triangle: Stark, Potts, and the iron suits—or more precisely, Stark’s obsession with his iron suits.  It is a transformed Stark we see here, coming to confront his weakness, denouncing it, and thus acquiring the strength to go on.  He parts with the chest gadget that embodies his addiction to power, and tells himself that even without it, he is still Iron Man.  A wise decision from CINEMA’s point of view—iron gets corrupted by rust, man does not.  Iron Man 3, the movie, has soul.

Bromance

LEAD CAST: Zanjoe Marudo, Cristine Reyes, Arlene Muhlach, Nikki Valdez, Boom Labrusca, Manuel Chua, Joey Paras, Lassy Marquez DIRECTOR:  Wenn Deramas  PRODUCER:  Star Cinema  GENRE:  Comedy  RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes DISTRIBUTOR:  Star Cinema & Skylight Films  LOCATION:  Philippines

Technical Assessment: 3

Moral Assessment: 3

MTRCB Rating: PG13 

CINEMA Rating: V14

Simula pagkabata ay hindi na tanggap ni Brando (Zanjoe Marudo) na bakla ang kakambal niya na si Brandy (Zanjoe Marudo).  Naging mahirap kay Brando ang pagiging ‘identical twin” nila lalo na kapag siya ang napagkakamalan na binabae o di kaya naman ay pagbintangan sya na nagpapanggap na bakla at makapagsamantala sa mga babae na siyang madalas ay nagiging dahilan upang mapasubo siya sa gulo.  Lumaki siya na sinisisi ang kapatid sa lahat ng di magagandang nangyayari sa kanya maliban sa pagiging daan nito upang makilala niya si Lisa (Christine Reyes). Subalit magkakahiwalay din sila nito dahil sa mabagal na asenso ng buhay ni Brando.  Dahil dito ay magpapasya siyang magsarili at tuluyang lalayo sa pamilya.  Si Brandy (Zanjoe Marudo)  naman ay magsisikap sa pag-aaral at magiging isang matagumpay na “interior designer”.  Lalaki siya na may tampo sa kakambal. Batid ito ng kanilang ina kaya ng malaman niya ang kinaroroonan ni Brando ay papakiusapan niya si Brandy na makipagkasundo siya at yayayain na ang kapatid upang mabuo uli ang pamilya nila. Malalaman nila na nabaon sa utang si Brando at hirap sa negosyong “repair shop” na itinayo nito. Hindi naman bibiguin ni Brandy ang ina.  Pupuntahan at makikipagkasundo siya rito, subalit tatanggihan ni Brando ang alok niya.  Sa gitna ng tagpong ito ay sinamaang-palad na mahahagip ng rumaragasang sasakyan si Brandy at magiging “comatose”.  Pero bago tuluyang mawalan ng ulirat ay makikiusap at magbibilin siya kay Brando na ipagpatuloy nya muna ang mga ginagawa niya sa negosyo at sa pamilya hanggang sa gumaling siya. At magagampanan niya lamang ito kung magpapanggap muna siya na Brandy.  Sa delikadong sitwasyon ni Brandy ay mananaig kay Brando ang pagiging kapatid kaya papayag siya. Pero paano niya ito gagawin gayong maliban sa kanilang hitsura ay magkaiba na ang lahat sa kanila ni Brandy?

Bakla at nagpapanggap na bakla ang mga bida sa pelikulang Bromance, pero hindi tungkol sa kabaklaan ang tema nito.  Kapansin-pansin ang naging trato na ito ng direktor dahil lumutang ang mas seryosong tema ng pamilya at relasyon ng magkapatid.  Mahusay ang direksyon sa paghahatid ng mensahe ng pelikula sa pinaghalong drama at pagpapatawa.  Tama lamang ang mga pag-arte ng mga nagsiganap.  Nakitaan ng pagsisikap si Marudo na ibigay ang hinihingi ng dalawang karakter na ginampanan niya lalo na bilang Brandy. Nakakaaliw ding panoorin ang mga gumanap na batang Brandy. Nakatulong ang suporta na mga totoong bakla sa cast lalo na sa pagpapatawa. Epektibo ang mga “close-up shots” kay Marudo para ilapit ang dalawang karakter sa mga manonood. Maayos ang “editing” at malinis na naihatid ang mga sabay na eksena ng kambal. Akma lamang ang mga inilapat na musika at tunog.

Ang pamilya ay pangunahing sandigan ng isang tao kaya dapat pahalagahan ang pagtanggap sa isa’t isa ng mga kasapi nito. Dito muntik na sumablay ang karakter ni Brando na ginampanan ni Marudo. Sa halip na pang-unawa at pagmamahal ang iniukol niya sa kakambal na binabae ay naging sarado siya sa pagtanggap sa kalagayan nito. Napuno ng hinanakit at panibugho ang puso niya, bagay na nagtulak sa kanya upang lumayo at tumalikod sa pamilya. Naging daan ang ina sa pagkakasundo ng magkapatid. Kaligayahan ng sinumang magulang ang makitang nagkakasundo ang mga anak.  Samantala mga matatapat na kaibigan ang pinakita sa pelikula; nakitaan sila ng malasakit, sakripisyo at suporta sa anumang sitwasyon meron sila.  Bihira ang mga ganitong kaibigan na maituturing na yaman sa bahay.  Sa kabuuan ay tumalakay ng magagandang aral sa buhay ang pelikula katulad ng pagmamahalan sa pamilya, pagpapalago ng sarili upang magtagumpay, pagtanggap sa pagkakamali at pagpapatawad, matapat na pakikipagkaibigan, sakripisyo at pagmamahal. 

Star Trek into Darkness

LEAD CAST:  Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Karl Urban, John Cho, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Peter Weller, Anton Yelchin DIRECTOR: J.J. Abrams  SCREENWRITER:  Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof  PRODUCER:  J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtsman, Roberto Orci   EDITOR:  Maryann Brandon, Mary Jo Markey  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Michael Giacchino  GENRE:  Action, Adventure, Science Fiction  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Daniel Mindel RUNNING TIME:  133 minutes  DISTRIBUTOR:  Paramount Pictures

LOCATION:  US

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral assessment:  3

MTRCB Rating:  PG13

CINEMA Rating:  V14

It is 2259 and Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew are on a mission to observe Planet Nibiru but find that they have to save this pre-warp society from volcanic eruption. The life of First Officer Spock (Zachary Quinto) is endangered and Kirk disobeys the United Federation of Planets’ Prime Directive in order to save him. Called back to earth, Kirk loses his seat as commander of the USS Enterprise, which goes back to Admiral Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), and parts with Spock. At the same time, Starfleet agent John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) bombs an installation in London and declares war. After an attack on the Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller), Pike's superior, reinstates Kirk to capture Harrison, and bring him to justice. Though USS Enterprise is a spaceship for exploration, not war, its crew is thrust into a mission of life and death. Will it survive Harrison’s one-man-army, the threat and inevitable tensions among its ranks?

Star Trek into Darkness follows JJ Abrams first Star Trek (2009) with aplomb. Trekkers (or Trekkies) will find much to like and remember of the Star Trek franchise. But even if you are not a fan, there is a lot going for this 12^th installment. The cinematography and production design transports you to another universe, with some CGIs so convincing you’d want to take cover from your seat. The action is almost non-stop with clever narrative twists; dialogue is engaging and fun (that is, if you get the in-jokes) and the musical score heightens the excitement. The shiny lens flares in some scenes do not work, nor do the obvious plot holes. Trek loyalists would also say it is more an action/adventure movie than sci-fi. But regardless, what shines here are the characters who play the role that match their predecessors, and eventually making it their own. Quinto shines as the Vulcan Spock and Cumberbatch portrays the fully optimized human with such depth and ambiguity.

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” These words uttered and exemplified at the beginning of Star Trek into Darkness follow Gene Roddenberry’s Trek and its principles. One of its major themes is what place, if any, feelings have in guiding actions. Are personal loyalty and the safety of others above military regulation? Another theme is leadership. What makes a true leader? Star Trek into Darkness shows a flawed leader who listens to his guts and his team. Obedience is not only towards the superior but also to one’s inner voice that comes from God. Friendship and teamwork is indispensable in any enterprise, be it a fight against a common enemy or working on a project. An enemy can also take different forms. Befriending the enemy does not always mean surrender; it can lead to a win-win solution. 

It is the emotional bonds between the Enterprise crew, their family dynamics, and how they come to each other’s help which set this film apart.  Because of the intense and frequent violence and emotional stress, some vulgar language, and a brief scene implying sex, CINEMA rates this film A14.

The big wedding

LEAD CAST:  Robert De NIro, Diane Keaton, Ben Barnes, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams DIRECTOR:  Justin Zackham  SCREENWRITER:  Justin Zackham  PRODUCER:  Anthony Katagas, Clay Pedorin, Richard Salvatore, Harry J. Ufland, Justin Zackham  EDITOR:  Jon Corn  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Nathan Barr  GENRE:  Comedy  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jonathan Brown  DISTRIBUTOR:  Lionsgate RUNNING TIME:  89 minutes LOCATION:  US

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  2

MTRCB rating: R 13
CINEMA rating: V 18

The long divorced couple Don and Ellie (Robert de Niro and Diane Keaton) get together with their grown-up children for the wedding of their adopted son Alejandro (Ben Barnes) to Missy (Amanda Seyfried).  Alejandro has kept the divorce a secret from his biological mother, Madonna, a pious Colombian (Patricia Rae) who has not visited him in the United States since his adoption.  Now Madonna is coming for the wedding.  Don and Ellie pretend to be a loving married couple, which means Don’s partner Bebe (Susan Sarandon) has to be eased out of the picture. This results in more or less 80 minutes of awkward situations and certain realizations for everyone concerned.

Typical romantic comedy created more for laughs than for logic. The Big Wedding actors did their part well as far as the plot demands, and no one’s complaining so far about the cinematography, dialogue, sound and lighting, script, editing, the works.  So long as the audience is entertained, and entertain this movie does—what with those big names in the cast.  

Rom-com wedding movies from Hollywood provide the moviegoer ample leverage for comic relief from the resolution of knotty circumstances and the revelation of characters’ quirks.  They are usually a well-meaning bunch whose primary purpose is to make the audience laugh, although sometimes, as in the case of The Big Wedding, the laugh is on the Catholic religion.  Catholics who know their religion would recognize the false Catholicism and the outmoded catechesis shown in this movie, and would probably forgive it the ignorance it so blatantly displays.  People, however—whether non-Catholics or Catholics with inadequate catechism—will surely be misguided and misled by the faux Catholicism The Big Wedding picks on.  Example: Robin Williams who in his role is 99 percent buffoon and 1 percent priest (thanks to the Roman collar he is wearing), warns the engaged couple that premarital sex and use of birth control will land them in hell.  The overall message is “it’s okay to be confused as long as you are not inhibited”. Mature adults and enlightened Catholics can take The Big Wedding with a grain of salt, after all, you don’t learn catechism from such movies.  Nonetheless, the film maker should have diverted some of the casting budget to a reputable researcher so they could have portrayed Catholic traditions accurately. It is just insulting for a Catholic to watch how irreverently they made fun of confession, chastity, marriage and priesthood.

Even in a liberated culture, the presentation of sex is too casual. For the movie, the act is merely comparable to having a few drinks together and can take place anytime, anyhow and with any one – between divorced couples who are in another relationship, between live-in partners who are unsure if they are willing to commit their lives to each other, between a man and a woman meeting for the first and only time.  The movie presents devout Catholics who believe in the permanence of marriage as bigots.  While the initiative of the parents to help reunite their daughter to her husband/boyfriend is commendable it is not enough to make the movie morally acceptable. In spite of its good intentions, the movie also has issues with (male) virginity and aberrant sex acts, and treats homosexuality and adultery frivolously.

The movie should be restricted to adult viewers. If you have spare cash enough for one movie this week, better reserve it for the likes of Epic or Gatsby. 

Identity thief

Cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy; Director: Seth Gordon; Screenplay:  Craig Mazin; Editor:  Peter Teschner Music: Christopher Lennertz; Cinematography: Javier Aguirresarobe;  Producer: Scott Stuber, Jason Bateman, Pamela Abdy ;  Distributor: Universal Studios; Running Time: 111 minutes; Genre: Crime, Comedy; Location: USA

Technical Assessment: 3

Moral Assessment: 2.5

CINEMA Rating: V18 for viewers 18 years old and above

MTRCB Rating:  R16

Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) finally gets his big break when he is offered top management position in a financial corporation which his co-workers just built. However, his name gets associated with outlandish spending and illegal transactions—his identity is stolen.  Diana (Melissa McCarthy) is on a shopping binge using Sandy’s credit card.  Such cases take more than a year to resolve and it would take about the same time before his name is cleared. With his job and family at stake, Sandy decides to track down who stole his identity which leads him to travel all the way to Florida to capture the thief and bring him or her to justice. He gets to catch his identity thief Diana and now he needs to bring her back to Denver, but not without a series of misadventures along the way.

Identity Thief takes off with an interesting premise relevant to the present age of information technology.  There is a lot of genius in the idea of identity theft victim meeting his thief. As the two meet, the audiences are in for a real hilarious treat. The film takes advantage of its talented casts who are perfectly fit for their roles. Bateman and McCarthy succeed as the odd couple in the movie. Their tenacity and depth as actors, although quite underestimated in the film, has made Identity Thief a worthy watch as they are able to mix humor with a certain degree of intelligence. However, the story could’ve focused more on the question of identity rather than stick to the Hollywood slapstick formula. There are still the usual chase sequences with guns and goons, stereotypes and clichés. These aspects are quite a disappointment and shift the film away from its focus. But then again, the film still has elicited plenty of laughs from the audience and maybe, that’s all they need at this present time.

In this time and age when anyone can be someone or somebody, what now is the essence of identity? What makes up real identity and how do we define it?  Such are the relevant questions Identity Thief tries to pose.  The film provides some answers in some lucid moments when it deals deep into the characters’ inner motivations. While Sandy tries to clear up his identity to maintain and keep status quo, Diana on the other side steals it in desperation to evade her real self. Here, the audiences see contrast of two opposite characters, opposite lifestyles, opposite upbringings. Despite the contrasts, the audiences are made to realize what human beings commonly need that cuts across age, gender, nationality, social class and even identity—that is the need to be loved and respected. This is what Sandy gave to Diana in spite of and despite the circumstances of their meeting. Sandy’s innate goodness contagiously affected Diana that somehow made her realize her own goodness as well—that is her real self and not the thief whom she used to believe she was. Such perhaps should be every human being’s sense of identity. The film however tackles an adult theme with moderate to heavy depictions of violence, vulgar language and sex. Thus, CINEMA finds the film appropriate for mature audience only aged 18 and above.

The bride and the lover

Cast:   Lovi Poe, Jennilyn Mercado, Paulo Avelino  Director: Joel Lamangan  Genre:  Sex, Drama-Comedy  Location: Philippines

Technical Assessment:  3

Moral Assessment: 2

CINEMA Rating:  V18

MTRCB Rating:  R-13

Umatras sa bonggang kasalan ang ‘bride’ na si Vivian (Lovi Poe) kasabay ng pagbubunyag niya ng iskandalo na kinasangkutan ng “groom” na si Philip (Paulo Avelino) at matalik na kaibigan na si Sheila (Jennilyn). Sa gitna ng sakit at kahihiyan ay hiwa-hiwalay na magbabyahe ang tatlo upang pansamantalang takasan ang sitwasyon at iiwanan sa kanilang pamilya at mga kaibigan ang pagharap sa publiko. Sa kanilang pagbabalik ay sisikapin nila na magpatuloy sa kani-kaniyang buhay ang tatlo. Maantala naman ng konti ang pagpapatuloy ni Philip dahil kinailangan niyang magpagaling ng  kanyang napilay na paa. Magpiprisinta si Sheila na alagaan si Philip at upang mabigyan na rin ng pagkakataon ang sarili na maipadama ng lubusan ang damdamin niya rito. Sa panahon ng pagpapagaling ni Philip sa piling ni Sheila ay tuluyan silang magsasama. Samantala nagulat ang lahat sa pagbabalik ni Vivian. Lubusang magbabago ang pagkatao nito—sa pananaw at pisikal na anyo. Mula sa simple ay magiging moderno at liberal sa pananalita at kilos na malayung-malayo sa dating Vivian na tumalikod sa kasal. Buong tapang niyang pananagutan ang mataas na posisyon sa kumpanya na pag-aari ng pamilya kasunod ng pagreretiro ng kanyang ama. Kasabay ng mga pangyayaring ito sa buhay ni Vivian ay kusa siyang makikipagbati kay Sheila sa pamamagitan ng pagtataguyod bilang sponsor sa magazine kung saan editor-in-chief ang matalik na kaibigan. Labis itong ikakatuwa ni Sheila sa kabila ng kundisyon ni Vivian na panatilihing lihim kay Philip ang pagbabati nila.  Sa parehong kundisyon na maglihim naman kay Sheila ay nakipagkasundo din si Vivian kay Philip. Sa kanilang pagbabati ay magpapahayag ng mga totoong damdamin at panghihinayang sa naputol na relasyon. Kasabay nito ay ang pagbibigay laya sa nararamdaman na pananabik sa isa’t isa. Hanggang saan naman kaya hahantong ang mga plano ni Vivian at ang pakikipagsabwatan nina Sheila at Philip na maglihiman tungkol sa nagbalik na ugnayan nila kay Vivian.

            Gasgas na kwento ng pag-aagawan sa lalaki ang pelikulang “The Bride and the Lover” na nilagyan ng magkahalong drama at pagpapatawa. Mahusay ang pag-arte ng mga nagsiganap lalo na si Poe at mga suportang artista.  Komportable sa mga eksena ng pagtatalik sina Poe, Mercado at Avelino. Gayundin ang nakakalibang na palitan ng mga linya lalo na ang voice over nina Poe at Mercado habang nagpapambuno bago matapos ang pelikula. Mainam ang ginawang motibasyon ng director sa pagpapalabas ng emosyon na hinihingi ng eksena. Naging maingat ang kuha ng camera sa madalas na mga maseselang eksena ng pagtatalik. Subalit kapuna-puna na may kahabaan ang mga eksenang sex na di naman kailangan. Maganda ang disenyo ng produksyon. Nakalilibang ang pagpapakita ng detalye ng mga okasyon tulad ng kasalan, mga tampok na parte at pag-aayos ng marangyang bahay, at mga tagpo sa mundo ng korporasyon. Tama lamang ang ginamit na ilaw at paglalapat ng tunog at musika. Nakatulong ito sa mga transisyon ng seryosong drama at patawa. Sa kabuuan ay kinakitaan ng pagsisikap ang produksyon na ayusin ang ibang teknikal na aspeto ng pelikula.

            Nakababahala ang mga isyung moral na tinalakay sa pelikula.  Ang seremonya ng kasal na sagrado at seryosong yugto sa buhay ng isang tao ay hindi iginalang. Kaydali itong talikuran, hilingin, iskandaluhin, muling talikuran na parang walang leksyon na natutunan. Pinakita sa pelikula na kung paano paglaruan ang mga damdamin. Parang mga walang isip na nakikipag-sex dahil gustong bigyang laya ang nararamdaman may pag-ibig man o wala. Kaswal lang ang paggamit ng droga o 'ecstasy' kahit alam nila ang dulot nito sa kanila na pwede silang mawala sa sarili. Sa kabila ng iskandalo ay parang balewala lang na magsama nang walang kasal ang mga kasangkot at di man lang kinumusta ang taong nasaktan nila.  Pawang mga propesyonal ang mga tauhan sa kuwento pero di ginamit ang mga isip para maging responsable sa mga kilos nila at itaas ang dignidad.  Kung yayakapin ng isang tao ang pagbabago, mainam na tungo ito sa pagtutuwid at lalong pagbibigay dignidad sa sarili, pero sa kaso ng tauhan ni Vivian sa pelikula ay naging matatag nga siya sa pagharap sa buhay pero naging mapaghiganti, mapaglaro at higit sa lahat naging parang bayarang babae na nakikipag-sex sa sinumang matipuhan niya.  Naging napakahirap ang magpatawad sa mga nagkamali at halos mabalewala na ang paghingi ng tawad. Sa bandang huli ay mananaig ng tatag ng pagkakaibigan subalit saglit lamang ito at tila kailangan lang tapusin ang istorya sa ganitong tagpo. Ang mas mahabang bahagi ng pelikula ay nagpapakita ng kaswal na pakikipagtalik, droga, paglalaro ng damdamin, paglilihim, paghihiganti gamit ang negosyo, at may agaw-eksena pang pagnanasa ng bakla sa kapwa lalaki. May maliit na eksena ng pagbibigay payo ng magulang pero di naman sinusunod ng mga anak.  Kung may aral man na inihahain ang pelikula ito ay hinog na isipan lamang ang makakakita. 

Vamps

LEAD CAST:  Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Stevens, Wallace   SCREENWRITER:  Amy Heckerling  PRODUCER:  Lauren Versel, Molly Hassell, Stuart Cornfeld, Maria Teresa Arida, Adam Brightman  EDITOR:  Debra Chiate  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  David Kitay  GENRE:  Comedy, Romance, Horror RUNNING TIME:  92 minutes  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Tim Suhrstedt  DISTRIBUTOR:   Anchor Bay Films  LOCATION:  US

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  2.5

CINEMA rating:  V14

MTRCB rating:  R 13

The success of Twilight and other vampire films reveals our fascination with the undead and there is no sign of it stopping. The latest is simply called Vamps starring Alicia Silverstone (Goody) and Krysten Ritter (Stacy) as modern-day vampires in New York City. Goody and Stacy prefer to call themselves ELFs (Eternal Life Form) instead of vampires and have sworn off human blood with their ELF help group “Sanguines Anonymous” who survive on the blood of animals, particularly rodents.  The BFFs “are addicted to the night life, clubbing, and always looking for the next thrill, all the while keeping their big secret. But even with lifetimes of dating experience behind them, the duo realizes they still have a lot to learn about love.” Stacy falls in love with Joey (Dan Stevens), the son of a vampire hunter, Dr. Van Helsing (Wallace Shawn), and Goody runs into the man of her dreams, Danny (Richard Lewis), from the 60s. “With their destinies at stake, the girls are faced with a difficult choice; give up their eternal youth for a chance at love, or continue to live their uncomplicated fabulously single lives forever.”

Vamps reunites Alicia Silverstone with director Amy Heckerling both of Clueless fame and boasts of a finely assembled cast. You realize from the outset that this is not your usual vampire story of horror and drama. Neither is it just a chick flick or rom com movie. While most vampire movies main focus is on humans, Heckerling succeeds in presenting vampires as creatures who have supernatural powers and yet need to face the challenges of the 21^st century. There are funny and charming moments, and the film explores current issues like aging, keeping up with the times and trends, loneliness and dependence on technology. Through Goody, she chides us for using Facebook, Twitter, SMS and texting instead of talking to each other, but says it in a tone that shows the film is out of touch as the 19^th century vampire.

Though vampires remain eternally young, Vamps succumbs to the cult of youth and beauty. Goody hides her real age to Stacy to keep their friendship, and she also wants to appear young and attractive forever, revealing woman’s fear of old age. Heckerling tries to make it Vamps in the City (cute and charming) but doesn’t quite succeed, despite the lead actors and supporting cast. It sometimes appears as a TV sitcom with cheap sets and uninspired lines. In trying to appeal both to teenagers and Cher’s contemporaries in Clueless, Heckerling’s recent opus ends up an adequate but forgettable movie.

The violence here is mostly comical and there are some sexual references and strong language, plus some intimate scenes. Hence CINEMA gives this movie an V14 rating.

Spiders

Lead cast: William Hope, Christa Campbell, Patrick Muldoon, Sydney Sweeney; Direction: Tibor Takas; Screenplay: Joseph Farragia, Tibor Takas, Boaz Davidson; Running Time: 89 minutes; Location: New York; Genre: Sci-fi/thriller

Technical Assessment:  2.5

Moral Assessment:   3

CINEMA Rating:  V14

MTRCB Rating:  PG13

In a usual busy day in New York, a piece of Russian spacecraft crashes into the subway tunnel putting into halt the rush hour operations.  Transit supervisor Jason Cole (Patrick Muldoon) and his team work to put the train back on track until one of the transit employees mysteriously dies supposedly of electrocution. As Cole investigates further, the government teams up with a Russian scientist to recover the queen spider egg that came with the spacecraft. Apparently, the Russians developed a military weapon by cultivating mutant indestructible spiders that grow up to 60 feet long. Overnight, the spiders mutate and become giant creatures destroying the city while the US military unleash a deadly virus story to cover up their intentions of gaining control of the queen spider. While all of these are happening Jason and his estranged wife Rachel (Christa Campbell) fight their way to rescue their 12 year old daughter and rekindle their love for each other.                                                                                         

There are many things wrong with this movie. First, it starts off interestingly until the real plot unfolds and everything falls apart because audiences discover the very thin plot jammed between very poor performances. The storyline is too cliché and predictable. The protagonists are irritating with Muldoon's cardboard acting and Campbell's constant wailing. While the improved and modern effects give the movie a sense of realism and the surprisingly well-crafted scoring make viewers believe the film is engrossing, it still falls short of being entertaining after the first 10 minutes. Sadly, it tries to add drama and empathy to the father-daughter and husband-wife relationships but these are delivered too poorly to be appreciated.

The biggest saving grace of Spiders is its efforts to show how the worst of situations bring out the best in people. Jason and Rachel's love for their daughter and of each other taught them to set aside their professional and personal conflicts and work together to survive. There is a very subtle hint of keeping the marriage intact and valuing the family above everything. If only the movie was better presented then these messages could have had the desired impact. However, several scenes that are too violent, gory and unsuitable for very young children will be better remembered than the underlying message. Hence, CINEMA thinks Spiders is for older bored young adults.

Oblivion

Cast: Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Morgan Freeman, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Melissa Leo  Director: Joseph Kosinski  Screenplay: Joseph Kosinski and Karl Gajdusek and Michael Arndt  Cinematography: Claudio Miranda  Music:  Anthony Gonzalez, M.8.3  U. S. Distributor:  Universal Pictures  Genre: Science fiction/action  Running Length:  126 minutes

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral assessment:  2.5

CINEMA rating:   V  18

MTRCB rating:  PG 13

It is Year 2077.   Sixty years ago, evil invaders called “Scavengers” destroyed the moon and attempted to capture Earth.   Mankind fought off the aggressors but Earth was left uninhabitable due to the moon’s fragmentation and worldwide combat.  Now humans are still being evacuated to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, and they await their turn to depart while on board a spacecraft that hovers just above Earth’s atmosphere.   Trained technician Jack (Tom Cruise) and a navigator, Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) have been dispatched to supervise the operations of the machines that continue to harvest what is left of Earth’s natural resources, particularly the water from its oceans, for use of the people living on Titan.  Jack and Victoria are professionally and romantically linked, but Jack is disturbed by the image of a beautiful woman recurring in his dreams.  The couple’s idyllic partnership is given an unexpected twist when the beautiful woman in Jack’s dreams turns up to be a real person, Julia (Olga Kurylenko), whom Jack finds in a hypersleep chamber crash-landing from an unknown spaceship.

Sweeping vistas of outer space, fabulous machines and dwellings that could only exist in one’s fantasies seem to be the strongest attractions of Oblivion.  Through this impeccably created eye candy the viewer’s mind is teased into suspending disbelief to get carried away by the plot.  But, alas, the plot lacks the viscosity to sustain the viewer’s interest, much less to mesmerize him into embracing Oblivion as a probability in the not-so-distant future.   Oblivion’s ambitious story telling, evocative of Cloud Atlas though not as grand, is supported by the strong presence of Morgan Freeman as Beech, the chief of the guerilla freedom fighters.  Freeman, as usual, delivers, and Cruise seems to sincerely believe in his character; that’s just about the nicest thing to be said about the acting.  Other technical aspects are as “okay” as “okay” goes.

Oblivion attempts to delve into the question of identity (the relationship between physical and spiritual identities in particular) but abandons the question to pose some more—much like a toddler who, growing impatient with a toy, distracts himself with other toys.  Pursuing this analogy, Oblivion strikes the viewer as something like building a spaceship with Lego blocks.  Good sci-fi is coherent and logical despite a bold hypothesis; it connects its elements until they all click into place, revealing the creation, albeit a Lego spaceship, as a masterpiece.  Oblivion does not “click.”

The film offers enough to appeal to teenagers but because CINEMA believes movies are not just supposed to be eye candy or dubious entertainment, Oblivion is given a V 18 rating.  Due to the nature of the movie’s theme, mature viewers may still winnow something worth a thought from the loosely glued elements.