Interesting tidbits about Papa Francisco, the movie

Last January, Pope Francis, the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, visited the country,  and inspired us with his warm, sincere, and jolly persona as he spoke of the gospel and God’s love for the world. 

Keeping the light and love that "Lolo Kiko" left in the Philippines, the movie entitled “Papa Francisco: The Pope Francis Story” further brings the Pope closer to the nation as the movie takes us back to his  younger days in Argentina until the time he was elected as Pope.  The movie, also known in other territories as “Francis: Pray For Me” is based on the book “Pope Francis: Life and Revolution” by Elisabetta Piqué, a close friend of the Pope and a correspondent in Italy and the Vatican for La Nación, Argentina’s main newspaper, since 1999.  

Pique’s book has been hailed in Argentina as the most complete and up-to-date portrait of the pope.  The movie “Papa Francisco: The Pope Francis Story”  brings us far back in Buenos Aires when as a teenager, Pope Francis quietly discovered his religious calling, little did he know that this was the first step that would eventually lead him to the Vatican.  The movie then takes on the perspective of young Spanish journalist Ana (played by Silva Abascal) who met Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Dario Grandinetti taking on the titular role) at the papal conclave of 2005.  It is here that they started a friendship  that would be imbued with the same warmth, good mood and wisdom with which the future Pope will astonish both believers and non-believers. 

It is through Ana’s eyes that the audience will follow the long, hard and touching story of Jorge Bergoglio.  Father Jorge, as he has always wished to be called, used his position as the archbishop of Buenos Aires as a means to challenge the corruption and abuse of the government dictatorship.  Ana was there to see his toughest battles when he gave a voice to those who had none, the victims of prostitution, slavery and drug trafficking within the many shanty towns.  Their story comes full circle at the conclave of 2013 when a Jesuit priest coming from South America is elected on the fifth papal ballot as Pope.  The son of humble Italian immigrants, he chooses Francis as his Papal name partly in honor of his Grandmother for she impressed upon him the biblical values of Saint Francis of Assissi when he was a young boy.  The name Francis perfectly summarizes the life of Father Jorge.  He is a man who placed the Gospel’s message of helping the needy at the heart of his pastoral work.

Award-winning writer-director and actors abound in “Papa Francisco: The Pope Francis Story” -  directed by Beda Docampo Feijoo who won Best Screenplay in the Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards for his work in the movie “El Marido Perfecto” in 1993 with Juan Bautista Stagnaro with acclaimed actors Dario Grandinetti in the titular Pope Francis role who won an International Emmy Award for Best Actor in 2012 and Silvia Abascal who was awarded Best Actress in Toulouse Cinespana and Malaga Spanish Film Festivals.

 Pioneer Films brings local audiences the story of the Pope who fearlessly fought against poverty and corruption amidst overwhelming odds in “Papa Francisco: The Pope Francis Story.”

Heneral Luna

DIRECTOR: Jerrold Tarog  LEAD CAST:  John Arcilla, Mon Confiado, Mylene Dizon, Epi Quizon, Paulo Avelino, Bing Pimentel, Arron Villaflor  SCREENWRITER:  E.A. Rocha, Henry Hunt Francia, Jerrold Tarog  Cinematographer: Pong Ignacio  PRODUCER:  E.A. Rocha  EDITOR:  Jerrold Tarog  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Jerrold Tarog  GENRE:  Biopic, historical action   DISTRIBUTOR:  Quantum Films  LOCATION:  Philippines

Technical assessment: 4

Moral assessment: 3

CINEMA rating: V14

Bagama’t nasa Pilipinas na ang mga Amerikano noon, hindi pa rin malimi ng bagitong gobyerno ng Pilipinas ang tunay na motibo ng mga Kano.  Si Heneral Antonio Luna (John Arcilla), ang namumuno ng puwersa militar ng Pilipinas at tagapayo ng Pangulong Emilio Aguinaldo (Mon Confiado), ay walang tiwala sa mga Amerikano.  Sa ganang kanya, dapat unahan ang mga Amerikano, tirahin na ang mga ito bago pa lumawak at humigpit ang kapit nito sa bansa—ngunit hindi sasang-ayon sa kanyang pananaw ang ilang miyembro ng kabinete, lalo na yaong mga interesadong makipagnegosyo sa mga Amerikano.  Mangyayari ang nakikinita ni Heneral Luna—digmaan sa pagitan ng mga Philipino at mga puting dayuhan.  Maninindigan si Luna sa gitna ng gulo at sa kabila ng pagiging pasaway ng ilang tauhan sa militar.

Kahanga-hanga ang pagpili ng mga nagsiganap sa Heneral Luna, hindi lamang dahil sa matalino at taos-pusong pagganap ng mga ito kungdi pati na rin sa kanilang mga anyo.  Sapagka’t kamukhang-kamukha ng mga pangunahing aktor ang mga tauhang kanilang ginagampanan, lumalabas na buhay at makatotohanan ang pelikula.  (Ano kaya ang naging resulta kung ang napiling Luna ay si Richard Gomez, Aguinaldo ay si John Lloyd Cruz, at Mabini ay si Alden Richard?  Baka naman naging masayang zarzuela ito.)  Salamat sa direksiyon ni Jerrold Tarog, kapani-paniwala din ang mga eksena ng paglalabanan; nakadagdag din sa  pagka-makatotohanan ng Heneral Luna ang pagkakaroon ng tila mga tunay na “kano.”  Wala nang pupunahing pagkukulang ang CINEMA sa ibang  technical aspects ng Heneral Luna, bawa’t aspeto ay may kanya-kanyang ambag sa maayos na kabuuan ng pelikula.

Kadalasan, kapag ang isang pelikula ay tungkol sa kasaysayan—sa ibang bansa man o dito sa Pilipinas—sinisikap nitong maging mapitagan.  Ang mga “bida” ay ipinakikita bilang mga bayani—magigiting, halos hindi mo makikitaan ng mga kahinaan ng karaniwang tao.  At ang mga pangyayaring isinasalarawan ay pawang mahahalaga sa buhay ng bida at sa pagsulong ng kasaysayan.  Kahit na nga maaaring magbigay-inspirasyon ang kanilang kuwento, minsan ay nakapangliliit din naman ito, lalu na’t kung iisipin natin ang tila lampas-tao nang tapang, giting, at kadakilaan ng bayani.  Dito naiiba ang Heneral Luna.  Ang Antonio Luna ni Arcilla at Tarog ay pinaghalong kagitingan at kabaliwan, kaya taong-tao.  Sa digmaan, walang takot; bilang anak ng Inang Bayan, iaalay ang buhay; kasama ng mga kawal, nambubulyaw, nambabatok, nagmumura, humahalakhak; sa piling ng sinisintang babae, naglalaho ang bangis.  (Hindi mapigilan ng CINEMA ang magtaka: uso na ba ang “P…… i….” noong panahong iyon?  Hindi ba’t sa wikang Kastila pa ang pagmumura, tulad ng “Hijo de p….”?  Naitatanong lang po).

Sa kabila ng mumunting daplis ng pelikula, nagtagumpay ang maningning na pagdidirihe ni Tarog na isalarawan ang dalawang mukha ng kasaysayan: katawa-tawang komedya at walang kapararakang trahedya.  Maraming ipinupunlang katanungan ang Heneral Luna sa isip ng manunood:  Sino bang talaga ang nagpapatay kay Heneral Luna?  Gaano katapat ang pelikula sa katotohanan sa likod ng mga pangyayari sa kasaysayan?  Bakit nasabi ni Heneral Luna na ang ating pinakamasahol na kaaway ay hindi ang mga banyaga kungdi ang ating sarili?  Di kaya ang hamon ni Heneral Luna sa mga namumuno noon—“Bayan o sarili?”  “Negosyo o kalayaan?”—ay hamon din ng Heneral Luna sa mga namumuno ngayon sa Pilipinas? 

Bagama’t itinuturing nating isang “demokrasya” ang Pilipinas sa ngayon, hindi maikakaila na tayo ay isang nahahating bayan.  Ang isang bayan na walang pagkakaisa sa puso, diwa, mithiin, at gawa ay madaling magugupo ng mga dayuhang nagnanasa sa kanyang likas na yaman at nagsasamantala sa kanyang kahangalan.  Iminumulat ng Heneral Luna ang mga mata ng makabagong Pilipino upang matutuhan natin ang mga aral ng kasaysayan.  Saan patutungo ang Inang Bayan kung ang tanging katanungan ng mga kabataan sa ngayon tungkol sa Heneral Luna ay “Bakit palaging nakaupo si Mabini?”

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Direction: Wes Ball Cast: Dylan OBrian, Kaya Scodelario, King Ho Lee, Jacob Lofland, Rosa Salazar; Story: James Dashner; Screenplay: TS Nowlin; Cinematography: Gyula Pados; Editing: Dan Zimmerman; Music: John Paesano; Producers: Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, et al ; Genre: Action, Sci-Fi Location: USA; Distributor: 20th Century Fox; Running Time: 136 minutes  

Technical assessment: 3 stars

Moral assessment : 3  or 2.5

CINEMA rating : V14

After Thomas (O’Brian) and friends escape the BLADE, they find themselves in the seeming safety and comfort of the WCKED facilities as they learn that they have been part of the experiment conducted after the outbreak of the Flare virus. They are fed, given clean clothes, led to comfortable quarters and introduced to other Maze survivors. All seems well at first until Teresa (Scodelario) is separated from the group and Aris (Lofland), the first Maze survivor, reveals to Thomas the experiments being done on the immune survivors to find a cure against the Flare virus. Thomas persuades his friends to escape the facilities and face endless challenges from the Cranks to WCKED security. They meet Brenda (Salazar) and Jorge, leaders of an underground group of survivors who help them find the Right Arm, another resistance group of survivors and former Mazers. However, Teresa, who believes that a cure must be found for the Flare virus regardless of the means, betrays her friends and reveals their location to WCKED. A fight ensues leading to the capture of several survivors and his friends prompting Thomas to plan an attack on WCKED.

You cannot fault SCORCH TRIALS for its action and entertainment value but it does not necessarily mean it is a good movie adaptation or a better sequel. While audiences are kept at the edge of their seats with the endless chase scenes, when everything mellows, there seems not much of a storyline or character development. There are high points in the movie—a solid performance from the main cast, believable production design that takes us to another place, and cool effects that keep our hearts racing. But bestselling as the novel is, the movie offers nothing new. Dystopian societies, zombie virus, cold hearted leaders who have no moral qualms disrespecting life to achieve a noble end have been seen in so many movies and done in much better ways. Overall, it’s a good watch for fans of the novel and the first movie who will forgive its weaknesses.

Does the end justify the means? This cliché is easier said than done because when faced with the choice of defending someone’s rights against your personal gain, the latter will take precedence. But such choice is sugar coated as a necessary evil and passed on as collateral damage. Scorch Trials show us a situation where human life is devalued for the sake preservation. Our children are not to be experimented on—physically, emotionally or psychologically. But every time we throw them in situations where they are forced to helplessly defend themselves as we abandon their dignity and watch in amusement, we do exactly as the doctors in WCKED.

Everest

DIRECTOR:  Baltasar Kormakur  LEAD CAST: Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Emily Watson, Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Jake Gyllenhaal  SCREENWRITER: William Nicholson & Simon Beaufoy  PRODUCER:  Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner  EDITOR: Mick Audsley  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Dario Marianelli  GENRE: Adventure/Drama/Thriller  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Salvatore Totino  DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures  LOCATION:  UK, USA, Iceland  RUNNING TIME:  121 minutes

Technical assessment: 3.5

Moral assessment:  3.5

CINEMA rating: V14

          A story based on what actually transpired in 1996 expedition which claimed the lives of eight mountain climbers, Everest backs up that information as it presents two rival teams, led by Rob (Jason Clark) and Scott (Jake Gyllenhaal), who attempt to reach the top of the world's highest mountain—Mt. Everest. Their caliber is challenged by the hostile environment of the mountain: the snowslides, the missing guide posts, the zero visibility and worst of all, the raging snowstorms which swoop down the climbers as they are nearing the peak of the mountain and back again on their way down. 

            Everest is based on a true story involving seasoned climbers who met their respective fate while climbing Mt. Everest. At the level of information, the film has successfully portrayed the events on that fateful mountain trek, but it falls short of capturing the level of emotions to inject  drama or excitement to the film.  For instance, the scene of reaching the summit is not given much weight to convey the climbers’ jubilation and great relief after all the hardships overcome.  (Or is the film saying that the mountaineers were just too weary and breathless to celebrate?)  Nevertheless, efforts are seen in acting and characterization particularly that of Brolin and Gyllenhaal.  The constant use of close-up shots captures details and helps in carrying out the theme of individual struggle and survival. The production design is commendable and provides a credible picture of the freezing trek and camp sites.  Except for minor gray areas in the plot development, the film is educational and has very good technical qualities, especially the cinematography which does justice to the awe-inspiring scenery—the magnificent mountains against which man appears insignificant, like ants.

             Everest depicts positive values that movie viewers can reflect on.  More than climbing the earth’s highest mountain, the film is about individual dreams, personal satisfaction, family, teamwork, heroism, and sacrifice. Mountain climbers (whether amateur or professional) find a different sense of joy and self-actualization in pursuing this perilous activity.  For them conquering every peak means realizing a dream not only for themselves but also for their families and loved ones.  The film shows the family as inspiration and motivation for a person to keep going despite life’s adversaries and difficult situations, while the families are supportive of the climbers, too. Regardless of their religious beliefs, the climbers observed tradition by offering prayers at the temple and entrusted their activity to the supreme spirit.  Also, in spite of the competition between the two accredited guides, they are able to work as a team when called for to save and protect lives.  Leaders are not afraid to sacrifice and set aside the self in helping others.  In real life, the heroic acts of Rob Hall and company are remembered and are now part of the history of the world’s highest peak.

  

Ex with benefits

DIRECTOR:  Gino M. Santos  LEAD CAST:  Derek Ramsey, Colleen Garcia, Meg Imperial, Carmi Martin  SCREENPLAY: Jeff Stelton, based on a novel by RUTH MENDOZA  GENRE: drama, romance  PRODUCERS:  ABS-CBN Productions, Star Cinema, Viva Films COUNTRY: Philippines 

Technical assessment: 2.5

Moral assessment: 2:5

CINEMA rating:  V18

MTRCB rating:  R13  

            Magkaklase sa medical school sila Adam (Derek Ramsey) at Arki (Colleen Garcia)—at magkasintahan din na magkakahiwalay nang may samaan ng loob.  Makaraan ang sampung taon, isa nang nangungunang “sports doctor” si Adam, at susulpot muli sa buhay niya si Arki, na isa namang nagungunang medical representative o “med rep.”   Batid ng marami na nakarating sa tuktok si Arki pagka’t kasama ang kanyang katawan sa ibinebenta niyang mga gamot—sa pagbubulung-bulungan ng iba, isa siyang “buy one, take one.”  Aasahan si Arki ng kanyang boss (Carmi Martin) na makamtan ang endorsement ni Adam para sa bago nilang produktong pain killer.  Pagkat may gusto pa si Adam kay Arki, at may kailangan naman si Arki sa doctor, may mamamagitan sa dalawa.  Sisikapin ni Arki na gawing “trabaho lang at walang personalan” ang kanilang pagkakalapit, ngunit hindi rin maikakaila ng babae ng may pagtatangi pa rin siya kay Adam.

            Isa-isang-tabi na lamang natin ang sound, lighting, music, cinematography, at iba pang mga technical aspects ng pelikula, na karaniwan lamang naman para sa ganitong genre.  Higit pa sa kahalagahan ng mga aspetong ito ng Ex with benefits ay ang “pagdadala” nito sa tema ng pelikula.   Ano ba ang hangarin ng pelikula o ng direktor sa ginawa nitong pagtalakay sa kuwento?  Ang itinatampok sa advertising posters nito ay ang masasayang eksena ng magsing-irog—bagay na aakalain ng manonood na isang romantic comedy ang pelikula.  Sa pagsasalarawan ng pelikula sa sexual intimacies ng pangunahing tambalan, may mga nilabag itong “ethical and moral boundaries” na hindi nito pinagmalasakitang ipaliwanag.  Kaya nga ba’t trailer pa lamang nito ay umani na ng galit ng ilang “med reps”.   Tanong nila: “Ano na lamang ang sasabihin ng aming mga kaibigan—na ganyan pala ang ginagawa namin makabenta lamang?  Kawawa yung may mga asawang med reps na pagdududahan ng asawa nila dahil sa pelikulang iyan!”

            May ilalahad sa hulihang bahagi ng pelikula upang bigyan ng “bigat” ang kuwento, ngunit hindi ito magiging kapani-paniwala pagkat hindi ito naging sapat upang maging balanse ang pelikula.  Para lamang itong idinagdag para pahiramin ng kaunting moralidad ang kuwento pagkat kahit ang pagganap ni Ramsey at Garcia sa bahaging ito—kung ikokompara sa maiinit nilang pagganap sa mga tagpo ng pagtatalik—ay matabang, mahaba ngunit mababaw, at walang puwersang pumukaw sa damdamin ng manonood.  Sa katunayan, tila baga dumarami ang nanonood sa Ex with benefits sa pag-asang umaatikabong bakbakan sa kama ang itatambad ng pinalakang tabing.  Pinili ng pelikula na talakayin ang isang napakamaselang bagay—ang katapatan sa propesyon—ngunit hindi nito nakayang bigyang-katarungan iyon.  Bagkus nailagay pa nito sa alanganin ang trabaho ng mga “med reps”, ang kredibilidad ng mga doktor, at ang tuntunin ng mga pharmaceutical companies. 

We are your friends

DIRECTOR: Max Joseph LEAD CAST:  Zac Efron, Wes Bently, Emily Ratajkowski  SCREENWRITER: Max Joseph/Meaghan Oppenheimer  PRODUCER:  Tim Bevan , Eric Fellner , Liza Chasin  EDITOR: Terel Gibson, Oliver Courson & company  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Randall Poster  GENRE: music/drama  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Bret Pawlak  DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. Pictures  LOCATION:  USA  RUNNING TIME: 95 mins

Technical assessment:  2.5

Moral assessment: 2

MTRCB rating:  R16

CINEMA rating: V18

            23-year-old Cole Carter (Zac Efron) dreams of becoming a big time disc jockey to live out his passion and use his talents in electronic music mix.  He hangs out with his friends; Ollie (Shiloh Fernandez), Squirrel (Alex Shaffer), and Dustin (Johnny Weston) who also have their respective dreams in life. The four of them work part time in a realty funding recovery business to earn and save up money to realize their dreams.  While pursuing his niche in electronic music, Cole meets seasoned DJ James Reed (Wes Bently) who believes in his talents  and generously shares his resources to Cole.  During mentorship between the two musicians, Cole meets Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski), the assistant cum girlfriend of James and gets attracted to her who in turn also gets attracted to him.  Expectedly, James gets appalled at discovering what Cole and Sophie are doing behind his back.  Realizing the results of his action, Cole wants to make amends with James. He consoles himself in the company of his friends who give their usual support to him.

            We are your friends  is about passion for music of a struggling young musician, not necessarily about friendship as the title implies. The sub plots relating to friendship theme seems to complicate the plot which could have been predictable given the focus in the character of Cole.  It also fails to highlight each of the character of the friends.  There is much to be desired in the editing as some of the scenes are unnecessary and prolonging.  The lighting is not maximized to further convey emotions.  Nevertheless, meaningful lines and scenes with reference to the details in the art of electronic music and sensational effects to body movements are informative and serve as saving grace of the film.  Likewise, the actors did well in their portrayals to the credit of the director.   The sound effects particularly on the portion of composing the desired music piece of Cole adds value to the music theme of the film. The production design is also commendable.

            The film says that dreams and friends are important for young people who need friends to hang around with in reaching out for their dreams. It is equally important that as a dreamer, a young person finds an inspiration, friend, and mentor who believes in his talents and shares his same passion.  It is unfortunate to lose such a mentor due to weaknesses like sexual attraction.  In We are your friends, woman is shown as an object of man’s weakness in this film, constantly and vividly shown in suggestive sensual shots to stimulate the male imagination. The film shows how a person at fault can be sincerely sorry and exert efforts to make amends.  Despite the amendments, however, the entire run of the film is somehow disturbing.  It fails to provide background of the characters that could have helped the audience in understanding them, especially since the film has no reference to the family.  Western culture notwithstanding, there is still value in the moral support of the family especially in areas like pursuing one’s dreams.  The environment of alcohol, fights, drugs, vulgar language, and the overall theme of the film make it fit only for a mature adult audience. 

Pixels

DIRECTOR: Chris Columbus  LEAD CAST: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Brian Cox, Ashley Benson, Jane Krakowski  CINEMATOGRAPHY: Amir Mokri  STORY: Tim Herlihy  BASED ON: Pixels a short film by Patrick Jean   SCREENPLAY: Tim Herlihy, Timothy Dowling  MUSIC: Henry Jackman  GENRE: Science fiction action comedy  EDITOR: Hughes Winborne  PRODUCER: Adam Sandler, Chris Columbus, Allen Covert, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan  COMPANIES: Happy Madison Productions, 1492 Pictures  DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia Pictures  LOCATION: United States  LANGUAGE: English RUNNING TIME:  105 minutes

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  2.5

CINEMA rating: PG 13 

MTRCB rating:  PG                              
In 1982, NASA launches a time capsule into outer space containing images and footage of Earth life in the hopes of establishing peaceful communication with extraterrestrial life. The video contained a footage of the worldwide video arcade championship. The aliens apparently misinterpreted the enclosed video feed  as a declaration of war and a challenge from Earth. So they attack the Earth using the games as models for their various assaults including Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Space Invaders, Arkanoid and Tetris. Their technology creates voxels (small cubes) that change form and are capable of turning any form of matter into more of itself.  President Will Cooper (Kevin James) calls upon his best friend since childhood, former video game professional and 2^nd placer in 1982 video game championship Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) to combat the video game characters from destroying the Earth. Brenner decides to lead a team of retrogamers Eddie Plant (Peter Dinklage) and Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad) to defeat the aliens with technology similar to those used in games. Will they succeed in this literal war against technology?

The film is supposedly a witty take on Earth’s war against technology but it never quite succeeds in developing this interesting premise. Perhaps the genre gets in the way. The film is clearly a comedy so it’s not supposed to take things seriously. Adam Sandler’s persona perhaps also gets in the way since he is just himself in the film. Pixels is a film about nerds and Sandler is supposed to be one but he fails to deliver being in the lead. The supporting cast’s energy is not able to save Sandler’s apparently lazy performance. The initial part of the movie is able to depict successfully the 1980’s video arcade scenario which serves as a back story to the present day conflict with the aliens posing as video game characters. However, as the film loses its focus as it goes back to the usual Adam Sandler formula of romantic comedy. The romance in the film is never justified or explored—it is just there to serve a purpose inessential to the whole story. The motivations of the characters as well are not compelling enough to merit interesting plot. There are funny moments here and there but not enough meat for the audience to chew on. Pixels could have been an intelligent film but the producers are perhaps too afraid to even try. The CGI is apparently wasted given the laziness of the filmmakers to explore on the story further.

Pixels’ premise on the literal war of humans against technology could have been a good argument on the debates as regards morality of modern technology. As humans continue to create technology both for the purpose of convenience and leisure, will there ever come a time when this same technology will be the cause of human destruction?  While the film fails to heat up the debate as it confuses technology with aliens and extra terrestrials, it is still a question worth pondering on. The film portrays various stereotypes, i.e. drinking alcohol as a harmless form of escape, the objectification of women as men’s trophies and sexual fantasies, highly intelligent persons as nerds, etc. CINEMA resists and questions such stereotyping that further creates erroneous representations of reality. Although Pixels has attempted to uplift the image of the “nerds”, its lack of sincerity is not able to deliver the supposed message well.  Given some scenes of violence, use of foul language, and some sexual insinuations, the parents should guide the young impressionable minds of audiences 13 years and below.  

The Gift

DIRECTOR: Joel Edgerton  LEAD CAST:  Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton  SCREENWRITER:  Joel Edgerton PRODUCER:  Jason Blum, Joel Edgerton, Rebecca Yeldham  EDITOR:  Luke Doolan  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans  GENRE:  Mystery thriller  CINEMATOGRAPHER: Edward Grau  DISTRIBUTOR:  STX Entertainment LOCATION:  United States RUNNING TIME: 108 minutes

Technical assessment: 4

Moral assessment: 2

CINEMA rating: V14

MTRCB rating: R13

A nice house in an upscale Southern California neighborhood signifies a fresh start for the marriage of former Chicago residents Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall): he for a step up in his career ladder and she with an eye towards motherhood.  Their newfound bliss is threatened by the emergence of a character from Simon’s past, a classmate named Gordo (Joel Edgerton) who intends to reestablish connection with Simon who in turn hardly remembers him.  Despite the subtle snub Gordo persists, and like a welcoming neighbor leaves little gifts at the couple’s doorsteps until he becomes a virtual part of their lives.  Simon bristles at Gordo’s annoying presence but Robyn thinks he is harmless. 

The Gift is Edgerton’s project, his directorial debut for a feature; and he also writes the screen play besides playing a major role in it.  Outside of Edgerton’s skill at being a first-time helmsman, the film’s main strength is the plot which unfolds as a forceful real-life drama among characters who are so real they could very well be your neighbors.  The finesse with which Edgerton dovetails the cast’s razor-sharp acting with the story’s twists and turns proves that a low-budget, slow-burn thriller can be a compelling stand-out in a marketplace filled with the razzle-dazzle of fantabulous superhero movies and slick spy flicks.  Edgerton shows promise as a director, unveiling shades of the suspense master Hitchcock through his adeptness at tweaking the audience’s expectations into unpredictable directions.

While The Gift banks on edge-of-the-seat elements to sustain audience interest, the director’s propensity for startling and unnerving the viewer must not daunt us into accepting the film as mere atmospheric cinema.  The Gift flaunts its ambiguities, and Edgerton, who takes the material seriously, nonetheless chooses not to take a definitive stance on the moral issues in envelops. Much as CINEMA wants to raise questions or to make clear moral pronouncements on the movie’s conclusion, it cannot do so without uncovering things that must be left under wraps for viewers to discover and ruminate on.  Suffice it to say that The Gift is a powerful tool to spur us to examine the lengths to which human beings would try to numb themselves from the shame of their darkest sins. 

Inside out

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Direction: Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen; Cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Richard Kind, Kaithlyn Dias, Diane Lane Kyle MacMaLachlan; Story and Screenplay: Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen, Meg LeFaueve, Josh Cooley; Production Company: Walt Disney Picture, Pixar Animation Studio; Music: Michael Giacchino; Producers: Jonas Rivera; Genre: Animation;  Location: Minnesota, San Francisco Distributor: Walt Disney Running Time: 102 minutes

Technical assessment:  4

Moral assessment: 4

CINEMA Rating:  V13

MTRCB rating: PG

            The life of 11-year old Riley (Dias), is almost perfect until her father gets a new job in San Francisco and relocates the entire family.  The once happy daughter slowly breaks down with this new episode in her life as she copes to let go of what she has been used to and learns to embrace the sudden changes. And we see all this emotional struggle inside her mind as five personified emotions—Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), Anger (Black), Fear (Hader) and Disgust (Kaling—man the control center of her brains and help develop core memories which in turn fuel personality islands that make up Riley's character.  Inside Riley's mind, Joy desperately attempts to keep the former happy and Sadness out of the way since she does not find her existence useful. During a struggle, Joy and Sadness are accidentally sucked out of the control center of her consciousness and into the deep recesses of Riley's subconscious mind. With Riley already emotionally unstable because of the events in her life and Joy's absence, Fear, Anger and Disgust try hard to regain control. Meanwhile Joy and Sadness, with Riley's long lost imaginary friend, Bingbong, discover each other's purpose in a person's life.

            There is an undeniable genius in Pixar and Disney's attempt to visualize the abstract concepts of emotion, memory and personality. While there had been professional arguments discounting accuracy of the interpretation, Inside Out is foremostly a movie and not a psychological dissertation, so it has license to be more lax in its interpretation of scientific concepts.  That being said, CINEMA can name four main reasons why it is a film that deserves its own niche in the “movies you should not miss” section: (1) The brilliant story and storytelling, as it clearly shows us Riley's struggle to face a new chapter in her life and brings us along Joy and Sadness’ journey to discover their purpose. As a side trip, we see how the different emotions mature and shape a person. (2) The humor and drama are perfectly balanced, so that a child, a teenager and an adult will be treated to an emotional rollercoaster ride with Riley and the team. (3) The creative amalgamation of truth and fantasy, such that it is able to tread along the world of science with fun, creativity, and functionality as it translates abstract concepts like nightmares, imaginary friend, forgotten and long term memories into something tangible and relatable. (4) The audience leaves with a message that feels made just for him/her. Whether it is the humorous way five emotions have matured inside Daddy or Mommy's heads, or how nightmares are hidden in the recesses of our subconscious and resurrected as nightmares or how part of our childhood fantasy struggles to resurface as we grow up or how an adolescent boy panics at the sight of a girl, or how our external apathy is actually an internal chaos, the movie speaks directly to its audience. And speaks loud and clearly.

There are so many things that could be picked up with Inside Out but we will zero in on two very strong messages. First, a well rounded person has mature emotions that do not control each other but work together to create layers in the personality and respond to the situation in the best possible way. For a while, it seemed that Joy and all her energy and positivity are the only ones needed for Riley to overcome her issues, but it turned out Sadness is not just about feeling down and needy but showing vulnerability and crying for help so that love and support may be felt.  But for an emotion to serve its real purpose, it has to mature and get over the initial automatic response to stimuli. We saw how Mom and Dad, with more mature emotions, do not have Joy commanding the control center. What is more important than staying positive all the time is learning how to harness that positive behavioural response of one’s basic emotions: caution and preparation in fear, assertiveness and identity in anger, sensitivities of values and hygiene in disgust, resilience and perseverance in joy, and love and sympathy and empathy in sadness. Second, the movie shows that to move forward, we must learn to let go of part of ourselves. In the same way that Joy let go of her notion that Sadness does not help fix a situation, or how Riley let go of old memories to make room for new ones. And who can forget that heart- wrenching scene when Bingbong literally let go and allowed himself to fade away so that Joy can move on and save Riley. Love, although not personified as a character, spoke loudly every time someone chose to forget himself/herself for the sake of someone else. Overall, Inside Out is more than a fantastically crafted story—it shares with us a message of knowing and being true to one’s core. Very young children might not fully appreciate its metaphors and symbols, but for older children and adolescents, with proper parental guidance, Inside Out makes a superb textbook for Self-Knowledge 101.

The love affair

--> DIRECTOR:  Nuel C. Naval  LEAD CAST:  Dawn Zulueta, Bea Alonzo,  Richard Gomez, Tom Rodriquez , Tonton Gutierrez  Vanessa R. Valdez  PRODUCER:  Star Cinema  GENRE:  Drama/Romance  DISTRIBUTOR:  ABS-CBN Film Productions

LOCATION: Philippines RUNNING TIME:  125 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3

MTRCB Rating: PG13

CINEMA Rating: Mature viewers 14 and above

            Kasalukuyang nagkakaproblema ang pagsasama ng mag-asawang Vince (Richard Gomez), isang doctor, at Trisha (Dawn Zulueta) na isang businesswoman dahil sa pagkakabisto ni Vince sa pakikipagmabutihan ni Trisha sa bestfriend niyang si Greg (Tonton).  Aaminin ni Trisha na bagama’t nagkakalapit sila ni Greg, wala pang namamagitan sa kanila maliban sa isang halik.  Gayunpaman, hihingi siya ng tawad kay Vince subalit mahihirapan si Vince na patawarin ang asawa at kalimutan ang ginawa nito, pagkat sa kanyang isipan, pagtataksil pa rin ito.  Sa puntong ito ng sama ng loob at paninibugho ni Vince sa asawa aymagkukrus naman ang landas ni Vince at ang dalagang abogado na si Adie (Bea Alonzo). Katulad ni Vince, may pinagdaraanan ding sakit ng kabiguan sa pag-ibig si Adie dahil tinalikuran siya ng kanyang fiancé na si Ryan (Tom Rodriguez). Makakasama  at makukumbinse ni Vince si Adie na makahiligan ang  sailing sport kaya nagkakasama sila tuwing weekend hanggang tuluyang magkalapit at magkamabutihan.  Katulad ng dapat mangyari ay mabibisto ng asawang si Trisha ang nabubuong relasyon sa dalawa. 

            Karaniwang kwento ng problemang may-asawa, pangangalunya, paghahanap ng sarili at pagpapahalaga sa pamilya ang hatid ng The Love Affair.  Subalit naiangat ng director mula sa karaniwang talakay ang kwento dahil sa mga elemento ng tinatawag na power casting, characterization, at pagpapalabas ng emosyon sa mga eksena. Wala pa ring kupas ang chemistry ng tambalang Gomez at Zulueta gayundin ang mga husay nila sa pagganap lalo na si Zulueta. Makahulugan at tumatatak ang palitan ng mga linya. Hindi rin nagpahuli sa kanyang mga eksena at mga linya si Alonzo. Epektibo rin ang ginawang trato ng direktor sa mga malalapit na kuha ng kamera. Tagumpay ang stratehiyang ito na makuha ang simpatiya ng manonood at mataman na sundan ang mga susunod na eksena o pangyayari sa mga tauhan. Medyo nakakainip lang ang pinahabang mga eksena ng paghingi ng tawad na hindi naman maibigay-bigay.  Nagpatagal din ang mga inulit na eksena ng flashback tulad ng inulit na death scene  ng anak nila Vince at Trisha para ipagdiinan ang kasalanan ni Vince sa pagkamatay ng anak. Gayunpaman ay maganda ang disenyo ng produksyon at maayos ang mga transition ng mga indoor at outdoor scenes.

            Mayaman sa mensahe ng pagpapahalaga sa pamilya ang The Love Affair. Ito ay sa kabila ng pinakitang kahinaan ng mga magulang sa harap ng tukso, dahil sa kasunod ng pagbagsak nila sa kanilang mga kahinaan ay ang pagbangon na maitama ang mga pagkakamali at makapagsimulang muli.  Totoong mahirap matanggap ang pagkakamali at makipagpatawaran sa pagitan ng mag-asawa. Mahirap ding ibalik ang nawalang tiwala.  Subalit gaano man kasakit o kasalimuot ang mga naging sitwasyon ay dapat pa rin itong harapin at lapatan ng lunas sa halip na takasan at dagdagan pa ng ibang pagkakamali.  Bagama’t ang tema ng The Love Affair ay pagtataksil ng asawa (sinabi na nga sa pamagat nito), malinaw at matatas ang mensahe ng pelikula: hindi kailanman mabuti o tama ang pakikiapid, nakakasira ito ng buhay, dapat itong iwasan.  Ang mga kaibigan ni Adie na mismo ang nagbababala at pumipigil sa dalaga sa ginagawa nitong pagpatol sa isang may asawa.  Natatangi dito ang karakter ni Feleo na gumanap bilang kaibigan ni Adie.  Naging totoo ito sa pagpapakita ng malasakit at hayagang pagsasalita sa kaibigan upang maimulat lamang ang mga mata nito sa kanyang kahangalan.  Ang pagpapahalaga sa pamilya ay isa pang maliwanag na mensahe ng The Love Affair, mensaheng pinadaan sa mga anak ni Vince at Trisha na sa kabila ng kanilang kabataan buong tatag at tapang na hinarap ang problema at sinikap na makatulong maiayos ang pamilya.  Gawa ng mga maseselang isyung tinatalakay sa The Love Affair, pati na rin ang mga markadong linya at eksena ng pagtatalik, maaring malabis na ito para sa pang-unawa ng mga kabataang may murang isipan.