Your Lie in April

DIRECTOR: TAKEHIKO SHINJO;  LEAD CAST: KENTO YAMAZAKI, SUZU HIROSE, ANNA ISHII, TAISHI NAKAGAWA;  SCREENWRITER: YUKARI TATSUI  (ORIGINAL STORY BY NAOSHI ARAKAWA);  MUSIC: MASARU YAKAYAMA; PRODUCER: JUICHI EUHARA, KASUMI YAO;   GENRE: TEEN ROMANCE, MUSIC, MANGA COMIC STORY;  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  MITSURU KOMIYAMA;  DISTRIBUTOR: TOHO;  LANGUAGE: JAPANESE (WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES) LOCATION:  JAPAN;  RUNNING TIME:   122 minutes

Technical assessment: 3.5

Moral assessment: 3

CINEMA rating: V14

Since his mother’s death when he was a young boy, piano prodigy Kousei Arima (Kento Yamazaki) has refused to play the piano.  Blaming himself for the death of his mother’s who was his mercilessly strict piano teacher, he is consumed with guilt, and claims he has lost his ability to hear his playing in spite of his otherwise perfect sense of hearing.  He continues school, maintaining his friendship with childhood friends Tsubaki (Anna Ishii) and Watari (Taishi Nakagawa), but daily retires to his monochromatic, monotonous world, far removed from his glorious past when he was known as a “human metronome” for his exceptional piano playing skills.  One day when the cherry blossoms are in peak bloom, Kaori Miyazono (Suzu Hirose) enters Kousei’s life.  Kaori is a free spirit, and it shows in her verve in playing the violin.  She is entering a violin competition, and wants Kousei to accompany her on the piano.

Known in Japan as “Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso”, Your Lie in April is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa, and has had an anime television series adaptation.  As a full length feature film, it can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the better teen romance films of recent memory, with cinematography that enhances the beauty of the setting without overpowering the plot.  Fresh faces, simple, straightforward dialogue, and seemingly unstudied performances add to the credibility of the story while preventing it from descending into melodrama.  Outstanding are the recitals that focus on the pianist and the violinist.  All throughout the concerts the viewer cannot but believe that the actors themselves are actually playing their instruments onstage, otherwise there is the film editor to thank for the seamless job.

--> Your Lie in April is saying something about obsessive parents who demand perfection and superhuman performance from very young children.  Kousei’s mother may have had his best interest in mind, but circumstances may not always be kind, thus the trauma and psychological imbalance the boy goes through as a result of his mother’s misguided discipline threaten the very future of the child.  But there is hope, the movie shows, and the boy’s recovery also stems from his very trauma—just as certain as spring follows winter.  No spoilers coming; suffice it to say that Kaori the violinist has a secret—she lied in springtime, in April when the landscape is pink with cherry blossoms, a lie that is to be uncovered when the dying blossoms are falling to the ground.

Office Christmas Party

DIRECTOR:  Josh Gordon, Will Speck  LEAD CAST:  Jason Bateman, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, Jennifer Aniston, Kate McKinnon Mary, Courtney Vance, Jillian Bell  SCREENWRITER:  Justin Malen, Laura Solon, Dan Mazer & Jon Lucas, Scott Moore and Timothy Dowling  PRODUCER:   Guymon Casady, Daniel Rappaport, Scott Stuber  EDITOR:   Jeff Groth, Evan Henke  MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Theodore Shapiro  GENRE:  Comedy  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jeff Cutter  DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount Pictures  LOCATION:  Chicago, Illinois; Georgia  RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes

Technical assessment: 3.5

Moral assessment: 2

CINEMA rating: V18

The film tells the story of a struggling branch of an IT company specializing in internet servers.  The branch head Clay (TJ Miller) is the son of the former owner, whose sister Carol (Jennifer Aniston) was made CEO after the death of their father.  Carol is bent on closing the branch for missing its targets, which she arbitrarily set.  The chief technical officer Josh (Jason Bateman) is caught between the two warring siblings as the company tries to set up a Christmas party to impress a potential client (Courtney Vance) who may be able to deliver the account to keep their branch going.

Office Christmas Party delivers the most entertainment with perfect timing. Here the characters and gags rule. Technical elements are good enough; mishaps, even with the storyline, are overshadowed by the ensemble of talented actor-comedians that makes this movie a treat for adults. The office situations, the jokes and running gags can get predictable towards the end but the cast manages to deliver the laughs.  Bateman and Miller perform their lead parts admirably, but it is the supporting cast of characters that makes the movie memorable. Among them Kate Mckinnon as the straitlaced HR head, Randall Park as standard office accountant, Jillian Bell as the soft menacing pimp and Fortune Feimster as a newbie Uber driver. The movie is a jolly ruckus. Credit should go to the directors and the team of six credited screenwriters for making this chaotic world coherent enough to be a crowd pleaser and surprisingly mainstream.

Although the movie does not purport to depict the spirit of Christmas, the use of Christmas as its setting is nevertheless offensive to Christians.  The meaning of Christmas, that of the birth of our Savior, is trivialized in the film. It is commercialized, used as a platform for impressing a potential client, and an excuse to indulge in excesses.  Symbols of high spiritual value for Christians, including the image of Jesus Christ, are presented with irreverence.

Moana

Direction: Ron Clements, John Musker;  Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk; Story and Screenplay: Ron Clements, John Musker, Chris Williams, Don Hall, et al; Editing: Jeff Draheim; Music: Mark Mancina, Lin-Maneul Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i; Producer: Osnat Shurer; Genre: Animation; Location: Polynesian Islands; Distributor: Walt Disney Studios a107 minutes;

Technical Assessment  : 3

Moral Assessment: 4

CINEMA Rating: VA

MTRCB rating:  GP

Maui (Johnson) is a shape shifting demigod who wants to win favors with humanity. But his latest attempt to steal the heart of Te Fiti, the island goddess, destroys life and awakens Te Ka, the lava demon.  Te Ka attacks Maui and causes the heart of Te Fiti and his magical fishhook to sink into oblivion and him to be cast away in an unknown island.  One thousand years after, Moana (Cravalho), the young daughter of the chief of Motunui, is chosen by the ocean to receive the heart and eventually return it to Te Fiti when the time comes. Moana grows up with a passionate desire to sail the vast ocean which her father, Tui (Morrison), always rejects. But when food becomes scarce and Moana discovers that her ancestors were really seafaring voyagers, she ventures to find Maui and return Te Fiti’s heart to save her people. Together, Maui and Moana bond and discover each other’s goodness and talents. But in a final twist, they learn how life is interwoven and why it should be loved and respected.

Moana is a visual feat. Both the animation and the artistry sit comfortably beside previous Disney master pieces. The textures are alive and dynamic you could almost feel water splash in your face. The storyline is another area of success with the rich dimensionality of the characters and the narrative. There is a deep wisdom in how the ocean is presented as a character itself.  In the truest sense, Moana is a family movie which appeals to the imagination of the young and the maturity of the adults.  However, its music and songs lacked appeal. We missed the indigenous feel of Polynesia both in the music and the rendition of the characters, particularly Maui’s. There are also forgivable lapses in the interpretation of the Polynesian mythology—particularly leaving out Maui’s goddess companion, Hina.  Overall, Moana delivers beyond what is expected of a Disney animation—entertainment and values.

There are several strong themes in Moana. One, selflessness and courage in pursuing one’s destiny.  Whether we are Christians or have other spiritual beliefs, we are always called to do things greater than ourselves. It is a gentle call that does not force but reminds that we are born to do things for a better world. Mother Nature is the loving life giver—the image of Te Fiti—but when abused, disrespected and mistreated, she becomes Te Ka—a vicious demon who takes away life.  This should lead us to retrospection—we are Mother Nature’s stewards, not her owners.  Three, beneath Maui’s brute self-centeredness is a desire to be one with humanity.  This is admirable until he goes too far and steals life itself.  While we understand our need to belong and to be accepted, this need can never supersede what is right and moral, nor make us escape the consequences of wrongdoing. There is an occasional crude humor in the movie but overall, this is a wholesome entertainment for the entire family.

Working Beks

DIRECTOR: Chris Martinez  LEAD CAST: TJ Trinidad, John Lapus, Edgar Allan Guzman, Joey Paras, Prince Stefan  SCREENWRITER: Chris Martinez  PRODUCER: Vincent del Rosario III, Veronique del Rosario-Corpus  EDITOR: Vanessa de Leon  MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Jesse Lucas  GENRE: Comedy  CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gary Gardoce  DISTRIBUTOR: Viva Films  LOCATION: Metro Manila  RUNNING TIME: 112 minutes

Technical assessment: 2.5

Moral assessment: 2

MTRCB rating: R13

CINEMA rating: V18

Ang Working Beks ay pagsasalarawan ng buhay ng limang lalaki na iba-iba ang pagka-bakla. Kilalang aktor si Champ Reyno (Edgar Allan Guzman) na nasangkot sa iskandalo nang maging viral ang sex-video niya na kasama ang isang lalaki. Bigla siyang nawala sa sirkulasyon at naging usap-usapan kung maglaladlad na ba siya ng kapa o sila na ba ng kanyang ka-loveteam na si Joy (Bela Padilla).  Masipag, madiskarte at matiisin ang transvestite na si Gregorio, a.k.a. Gorgeous (John Lapus). Malakas ang kita ng kanyang maliit na turu-turo na siyang sumusustento sa kanyang napakalaking pamilya, pero parang walang nagbibigay ng importansiya sa kanya. Corporate executive naman si Tommy (TJ Trinidad) na nilampasan ng promotion dahil sa hayagan niyang ipinakita ang kanyang pagka-bakla: kilala ng mga ka-opisina niya ang kanyang partner na si Jeric Raval at ang kanilang dalawang 'adopted daughters.'  Call center agent naman si Jet (Prince Stefan) na takot na takot na baka may HIV din siya dahil nabalitaan niyang nagpakamatay ang isang dati niyang partner nang malaman nitong HIV positive siya. Ikakasal na si Mandy (Joey Paras) pero hanggang sa huling sandali ay atubili pa rin siyang lumagay sa tahimik dahil ramdam niya ang pagka-akit sa kapwa lalaki.
Gaya ng pelikulang Working Girls ni Ishmael Bernal na sumalamin sa buhay ng mga babaeng nagtatrabaho noong dekada 80, ipinapakita naman ng Working Beks ang buhay ng mga "beki," shortcut ng “bekimon” na ibig sabihin ay binabae o bakla, sa ating panahon. Tulad ng karaniwang tao, ang mga beki ay mayroong kani-kaniyang mga pagsubok, problema at mga karanasan sa trabaho na hindi nabibigyan ng pansin. Ito ang sinikap bigyang-buhay ng mga bidang nagsiganap sa pelikula. Simple lang ang kanilang dialogue, maayos at hindi OA ang mga costume. Kapani-paniwala si EA Guzman bilang Champ at mahusay ang paglalarawan nila ni Bela Padilla sa mundo ng showbiz.  Pino at “understated” naman si TJ Trinidad bilang Tommy. Subalit kahit na natural at may galing sa pag-arte ang mga bida, hindi nabigyan ng sapat na pagbuo ang kani-kanilang mga karakter.  Sapat naman ang panahon para ipakilala ang bawat isa, kaya lang ay imbes na ipakita ang pagkatao nila upang madama at makiisa ang manonood sa kanilang pinagdadaanan, nauwi lahat sa katatawanan. Maraming eksena na paulit-ulit, mabagal, at sablay ang punchline. Hindi rin naging maayos ang pagkakatagni-tagni ng mga kwento kayat hilaw ang katapusan nito.

Maganda ang layunin ni Chris Martinez na isalarawan ang buhay ng mga bakla. Mahusay rin na naipakitang nagtatrabaho sila sa corporate world, sa pagtitinda ng pagkain, sa call centers, at sa showbiz at ng isang gustong magpakasal sa babae. Hindi maikakaila ang kontribusyon ng mga bakla sa pamilya at sa lipunan. Karaniwan silang nakakaranas ng discrimination at kinukutya, o kaya’y binabalewala. Dagdag pa sa kakulangan sa pag-unawa at pagtanggap sa kanilang buong pagkatao ay ang panganib ng HIV/AIDS na pawang isinalarawan sa pelikula. Malalim at napapanahon ang mga temang ito na maaring pagsimulan ng talakayan tungkol sa homosexualityat wastong pagpapahalaga sa mga bakla, kaya nakapanghihinayang na sa tangkang gawing magaan o komedya ang pelikula, hindi ito nabalanse ng direktor at naging katawa-tawa (ridiculous) tuloy ito. 

Tinatanggap ng Simbahan ang lahat ng kanyang mga anak, ano man ang sexual orientation ng mga nito.  Ngunit may mga bagay na dapat linawin sa mga binibigyang-katwiran ng pelikula. Nang magpa-HIV test si Jet, inulit ng nurse na “hindi kasalanan ang magkaroon ng HIV. Sakit ito, hindi kasalanan.” Siguro kung nahawa ka lang sa asawa mo, gaya ng nurse, o dahil sa isang medical procedure, hindi mo nga kasalanan. Pero sa kaso ni Jet na may maraming gay sexual partners, ibang usapan na yon.  Binibigyang-daan ng CINEMA ang tinig ng Simbahang Katolika ukol sa mga bagay na ito, at sinisikap na imulat ang mga mata ng manonood na sakit nga ang HIV, ngunit huwag nating kalimutang ang gawaing pinagmulan nito ay kasalanan pagkat ito’y taliwas sa batas ng kalikasan.  Pinaninindigan ng Simbahan na ang pagtatalik ay ang paraan ng kalikasan upang ipagpatuloy ang lahi, kaya’t ito’y nararapat lamang na mamagitan sa isang lalaki at isang babae, bagay na pagmumulan ng supling.  Maganda na sana na nagising si Jet sa kanyang pagkakamali, pero pati ito ay ginawang katatawanan. Ipiniprisinta din ng pekikula na normal na magsama ang dalawang lalaki bilang mag-asawa at umampon ng mga bata bilang mga anak. Sinasabi sa Banal na Kasulatan, “Ginawa ng Diyos ang tao—babae at lalaki... Iiwan ng lalaki ang kanyang ama at ina. Magsasama sila ng kanyang asawa at sila’y magiging isa.” Dahil sa mga paksang ito at ilang maseselang eksena, binibigyang ng CBCP-CINEMA ng V18 rating ang Working Beks.