Gone Girl

Director: David Fincher; Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris; Story and Screenplay: Gillian Flynn; Cinematographer: Jeff Cronenweth; Editor: Kirk Baxter; Musical Director: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross; Producers: Leslie Dixon, Bruna Papandrea, Reese Witherspoon; Genre: Drama-Suspense; Location: Missouri; Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics; Running Time: 149 minutes;

Technical assessment: 4   Moral Assessment: 2.5

MTRCB : R13   CINEMA rating: V18

Nick Dunne (Affleck) comes home on his 5th wedding anniversary but instead he finds his house in disarray and his wife, Amy (Pike), missing. The media pick up on the story as Amy is a celebrated New York children’s book author and the entire community begins to support the search for her. The local police, led by Detective Boney (Dickens), uncover a trail of clues supposedly left by Amy for Nick’s anniversary treasure hunting, and evidence against Nick’s violent nature and murder cover up begin to surface. The Nick and Amy love story unfold from opposing views of Nick’s narration and Amy’s diary, but the truth is soon learnt.

David Fincher’s Gone Girl is a flawless adaptation of its literary counterpart. Viewers hold their breath as much as the readers did at every turn of Gillian Flynn’s book. The plot is a genius of a narrative with unexpected reveals and intelligent developments. The unparalleled timelines and non-linear storytelling heighten the tension of the mystery like the flawless icing of a perfectly baked cake intoxicating the viewers to hang on to each scene. Love gone sour is not a new storyline but in the creative visions of Flynn and Fincher, the ill-fated Nick-Amy love affair turns brilliantly evocative. Affleck, Pike and Dickens deliver a restrained but powerful interpretation of their characters. So do all the other supporting and minor casts who play their roles with deliberate passion and rawness. The screenplay is witty and almost haunting. There are several memorable and quotable lines, not only because of the cadence and rhythm but because viewers feel these lines are spoken directly to them. The ending might not work well with everyone but it does disturb deep enough to make the viewer flinch and rethink his personal life. Gone Girl is one of those masterfully adapted films that work with or without the book.

Gone Girl pokes at two things: marriage on trial and media giving trial. On the one hand, we see ordinary couple falling in and out of love, building and breaking a relationship. While Amy’s character has some psychological issues that probably rationalize her crimes, we have to see how Nick and Amy decided to move on with their marriage when faced with a financial crisis at first and emotional crisis eventually. Marriage needs work from both parties. Working to keep the marriage requires two ingredients: honesty

and selflessness. These go beyond simple commitment and romance because when a partner decides to live for himself and bend the truth, a relationship is doomed.

On the other hand, we see how razor sharp media is in sensationalizing to the point of satire. Did media live up to its purpose to expose the truth or a truth that sells? Did media become a stronghold for the voiceless or was it merely a reenactment of selective voices that make the ratings?  Media in Gone Girl is a mockery of the profession as it is in real life these days. Sadly, a lot of people choose to buy and swallow sensationalism rather than become discerning and informed viewers.

The Trial

DIRECTOR:  Chito Rono  LEAD CAST:  John Lloyd Cruz, Richard Gomez, Jessy Mendiola, Gretchen Barretto, Enique Gil, Sylvia Sanches, Vincent de Jesus  PRODUCER & DISTRIBUTOR:  Star Cinema GENRE:  Family drama  LOCATION:  Philippines  RUNNING TIME:   132 minutes

Technical assessment: 3   Moral Assessment: 3  MTRCB rating: R13   CINEMA rating: V14 

Guwapo at mabait pero “mentally challenged” si Ronald, (John Lloyd Cruz), naglilingkod bilang hardinero sa isang paaralan upang makapagtapos siya ng elementarya.  Nagsisilbing “tutor” niya ang gurong si Bessy (Jessy Mendiola) na itinuturing naman siyang kaibigan.  Ngunit “in love” si Ronald kay Bessy, at sa kanyang payak na pang-unawa, mahal din siya ni Bessy.  May kakalat na video ng dalawa na mukhang ginagahasa ni Ronald si Bessy.  Madedemanda si Ronald ng “rape”, at magsisimula ang masalimuot na takbo ng tahimik nilang buhay.

Maganda at nakaduduro ng isipan ang kuwentong hinangad na isalaysay ng The Trial, at hindi rin karaniwan ang ganitong tema sa industriya ng pelikulang Pilipino, bagay na nagsilbing hamon sa mga nagsiganap.  Bagama’t pasado naman ang pagganap ng karamihan sa mga tauhan, minsan ay “magaralgal” ang atake nila Gomez at Lloyd Cruz sa kani-kaniyang mga papel—nasasapawan ng kanilang imahen bilang mga artista ang katauhang kanilang kinakatawan sa pelikula.  Yon bang, hindi ka nila “madala” sa pag-arte nila, naroon pa rin sa likuran ng isip mo na “Sine lang yan, yan si John Lloyd, iyan si Richard.”  Hindi rin makinis ang pagkakatagni-tagni ng mga pangyayari, para tuloy “inimbento” lang ang storya para makagawa lang ng pelikula.  Kulang sa realismo ang characterization, at maraming “daplis” o “inconsistency” ang katauhan ni Ronald, pero maayos ang pagkakaguhit ng ginampanan ni Mendiola.

Maganda ang hangarin ng The Trial na ipagtanggol ang mga “kapos” sa kakayahan ng isip, at batikusin ang mga huwad na pagmamamabuti ng ilang mga nakaaangat sa buhay.  Sana’y pinalalim pa nito ang mensaheng iyon, pero hindi ito nangyari.  May isang malaki at maling hakbanging ginawa ang The Trial na nakabawas sa kabubuan ng magandang hangarin at mga katangian nito.  Iyon ay ang pagtuon ng labis na pansin sa relasyon ng mag-asawang Gomez at Baretto bilang Atty. Julian at Amanda Bien na tumutulong sa kaso ni Ronald.  Talos naming dapat sabikin ang manonood sa katotohanang huhubaran sa dulo ng pelikula, pero nakaka-labnaw sa halaga ng pangunahing mensahe ng The Trial sub-plot ng mag-asawang magusot ang buhay.  Oo nga’t mabuti ang ipinakitang pagpapatawad at pagkakasundo ng mag-asawa pero minadali ito, kulang sa lalim—bagay na naging sanhi ng pagsasanga ng layunin ng pelikula.  Pag may nagtanong sa iyo tuloy kung tungkol ba sa ano yung The Trial, malamang hindi mo masasabi kung ito ba’y tungkol sa paglilitis na mag-aangat sa ating kamalayan hinggil sa taong tulad ni Ronald, o tungkol sa happy ending na dinala ng paglilitis?  Kayo ang humusga.

The Equalizer

DIRECTOR:  Antoine Fuqua  LEAD CAST:  Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Haley Bennett, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo  SCREENWRITER:  Richard Wenk, Michael Sloan  PRODUCER:  Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Tony Eldridge, Mace Neufeld, Michael Sloan, Steve Tisch, Denzel Washington, Richard Wenk  MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Harry Gregson-Williams  CINEMATOGRAPHER  Mauro Fiore  EDITING: John Refoua  GENRE:  Action, Crime, Thriller  LOCATION:  USA  DISTRIBUTOR:  Columbia Pictures  RUNNING TIME:   132 minutes 

Technical assessment: 3.5  Moral assessment:  2  MTRCB rating: R16  CINEMA rating: V18 

On a self-imposed retirement and turning his back on his unexplained past, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is an unobtrusive and affable figure who lives alone and daily takes the bus to work.  He leads a quiet life working as a shelf-stocker at a home improvement chain store; his spare apartment, all-natural diet, his mantra “body-mind-spirit”, and his neat appearance indicate his passion for order.  An insomniac, he whiles away his nights reading a book while sipping tea at a nearby diner where he meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), an underage prostitute shabbily treated by her Russian handlers.

The “equalizer” in the story is a retired CIA agent programmed to kill, and it is in this area that The Equalizer earns points for its lead star’s performance as a well-intentioned, conflicted killing machine, a perfect role for 59-year old Washington.  The plot is as old as time itself, drawing inspiration from the welding of Robin Hood and MacGyver attributes, and rather predictable: the exploited and helpless are helped by a character who can’t remain unmoved by injustice.  The protagonist is no superhero boasting (CGI-assisted) superhuman feats; and although his efficiency in accomplishing his murderous objectives is quite remarkable, his genius still falls within the bounds of human possibilities.

What can the viewer bring home from watching a slow-burn thriller that’s The Equalizer?  The story is not about gangsters although it condemns them, nor about the oppressed although it defends them; it is a character study about a man seeking redemption from his past transgressions but knows of only one path to find it.  If the skill to kill were a gift, this “equalizer” would be super-gifted.  In any given situation the killer is in his elements, moved more by intuition than by instinct, a made and not a born murderer.  The tandem of director Fuqua and actor Washington (Oscar winner in Training Day) works well to make a heroic figure out of a criminal.  Here lies the danger: a congenial actor playing a vigilante figure would make it easier for viewers to cheer for violence, after all, the bad guys are consummate masters of atrocity here.  As you, the viewer, leave the cinema and The Equalizer sinks deeper into your mind and images of the brutal killings done in the name of justice cling to your memory, you might want to ponder the gray zone humanity has wandered into—“making the wrong choices to get to the right place.”

Hari ng Tondo

DIRECTOR: Carlos Siguion-Reyna  LEAD CAST: Robert Arevalo, Rez Cortez, Cris Villonco  SCREENWRITER:  Bibeth Orteza  PRODUCER:  Bibeth Orteza  PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Reyna Films, Central Digital Labs  EDITOR: Manet Dayrit  MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Mike Salomon  GENRE:  Drama, Family  CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jay Abello  DISTRIBUTOR:  Star Cinema Productions  LOCATION: Philippines RUNNING TIME:  91 mins

Technical assessment: 4   Moral assessment: 2.5  CINEMA Rating:  V 14

Nang mapag-alaman ng mayamang negosyanteng  si  Ricky (Robert Arevalo) na nauubos na ang kanyang yaman, nakita niya ito bilang resulta ng pagiging maluho ng kanyang mag-anak na nahirati na sa marangyang buhay. Dahil dito, upang paigtingin ang kanyang punto, nagdesisyon siyang bumalik sa lugar kung saan siya nagmula bago siya umasenso—ang Tondo. Magbabalik siya sa lugar at maninirahan sa isang pag-aari niyang gusali. Hahamunin din ni Ricky ang kanyang dalawang apo (Cris Villonco at Rafa Siguion-Reyna) na sumama sa kanya upang mas lalo pa silang matuto sa buhay—malayo sa karangyaan na kanilang kinagisnan. Tutol naman dito ang mga anak at manugang ni Ricky (Eric Quizon, Ali Sotto, Audie Gemora) kaya’t gagawa sila ng paraan upang isabotahe ang plano ni Ricky sa pamamagitan ng pakikipagsabwatan sa katiwala (Rez Cortez) nito.

Malinis ang pagkakagawa ng Hari ng Tondo. Mayroon itong kwentong busilak sa katotohanan ng lipunan at naglalayong imulat ang manonood sa maraming usapin na malimit ay nakakaligtaan. Naiparating nito ang mensahe sa pamamaraang hindi melodramatiko at malabis na realismo kundi sa mahusay na paghahalo ng drama at katatawanan—ang resulta’y isang bagong mukha ng Tondo, isang Tondong puno ng pag-asa sa kabila ng dumi at kahirapan.  Bagay na bihira nating masaksihan.  Walang itulak-kabigin sa galling ng pagganap ni Arevalo pati na ng lahat ng mga nagsiganap. Natural ang kanilang pag-arte at nababagay sila sa kani-kanyang papel.  Sila ang mga nagpa-igting sa kabuuang galing ng pelikula. Maganda at maayos din ang kuha ng kamera. Ang daloy naman ng kuwento ay madaling sundan at may maayos na sanga-sangang kuwento na sumasalamin sa mukha ng Tondo.

Isang mundo na desperado, nakasadlak sa kahirapan ngunit nanatiling may pag-asa—iyan ang bagong Tondo na ipinakita sa pelikula. Kahanga-hanga ang pagpapaigting nito sa mensaheng hindi salapi ang pinakamahalaga sa buhay ng tao kundi ang pakikipagkapwa-tao. Ang pera ay maaring mawala ngunit ang relasyon na inalagaan ay parating nandiyan.  Niyakap din ng pelikula ang kahulugan ng simpleng pamumuhay na siyang susi sa tunay na kaligayahan.  Ang tunay na pagmamahal ay hindi nasusukat sa yaman o panlabas na anyo kundi sa nilalaman ng puso. Iyun nga lang, may ilang maseselang eksena ng pagtatalik ng hindi pa mag-asawa, pati na ang pagkondena sa homoseksualidad na sadyang nakakabahala—baka matularan at isipin ng mga batang manonood na ito ay tama sapagkat walang malinaw na tinig ang pelikula ukol dito—bagkus ay kinu-kunsinti pa nga, maliban na lamang kung ang isa ay nang-aabuso na. Kahanga-hanga rin kung paanong naninindigan ang mga kababaihan ng pelikula laban sa karahasan at pang-aabuso ng kalalakihan sa babae.  Sa bandang huli’y mag-iiwan ng mahalagang aral ang pelikula ukol sa buhay at sa lipunang ating ginagalawan—na dapat tayong maging bukas sa problema ng paligid at huwag kalimutan ang ating pananagutan sa kapwa marating man natin ang rurok ng tagumpay at pagtamasa ng ginhawa, bagay na ininuturo sa atin ng Simbahan—ang mahalin ang Diyos, kasunod ang kapwa.

Dementia

Direction: Percy Intalan Lead cast: Nora Aunor, Jasmine Curtis, Bing Loyzaga, Yul Servo, Chynna Ortaleza Writer: Jun Lana Cinematography:  Mackie Galvez  Production: Octobertrain Films, The IdeaFirst Company Music: Von de Guzman  Location: Batanes Genre: Drama, mystery thriller  Distributor: Regal Films

Technical assessment: 3.5   
Moral assessment: 2.5   
CINEMA rating: V14   

Uuwi mula sa Amerika ang mag-asawang Elaine at Rommel (Bing Loyzaga at Yul Servo), kasama ang dalagang anak na si Rachel  (Jasmine Curtis-Smith) upang alagaan si Mara (Nora Aunor), kapatid ni Elaine na may dementia, isang kalagayan ng matinding pagkalimot at panglalabo ng isip.  Sa pag-asang makatutulong sa paggaling ng demensya ni Mara ang pagbabalik nito sa bahay na kanyang kinalakihan, magbabakasyon silang lahat sa kanilang ancestral home sa Batanes.  

Tatlong bagay ang matatawag na mga “panalong puhunan” ng Dementia:  ang Batanes, ang musika, at si Nora Aunor.

Isipin nyo na lang, kung siyudad o isang makabagong probinsya ang pangyayarihan ng istorya, tiyak na mababawasan ang hiwaga nito—di tulad ng Batanes na pumupukaw sa pagkamalikhain ng cinematographer.  Ang musika: sa simula pa lamang ay isinisilid na nito ang damdamin ng manonood sa isang “mood” na mananatili sa kahabaan ng pelikula. 

At si Nora Aunor?  Tila ipinanganak siya para gumanap sa ganitong mga papel—tulad ng sa Himala—kung saan ang kanyang katauhan ay tila isang bugtong, nababalot ng hiwaga, lalo pa’t kakaunti ang mga linyang dapat bigkasin ng aktres kaya’t babantayan mo na lang ang kanyang mukha, mga mata, at kilos upang matanto mo ang kahalagahan nito sa pagbubuo ng salaysay.

Napakagaling ng pagkakagamit ng angking ganda ng Batanes uang isulong ang drama; malamang ay inspirasyon na rin ito sa mga artista upang gampanan nang kahanga-hanga ang kanilang mga papel.  Kakatwa lamang na ang ikinabawas ng lakas ng Dementia ay ang mga idinagdag ditong sangkap na hindi makatuturan.

Malaman ang kuwento ng Dementia, bagama’t may mga sangkap itong kapag kinuwenta mo na sa dulo ay kalabisan lang naman pala, hindi nakakadagdag sa kabuluhan o takbo ng istorya; sinadya kaya ito para “iligaw” ang pagpapalagay ng manonood, o kaya’y upang “busugin” ang sabik ng mga tao sa karaniwang katatakutang natatagpuan sa karaniwang horror movies?

Kahit na may mga panggulat na eksena at multo ang Dementia, hindi ito isang “horror movie” o kababalaghan kaya.  Ito’y isang palaisipan na nag-aanyaya sa manonood na sakyan ang kalagayan ng isang taong may demensya—kinakalawang ang alala-ala, pumupurol ang isipan.

Naililibing kaya kasama ng isang yumaong mahal sa buhay ang kasawiang namagitan sa dalawang nilalang?  Ito ang nais bungkalin ng Dementia: sadya kayang nakakalimot ang may sakit, o mayroon lamang siyang gustong ibaon sa limot?  Kung sadyang nakakalimot na nga siya, bakit may isang higit pang makapangyarihang ala-ala ang tumatangging sumama sa libingan?  Ano ang tunay na bumabagabag kay Mara—demensya, o konsiyensya?

The Maze Runner

DIRECTOR: Wes Ball  LEAD CAST: Dylan O’Brien, Aml Ameen, Ki Hong Lee, Blake Cooper, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, Dexter Darden, Kaya Scodelario, Chris Sheffield, Anish Surepeddi, Patricia Clarkson  SCREENWRITER: Noah Openheim, Grant Pierce Myers, T.S. Nowlin  PRODUCER:  Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Ellen Godsmith-Vein, Lee Stollman  EDITOR:  Dan Zimmerman  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  John Paesano  COSTUME DESIGNER:  Simonetta Mariano  GENRE: science fiction, action thriller  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Enrique Chediak  DISTRIBUTOR: 20^th Century Fox  LOCATION:  Louisiana, USA  RUNNING TIME:   113 Minutes

Technical assessment: 4  Moral assessment: 3  CINEMA rating:  PG 13

     Debuting director Wes Ball opens the movie with 16-year-old Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) struggling in a freight elevator shooting up underground. It surfaces in a place inhabited by teen boys he had never met before.  He learns he is now in “the glade”—a wide expanse of meadows and woods surrounded by massive concrete walls.  The glade has been home to the boys who have been placed there, one each month, for the past three years, arriving like Thomas in the same conveyor, remembering nothing of their past except their names.  This makeshift society is led by the first arrival Alby (Aml Ameen); having survived in the glade alone for one month, he has become their natural leader.  Newt (Thomas Brodie Sangster), second in command, tells Thomas they are virtual prisoners in the glade, the eye of an enormous maze whose ever-shifting walls are too high to scale.  It is the duty of Gally (Will Poulter) to enforce the rules in the glade, the most important of which is never to enter the door to the maze—a tantalizing portal that closes by itself at night when gigantic bio-mechanical creatures called Grievers patrol the maze.   Thomas is warned that no one has ever survived a night in the maze.

     Adapted from James Dashner’s bestselling 2009 book of the same title, post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie version of The Maze Runner joins the ranks of The Hunger Games and Divergents as young-adult adventure thriller.  Although the story is compelling, it is not without loopholes.  The absence of a back story also hinders characterization, although acting is adequate and convincing, given the bit of uneven handling of the cast. The Maze Runner’s strongest technical point is the action, which owes its excitement to the sensible balance between CGI and natural human skills.  No superhero strength for the characters, no demi-godly powers, no flying—just running and a great deal of guts.

     The Maze Runner has for its redemptive elements a strong moral worldview and the message that man has an innate capacity for good.   Despite the loss of past memory, its characters display courage, selflessness, kindness, and a sense of sacrifice.  Although clueless about their confinement in the glade, the boys prove that teamwork can build a harmonious community where each has a duty to keep their habitat livable.   Living off the land, they grow their own food, some are goatherds, some are craftsmen making tools and building dwellings from sticks.  Three rules of paramount importance in the glade: Do your part with work, never harm another Glader, and never go into the maze.

Maria Leonora Teresa

Direction: Wenn Deramas;  Starring: Iza Calzado, Jodie Sta. Maria, Zanjoe Marudo, Cris Villanueva ; Screenplay: Wenn Deramas, Keiko Aquino,; Editing: Marya Ignacio; Producer: Malou Santos, Chara Santos-Concio; Music: Idonnah Villarico; Location: Metro Manila; Genre: Horror; Distributor: Star Cinema

Technical assessment: 2.5   Moral assessment: 3   CINEMA rating: V14   MTRCB Rating: PG13

     Maaaksidente ang isang bus ng Little Magnolia School at masasawi ang karamihan sa mga sakay nitong bata, kabilang na sina Maria Pardo, Leonora Vera at Teresa De Castro. Labis na mamimighati ang kani-kanilang mga magulang at ang tanging makalulunas ay ang mga manyikang ibibigay ni Dr. Manolo (Villanueva) bilang isang naiibang paraan ng paghilom ng damdamin. Sa simula ay parang makatutulong ang mga manyika kina Faith Pardo (Calzado), Stella De Castro (Sta. Maria) at Titser Julio (Marudo) pero nang lumaon sunod-sunod ang mga karumal-dumal na pagkamatay ng mga taong malalapit sa kanilang tatlo.

     Sa totoo lamang, may talino sana ang buod ng kwento, lalo na ang misteryo sa likod ng mala-demonyitang mga manyika. Makatotohanan ang kirot na pinagdaanan ng mga magulang na nabigyang buhay sa madamdaming pagganap nina Calzado, Sta. Maria at Marudo.  Kaya na sanang hindi ito gawing kakatakutan pero pinili ng direktor ang tiyak na pagbenta nito sa takilya kaya binudburan ng mga eksena ng patayan ang pelikula. Nakakatawa nga na kung kailan nagsisimula na ang kakatakutan ay bumagal ang daloy ng kwento at madalas ay nagiging katawa-tawa pa. Bilang horror, nakaipit pa rin ito sa panggugulat kaysa sa kilabot. Lahat naman nang ginamit na istilo ay napanuod mo na nang paulit-ulit sa ibang mga pelikula. Pinilit na lagyan ng sophisticated special effects ang ilang eksena pero hindi naman ito naging matagumpay dahil mas matatandaan mo ang kaburaraan tulad ng pagkakahalata sa batang ipinapalit sa manyika. Napakarami ring butas ang naratibo dahil hindi buo ang mga motibo o taliwas sa karakter ang mga desisyong pinili. Pero ang hindi namain maisip ay kung bakit ibinigay kay Villanueva ang pagganap sa mahalagang tauhan gayun wala naman siyang ni kapirasong kakayahan sa pag-arte. Medyo mapanlinlang tuloy ang pelikula dahil komedya naman pala ito sa huli at hindi tunay na kakatakutan.

     Walang lihim ang pwedeng itago habang buhay at lahat ng pagkakamali ay pagbabayaran at pagbabayaran din balang–araw. Pangit nga lamang ang ginawang paraan ng pelikula sa paniningil sa pagkakamali ng tatlong magulang—bagamat maaring makipagtalo na tanging si Julio lamang talaga ang may pagkakasala—pero malinaw ang mensahe na hindi maaring ibaon sa limot o pagtakpan habang buhay ang pagkakasala.  Sa kabilang dako, ang paghihiganti ay hindi katumbas ng katarungan dahil ang una ay nakatuon sa prinsipiyo ng “mata kapalit ng mata” kaysa sa pagtutuwid sa pagkakamalli. Walang kapayapaan ang taong hindi marunong magpatawad kahit na mapaghigantihan pa niya ang mga nanakit sa kanya. Walang kapanatagan ang taong hindi marunong humingi ng tawad kahit pa mahusay niyang napagtatakpan ang kanyang kasalanan. Katulad ng nabanggit, may potensyal sana ang Maria Leonora Teresa kung binawasan ang komersyo at pagpupumilit na maging “horror” (at kung tinanggal si Villanueva). Hindi angkop ang pelikula sa mga batang manunuod—hindi lamang dahil sa marahas na patayan kundi dahil sa mababaw nitong konsepto ng pagbuo ng tauhan at naratibo.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Direction: Jonathan Liebesman; Cast: Megan Fox, Alan Ritchson, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Will Arnett, Danny Woodburn, William Fichtner, Johnny Knoxville; Screenplay: Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Evan Daugherty. Based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Peter Laird; Editing: Joel Negron, Glen Scantlebury; Producer: Michael Bay, etc;  Music: Brian Tyler; Genre: Sci-Fi Action Comedy; Distributor: Paramount Pictures; Location: New York; Running Time: 101 minutes

Technical assessment: 3   Moral Assessment: 3  CINEMA rating: V13 

April O’Neil (Meg Ryan) wants to be taken seriously as a journalist at New York’s Channel 5. But this cannot happen as long as she is assigned to bit segments of exercise and trampoline jumps. So she chases a lead about the notorious Foot Clan led by Shredder (Masamune) as they are about to unload something at the docks. However, April catches a shadowy figure who takes out the foot soldiers one by one and convinces her of the existence of a vigilante who will protect the city against the Foot Clan. April tries to sell her story to her editor Bernadette (Goldberg) but without hard proof, she ends up as the news team’s joke of a reporter. April, encounters the vigilante once again as the Foot Clan holds hostage the train commuters, but this time she realizes that the vigilantes are four mutated turtle humanoids trained in ninja techniques. She brings this story to Bernadette and eventually gets fired. April then goes to Sacks, her father’s former laboratory partner who helped developed a mutagen aimed to heal people. Apparently, the laboratory caught fire and the lab turtles and mouse used for experimentation were saved by a young April which later transformed into mutated creatures. Unaware that Sacks is behind the Foot Clan, April unintentionally leads them to the turtles’ lair. Three turtles—Leo, Donnie and Michael—are captured so Sacks can extract the mutagens in their genes. April, together with Raphael, free the captured turtles and attack Shredder before they are able to release the toxin to the city.  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) is one of those beloved franchises with a solid fanbase from the 90s. Perhaps producer Michael Bay thought this was enough reason to resurrect the series without updating its elements. Production-wise TMNT delivers what is expected on a silver platter.  The action sequences are fun and dynamic but offers nothing new. The  computer generated effects are well crafted but little effort has been placed in trying to differentiate the turtle's characters from one another. The humans are cardboard flat and dry. Michael Bay being Michael Bay has his signature noise and explosions every possible time. Is the movie worth your while?  Maybe, if you belong to the 90s Gen Y or have nothing better to do. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can be seen as the perennial quest of good versus bad and good triumphing in the end. The question is if this was placed to make the movie palatable and mask the narrative shortcoming and obsession with explosion. Trying to force a moral to the story, one can point how people are willing to seek and fight for the truth. And how the young should be made aware of their responsibility to society especially if they are good and able to do so. While motivations of the characters for seeking and fighting truth are arguable, TMNT to an extent offers a glimpse of heroism, selflessness and the commitment to be our brother's protector. Of course, it takes effort to decipher these messages amidst the standard explosions required by the producer. 

The Giver

Director:  Phillip Noyce Cast:  Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan  Screenplay: Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide, based on the book by Lois Lowry  Cinematography: Ross Emery  Music: Marco Beltrami  Genre: Science fiction  U.S. Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Technical 3.5             Moral assessment:  3.5    CINEMA rating:  V14

Friends since childhood Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), Fiona (Odeya Rush), and Asher (Cameron Monaghan), graduates-to-be, are looking forward to adult life in a futuristic society that knows no suffering, hunger, injustice, pain, and violence.  Presiding at the graduation ceremony is Chief Elder (Meryl Streep), present in hologram form,  who assigns each graduate different functions that will shape their adult lives.  Citizens in this sanitized society inject themselves daily with a serum that erases memories and suppresses their emotions, individuality, choice, freedom, temptation, and religion.  Jonas is the last to be given an assignment, but he gets the heaviest one—as the community’s new “Receiver”, the repository of historical memories that average citizens are not allowed to access.  For this position he learns the ropes from the current Receiver, known as the “Giver” (Jeff Bridges), who is weary from bearing all the past memories and who must pass on the knowledge of this “real world” to his trainee Jonas.  Jonas soon realizes emotions enrich life, and discovers the Elders’ secrets as well.

The Giver is based on a 1993 bestseller by Lois Lowry, and in the hands of adept director Philip Noyce (Salt) it faithfully translates the message of the book into memorable moving images.  The prestige cast delivers solid acting but it almost plays a supporting role to Emery’s powerful images.  It is the look of The Giver that gives a sense of realness to the otherwise fictitious story.  The creative interspersing of color visuals in a predominantly black and white film aids in advancing the story and drawing a well-defined line between rich and impoverished emotional states.  Scenes which are devoid of emotion are depicted in black and white; those that are rife with feeling are gently and gradually awash with color.  In receiving past memories, Jonas’ perception of things is portrayed by the camera through exaggeratedly vivid hues.

With its well-developed themes, The Giver serves meaty issues for young adults to ponder and discuss—all related to life.  Happily, the film does not preach, yet everything about it underscores the value and sanctity of life.  This supposedly Utopian society, deemed ideal by mere human standards, equates perfection with conformity to the rule.  People wear virtual uniforms—no fashionistas allowed; each family is allowed two children, one boy and one girl, who are genetically engineered “replacements” for their parents.  Even their homes are identical—the opening scene is an aerial shot of the community’s residential district, and the all-white houses at first glance strongly resemble the crosses on a cemetery’s green lawn.  We suspect this is intentional, as though to denote lifelessness in uniformity. 

What is most heartening in this film is its unequivocal pro-life message that people of faith will definitely resonate with.  There’s a point when Jonas begins to believe that the knowledge he receives must also be shared with others—that is when he discovers that the community’s Elders, in their dogged determination to maintain a perfect society, eliminate flawed babies and old people too fragile to keep alive.     

  

Barber's Tales

DIRECTOR: Jun Robles Lana  LEAD CAST: Eugene Domingo, Eddie Garcia, Shamaine Buencamino, Gladys Reyes, Noni Buencamino, Iza Calzado, Daniel Fernando, Nicco Manalo, Sue Prado MUSIC:  Ryan Cayabyab  CINEMATOGRAPHY:  Carlo Mendoza  GENRE:  Drama

Technical assessment:  4  Moral assessment: 2.5  CINEMA rating: V 18

        Si Marilou (Eugene Domingo) ay ang masunuring maybahay ni Jose (Daniel Fernando), and kaisa-isang barbero sa baryo nila sa probinsiya.  Hindi lamang siya masunurin—sunud-sunuran pa siya, hanggang sa puntong siya pa ang nagpapaligo sa asawa niya, na iniiwan lang naman siya sa gabi para mag-gudtaym sa kabayanan.  Pero may pakinabang din ang pagiging masunurin niya, pagka’t natuto siyang maggupit ng buhok sa kauudyok ng asawa, kahit na nga wala naman siyang ambisyong magbarbero, at katunayan siya ang gumugupit ng buhok ni Jose.  Isang araw, hindi na gigising si Jose matapos ang isang gabi ng pagkalasing.  Bagama’t bantulot, masusumpungan ni Marilou na buksang muli ang barberya ni Jose, at siya nga ang magiging barbero dito.  Mapapasok sa masalimuot na mga pangyayari ang buhay ni Marilou, at mangyayari ang hindi inaasahan.

        Kahanga-hanga ang pagkakabuo ng Barber’s Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero), at karapat-dapat lamang na isang batikang artistang tulad ni Domingo ang maging tampok na tauhan nito.  Walang maipipintas na gasino sa aspetong teknikal ng pelikula sapagkat ang mga mumunting pagkukulang nito ay nalulukuban naman ng pangkalahatang angking kinang nito, lalo na ng sinematograpiya.  Maganda naman ang kuwento bagama’t minsan ay mukhang pilit, tila ba labis na mainit sa paghahatid ng pinili nitong mensahe.  Mahusay ang direksiyon, kapani-paniwala ang setting ng istorya, at malikhain ang sinematograpiya.  Ipinanalo ni Domingo ang pagganap niya sa Barber’s Tales ng isang Best Actress award sa 2013 Tokyo International Film Festival—salamat naman at kinikilala ang husay ng aktres hindi lamang sa komedya kundi pati na rin sa drama.

       Tanong ng manonood, “masustansiya” ba ang Barber’s Tales?  Naniniwala kaming may matayog na hangarin ang pelikula.  Gusto nitong imulat ang mga mata ng manonood sa abang kalagayan ng mga kababaihan sa isang kulturang hindi kumikilala sa kanilang mga katangian liban sa kanilang pagiging butihin asawa, ina, o alila.  Nais din ng pelikula na bigyang-diin ang kawalan ng katarungan sa isang lipunang mapang-api sa maralita at mapagsamantala sa mangmang.  Kaya lamang, hindi nito napalalim ang pagsasaad ng matayog nitong hangarin, nagmukha tuloy karikatura ang ilang mga situwasyon.  Isang halimbawa, hindi naipakita nang sapat ang mga dahilan kung bakit nagiging rebelde ang isang tao.  Gasgas na gasgas na rin ang tema ng martial law at diktadurang Marcos—wala na bang ibang maaaring sisihin ang mga gustong magrebelde?  Sa kabila din ng pagsisikap ng pelikula na ipakitang may magagawang kabutihan ang mga babae kung magkakabuklod-buklod lamang sila, nanaig pa rin ang nakakalungkot na katotohanang ang kanilang pagkamasarili at karuwagan din ang daan tungo sa kanilang pagkabigo.  Sa gawing pagtatapos “sumemplang” ang Barber’s Tales: napaniwala nito ang manonood na moog ng lakas at liwanag ng isip si Marilou, pero paano siya “bumigay” nang walang kaabug-abog?  Iisa lamang ang maaaring dahilan noon—“classmates” pala sila ng luka-lukang akala niya’y tinutulungan niya.  Hay, kuwentong barbero nga.