Congkak "Sungka"

Cast: Erin Malek, Erynne Erynna, Ruminah Sidek, Raja Gosnell, Riezman Khuzaimi; Director: Ahmad Idham; Producers: David Teo, Erynne Erynna; Screenwriter: Ahmad Idham; Editor: Ahmad Mustadha; Genre: Horror; Cinematography: Indra Che Muda; Distributor: Metrowealth Production SDb Bhd; Location: Malaysia; Running Time: 82 min.;

Technical Assessment: 2.5
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above

Kazman (Riezman Khuzaimi) is a responsible husband to wife Sufiah (Nanu) and father to siblings Eli (Nur’Arina) and Lisa (Erynne Erynna). Despite Sufiah's objection, Kazman still buys a house near a river. As soon as they move in, people in the neighborhood warn them about the mysterious house. It does not take long that all members of the family start to experience a strange presence and hear sounds including those of the invisible "congkak" playmate of the youngest child Lisa. When Sufiah thinks the "congkak" board is an evil matter, she throws it out of the house and into the river to get rid of it and to free Lisa from a mysterious friend. Unfortunately getting rid of the "congkak" board does not end what the family thinks is the cause of the horrible presence in their newly acquired property but only signals the worst that is yet to come like the disappearance of the two daughters. A concerned old folk Pak Tua a.k.a Uncle (actor's name) volunteers to help them and seeks their cooperation in the name of Allah, the Merciful God. Will they ever be at peace in this house?

“Congkak” is actually a board game with parallel holes and played with tiny pieces of stones by two players. But the film is not about this game but rather about a family in a newly acquired house haunted by a ghost that looks like a monster. There are loopholes in the story because except for the information that no one has occupied the house for the last 20 years, it is not clear why the house is being haunted and what is the reference to the "congkak" game. Somehow, one cannot help thinking that the director seems to just put the effects and sounds together to jolt the viewers from their seats. A ghost with a monster-like face is a bit off and unrealistically presented as a friend to a child. Actingwise, some of the actors perform well especially (Riezman Khuzaimi) and (Erynne Erynna). Overall, it is technically an overdone horror film.

Though the film's Malay context of being paternalistic may not be applicable, in a major family decision like acquiring property, it is really good to consider the views of the members especially those between husband and wife. It is very sensible for this film to show the concern and presence of mind of a father in time of a family crisis. In the same way it is commendable that a concerned neighbor capable of helping the disturbed family to drive away the bad spirit does not have second thoughts of taking a risk to do that. More importantly, the film shows that a strong faith in merciful God Almighty is the best weapon to fight evil spirits.

For The First Time

Cast: KC Concepcion, Richard Gutierrez, Nor Domingo, Jake Cuenca, Carla Humphries, Denise Laurel, Candy Pangilinan, Beatriz Saw; Director: Joyce E. Bernal; Producer: Malou N. Santos; Screenwriter: Vanessa Valdez; Editor: Marya Ignacio; Genre: Romance/ Drama; Cinematography: Shayne Clemente; Distributor: ABS-CBN Film Productions; Location: Manila; Running Time: 110 min.;

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above

Si Pia (KC Concepcion) ay isang real estate executive sa kompanya ng kanyang Daddy (Philip Salvador). Hirap si Pia na patunayan ang sarili sa kanyang ama at matindi ang pressure na binibigay sa kanya nito. Sa gitna ng pagkaabala sa trabaho, itinuloy ni Pia ang bakasyon sa Santorini, Greece upang makapag-isip-isip kung dapat pa niyang ituloy ang pagtatrabaho sa ama. Sa di inaasahang pagkakataon ay magku-krus ang landas nila ni Seth (Richard Gutierrez), ang mayamang playboy na naging ex-boyfriend ng kanyang mga kaibigan kung kaya’t matindi ang pagkainis niya rito. Pero dahil si Seth ang may-ari ng kanyang tinutuluyang hotel sa Santorini, napilitan siyang pakisamahan ito. Isinumpa ni Pia sa kanyang sarili na hindi siya pwedeng main-love kay Seth dahil bukod sa ito ay certified babaero, hindi si Seth ang tipo ng lalaking magugustuhan ng kanyang Daddy para sa kanya. Pero sa pagdaan ng mga araw sa Santorini, sa gitna ng romantikong lugar, ay tila magbabago ang ihip ng hangin sa dalawa. Si Pia na kaya ang huling babae sa ni Seth. Mapanindigan kaya ni Pia and sumpa sa sarili?

Isang karaniwang kuwentong pag-ibig ang For the First Time na inilagay lamang sa ibang lugar. Matagumpay ang pelikula sa pagdadala sa manonood sa matulaing lugar ng Santorini, Greece. Napakaganda ng tanawin na tila nanaisin ng sinumang makakapanood ng pelikula ang puntahan ang lugar na ito. Pasado ang pag-arte ni KC Concepcion kahit pa ito ang una niyang pelikula at hindi maitatangging napakaganda ng kanyang rehistro sa kamera. Si Richard Gutierrez ay wala namang bagong ipinakita. Hindi gaanong ramdam ang kilig sa dalawa at tila mababaw ang kuwento sa kabuuan. Masyadong mataas ang antas ng pamumuhay ng mga karakter sa pelikula na hindi arok ng masa. Ito ang klase ng buhay na papangarapin lamang ngunit hindi ang lahat ay mabibigyan ng pagkakataong maranasan. Labas tuloy ay isang artipisyal na daigdig ang ipinakita ng pelikula at malayo sa katotohanan. Hindi rin gaanong nakakadala ang daloy ng emosyon ng mga tauhan. Salamat na lamang sa ilang epektibong patawa ni Candy Pangilinan at nagkaroon kahit paano ng buhay ang pelikula.

Makapangyarihan ang tunay na pag-ibig lalo pa’t wagas and hangarin nitong alalahanin ang kapakanan ng minamahal. Ito ang nais sabihin ng For the First Time sa kabuuan. Pero sa likod Pero sa likod ng mensaheng ito ay makikita ang mga karakter na bulagsak sa salapi, walang pakialam sa paligid at sadyang napakadali ng buhay. Bagay na hindi magandang halimbawa sa sinumang kabataang makakanood. Hindi malinaw ang naging pagbabago ng karakter ni Seth. Sadyang nakakailang at mahirap paniwalaan ang paghingi niya ng tawad sa lahat ng babaeng kanyang nasaktan. Pawang peke ang dating nito. Si Pia naman ay pinapatunayang pilit ang sarili sa ama gayong malinaw na hindi buo ang kanyang loob na kontrolin ang kanyang emosyon. Talaga bang hindi na uso ang pag-akyat ng ligaw sa mga kabataan at ang pakikipag-relasyon ba’y talagang palihim na sa mga magulang? Nakakabahala ang ganitong umuusbong na kultura. Hindi gaanong napalalim ng pelikula ang maraming dahilan ng paghihiwalay ng mga relasyon at pagkawasak ng pamilya. Pawang ang mga ito ay normal lamang at karapat-dapat na tanggapin bilang bahagi ng buhay-pamilya.

Smother

Cast: Diane Keaton, Liv Tyler, Dax Shepard, Mike White, Don Lake, Sarah Lancaster; Director: Vince Di Meglio; Producers: Johnson Chan, Bill Johnson, Tim Rasmussen, Jay Roach; Screenwriters: Tim Rasmussen, Vince Di Meglio; Music: Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe; Editor: Kelly Matsumoto; Genre: Comedy; Cinematography: Julio Macat; Distributor: Inferno Distributor; Location: Beverly Hills, California, USA; Running Time: 120 min.;

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above

This particular day starts badly for Noah Cooper (Dax Shepard). He gets fired from his work as a sports therapist. He calls up his school-teacher wife Clare (Liv Tyler), informs her about it and observes that she should hold on to her job- one of them must be working- and heads for home. When he arrives, he finds a houseguest, Myron Stubbs (Mike White) cousin of Clare, a movie scriptwriter who has been invited to stay, as his parents have told him to leave their house. Other things begin to deteriorate his day further. Suddenly, his domineering mother Marilyn (Diane Keaton) shows up at his door, with her five pet dogs. She has left Gene, her husband (Ken Howard), his dad, and looking for a place to stay. Noah is all for helping her find a place, but Clare insists on accommodating her in the house, that mom stays with them. Noah finds himself facing not only what are before him, but also the necessity of getting a job; and especially, to heed the eagerness and insistence of Clare that it is a high time that they work on having a baby. Could he manage: to find that job, have a child with Clare, and cope with a mother “who knows better, and should be listened to and heeded?”

The main characters in the story, that of Noah, Marilyn and Clare provide a presentation of what could happen in families around the world. There are mothers who think they are “always right”, and “themselves” and would not accept a “not true!” in return. Though not as adept, Shepard and Tyler managed as Noah and Clare to provide what was needed for their roles. The story provides a plot that brought the various scenes, episodes including the sidelight together to portray a complete story.

“Smother” is classified as a comedy because it is meant to provide an easy-to watch and laugh at silly or not right family situations, meant for a wide range of viewers. But because of how the story is presented- it appears that the comic situations, including the serious occasions, appear to be meant for the more mature audience than younger viewers. CINEMA, though, is rating this film for 18 years old and above for certain reasons. After 30 years, or so, of staying married, Noah’s father and mother abruptly split up. No closure is shown; hopefully-in real life- such a story would find a positive resolution. A second scene, in a carpet bazaar, where Noah gets employed: for laughs, the bazaar boss goes quietly close behind the back of an elderly lady shopper and performs lascivious acts on her while she is bending down to look at some merchandise. There are some scenes of nudity and some dialogue referring to sexual matters made in anger or fun. Noah verbally worries about his mother’s health, not that she would live longer but his fear was that she would live longer, after the kind of mother she had been to him all his almost 30 years of life. But he discovers that his mom really loves him: “he is the best thing in her life”. Discovery and realization comes at the end, for Noah and Clare, and Noah and Marilyn.

The Gravedancers

Cast: Marcus Thomas, Clare Kramar, Dominic Purcell, Josie Maran; Director: Mike Mendez; Producers: Al Corley, Lawrence Elmer Fuhrmann Jr., Bill McCutchen, Eugene Musso, Bart Rosenblatt; Screenwriters: Brad Keene, Chris Skinner; Music: Joseph Bishara; Editor: Mike Mendez; Genre: Drama/Horror/Thriller; Cinematography: David A. Armstrong; Distributor: After Dark Films; Location: North Carolina, USA; Running Time: 95 min;

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above

Harris (Dominic Purcell), one of the three long time friends with Sid (Marcus Thomas) and Kira (Josie Maran), misses the funeral of their friend Devin who died in a car accident. Harris thinks that they should pay their last respect to Devin together in front of the grave in the cemetery, an idea which Sid and Kira do not initially agree with, but they eventually do. The solemn purpose to pay respect turns out to be a singing and dancing spree with loud music after reading a poem they see at the grave. Unfortunately, the poem read by Harris is like a magical spell that awakens dead spirits especially those in the ground where they danced. Since then all of them including Sid’s wife Allison (Clare Kramar) experience strange eerie occurrences in their respective places. With the help of a paranormal investigator they realize that they are being haunted by the angry spirits they bothered by desecrating their graves with their dancing spree at the cemetery. How will they get over these harrowing experiences?

As a horror thriller film, The Gravedancers successfully delivers and keeps the interest of the viewers from beginning to end of the film. It has a very good plot that was treated with careful special effects, musical scoring and sounds. The actors gave their distinct justification of the characters they portrayed in the film: that of tactless Harris, focused Sid, disturbed Kira, and concerned and frightened Allison, which is also to the credit of the director. It is not the usual screaming horror film but one that gets established as the film progressed to the end. Overall, the film has very good technical qualities.

The film conveys strong messages to respect the dead not necessarily in the context of religious belief, rather on the paranormal dimension. It underscores how irresponsible actions desecrating graves can make the person’s life miserable and even brings death. It aggravates when selfish motives like that of the paranormal team member cheated in the operation got in the way, but at least she regretted doing so when she realized the worst results of her cheating. In a sidelight, the film shows valuing relationships of friendship and marriage. It will be noticed that in the entire run of the film there was no reference to the Church’s intervention; but rather solely on human ability and paranormal science. In reality, when things go beyond human understanding, people seek enlightenment and draw strength from Divine providence to fight evil forces.

Loving You

Cast: John Prats, Polo Ravales, Ehra Madrigal, Kris Bernal, Aljur Abrenica, Jean Garcia, JC de Vera, Yasmien Kurdi; Director: Don Cuaresma; Producer: Roselle Monteverde-Teo; Screenwriter: Fairlane Raymundo; Genre: Romance-Drama; Distributor: Regal Entertainment; Location: Manila; Running Time: 110 min.;

Technical Assessment: 2.5
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 13 and below with parental guidance

Magkakabarkada mula pagkabata sina Jepoy (JC De Vera), Lane (Yasmien Kurdi), Bry (Ehra Madrigal), Tom (Polo Ravales) at Tonee (Kris Bernal). Muling titibay ang kanilang samahan nang sila ay magtrabaho sa iisang call center. Sina Jepoy at Lane ay kakatapos lamang mag-break bilang magnobyo bagama’t mahal pa rin nila ang isa’t-isa. Sa call center ay parehas silang magkakaron ng panibagong pag-ibig. May pag-asa pa kaya silang magkabalikan? Si Bry naman ay niloko ng kanyang kalive-in at ang tanging naging sandigan ay ang kanyang suking taxi driver (John Pratts) na malaki ang pagkagusto sa kanya. Si Tonee na totomboy-tomboy ay mai-inlove naman sa kasamahang si Ryan (Aljur Abrenica) na mahuhuli naman niyang may kinakasamang bading (John Lapuz). Si Tom naman ay pilit na dinadala ang relasyon kay Cyril (Jean Garcia) ang kanyang dating guro na malaki ang tanda sa kanya. Saan kaya sila dadalhin ng kani-kanilang mga problema sa puso at pagmamahal?

Walang bagong inihain ang Loving You maliban sa makabagong milieu ng call center. Ngunit ito ay nanatili lamang backdrop at hindi lubusang nagamit sa pelikula. Ang mga kuwentong pag-ibig ay pawang mga gasgas na at alam na ng mga manonood ang patutunguhan. Sa sobrang dami ng karakter ay sumasabog ang kuwento ng pelikula. Walang pinaka-sentrong karakter o kuwento na maaring sundan. Hindi gaanong dama ang mga eksena mapa drama man o komedi. Sayang at may potensiyal sanang maging maganda ang pelikula sa tradisyon ng mga pelikulang pang-kabataan tulad ng Bagets, Pare Ko, Jologs at marami pang iba. Ang manipis na kuwento ay mas pinanipis pa ng mga hilaw na pag-arte ng mga artista. Tanging ang mga beteranong sina Jean Garcia at Tonton Gutierrez ang kakikitaan ng sinseridad. Ang lahat ay pawang mga pa-cute lamang.

Maraming ipinakitang nakakabahala sa pagpapahalagang moral ng mga kabataan ang pelikula. Pangunahin na rito ay pagpapakitang katanggap-tanggap at nakakaigaya ang pakikipaglive-in at pagsasama ng labas sa sakramento ng kasal. Pawang kaswal lamang ang sex sa pelikula na maaring gawin kahit anong oras kahit saan. Maging ang pagkakaroon ng mga tomboy at baklang mga magulang ay ipinakita lamang at hindi ipinaliwanag o dumaan sa proseso upang lubusang maunawaan ng mga manonood. Mababaw ang naging pagtingin at pagtrato ng pelikula sa konsepto ng pag-ibig. Gaano man nila piliting palalimin, hindi maitatangging naging ubod ng pusyaw ng pagtalakay nito. Ang pag-ibig at pakikipagtalik ay itinuturing nilang iisa. Maging ang infatuation at crush ay pinalalabas na true love. Pawang binubuo lamang sa hangin ang pagkakagustuhan. Maghalikan lamang at maghawakan ng kamay ay sila na. Walang pagpapahalaga sa pagbuo ng pamilya, wala ring sakripisyo. Tanging mababaw na romansahan na nagkukunwaring malalim ang makikita sa pelikula. Walang anumang aral sa pag-ibig. May mangilan-ngilang kurot ukol sa pagpapatawad at pamilya ngunit hindi ito ang pangunahing pinatunguhan ng kuwento.