Tag Archives: filipino movie

Cinemalaya, Rafa Santos & Bisperas

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t have the exact figures but from my personal observation Cinemalaya 2011 is a big hit.  Judging from my experience last night when I watched one of the full-length entries, the CCP Main Theater was jam packed.  It was unlike the previous Cinemalayas wherein only few souls had the interest to watch.

I’m sure organizers are partly thankful to Rafa “the-joke-that-never-was” Santos who ignited curious interest of the movie-going public after expressing in an awful TV interview that he prefers to get theater actors in his films because according to him these thespians don’t complain even if they are fed with biscuits three times daily and paid in cat food.

True enough, from the full-length film entry I watched last night (Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Bisperas”), the best performance exhibited in the film was not from the main stream actors and actresses – who sometimes dip their fingers in doing indie film for them to classify themselves as true motion picture artists – but it was from Jen Donnaire, the lady who played the role of Evelyn, the katulong (maid).  The recognized celebrities who starred in the film expectedly portrayed their respective roles in histrionic modes but the actress who played the role of the maid was so natural, so believable and so true-to-life.  She acted with spontaneity without the melodramatic embellishments.  Watching her would make you forget that she is an actress and would make you believe that she is a maid in real life.  Her portrayal certainly do not just deserve biscuits and cat food.

Siguro naman di lang meow fud and binayad sa longkatung yon.

The Eyes and Tongue of Aljur Abrenica

Posted on by
Reply

New King of Pinoy Camp Movies

As promised, here is my personal analysis why Aljur Abrenica was the saving grace in the remake of the Pinoy cult classic movie Temptation Island.  (Press this LINK to read on my previous post about the movie.)

Aljur Abrenica was a big revelation in the movie Temptation Island 2011.  Abrenica who played the role of Alfredo originally played by the late Alfie Anido was in his comfort zone.  Not because of great acting ability and not because he was able to duplicate Anido’s coniotic stature and presence but because he fits well on being so campy for such a campy movie.

Aljur is a walking camp.  I would like to believe that he is the male version of Alma Moreno, the Queen of Pinoy Camp Movies.  He perfected the “twinkling-of-the-eyes” movement.  In the movie, no matter what emotion he wants to convey, he only has one obscure style of stare. This guy is so funny for he never wink nor blink in the film because his eyes is constantly twinkling.

In the original version, Anido – a natural conio, who perfected the art of mixing and interchanging English and Tagalong in a chic and sophisticated manner – never got the chance to make me laugh.  But in the remake, Aljur never failed to give me a chuckle.  This is especially true when he utter his lines in the English language.  Every time he speaks in English, me and my friends who were watching the film would whisper and ask each other “Ano daw?” (What did he say?), then laugh so hard other viewers thought Abrenica just delivered a hilarious line.

The portrayal of Abrenica in the film was so mediocre but it resulted to being so appealing in an ironic sense.  With his enigmatic twinkling eyes and ambiguous delivery of lines that emerged into an unintentional comedic performance, Abrenica was able to achieve his goal of making Temptation Island 2011 (The Remake) a passable campy film.

Si Aljur malamang ang tatanghaling Hari ng Pinoy Kamp Mubis…

Temptation Island 2011

Posted on by
3

When I learned that the same film producer is planning to do a remake of the ostentatious Temptation Island, I was initially upset, disheartened and bothered.  I wondered why this perversely sophisticated movie has to be redone.  I deemed that it would be a desecration and chastisement of the genius work of Joey Gosiengfiao.  It’s simply blasphemous!

But when all forms of media were showered and spewed with advertisements about the 2011 version, I turned erratic, provoked and eager.  All publicity write-ups and interviews conveyed that the new version will “remain faithful to the campy spirit of the original film”.  This gave me a benefit of the doubt for the new version and made me persuaded to look forward in seeing the film.  I was actually looking forward on how the stars of the new film deliver those precious lines…

Last night was the moment when I along with seven other souls (my equally twisted cosmopolitan office mates) saw the new version.  I knew all the while that the celebrities who starred and played the roles of this year’s version could not equal the fuzzy sophistication as delivered by the original cast.

Surprisingly, Lovie Poe came close to that of the character originally played by Jennifer Cortez in the original version.  Though she came short on the classy, flashy and foxy high-chinned moves and patrician bratty demeanor of Jennifer, she delivered her lines well.  Lovie was unexpectedly funny. She came close to the original in delivering the lines (now considered classic in Pinoy pop culture) since both ladies possess the sexy low-toned breathy voice.

John Lapuz who played Juswa (Joshua when articulated in proper English) was a bit of a disappointment.  Lapuz evidently tried very hard to deliver his lines similar to the fluency and eloquence of the original Joshua played by Jonas Sebastian.  Lapuz, who do not possess the natural required accent along with an innate coarse and croaky tone, will obviously never equal the feat Jonas Sebastian has done in the original version.  Moreover, it was a letdown when Lapuz sported the Queen-Melo-look.  Because of such costume-y and cartoon-y look, Lapuz’ characterization of Joshua created a notion that it was too-over-taught to the point that he desperately wants the viewers to laugh.  It was so unlike Sebastian’s characterization – effortless yet grand and hilarious!

The other actors and actresses who starred in the new version seemed too novice for the demands of their respective roles.  In my own personal view the cast and re-creators of this year’s version tried too hard which resulted to categorizing the film according to Susan Sontag (a literary theorist) as “deliberate camp”.  This is so unlike the original movie which was crisp, candid and unpretentiously presented in which as per Sontag is categorized as “naive camp”.  Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the movie simply because Temptation Island is such a rich, colorful, hilarious and ostentatious film material.

But, the film’s saving glory is actually in the quintessential personification of the ham, the hunk, the beefcake, Aljur Abrenica!  (to be continued…)

Bakit si Aljur?  Pwes, abangan ang susunod na powst. Ang haba na kasi.

Tom Babauta: The Stranger in Paradise

Posted on by
3

I just finished watching a Filipino movie entitled Strangers in Paradise which was directed by the late film genius Lino Brocka.  The story was initially set in an unidentified secluded island where a girl grew up alone (but was later befriended by a hunky local island boy) and was ostracized by her Tagalog-speaking tribe-mates for she was a child conceived and born out of wed lock.  The island girl met a young Hawaii-based Filipino-speaking tourist who decided to bring her to Hawaii (which wonders me how did this young Filipino tourist was able to secure a US-Hawaii Visa for the island girl).  In Hawaii, the island girl was still detested yet encountered an unexpected truth about her past.

For me, the movie Strangers in Paradise is divided into three equal parts.  The first part had very minimal dialogues and seems to look like a mini-soft-porn.  It featured nothing but the incredibly sexy body of the female lead character Mauana (played by Snooky Serna), the boy-next-door charm and flawless skin of Antonio (played by Lloyd Samartino) and the to-die-for hunky flesh of the island boy (played by Tom Babauta).

The second part seems to have looked like a mini-travel show ala The Lonely Planet featuring the cultural dances and sights of Hawaii. Then the flick for its final part suddenly became a mini-soap opera that features the predictable twists and turns of a typical Pinoy afternoon TV drama.

Nevertheless, what is good about the movie is it’s not being a love story where the characters at the end would live happily ever after or had a sad ending where they ended up in tragic turns of event.  Amazingly, the ending was neither happy nor sad.  The ending was just true to what a typical life is.

tom babauta

But the main reason why I have always wanted to watch the film is because I was longing to recall and review how Tom Babauta looks like.  Thanks to Kuki Catindig, the effervescent aficionada of Snooky Serna, for giving me a DVD copy of the movie.

Young adults today may not know this, but it was the name of this B-list actor that gave birth to the coinage of a local slang that proliferated in the late ‘80s until mid ‘90s.  Out of Pinoy’s crazy yet cunning uniqueness, the name Tom Babauta during those times was conceived to mean gutom (hungry).  Often times, Pinoys a decade ago would say “Tom Babauta na ko” when they meant “Gutom na ako” (I’m already hungry).

Tom Babauta may have not contributed in the enrichment of Philippine cinema or may have not even acted very well in his role in Strangers in Paradise but his name has definitely been immortalized in the Pinoy pop-culture neologism.

Mabuhay ka Tom Babauta!

Himala

Posted on by
1

It is believed that no Pinoy living soul would not know the classic lines, “Walang himala! Ang himala ay nasa puso ng tao!  Nasa puso nating lahat! Tayo ang gumagawa ng himala! Tayo ang gumagawa ng mga sumpa at ng mga diyos! Walang himala!”

Whether you like it or not Nora Aunor is someone who contributed a big chunk in the enrichment of contemporary Filipino culture.  I actually just finished watching one her greatest films entitled Himala (Miracle).  Thanks to Kuki Catindig for giving me a superb copy.

I have second thoughts writing about this movie because it feels like desecrating such a cinematic miracle.  Himala is a richly textured film collaborated by 3 geniuses of Filipino film industry:  directed by National Artist Ishmael Bernal; starring Nora Aunor; and, written by Pinoy Writers’ Icon Ricky Lee.  A lot has been written and spoken about the film.  But from my own perception and analyses, this cinematic giant is very haunting, brilliantly daring and hugely moving.  It’s a magnificent art that articulates that if truth, hardships and poverty are too difficult to digest; falsehood, religion and illusion will serve its purpose. 

The film was made 28 years ago but it still pokes and affects every person who watched it.  The movie seems to breathe and has a life of its own.  It deserves more than the accolades it has already received worldwide.

Ika nga sa pelikula… “Elsa labs yu.”