epic fantasy overload

I just finished a nearly 20-hour marathon of epic fantasy overload courtesy of HBO’s biggest TV series to date, Game of Thrones.  In a spread of 4 days I finished all 20 episodes of Seasons 1 and 2 (meron na palang Season 3 pero hahanapin ko pa sa internet).  At eto lang ang masasabi ko: Maganda... sana! 

Let me tell you first kung bakit nagandahan ako.  It’s because of the theme – medieval culture.  Kings and queens, lords and ladies, knights and warriors, kingdoms and castles...  I must be a reincarnation of someone from the royal house of whatever.  Maitim man ang balat ko at singkit ang mata ko ngayon, I really suspect descendant ako ng mga taong ito na nabuhay noong mga panahong yon.  Otherwise I really can’t explain my fascination with their lives and stories. Kaya bentang-benta sa akin itong GOT.

It has a huge storyline which basically intertwines three plots.  First is the scramble for the Iron Throne (thus the title) which deals with greed, deception, cunning, carnage, and anything that is required to grab power.  Then there’s the story of the Nightwalkers which has the element of supernatural dahil may mga blue-eyed zombies. And third is the story of a deposed heir to the Iron Throne planning to regain their lost glory with the help of three dragons. 

If there’s one thing obvious sa GOT, ito ay ang malaking budget.  Halata mo kasi na ginastusan talaga ang production kaya lumalabas na authentic medieval world ang pinapanood mo, may kasama pang touches of fantasy na kung titipirin ang budget ay lalabas na kakatawa.  At a cost of 60$ million for Season 1 and Season 2 on a bigger budget, kitang-kita mo ang production values noong series.

Cast pa lang ang dami-dami na.  As I started the first episode of Season 1, I tried counting the main characters pero habang natatapos ko each episode, hindi na ako nagbilang.  There’s just too many of them kaya mawawala ang focus ko sa story kung magbibilang ako.

Malaking budget sigurado ang naubos sa location. According to Wiki, it was shot daw in different places including Northern Ireland, Croatia, Malta, Morocco, Iceland and a few more others.  Kaya para kang nagta-travel habang nanonood.  One scene you’ll be in the middle of snow-capped mountains.  Tapos biglang nasa loob ka ng isang castle.  Tapos mapupunta ka sa isang desert where a nomadic tribe lives.  Balik sa sibilisasyon ng isang city.  Crypts, courts, chambers, dungeons, marketplace, bedroom,  brothel, farm, forest...  ang ganda ng mga setting.  Breathtaking ang wide shots ng snow-covered The Wall, the creepy yet majestic Veil Kingdom, ng bustling city of King’s Landing, ng mga disyertong dinadaanan ng mga Dothrakis, the eerily beautiful castle in the Iron Island at marami pang shots na talagang dadalhin ka far from where you are sitting at that moment.

Equally impressive din ang costumes.  Very royal ang suot ng King, Queen, prince and princesses, Lords and Ladies, The court council and even the non-royal but wealthy family like the Lannisters.  Very peasant ang suot ng mahihirap, you can see and almost smell the filth in their ragged and tatted clothes.  Bulky and black ang mga Night’s Watchmen dahil frozen planet ang location nila.  Ang ganda ng mga body armor ng mga warriors.  Skimpy and filthy rin ang mga Dothrakis. At mas skimpy ang mga whores na aagaw ng attention mo dahil ang nipis ng mga suot na ang daling hubarin para sa kanilang trabaho (I’ll tell you more about this later).

Sa laki nitong GOT, ang daming directors na humawak.  At least ito nabilang ko.  Season 1 started with Tim Van Patten who directed the first two episodes.  Then Brian Kirk did ep 3, 4 and 5.  Daniel Minahan did ep 6, 7 and 8.  Alan Taylor did ep  9 and 10. Balik si Alan Taylor sa Season 2 dahil sya ang nag-direct ng first two episodes.  Then Alik Sakharov on ep 3 na hindi yata nagustuhan ng HBO dahil biglang si David Petrarca na ang nag-direct ng ep 4 and 5. David Nutter took on ep 6 and 7.  Balik si Alan Taylor sa ep 8.  Neil Marshall on ep 9 at one shot din sya tulad ni Sakharov dahil dyarannn... Alan Taylor ulit ang finale sa ep 10.

May ilan akong nakitang episodes na iba ang sumulat pero ang principal writers ay sina David Benioff and DB Weiss.  Based daw ito sa series of fantasy novels ni George Martin na A Song of Ice and Fire na hindi ko naman nabasa kaya hindi ko pwedeng sabihin how faithful the tv adaptation was to the original material.

Marami man ang sumulat at nag-direct, HBO was successful in maintaining the entire look and feel of the whole thing.  May consistency sa treatment ng story kaya akala mo isang director lang ang gumawa.  Kaya siguro naging very successful ito dahil milyones daw ang tumutok sa HBO at naipalabas pa sa maraming countries, the Philippines included.  May mga nomination at award din daw itong napanalunan.  Which is not surprising because the technical aspect and the acting of some of the players were notable particularly Peter Dinklage whose character Tyrion Lannister was one of my favorites.

Pero... as I said at the start of this post, MAGANDA... SANA.

Sa development and presentation ng ilang characters at situations ako may nakitang sablay.  Ito yong lagi kong tinututukan dahil dito maraming sumasabit na directors at writers.  They tend to over-dramatize a few things para lang sa tinatawag nilang cinematic effect.  Pero ang dating sa akin, plain and simple katangahan.

Glaring and offensive ang pinag-gagawa ng character ni Lady Catelyn Stark.  She left her child in sickbed at kung saan-saan naglimayon.  Nagising na si anak, nagyera na at nasakop ang kanilang kingdom sa Winterfell, hindi pa rin sya umuuwi.  Her son Robb went to war dahil sa mga atraso ng mga Lannister sa kanilang pamilya.  And what did she do?  Undermine her son’s efforts by freeing their only pawn (Jamie Lannister) against their enemy.  If you (the writers and directors) wanted to present the picture of a powerful and respectful matriarch, don’t do these things to her.  Hindi ako nakaka-sympathize sa kanya.  Instead, I wanted to strangle her myself dahil sa katangahan nya.

You (again, writers and directors) gave Ned Stark to me as a man of courage and principles.  Bidang-bida sya sa tingin ko.  And what did you do?  Made him confess to treason na hinding-hindi dapat gawin ng isang tulad nya.  You should hear me shouting ‘serves you right’ when his head went off the chopping block!

I thought the Starks should be the heart of the entire story.  Pero bakit pati ang bastard son ni Ned, si John Snow, ay ginawa nyo ring engot?  Gigil na gigil syang maging ranger ng Night’s Watch.  But as soon as he gets the chance, he blew it big time.  Hindi mapatay ang kalaban all because she was a girl.  Instead, ang commander nya ang pinatay nya.  Bakeeettt?  Tinali nya ang babaeng bihag nya, naglakad sila ng naglakad habang daldalan ng daldalan.  Pampahaba?  Aysus ang haba na nga ng istorya nyo eh.

Eto pa.  Theon Greyjoy who went back to his father after 17 years of living with the Starks, was told by his father (Lord of Pyke) to seize Winterfell.  Ganda sana ng effect dahil ultimate treason ang ginawa ni Theon.  Ang pamilyang nagpalaki sa kanya at ang bayang kinalakihan nya eh sinakop nya. Pinagpapatay pa ang mga tao doon. Ang katangahan, nasakop na si Winterfell pero eto si Lord Greyjoy at biglang pinapauwi na lang si Theon.  Pull out na daw.  Watdaaaa?

Marami pang butas ang story but the biggest one for me is this:  all three of Queen Cersei’s children are fathered by her brother Jamie (oh yeah, incest is their game) na hindi man lang nalaman ni King Robert?  I could have swallowed that kung ginawa nyong baog si King Robert without him knowing it.  Pero hindi.  He fathered many bastards outside the palace na pinapatay ni Queen Cersei.  Bakeetttt?  Can’t mount his wife because of a long lost love pero nakakabuntis ng ibang babae?  If that is the case, hindi ba nagtaka si King kung bakit nabubuntis si Queen eh hindi naman nya nagagalaw?  Ginawa nyong tanga si King pero in the end, it is the viewers you’re taking for a fool.

At sa haba ng ginawa nila, may isang malaking scene na ini-expect ko pero hindi ko nakita.  Ang funeral rites ni King Robert where it could have been the best opportunity to present the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms.  Bakit wala?  Sinabi lang na may Seven Kingdoms pero hindi naman na-pakita ang mga rulers noon which is vital to the story.

Ang mga ganitong detalye ang hindi dapat pinapayagan because it kills the integrity of the characters and in the end, nakakawala ng interes.  Sa halip na gusto ko pang tutukan ang nangyayari doon sa character, I’m just wishing na mawala na lang sya sa eksena dahil wala na akong bilib sa character nya.

Aside from these ‘katangahan’, meron pa akong isang napansin.  Ang daming eksena ng daldalan.  Lenghty conversations na dapat sana ay ginawa mas concise to pull the whole story a lot tighter.  Yakyakan ng yakyakan ang pagkadami-daming character.  Even unimportant characters were given lengthy dialogs.  May mga instances nga na gusto ko ng i-fast forward yong pinapanood ko. 

I wish there were more scenes of actual battle.  Pero iisa ang talagang labanan and that was in episode 9 of the second season.  Yong mga battle ni Rob and the Lannisters, pinapakita lang that the army are preparing for war.  Next scene, tapos na ang gyera at mga patay na lang ang dinadaanan ng camera! Hayayayayyy!

If there’s one thing GOT has got plenty of, it’s blood.  Putulan ng ulo, saksakan, kamay na tinagpas, bitukang dinudukot, matang sinaksak ng espada, espadang tumagos sa bungo and so many other gory and graphic scenes.  I thought Centurion was ruthless pero wala sa kalahati ng dugo na sumirit dito sa GOT.  Ang dami sigurong catsup na naubos sa shooting!

But wait, it’s not only blood overflowing in GOT.  Pati laman.  Flesh.  Not the one being sliced, pierced and cut by the sword.  But the naked bodies of men and women so generously sprinkled all over the two seasons.  Women, especially the whores, drop their robes in an instant as cameras focus on boobs of different sizes and shapes.  Maraming babae ang nag-full frontal dito which I suspect were struggling actresses hoping for the big break na akala nila makukuha nila if they show everything on cam.  May ilang lalaki din ang nag-full monty particularly the not-so-handsome Theon Greyjoy.   Pero bakit naman pati yong nitwit na taga-buhat ni Lord Bran, pinag-bomba pa? Anong relevance?

Kailangan man sa eksena o hindi, wag ka ng magugulat kung biglang may hubaran na mangyayari.  Kaya dapat walang minors sa harap ng Tv pag nanonood ka nito.  I suspect HBO censored these scenes when it was shown here in the Philippines dahil siguradong mag-aalburoto ang mga manong at manang ng simbahan kung hindi nila ginawa. Though I would find it hard to cut some sex scenes dahil ginawang backdrop ng ilang importanteng conversation na kung puputulin ay mawawala ang continuity ng story. 

Hindi ko masasabing big favorite itong GOT unlike World Without End which I reviewed in previous post here in DS.  Mas malaki nga, mas epic at mas maganda sana itong GOT pero dahil nga may ilang flaws akong nakita, I still consider the tighter and more logical WWE better.

Ewan ko lang if Season 3 will change what I’ve said.  Wala pa kasing closure ang mga characters at stories dito sa Season 2.  At hindi ko rin alam kung hanggang ilang season paabutin ng HBO ang series.  But until the story is finally told, only then will I decide if I will encourage you to spend 20 or 30 hours of your time in front of the television!  

world without end

Thanks to Star Movies I found World Without End.  Nadaanan ko lang sya while channel surfing one night, kaso nasa last part na pala.  Kaya hanap agad online at yon nga, kagabi kinumpleto kong panoorin ang 8 episodes na 45 minutes each.  Umaga na naman akong natulog.  Pero sulit na sulit ang puyat dahil maganda.  If not, I would have dropped it at the first few frames.  At hindi ako sisipagin na mag-review dito sa DS.

It’s a Tv adaptation of Ken Follett’s novel of the same title.  Na ewan naman kung bakit hindi na lang ginawang pelikula dahil sa laki ng story, ng cast, production values at haba ng kwento, pwedeng tatlong movies ang kalalabasan. 

It’s one epic story of 14^th century England – particularly a place called Kingsbridge where, in the usual Follett’s genius, kings and queens, bishops and priors, builders and lovers, peasants and witches were all woven into one intricate story of love, deceit, greed, scheming, war and death.

Continuation daw ito ng kwento ng The Pillars of the Earth, an earlier novel by Follett na ginawan din ng Tv version at sa Star Movies ko rin napanood.  Pero according to what I read online, kung ang Pillars daw ay malapit sa Follett novel ang kinalabasan ng tv adaptation, ito raw WWE ay malayo.  I wouldn’t know dahil hindi ko nabasa ang mga book. 

Basta ang alam ko, I was impressed by both Tv adaptations no matter how faithful it remained to the original material or not.  At kung napa-hanga ako ng Pillars, mas napa-bilib ako dito sa WWE.  Mas malawak ang kwento, mas maraming characters at mas malupit ang mga twist na hindi mo aasahan each episode.  

At the heart of the tale is the love story between Caris, a young medical practitioner-accused of black magic-turned nun-turned prior-then back to being just a peasant girl,  and Merthin, a brilliant young builder which is the equivalent of an architect (or engineer) in our present times.  For the bigger part of the story akala mo hindi sila magkakatuluyan dahil kung ano-ano na ang pinagdaanan ng love story nila.  But because it’s a love story, sila pa rin syempre sa huli.

Kwento rin ito ng power struggle at agawan sa korona amongst King Edward II, his wife Queen Isabella and their son King Edward III who led England to war with France in what is now known as The Hundred Years War na totoo namang nangyari sa English history.

Then there’s the story of Petranilla, a scheming widow played by Cynthia Nixon whose role here was a total departure from her Miranda character in Sex & the City.  You’ll hate her cunning dito sa istorya as she kills and orchestrates her way para maging importanteng mga tao ang dalawa nyang anak.  She almost had it – one became an Earl and the other a Bishop – two powerful men in the society during those years.  But they are both wicked just like their mother kaya may retribution sa dulo ng kwento.

And, in Follett’s tradition, kontrabidang-kontrabida ang simbahan dito.  Bishops and Priors wielding and abusing enormous powers borrowed from the cloak, the crucifix and the bible.  I don’t know how the Catholic church took it pero sa Pillars pa lang sila na ang isa sa mga kontrabida sa kwento ni Follett.

Idagdag mo pa ang istorya ni Sir Thomas Langley, a knight who sought refuge in the priory and became a monk.  Na later ay na-inlove sa isang kapwa monk din.  At si Caris as a nun na may eksena ng lesbianism with another nun.  If Follett or the writer who did the Tv adaptation intends to raise some eyebrows, he must have succeeded. 

With a 46$ million budget, nagawa ni Michael Caton-Jones na itawid ang malaking istorya on-screen. It was one huge project na kung hindi magaling ang director ay sasabog ang produkto. 

Of course magaling sigurado ang team niya, particularly the editors dahil walang sayang na eksena sa 6-hr running time noong buong series. Wala ding lumaylay na continuity.  At walang unresolved issues or characters na magtatanong ka kung anong nangyari pagdating ng ending.

His schedule masters and production coordinators must have had some sleepless nights.  Sa dami ng cast – central characters pa lang na more than 10 yata, plus minor roles not less than 30, plus the hundreds of bit players – managing their schedule must be a nightmare.

Medyo may sabit lang ang writer (John Pielmeier) dahil may mga dialog na napapa-isip ako kung talagang ginagamit na noong mga panahong yon.  I think i’ve heard a few lines here and there na parang contemporary ang dating instead of good old 14^th century.

Shot in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria, ang ganda-gandang lumabas ng cinematography so kudos to whoever is behind those cameras. At syempre, ang buong production team – from the set designers, propsmen, costume department – dahil nagmukhang authentic medieval England ang setting. 

Overall, it’s one good show you must watch kung katulad kita na mahilig sa mga kwento ng medieval England.  Ang maganda nito, kahit 6 hours yong buong kwento, you can watch it in parts.  Pwede mong gawing parang soap na susubaybayan mo ng 8 days.  But in my case, hindi ko tinantanan.  Ayaw ko kasing mabitin kaya ang ending, puyat.  But it’s all worth it i’m telling you.

marvelous mongol

You know me.  Whenever I find something awesome, I just don’t share it. I rave about it! Haha...

Mongol.  Hindi ito yong lapis na kinakagat-kagat natin while we were listening to our teachers back in grade school.  It’s one epic movie which is Kazakhstan’s entry to the 2008 Oscar Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.  I haven’t seen the other nominees, much more the winner (The Counterfeiters from Austria) but based on how I reacted to this film, Mongol is gonna be one of my newest faves.  Ito yong pelikulang pwede ko namang i-pause ang player para kumuha ng inumin o mag-cr and yet I didn’t.  I was so wrapped up in the story I just can’t leave the screen for one second.

I’ll put it up right within the league of monumental epics of recent years like Gladiator and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon – both in my top ten best films (see my previous posts in 2 parts under label: my top tens).  And now that I found this film, kailangan ko nang i-revamp yong list na yon.  Coz I just can’t let this film fall on the wayside.  It just has to be in my top ten faves. 

Paano naman hindi ako bibilib dito eh sa cinematography pa lang panalong-panalo na.  Think of the Mongolian landscape – golden sand dunes, lush green hills, pristine white snow-capped mountains, gorgeous winding streams and everything you could ever imagine in a land so blessed by nature. All these mesmerizing beauty serving as a picturesque backdrop while a highly compelling story is being told. 

And what a beautiful story it was.  It’s about Temujin, how at 9 he lost his father, found his bride, found a blood brother who later on became his enemy, how he rose from being a slave, fought so many battles  and in the end became the revered Genghis Khan to the Mongols. Yes, the Genghis Khan we read about in our textbooks. It might not be a factual biopic.  But it sure is one hell of a story only brilliant minds can present to us in such a sweeping, dramatic and epic manner.

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Sergei Bodrov, a Russian-American director is the guy I’d thank for such a wonderful piece of work. He was ably supported by Dashi Namdakov whose production design gave us an authentic insight to the nomadic life of the 1100’s Mongolians. And, as I mentioned before, the poignant cinematography by Sergey Trofimov and Rogier Stoffers completing the visual feast this movie so bountifully offers.

And of course, the actors did their part.  Tadanobu Asano, a Japanese actor (you’ve probably seen him in Thor), played the adult Temujin with conviction.  He was gentle in the company of loved ones yet brutal in the battlefield.  He was wise and crafty at times but follows what his heart dictates.  He exudes power, strength, wisdom, compassion and all the characteristics Genghis Khan is supposed to have.

Not to be overshadowed, Sun Honglei, a Chinese actor, played Jamukha to perfection.  Good thing Tadanobu played Temujin so strongly.  Otherwise Sun’s character, villain as it maybe, could have stolen your sympathy so easily.

This film may have not been a box office hit (maybe because of very limited release) but it won wide critical acclaim.  Nominated in so many international films, won major awards in some and even the notorious and merciless Rotten Tomatoes site gave this film an 86% approval rating.  This, once again, proves my point that Hollywood doesn’t have the monopoly of great films. Kaya alam nyo na ang kasunod, it’s my prodding for you to watch it coz it’s worth the 120 minutes of your life.

one plus one can never be one

I still have to watch In A Better World from Denmark to find out why it beat Incendies in the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film this year.  But until then, I’d give Incendies the golden statuette coz it gave me 2 hours of captivating story, terrific acting, vivid cinematography, haunting music, and as a whole, a wonderful piece of work. Even the notoriously merciless Rotten Tomatoes site gives it a 92% fresh rating.

Adapted from a play called Scorched, Incendies is a story of a family borne out of war.  The film starts in Canada when twins Jeanne and Simon were being read their mother’s will.  The mother, Nawal, asks Jeanne to find their father and Simon their long-lost brother.  Only after delivering the letter they can bury her and put a tombstone on her grave.  Jeanne readily accepted the will but Simon, on the contrary felt strongly against the whole idea.    

The mission takes Jeanne back to post-war mid-east country (one site said it was Lebanon) where their mother’s name evokes disdain from people who knew her.  It was a long and arduous process for Jeanne to find the roots of her mother.  This is where flashes of Nawal’s story takes us to a war-torn country, a beautiful place turned to ruins because of the conflict between faiths and religion.  In the end of Jeanne’s search, she was made to believe that their father, Wahab, is already dead.  Or so she thought.

Then came Simon who had no choice but to fulfill his mother’s last wish. Simon’s search for the long-lost brother led him to more complex revelations providing the surprising, disconcerting and controversial ending.

First of the many credits of the films is the acting.  Lubna Azabal, born in Brussels to a Moroccan father and Spanish mother, gave a compelling portrayal of Nawal.  Her struggles, her ideology and her story is the one that kept my eyes firmly planted on the screen.  

Plus the breathtaking cinematography.  The barren yet beautiful countryside, the dark corners of a city ravaged by war, the birthing scenes, even the picture of a woman beside a burning bus, the pictures painted on the screen are postcard-worthy.   

The music, although definitely contemporary, provided a heartfelt background to many critical scenes.  It was surprising to learn that many of the songs were actually performed by a rock band (Radiohead).  

Making the story telling more interesting is the editing.  Telling the story of Jeanne and Simon in parallel with the story of Nawal requires editing to shuttle in and out of several time frames.  It’s tricky but the editing team rendered clean and precise work.  

Of course it’s all because of the masterful direction by Dennis Villenueve.  He was able to tell a rather dark story but gave it heart and soul for us to be able to go ohh and ahh until the last frame of the film. In the end, it is one film that I will never forget so soon.

Interesting.  Captivating.  Superb.  Incendies once again reiterate what I’ve always been saying here in DS:  Holywood does not have the monopoly to excellent films.   

And oh by the way, where did the title of this post come from?  You’ll find out towards the end of the film. And with that I'm saying go watch it.  It's worth your time.

hot soup + gata = cr

Watched Josh Hartnett’s I Come With The Rain and after almost two hours of trying to figure out the whole sense of the film, I finally understood why it went straight to DVD after being shown in one or two countries (Japan lang yata).  Super flop pala ito.  According to one film site, its budget was US$ 18 million pero wala pa yatang 4 million ang kinita.  Kasi nga, wala palang kwenta yong pelikula.  

It’s like you were having some hot Chinese soup dahil sa violent and gory scenes na kung mahina ang sikmura mo, you’d throw up whatever you’ve had for dinner.  Then biglang-bigla, susubuan ka ng ginataang kuhol dahil sa faith healing angle doon sa bida.  Na di bale sana kung mala-Himala ni Ishmael Bernal ang tinakbo ng istorya.  But it was placed in the whole film in a bad juxtaposition of the unbelievable against raw realism of violence, tons and tons of blood, ruthless killing and so on. So imagine the hot soup and the gata mixed with bad acting, editing and directing, siguradong tatakbo ka sa CR to throw up.

Nakaka-irita ang editing dahil ang daming scenes na pinuputol tapos ibabalik din wala namang sense yong cutting through na ginagawa.  For me it was a dire effort on the part of the director to make the film interesting pero sa totoo lang it was one heck of a boring stuff.

Josh played Kline, a cop who left the force, became a private investigator hired by a billionaire to trace his missing son.  The son, Shitao, went to Mindanao (Philippines, of course) and after a while disappeared.  Nagkaron ng ilang eksena sa Mindanao dahil pumunta doon si Kline para hanapin (na ang dali namang nakita) ang isa pang PI na nauna na sa kanyang naghanap sa missing son.  Pumasok pa si Kline sa isang cheapy-cheapy bar na naka-all the way ang mga babaeng sumasayaw (Gintong Araw pa ang sinasayaw ng mga hubad na buvae? Anong panahon pa ito?).  Walang kwenta, walang dating at walang sense ang pagpasok nya sa bar.  Basta lang maisingit ng director para may nudity sa film.  At buti na lang hindi ito naipalabas sa mga sinehan sa Pinas dahil siguradong sisigaw ng protesta ang Gabriela, ang mga moralista at lalo ang simbahan.

Wala na si Shitao sa Mindanao, nasa HongKong daw.  Takbo si Kline sa HK.  At doon na tumakbo ang halos kabuuan ng istorya.  Si Shitao pala ay naging isang faith healer living in squalor just outside the skirts of HK’s urban jungle.  May kapatid sya, si Lili na hawak ng isang local gangster na si Su Dongpo.  Pinagselosan si Shitao ni Su Dongpo, binaril, sapol ng ilang bala sa dibdib, pinako pa sa isang plank (in the position of a cross) pero sa ending buhay pa rin (faith healer nga eh ano ba!).  Si Lili naman, instead na ipaliwanag na kapatid nya si Shitao, nag-emote lang ng nag-emote instead of screaming on top of her lungs that ‘he’s my brother, he’s not a pig!’ ayyy Ate Guy pala yon.  Kaya ako’y iritang-irita sa eksenang yon.  

Pinakita din don sa part na yon kung anong nangyari kay Shitao sa Mindanao.  Binaril din sya ng henchmen ng isang mayamang tao sa Mindanao.  Sapol din ng apat na bala sa dibdib.  Inuod na pero nabuhay. Himalaaaa!  Hindi pinaliwanag kung paano sya napunta sa HK. Basta naging faith healer na sya after that.  May eksena pang he’s mobbed by the poor and sickly na natawa ako sa inis dahil parang Thriller ni MJ ang dating! Aaarrgghh!

In some parts, nagpaka-Jonathan Demme (i-research nyo kung di nyo kilala hahaha) ang director na si Tran Anh Hung dahil may istorya si Kline that happened 2 years before.  He followed Hasford, a serial killer who mutilates the bodies of his victims at ginagawang sculptures.  Hasford’s psyche was so powerful at na-contaminate si Kline.  After Kline killed Hasford, he practiced the ‘contamination’ dahil pinugutan nya rin ng ulo si Hasford. And so his mental anguish started to haunt him.  Kaya lagi syang may nightmares kahit nasa Mindanao sya or nasa HK.  Itong plot na ito ay parang kinuha sa mental and psychological warfare na ginawa ni agent Starling (Jodie Foster) with Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins).  I think Josh accepted the role thinking that it was an acting vehicle that could make Oscars finally notice him. 

Kaso nga it was a bad story line with amateurish directing. Para ka lang nanonood ng stylized action film tungkol sa triad.  Neo-noir daw yong genre nong film but it was mostly sleek and crisp.  What's bad is that masyadong staged ang mga eksena. Acting na acting ang mga gumanap from Josh to the Asian actors.  Nakaka-distract pa ang mga corny na wardrobe ni Su Dongpo at ng kanyang cohorts.  Kaya ayon, mega-flop sa takilya.

What’s interesting about the film? Hmmm… at least may ilang songs akong narinig na maganda.  Hanapin ko na lang yong OST. Yong film? Diretso sa trash bin!

itanong kay malabanan

Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank, one of the major winners in the recently concluded Cinemalaya film festival in CCP is currently having its commercial run. (Thanks to Cinemalaya for deciding to show it in regular theaters)  Isa ako sa mga nanood nong Saturday (SM Sta Rosa) and I was pleased to see na marami ding Pinoy ang nagka-interes panoorin ang ganoong klase ng pelikula. Kaso lang, hindi lahat ng nanood, na-appreciate yong film.  I heard a few people on our way out saying ‘ang pangit naman’ or ‘ano ba yon ganon lang’.

Obviously they didn’t like the film. Or should I say hindi nila nasakyan. Siguro hindi pa masyadong sanay sa mga indie. Or, porke nasa SM cinemas, they were expecting to see the usual mainstream movies na napapanood nila na may iyakan, sampalan, suntukan or anything that follows a formulaic pattern of commercial film making.

Pero sa totoo lang, kumpletos rekados yong pelikula.  Sabi nga sa mga nabasa ko, it’s a 5-in-one film.  Kaya nandon lahat yong element ng isang commercial film.  Iba nga lang ang treatment kasi nga indie.

The main story is about a trio of young film makers who wants to make a film called Walang Wala (natawa ako dito) na ang nasa isip agad ay international film festivals.  F**k Cannes, Oscars daw ang gusto nila.  Rainier (Kean Cipriano) the director, Bingbong (JM De Guzman) the producer and Jocelyn (Cacai Cortez) prod-asst are so passionate with their film na ang istorya ay tumatalakay sa buhay ni Mila, isang nanay na may pitong anak.  Sobrang hirap ni Mila kaya she had to sell one of her kids sa isang pedo para magkapera.

While debating on how to execute the film, lumabas yong apat na iba-ibang versions nong pelikula.  There was this reality-show attack na kahit artista ang gaganap na Mila (to be played by Eugene Domingo), gagawin nilang makatotohanan which is mostly the approach ng mga indie film.  They also thought of making it a musical where Mila will sing and emote at the same time.  Meron ding docu-drama na gritty nga at malakas ang impact pero mahirap gawin.  And the melo-dramatic version na gusto namang atake ni Eugene being the ‘collaborative’ lead actress of the film.

For the most part, tumakbo yong istorya sa one day of brainstorming ni Rainier at Bingbong.  Among the three, silang dalawa lang talaga ang nagdi-discuss.  And for a while I thought Jocelyn was deaf and mute pero importante pala ang role nya dahil sya ang nagpapatakbo nong apat na vesions ng film na gagawin nila.  Pag nagdi-discuss si Rainier at Bingbong, pagpikit ng mata ni Jocelyn (na antukin) doon na lalabas yong version na pinag-uusapan nong dalawa.

Bilib ako sa pelikula dahil sa simpleng istorya ng brainstorming, very interesting ang mga ideas na binabato nila sa isa’t isa.  It doesn’t only concern their film but the ideas thrown were social comments in itself.  Bakit hindi si Cherry Pie ang gawing Mila, bakit si Eugene.  Eh kasi si Cherry Pie maputi, si Eugene dugyutin (hagalpakan ang mga tao dito).  Eh bakit, may maputi din namang mahirap ah.  Or yong pedophile, bakit kailangan laging puti, bakit hindi intsik, pakistani, arabo o pinoy.   All of which points to the fact that we are already stuck so deep in our stereotypical way of thinking. 

And this one (na alam kong maraming makaka-relate)…  napamura si Bingbong dahil may nakalimutan.  Akala mo super importante.  Yon pala, charger lang ng i-pad nya.  O di ba, ang karamihan ngayon parang namatayan na pag na-lo bat ang kanilang mga gadget! Hahaha!

As a whole, I find the film quite interesting.  Simpleng istorya pero nagawang interesante.  Malaking factor yong script (Chris Martinez who also did Here Comes the Bride and Temptation Island, sabi sa isang nabasa ko) dahil yon ang naging glue para maging coherent at interesting yong buong pelikula.   Precise din at walang sabit sa editing. Dahil isipin mo, 5 pelikula yon in one and yet malinaw na malinaw ang mga eksena at walang naligaw na unwanted sequence.   The musical score (don sa musical version) was both entertaining and dramatic.  Kaya as a director, saludo ako kay Marlon Rivera who delivered a product that is so fresh, unique and highly entertaining.

But in any film alam naman nating ang mga actor ang critical.  Kung palpak ang acting, sira ang film.  In this case, magaling ang buong cast nong pelikula kahit yong mga extra.  Lalo naman ang mga lead.  Kean Cipriano, for a neophyte in acting, was spot-on. Given more exposure and roles as important as this one, he can beat the crap out of the many ham actors na kilala natin.  JM de Guzman was also credible as a yong rich kid who possesses the combination of a vision in film making as well as the commercial eye na kailangan ng isang producer.  Even Cacai was convincing she should be doing her daddy Rez so proud.  At syempre si Eugene. Well, she deserved her Cinemalaya Best Actress award.  Baka nga humakot pa sya ng awards later on dahil talagang ibang level ang performance nya dito. Kaya yong ibang mga actress kuno dapat mag-isip-isip na coz Eugene is really setting the bar so high most of them will soon find it hard to hopscotch their way to awards.

Isa lang ang major concern ko.  Ano ang relevance nong eksena sa septic tank?  Kahit i-rewind ko sa utak ko yong film, walang nabanggit na linya that would establish the need to shoot in a septic tank.  Bakit, maglilinis ba si Mila ng poso negro just to earn a few pesos?  At saka kahit ultra-realistic ang treatment ni direk don sa film, pagdating sa septic tank, hindi lumabas na credible.  It was made to look filthy with floating garbage and greasy water.  Pero alam ko hindi ganon ang septic tank.  It should be murky and foul-smelling na kahit sa screen masusuka kang tingnan. Ewan lang kung nagkakamali ako. Itanong natin kay Malabanan.

Yon lang naman.  One point but I think it does a lot to the whole film.  Afterall yon ang ginawa nilang title.  So dapat may relevance.  But other than that, bow ako sa director, scriptwriter, production people, technical staff and everyone involved in ABSST.  Bravo guys.  I hope to see more of your works in the future. Meantime, gusto kong magkape… I need an expresso! Bwahahaaa! (you’ll laugh with me kung napanood nyo yong film! Hihihi)

kites and kabul

Ewan ko ba naman kung bakit pag magaganda ang pelikula, ilalagay ng mga hunghang na tv station sa super late na time slot on a workday pa! Well actually iba ang oras dito sa Saudi compared to the Tv station na pinapanooran ko. At free to air tv lang yon so who am I to complain! Hahaha!

Tulad kagabi, I crawled to my bed at 11pm, ready to turn my engines off and try to sleep early (early pa yon huh!). Then came along this film The Kite Runner in MBC Max. Sabi ko titingnan ko lang ang first few scenes dahil nabasa ko na ito sa mga movie reviews dati. Nominated sa BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscars kaya sabi ko baka maganda. Ayun, ang ending, early morning na ako nakatulog. 1:30am to be exact.

Sabi ko naman sa dati kong mga posts, medyo nagsawa na ako sa movies made in Hollywood. I want to see world films – yong galing sa mga kung saan-saang parte ng mundo. And this one, though it was made by an American director (Marc Forster) has an interesting flavor to it because the story was set in Afghanistan and most actors were authentic Afghans.

It’s a story of two boys – one rich (Amir), the other a servant (Hassan) – growing up in Kabul as best of friends. Kahit si Hassan ay alipin lamang sa bahay nina Amir, Hassan’s loyalty to Amir is unconditional. On the contrary, Amir’s friendship to Hassan has boundaries. While Hassan got mauled (at sabi sa original na istorya ay na-rape) because of his loyalty to Amir, Amir can’t even defend Hassan kahit nakikita nya ang pambubugbog dito. Duwag kasi sya.

Hassan’s silence after the incident worried Amir even more. Kaya gumawa sya ng paraan para mapalayas si Hassan at ang tatay nito. He planted his watch under Hassan’s pillow saka nagsumbong sa kanyang Baba (father). He wanted Hassan out of his sight dahil baka mabisto ang kaduwagan nya na nagpahamak kay Hassan. Then he will lose the affection of his Baba na alam na nyang disappointed sa pagiging weakling nya.

When Amir was 14, the Russians came and invaded Afghanistan. Dahil open critic ng mga communist ang tatay ni Amir, they had to flee to Pakistan before proceeding to California where they settled. Kung dati ay mayaman sila sa Kabul, sa Cali ay ordinary citizens lang sila. Amir’s father worked in a gasoline station. They also sold stuff in a flea market. Then Amir finally got a diploma, pursued his writing and got married. Shortly after his marriage, namatay na ang Baba nya.

Nong na-publish na finally ang first book nya and he was about to launch his writing career, saka naman nagkaron ng twist ang story. He had to go back to Pakistan where he finally uncovered a long-kept secret. Because of that revelation, he has to go back to Kabul to rescue the boy na anak ni Hassan. Who turned out to be his very own nephew dahil si Hassan pala ay half-brother nya.

Walang masyadong action ang pelikula until this point. Pero nong pumasok na ulit sya sa Afghanistan, sobrang intense ng mga scenes at takbo ng istorya. And believe me, I was wide awake sa puntong yon even if it’s almost 1am. As if I was actually in war-ravaged Kabul directly facing the Talibans. Pag ganon ang effect ng pelikula sa akin, it must be really good.

Taken from a best-selling book of the same title (author: Khaled Hosseini), the story was quite compelling. Although sa synopsis nong book na nakita ko sa Wiki, marami pang eksena at pangyayari ang hindi ko nakita sa film. On second thought, baka edited na yong film na napanood ko kasi nga it’s shown in MBC. But apparently, the book and the movie itself was highly controversial. The Afghan government banned entry of any copy of this film dahil may mga dialogue at scenes na hindi nila pwedeng ipakita sa viewing public. It may lead to some violent reaction daw from sectors na hindi maiintindihan at mao-offend noong pelikula.

With such a rich plot to work upon, Marc Forster did a great job in directing the film. The storytelling was poignant, engaging and very real. Magaling din ang buong technical team nya from his cameraman down to the production design team. Hindi ko akalaing flying a kite can be that exciting. At kahit sa China pala ginawa ang shooting, nagmukhang Kabul talaga yong bigger part of the film.

I also commend all the actors who did a great job in portraying the characters. Magagaling yong dalawang Afghan boys who played Amir and Hassan. And even Khalid Abdalla who played the grown-up Amir. His portrayal of a weak, good son is very effective. He was able to convey the agony of hiding a dark guilt for a long time. And the struggle to make amends even if it means risking his own life, facing his weakness and coming out a stronger person in the end.

Kaya lang, as always, may minor flaws akong nakita. Like yong picture ni Shorab (the boy to be rescued) together with his father Hassan. Ang tagal nang tinakbo nong film between the first scene na nakita yong picture until nong pinakita ni Amir kay Shorab. But the picture was still as glossy at walang kahit kaunting crease or crumple.

Medyo hindi rin ako convinced that after 15, 20 years, kilala pa rin ni Assef (kontrabida as one of the Taliban leaders) si Amir with all the latter’s disguise. Sana pinakita na lang na even Assef was surprised to find out it was Amir na binu-bully nya dati noong bata pa sila.

Anyhooo… maganda pa rin yong pelikula. And as I always do, I’ll recommend that you find a copy of it and watch it. Para maiba naman. I’m gonna find a copy myself dahil gusto kong mapanood yong unedited version. And probably I’ll look for the book also. Gusto kong mabasa ng buo yong istorya. Coz it’s one damn good story that proves, as I always say, Hollywood doesn’t have the monopoly to good films!

fusion confusion

while we (matt, maccoy and i) were in the insurance office last week, may nakita kaming isang handbook which is actually a directory of commercial establishments in the eastern province.  and one thing that caught my interest is the advert for fusion, a restaurant in the meridien hotel. eh siguro naman by this time you already know that fine dining has become one of my 'bisyo' plus the fact that i'm a self-appointed food critic.

kaya i eagerly dragged matt and the lichauco family to meridien.  i was excited from the prospect of finding another dining haven, tulad ng pagkaka-discover ko sa soul kitchen (and not to forget, mughal) na hanggang ngayon ay top favorite ko pa rin whenever dining out. ginamit na lang excuse yong birthday ni pops who didn't have the slightest hint why we entered the heavily guarded gate of a hotel na dati dinadaanan lang namin.

located at the second (dito first yon) floor of the hotel, fusion has a huge foyer where you have to walk a kilometric red carpet na para kang nasa oscars bago mo pa marating ang dining area.  what a waste of space sabi ko sa mga kasama ko.  kung sa ibang resto na napuntahan ko, they're squeezing as much table into one tiny space, dito pwede kang mag-badminton, literally, before settling onto your table.

ok so the place is impressive. the interiors were cool with it's contemporary chic ambience. and the waiters na wala kahit isang pinoy (we later saw a couple of kabayans tending the bar) ay maayos naman mag-serve.  hot towel promptly handed out before we were given the menu.  pero pagbukas ko pa lang, well, nabawasan agad ang excitement ko.  the menu is limited mahihiya ang menu ng chinese grill na halos parang libro ng harry potter sa dami ng offering.  dito, parang nagbuklat ka lang ng to do list mo for the morning. 

what caught my eye, and my further disappointment, ay ang presyo nila.  ang favorite ko sa soul kitchen na maki is only 45sr dito, 75.  and if the most expensive steak in sk is at 115sr, dito, 180sr. sabi na nga ba kasama sa bayad yong nilakaran naming isang kilometro ng red carpet! oh well, it's a hotel resto so sige, ganon talaga. magkakatalo na lang sa pagkain lalo sa steak kasi angus beef din daw ang gamit nila.  at least may point of comparison.

kaso, nagkatalo nga.  the crunchy maki wasn't even crunchy and is a bit sour i had to dissect the filling in an attempt to find where the taste is coming from. it was an utter disappointment. kung nahagilap ko ulit yong menu, i'd cross out the name crunchy maki and put 'suman' instead.

then the main course arrived to give me further disappointment.  maccoy said he has had better prime rib.  the tiger prawns, despite it's nice presentation, were bland.  the rib eye i ordered proved to be a chewing challenge. major nguya ang gagawin mo or else you're taking the risk of having indigestion.  

needless to say, that's going to be the first and last dinner i'll have in fusion.  kahit sabihin pang may complementary sushi for starters and fancy sweets for dessert.  hindi pa rin ako babalik don....  ok, alam na ninyo ang kasunod - unless may maglilibre sa akin! hahaha.

of course i haven't forgotten the rating (as usual, 5 max, 1 min)

place    :   4.5

food     :   2.5

service :   3.0

price    :   2.0

total     :  12.0

(and that total puts it way below the list i posted back in june for the 1st part and 30 aug for the 2nd part)

the complementary sushi for appetizer

crunchy maki aka suman sa lihiya?

rib eye aka goma ng truck?

tiger prawns...  or is it tiger woods endorsing nike?

ok, it sure doesn't look attractive...  steak na may sabaw?

libreng dessert - built in siguro ang cost sa presyo ng main course kaya mahal

taken nong papasok pa lang kami kaya naka-smile pa... 
and by now you know the smiles are gone when we came out of the place!