Sari-Saring Sineng Pinoy

Vilma Santos achieved a rare feat during the 80's which was never accomplished by any other performer, male or female. In 1983, Santos hit the grand slam by winning Best Actress in all the award giving bodies for her performance in Ishmael Bernal's Relasyon (Regal Films, Inc., 1982). Although the first trophy she got during the decade was from the FAMAS for Pakawalan Mo Ako (MVP Pictures, Inc., 1981), Santos really delivered her best performances in Relasyon, Sister Stella L. (Regal Films, 1984) and Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga (Regal Films, 1989). Playing the part of Marilou, a sympathetic mistress in Relasyon, her performance was consistently good from start to finish. In fact, she was brilliant in the film's small moments, especially in that seemingly insignificant scene where she tried to dismiss persistent suitor Junjun (Jimi Melendez). In Mike de Leon's Sister Stella L., the growth and development of her character was clearly evident. especially in her transformation from a non-partisan religious to a highly politicized nun who gets involved in a labor dispute. In Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga, Ishmael Bernal's very competent handling of the material, coupled with Santos' intelligent portrayal of Juliet, a terminally ill cancer victim, saved the film from becoming a glorified soap opera. Her other fine fine performances during the 80's were displayed in films like Broken Marriage (Regal Films, 1983), Tagos Ng Dugo (V.H. Films, Inc., 1987) and Saan Nagtatago Ang Pag-Ibig? (VIVA Films, 1987) . Santos' most underrated performance during the decade undoubtedly was in Lino Brocka's Adultery Aida Macaraeg Case No. 7892 (Regal Films, 1984). Her sympathetic portrayal of an adulteress could easily have won for her nominations in all the award giving bodies, except that the film was overshadowed by the more prestigious Sister Stella L. which was also released during the same year.

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Labels: awards, elwood perez, experimental cinema of the philippines, ishmael bernal, lino brocka, maricel soriano, mario o'hara, mike de leon, nora aunor, regal films, sharon cuneta, vilma santos, viva films

It is a cause for cheer when a filmmaker tries to elevate the very common genre of the melodrama into a rich and intellectually rewarding film experience, such as director Ronaldo Bertubin has done with Last Viewing (Davis Entertainment Productions, 2009). Bertubin has seen in the material an opportunity to put substance to what has often been denigrated as the unthinking man's entertainment, and to a considerable degree, his attempt has been a success. Last Viewing is both a tearjerker and meaningful as a depiction of people in crisis. Laura (Janice de Belen) has been promoted supervisor at a memorial home crematorium. She is also the single mother of Heidi (Maro Panganiban), her five year old autistic daughter. Laura has the means to attend to the less mundane demands of life, examine what may have been an unexamined life. In all these, Bertubin explores the emotional and psychological condition of a woman who makes a living working with dead people and their grieving families. Naturally visible here are the many symbols not only of death but also of life to serve as some kind of counterpoint. Sometimes, they blend with each other, and at other times they are contradicting. From the solemnity of her father's funeral to the stillness of the crematorium, the affirmation of death could hardly be ignored. The most eloquent symbol here of life is the process of acceptance personified by Laura's brother Arnel (Sherwin Ordonez) who cared for their bedridden father until his death. His dream is to work in the Middle East so he can start a new life on his own.

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Labels: digital cinema, janice de belen, ronaldo bertubin, sherwin ordonez

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Labels: dang cecilio, jun raquiza, mark gil, max laurel, snooky

Bold ang oryentasyon ng Serbis (Centerstage Productions / Swift Productions, 2008) ngunit may kutob akong maiigpawan ng direktor ang kalabisan ng genre. Noong 2005 kasi, ginawa ni Brillante Mendoza ang Masahista, isang natatanging hayop sa gubat ng bold. Sa madaling salita, inasahan kong magagawan ng paraan ni Mendoza ang kalakal at kalakaran ng paglalako ng katawan sa sine sa kasalukuyan. Nabuhayan ako ng loob sa mga unang eksena ng pelikula. Ang lunan ng naratibo ay isang luma at patakbuhing sinehan sa Pampanga na pinamumugaran ng mga sex worker, bakla, mga nagpaparaos na mga lalaki at parokyano ng mga pelikulang bold. Nagmistulang bulwagan ng salamin ang pelikula, ito ay palabas na bold tungkol sa pagpapalabas ng bold. At masinsin naman ang pagsasametapora ng ng mekanismo ng pelikula sa pamamagitan ng pagsasalarawan ng maliit na silid ng projectionist, ang pag-ikot ng negatibo at pagtagos ng ilaw sa isang singaw na sinisingawan din ng usok ng sigarilyo at init ng katawan, ang sira-sirang mga upuan na ginaganapan ng krimen ng bawal na seksuwalidad. Pinaghaharian ang milyung ito ni Nanay Flor (Gina Pareno) at mga anak na sina Jewel (Roxanne Jordan) at Nayda (Jaclyn Jose) kasama ang asawang si Lando (Julio Diaz) at anak na si Jonas (Bobby Jerome Go), nariyan din ang projectionist na si Ronald (Kristofer King). Sa sinehang ito rin naninirahan si Alan (Coco Martin) at ibubunyag ang di inaasahang pagdadalantao ng nobyang si Merly (Mercedes Cabral). Sayang na sayang at hindi napangatawanan ng pelikula ang mayabong na tema at diskurso ng naratibo. Mapapansin na pagkatapos na maipundar ang milyu, hindi na alam ng direktor kung paano paandarin ang istorya. Sapat nang ipasubo ang ang bida sa mga kung-anu-anong sitwasyong nangangailangan ng paghuhubad.

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Labels: armando lao, coco martin, dante mendoza, digital cinema, gina pareno, jaclyn jose, julio diaz, kristofer king

Palipat-Lipat Papalit-Palit (HPS Productions, 1982) never swerves from its goal. From start to finish, it is a portrait of two people and the bond which they discover smothering and smoldering. The movie has tons of humor, the caustic swaps, the funny characterizations, the clever plotting so that the conditioned response for a supposedly serious movie shifts irrevocably to playful irreverence. It is a masterly stroke, the proverbial Lino Brocka sleight of hand at work, this time with more gusto and style. But none may claim that his treatment loses its mark of delineating the disadvantages of separation. The humor chisels the message so that it comes to us double edged while doing its duty of alleviating an otherwise gloomy impression which accompanies every disillusioning subject matter. Not only does it come through humorously but also simply. The screenplay plunges right into the boiling point, the issues hurled to the foreground like the familiar scenes of hatred and division treated like aimless confetti so that the moviegoer neither breathes nor is excused. It jolts at the outset and after the terrible whipping, when the squabbles lessen and finally ebb into peace, we realize that these two handsome people must have had only one tragic flaw, they did not keep mum for a while. Alvaro de Guzman's cinematography dances with the jetstyle rhythm of the two protagonists. From the clever blocking of their wedding day to the hurried bustle of the television studio. the camera sweeps avidly and flawlessly. In his hands, the incessant quarrels of Chuck (Christopher de Leon) and Carissa (Dina Bonnevie) seem like vengeful lovemaking. The long shots are more developed here. Above all, de Guzman's camera has humor and pathos. The production design never digresses from its limited scope but manages to make poetry out of bedrooms and artificial television set-ups. The claustrophobia one feels at the outset of the movie easily renders the hopelessness of the couple's situation. The music filters the emotions of the characters with a detached but effective air. Rene Tala's splendid editing is a breathless canvass of cosmopolitan animation.

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Labels: christopher de leon, dina bonnevie, lino brocka, mark gil