iCONoclast: Cinemalaya 2014: The Frontrunners

By Randy RI Espinoza

DIRECTORS’ SHOWCASE

Contenders

Asintado – Set in Bibiclat, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, the story takes on the Taong Putik rituals as backdrop for this moving drama of a mother who saves her son from imminent death and her community from the inroads of criminality and commercialism. The film celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and the concerted efforts of locals to protect themselves and their tradition from sacrilegious and negative influences. Musical score boosts the pathos evoked, especially in crucial scenes. Aiko Melendez, in a deglammed role, shines, takes on the look and picks up the inflection of the locals, and imbues her character with appropriate emotions. 7/10

Hari Ng Tondo – The story of a man who, upon knowing he’s bankrupt, returns to a place where he once was king and brings his grandchildren with him to introduce them to the spartan and tough world of this side of the metro, it depicts the decaying state of the city’s once-promising district without pretending to be an activist film. The director and the writer belong to the upper class, but it is interesting to note that the film’s slum scenes are way more striking than those scenes shot in posh settings. Employing the talents of family members for key parts (actors, director, writer), the film succeeds by focusing on conflicts in the family and the community and the relationships among the characters and not on the filth of the city, and by treating its theme and subject matter rather lightly with the use of humor and catchy original music. It comes off as rather optimistic when it lets the rich granddaughter fall in love with a slum boy and it has enough singing and choreographed scenes that give it the vibes of a stage play/musical, but the optimism and the entertainment value could be argued as attempts to use film as a social commentary and an emancipatory medium, as it were, by portraying the commingling of the rich visitors/settlers and the poor denizens. Overall, it’s a worthy comeback for Carlos Siguion-Reyna. 8/10

Hustisya – The narrative follows the struggles of the morally ambiguous character of Biring (Nora Aunor) and takes a convoluted path as she gets deeply involved in the inner workings of the criminal syndicate she works for. In this celluloid world where avarice and corruption pervade, the remaining positive element, an upright reporter, gets silenced as evil continues to flourish. The feature is bereft of justice, as it offers no hope for resistance and change. From its script to its cinematography, it disappoints and even pretends and aspires to activism, with misplaced and awkward interjection of scenes of street protests, amid squalor and hopelessness. Too many a film has tackled Manila, poverty and corruption, it takes a brilliant enough director and a sincere writer to come up with a work that will pay homage to the genius of Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, two filmmakers who very eloquently expressed their commentaries on society and Manila via Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag and Manila By Night (City After Dark). Aunor’s performance is the film’s saving grace. 6/10

The Janitor –The narrative follows the events surrounding a bank robbery massacre and the realization of a suspended cop, tasked to “clean up“ the case: truth and justice are often hard to come by. Tight script, good cinematography, satisfactory performances make this film on corruption in the PNP and the justice system the best of its genre, since On The Job. Interesting to note, though, that its look, feel, and texture is not indie. Will most probably have a successful commercial run. 8.5/10

Kasal – A gay couple – one is stiff, skeptical, bound by tradition; the other is more “open” and hopes for a lifetime partnership – faces breakdown as they attend a heterosexual wedding. The film features a protracted and unnecessarily explicit sex scene and could have made long sequences shorter and deleted some nonessential shots, but it succeeds in the long run by tackling issues that other gay-themed indies do not normally talk about: marriage and lifetime companionship. Good cinematography. 7/10

Frontrunners

BEST FILM: The Janitor

BEST DIRECTOR: Michael Tuviera

BEST ACTRESS: Nora Aunor (Hustisya) gives an apt performance as Biring, who works for a human trafficking syndicate, and delights the audience with some comedic lines, but her character just lacks redeeming value. Aiko Melendez’s (Asintado) portrayal is fresher and more compelling. Her deglamorized look as a country folk adds plus points to her performance.

BEST ACTOR: Toss between Dennis Trillo (The Janitor), as the ex-cop who agrees to liquidate suspected crime perpetrators in the hopes of being reinstated in the police force, and Oliver Aquino (Kasal), who effectively expresses the frustrations and pains of a gay man, his hopes of romantic bliss and dreams of lifetime marital commitment.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR/ACTRESS: Miggs Cuaderno (Asintado), Gabby Eigenmann (Asintado), Dante Rivero (The Janitor), Nicco Manalo (The Janitor), AJ Reyes (The Janitor), Ciara Sotto (Hari Ng Tondo)

NEW BREED

Contenders

I was able to see only four films in this category.

Dagitab – It has the ethos of last year’s winner, Transit, which is tantamount to saying that it is a well-crafted feature that boasts a coherent script, lush visuals, and good technical aspects. it explores the gradual breaking apart of the union of two university professors and a young student’s foray into the complexities that accompany adult relationships. Touching on homosexuality at a higher level, implicitly erotic without being sexual, and referencing activism, the film is a lyrical and intellectual piece that describes the dynamics of relationships told in the seemingly arcane language of the academe. 9/10

1st Ko Si 3rd - A light comedy/drama about Cory, who, upon retirement, suddenly faces the monotony of life at home with her husband. Ill at ease, wanting to keep herself busy, and thrown into introspection about a past love well remembered, she finally gets to meet him once again, which brings her to some bitter-sweet realizations. Not without flaws, the film, nonetheless, is a heart-warming description of issues that concern elderly people in their twilight years. Nova Villa gives a touching and engaging performance. 8/10

K’na The Dreamweaver – A tale about K’na, her tribe’s princess and dreamweaver (instrument of peace among the tribes), who must choose between love and taking on the role of the agent of peace between her village and a rival tribe by marrying the latter’s prince. A rare glimpse into the T’boli people and the flourishing culture built within and around the vast expanse of Mindanao’s Lake Sebu, it is worth watching owing to its cultural value and its attempt at depicting an ethnic community in the heart of southern Philippines. 8/10

Separados – It weaves the stories of six men with failed marriages and one man’s attempt at a second try. Commendable attempt at exploring the various reasons, from the perspective of the male partner, that make a marriage fail, although the film fails to successfully and seamlessly relate six stories and weld them as a whole, unified story, not discrete events. 6.5