Kamera Obskura

Kamera Obskura

All of the movies I saw during the latest Cinemalaya have something to do with silence, but this time around there are no more speaking characters. Kamera Obskura is a silent film in black and white. I think the movie is about making movies. It closely follows a man stuck in a hole submerged in darkness. He then breaks out and finds a mysterious camera inside a store. Here's a full synopsis of the story.

SPOILER ALERT!

As the movie stated, this is the first time a silent movie came out since I wasn't even born. I'm not sure if that's true but I'll believe them. I liked the layers of the movie depicting how corruption is portrayed in all levels and sectors of society. The camera that got stuck on the protagonist's had the power to shine light and eliminate corrupt or bad people. Everyone who saw what he was capable of wanted a piece of him. I liked the way the movie ended with questions and not real answers. The movie didn't really end it just cut to a scene of a dialogue among a group of people covered in shadows.

 

Aparisyon

Aparisyon is another movie I caught during Cinemalaya. I headed to Trinoma to catch this film. It dealt with silence yet again, but this time around it took it to another direction compared to Ang Nawawala.

Aparisyon

This movie is about a bunch of nuns in a convent sometime during the Martial Law years in the Philippines. The movie's serene beginnings turn into a solemn and harrowing end when the movie came to a close. The story revolves around Lourdes (Jodie Sta. Maria), Remy, and Mother Superior Ruth. Lourdes is the new nun in the block and is introduced to the cloistered life. Her character is in stark contrast to Remy who is more outgoing and strong in personality. This time around, silence is used as a tool to cover up the situations that involved the monastery. After the rape of Lourdes and subsequent pregnancy, the monastery and Mother Superior Ruth is thrown into controversy and moral issues that it did not face before.

The change in aura and character of Mother Superior Ruth is seen when the old Mother Superior, who was now delusional, saw her as Satan, when before she was though of as Mother Mary herself. Silence this time around is used as a tool that leads to inaction. Everything is kept inside and as a secret to protect the image of the monastery. Here is a complete synopsis of the movie. 

I liked this movie because of the questions it posed on the viewers, at first I thought I was in for a horror movie, but when the story unfolded, the horror and dread of the aparisyon is more of what is going on in the mind and not the actual aparisyon.

This movie and Ang Nawawala took silence and moved in very different directions. Hopefully, we get to see more of these kinds of films from Philippine cinema.

Ang Nawawala

The much maligned Filipino movie industry is often filled with fantasy, drama, and comedy movies that don't make you think. It's often all for the glory of manufactured artistas and movie studios. But there is a yearly event that brings out the best in Filipino movie making. Cinemalaya is the chance for indie movie makers to show their art and breathe life into the decaying corpse that is Philippine cinema. I must admit that this is the first time I watched any indie movies from Cinemalaya. But something in me told me that maybe I should give this movie festival a shot.

I trooped to Trinoma to catch screenings of the movies in the Cinemalaya film fest. I read movie reviews about the films first before I decided to watch one. What caught my eye was the indie movie by Marie Jamora.

Ang Nawawala

Ang Nawawala caught my eye because of its take on silence. After watching The Artist there is something about silence that speaks volumes. I would boldly claim that this movie won't be able to touch the hearts and minds of the masses, unless you came from a certain school or certain family.

The movie is about a young man named Gibson and his self-imposed silence since he was a child. You can read a synopsis here, because I won't go into much detail about it. This movie brings the indie music scene, style, and depth that a majority of Filipino films lack. There are multiple layers to each character in the story especially Gibson. He kind of reminds me of the guy in American Beauty.

Creepy guy pointing a camera and documenting everything

Gibson's silence is open to interpretation: it either hides depth or just plain shallowness. His character is in stark contrast to the boyfriend of her sister who just talks and blabbers mindlessly. The main reason why he stopped talking was because he saw his twin brother plummet to his demise and his own mother couldn't even tell if he was his brother or Gibson. He didn't want to say anything. You could insert several interpretations about identity or whatnot but that's up to you.

He meets a girl named Enid, his first real shot at a romantic relationship. The relationship goes on an interesting twist because she was the first person he (Gibson) decided to say something to after several years. Hurting everyone else around home, especially his childhood friend. The relationship didn't turn out for the best but it taught Gibson something. He realized the pain that his mother was feeling after several years, caused by the death of his twin brother. The self-imposed silence and the things that have happened to Gibson finally made him decide to talk. His self-imposed silence pushed him to the brink and made him realize that he had to open up and let go. Catharsis!

I like the whole silence motif, although I wouldn't say that this one was better than the Artist, but it was pretty close (Filipino pride).    

Drive

There comes a time that there is a movie that will just catch your attention because of its slick acting and cool premise. Drive is about a driver who moonlights as a wheelman and keeps his day job as a stuntman and mechanic.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

The lead is played by Ryan Gosling. The driver, as he is called (he's got no name that's how cool he was), walks around in a white scorpion jacket as he helps crooks do what they want. All he gives them is five minutes. But his life does a full 360 once he meets, Carrie Mulligan's character and her son. He hangs out with them and gets thrown into their world. The driver is all cool and nonchalant as the world around him unfolds. He is an observer of the good and the bad that transpires around him. The driver 'drives' around the situations he is in until he is thrust head on when he gets involved with a ex-convict.

The movie has undertones that were not directly laid out. The little that is said will make you feel real tension and think about the underlying meaning of the entire movie. He tries to set things straight and decides that he no longer wants to be a wheelman but he is quickly thrown back into the fire because he wants to help the woman's husband get his life back on track. When things go wrong the driver takes things into his hands.

The movie was well though of. The shots were amazing and the soundtrack was on point as it queued on each scene, giving the movie an 80's modern vibe. I like how the driver can stay cool and calm despite the things that are happening around him. He saw the good and the bad and he is just cool with it.

Two thumbs up for Drive a must see movie.  

Prepare for Bass Battle!!!

There is a point in your life where an obscure movie catches your eye simply because it is quirky and something different from the usual movies you watch. I got to see one of those movies.

It's called Scott Pilgrim VS. The World

This ultra quirky yet good movie was an adaptation of a comic book. I did not get to read the comics but I did like the movie. The comics was one of those obscure types wherein the select few got to read and enjoy them.

Anyway...

Back to the movie.

The movie combined geek speak mixed with video game jargon and bolstered by excellent music. I could not tell what it was trying to be as a movie but the sum of its parts made one good whole. The story was good although a bit quirky if you ask me. Scott started dating a young Asian high school girl because he was reeling from a previous relationship.

I liked how the characters played their parts very well. From the nagging sister to the gay friend who knows everything to the evil exes that Scott had to battle to gain the love he wanted.

The concept was cool especially the shifts between cartoon/comic world to the real one. he mix of fantasy and reality meshed well with the parts of the whole.

Who wouldn't want to watch fight scenes like this:

Why wouldn't you want to engage in combats like that with your arch nemesis/ex/evil brother and sister/evil maid/grumpy old person next door. The upper cut and the final bonus once you finally knock them out???

Let us go back to the story...

Yes love, the kind that makes your heart go bump-bump-bump. The movie still had the oohhhhsss and ahhhsss of young love but I like the way it ended.

The self-respect.

Two thumbs up for Scott Pilgrim VS. The World

I like my dents old and rusty

In most cases the sequel almost always falls short of the standards of the first movie. So when I first heard about the sequel to Cars (which I believe is the weakest in Pixar's stable of animated movies), hereee we go againnnnn.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

I still went and watched the movie with my little sisters and mom because it was still Pixar and I liked all of the movies from their studio. The movie focused on one of the most obscure characters in the first movie, Mater. Mater is the rustic and rusty trailer truck. The movie revolves entirely around Mater which might not be a good thing for some moviegoers.

Mater

Mater is well kind of the odd man out in the movie even in the first one because of his very rustic demeanor. The movie kicks off promisingly and straight to the action. Mater starts to argue with another racecar on the telephone because he is bad mouthing Lightning McQueen. Then he challenges challenges the Italian racecar on his behalf on live television but McQueen (Owen Wilson) still agreed on the race.

The movie hinted on a world issue which is the use of fossil fuels. The car who arranged the world racecar derby wanted to use all natural fuel for the race. The head honcho of a high profile oil company wanted to stop using fossil fuel and use alternative energy instead (way to go for inserting a cause in kid's movies).

Racing along...

The movie focused on Mater and how he turned into an agent that saved the world and exposed an evil scheme. I seriously don't know why the movie took so much flak for being dubbed as the worst of Pixar's movies. I found it had a lot of heart and comedy for kids and grown ups alike. Maybe the thought of Mater as a lead character made them cringe but I thought it was consistent with the whole theme of the movie which is being yourself wherever you are.

I think it shows that there s more to someone than meets the eye and it is not important what you are or where you came from if you were given the opportunity to be something great you can achieve it. That you matter no matter how insignificant you think you are, no expectations means better results.

I especially liked the line about the dents maybe we shouldn't be afraid of the dents we all ready have.

I like the movie do you?

3 Idiots

I saw this movie called 3 Idiots:

3 Idiots

SPOILER ALERT IS OFF THE CHARTS READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL!

Moving along...the movie is about three idiots (insert sarcastic symbolism here) who went to a school for idiots (ahem engineering school). The protagonist's name was Ranchodas, rancho for short. He was roommates with two other idiots. They had a school director called Virus and the guy-who-like-to-kiss-ass-because-he-wants-to-get-high-grades-person-we-all-know-and-love.

The movie runs by this mantra "wisdom is knowing the exceptions to the rules." If you understand what that means then you know how to make ice cream with no ice and no cream.

Moving along...The movie is kinda sorta similar to Good Will Hunting but as a personal preference I liked Good Will Hunting more. This movie had the staple of Indian song and dance mixed with emotional highs and lows. It was intelligently made with a lot of heart.

It dealt with two kinds of learning. The memorize learning and the joy and wonder of learning because you love to learn. At the heart of it all is creation. There are several ways to look at the movie and thaw out a perspective but at the end of the day its just parts of a whole.

I would definitely give this movie a two thumbs up, it is a must see!

The Lives of Others

I watched an interesting German movie called The Lives of Others:

The Lives of Others

It was about a military officer who was notorious for catching dissident citizens in Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The interrogator was so damn good at what he did the people he investigated always cracked when he talked to them. There was no torture---just insane interrogation and eyes everywhere big brother kind of thing.

Anyway moving along...The government controlled everything even what the artists were doing. Then one artist commits suicide which has a profound effect on one artist. This artist (the good guy) decided to write about the number of suicides happening that were never reported. This topic was taboo because it was a knock against the government. Then the toughest interrogator was tasked to find out if the artist was doing anything wrong. So he wired his house and listened to his every move.

But as he listened to his life he knew this guy was fighting for something much more. So what he did was lie to his superior. I won't divulge anymore of the story it is better and more rewarding if you watch the movie.

I'll give this movie two thumbs up!